Here’s a fun fact to kick off this blog: In 2022, Australia has become the biggest podcast-listening nation on the ENTIRE PLANET. If you're just a listener, it might not mean much to you, but if you've given podcasting a thought, this information will let you know that this is the space to be in.
After launching my very own podcast with two other lovely ladies, Stephanie Mason, CEO of Showpony Hair Extensions, Nadine Johns-Alcock, owner and director of Dorothy Jean Salon in Brisbane and the global education manager for Showpony, named Cutting Through the Noise, I’ve realised that this is a whole other ballgame, with a new set of rules to follow.
Here’s what I’ve learned while recording our first episode.
INTRODUCE YOURSELF
This is very important, although it might sound obvious. When creating the first episode, it’s important to tell the audience who they are listening to and why. Introduce yourself, why you’re creating this podcast, what the goal is and what they can expect.
Don’t forget, create a short concise intro for every single episode, so that you can quickly introduce yourself to any new listeners if they haven’t listened to you from episode one. You don’t want your listeners to be wondering who you are and why you are talking about a certain topic, otherwise they'll just tune out.
BOOK YOUR GUESTS
Ideally, you’ll want to have a list of guests who have agreed to come on, so you can announce them to your listeners. Talk about your guests and how they will contribute to the topic so that the audience wants to tune in to the next episode.
PLAN EVERYTHING
And what I mean about this, plan the topic of each episode, and create a summary of talking points so that you don't get off track and go on long-winded rants about something unrelated to the topic. It's important to stay on track, because time is precious and your audience may not have 3 hours to listen to a podcast. So make sure you're concise, clear and organised enough to stay on point.
ASK THE AUDIENCE
It’s important to analyse your audience and what they like/want to hear. So don’t be afraid to ask them this. Learn what kind of topics they want to hear about, and even who they would like to hear as a guest on your podcast. It’s all about listening to your audience and following through.
AVOID DEAD AIR
Dead air is one of podcasting's biggest sins. This is simply a period of the podcast, whether it’s five or ten seconds, where there is no sound whatsoever. Listeners will tune out if there is too much dead air, so keep talking and make sure to learn how to fill these empty audio spaces.
TEASE, TEASE, TEASE
Before you end the episode, make sure to tease your audience with a tidbit of information from the next podcast. For that, of course, you need to have an episode pre-planned. Make sure you give them enough information to know what they can expect (what you will be talking about, with who etc.) and let them know when the episode will drop so they can tune in.
AND THEN…MARKET
It’s all about marketing from there. Set up a social media page. Connect with your community and industry, and have them give you a shoutout.