Welcome to my Business Podcasting Tip Sheet Number 5.
I always wanted to make this issue about this subject, and here’s why.
Whenever someone comes to me and says “I want to start a podcast”, I reply “OK. What are your first five episodes?”
If you can’t answer that, then you’ve got problems, although none are essentially terminal so far as releasing a podcast is concerned.
Whenever I’m teaching the fundamentals about launching a podcast, I always spend a while devising how the finished product will sound (and look – artwork is important!) and most importantly, ensure that you can turn out that podcast on a regular basis.
That’s why it’s so important to decide whether you want to produce a seasonal or ongoing podcast.
If it’s seasonal, you’re generating anything between, say, 6 and 12 episodes. There are no hard and fast rules on the number, but you want to create something of value others will recommend to friends and colleagues, so there has to be at least enough for that process to occur.
Whilst not leaning one way or the other in terms of the argument ‘Seasonal or Ongoing?’ what I will say is, going Seasonal often makes you think more about the process of a collection of episodes and how to storyboard it so you can project your message, breaking it down into the constituent parts / episodes required to develop and communicate that message.
That’s why Seasonal is often a good way to go for educational podcasts. You can break a course down into episodes and deliver it to be followed at the listener’s own pace, with the episodes always living in the podcast universe as a reference tool.
The flip side of that is that Seasonal won’t bring you your reward of a large audience as quickly as an ongoing weekly podcast, because you’re not constantly present. Stands to reason really, doesn’t it?
You need to devote some brain time BEFORE you ever switch on a microphone to decide what you’re going to do, and how often.
And here’s a fact that blew my mind when I discovered it. If you can get to Episode 15 in your podcast, you’ve eliminated almost half of all the competition out there.
Let me run that again with the significance it deserves.
If you can get to Episode 15 in your podcast, you’ve eliminated almost half of all the competition out there
Why?
Simply put, because most people who decide to make a podcast do so on a whim, thinking it’ll be a laugh, and easy and something to occupy the boring moments over any number of Lockdowns.
So, they dash off, fully enthused and rattle off the first few episodes, publish them, and try to think of some more.
They do another couple, but by this point, the ideas are starting to dry up, and before you know it, they’ve completely maxed out anywhere between Episodes 10 and 14.
15 is never made and their episodes float off into the trash pile of the Podcast Universe.
And that happens to almost half of all podcasts, so if you make Episode 15 and above, you’ve way more chance of forging a successful podcast in the longer term, because 50% of the choice available when you started out has disappeared along the way.
Podcasting is not a quick fix or short term win. It pays off with consistency over time, but it guarantees a stronger bond with the consumer than virtually any other medium.
So, today, here come a few quick tips for how to never run out of ideas for your podcast.
Store
The first is mostly logistical. Find a way to store episode ideas. Something quick, dependable, simple and easy to access – because you will sit bolt upright in bed overnight at some point with what you believe is the best idea for a podcast episode ever conceived, but unless you record the idea in that moment before falling back to sleep again, it’s all for nothing.
Whether you use an app or notes on your phone, or the more traditional method with pencil and pad (how quaint 20th Century Child!), it needs to be a system which is flawless and accessible at all times. You’ll be amazed at how many more ideas you pick up on, simply because you had a reliable way of storing them and referring back.
You might not decide to use them all, especially the ones which came to you in the night, but at least you’ll not have that cheated sensation that you’d had the best idea in the world if only you’d made a note of it!
Restore
This is something which all content creators should do more of. If yours is a company which produces flyers, videos, blogs, pamphlets, ebooks, slides….and….and….and – the list goes on – at some point, devote an afternoon to reviewing all of that content and see what you can re-purpose or reimagine for your podcast. Think of it as up cycling content to make episodes.
Out The Door
The third element of generating a constant flow of ideas for your podcasts is to use other people. This happens in a number of ways.
You can use a call-to-action in your episodes and your social media, targeting your listener to specifically let you know if there’s a subject they would like you to devote an upcoming episode to.
You can canvas people in the street. This often leads to panic on the part of my trainee podcasters, but let me tell you something I’ve learned.
99% of the time, when you approach a stranger in the street, holding recording equipment, they’re going to be more nervous than you are.
You might as well be brandishing a light sabre.
Pay attention to newsworthy items in your field of expertise, and be prepared to express an opinion on them. That story and your opinion and reaction to it is the genesis of a podcast episode. If you play smart, you can even take clips, (or the entire episode) and send it to local newsrooms, offering your take on the issue as an authority on the subject.
If the purpose of your podcast is to specifically showcase your knowledge to your peers, this is THE vehicle to deliver that.
Not only will you be self generating ideas for episodes you then record, you’ll be making yourself constantly available as the expert in the industry for news teams to utilise, and before long, they’ll be proactively approaching you for your take on items in that realm.
More
Last of all, constantly keep an eye on the tank of ideas for future episodes and when it’s running low, make sure to address it before it runs out altogether.
Seems simple because it is, but you’d be astonished how often the meter runs to empty.
So – How To Never Run Out Of Ideas?
Store, Restore, Out The Door, More.
John Mellis is a radio and audio professional with over thirty years of experience in those sectors. Today, he operates in a variety of roles as a presenter for Global Media’s Smooth Radio across the UK, a BBC contributor and as a creator and host of multiple podcasts designed to promote the businesses and business owners who commission them. In this weekly Tip Sheet he introduces the concepts and building blocks for designing your own business podcast. You can subscribe to it below, as well as downloading John’s free ebook ‘Pitch Perfect Podcasts’ and sign up for the online course ‘Win Business Podcasting’ which takes you from newbie to nerd at your own pace so you can conceive, record and publish a business podcast of your own. Let’s make great conversation!
Subscribe
Sign up for our free Tip Sheet and stay up to date