It’s one of the very first questions anyone should ask themselves if they’re serious about taking on making and maintaining a podcast.
You ask yourself that question right after “Why Should I Make A Podcast? What’s In It For Me?”, and seeing as how we covered that last time, this is the logical place for our next post.
In response to the question – “What Kind Of Podcast Should I Make?”, probably the most immediately valid and useful answer I would give you is – the type you can replicate the style of repeatedly.
I say that because my guideline is always this – for the first few podcasts, let’s say ten, your listener is establishing a number of things in their mind.
- What value you offer?
- Are you worth committing a regular chunk of time to?
- Would they recommend you to others?
- Do they like you?
In order for them to answer all these in their mind, you have to be solidly dependable.
In real terms, that means you have to be reliable enough for them to form an opinion of your show, and secondly, you as a person.
You might not think that second part happens – that they form an opinion of you as a person.
Quick test – who is/are your favourite TV host(s)?
Ant’n’Dec?
Answer = Yes.
How do you know? Because you formed an opinion about them.
Answer = No
How do you know? Because you formed an opinion about them.
Our brains do this about everything based on the information supplied to them.
That’s why if you want someone to stick with your podcast, your message and the way you deliver it has to be consistent, so your listener gets a very distinct feel from it, and then, importantly, knows how to pass that message on simply to a friend, who, in turn, can also become a fan, and so on.
In essence, it’s a bit like networking – you have to give your listener every chance to know, like and trust you.
And as they engage on that journey as a listener, they also become more likely to do that as a customer in the longer term.
So, given consistency and dependability are key to your listener forming their opinion of your podcast, we come back to my earlier advice – “What kind of podcast should I make?” – the type you can replicate the style of repeatedly.
That’s where formats come in.
Loads of people rally against format like it’s the enemy, and I’ve never understood why.
A format is simply a style guide – one that’s become established over time and testing as something which has worked with an audience before and likely will again.
It’s there to give you some design lines to follow. It’s not The Ten Commandments
People recognise established formats readily, perhaps not always by name, but certainly in practise.
The Monologue – One person presents their piece.
The Double Header – (I know you can get this!) Two people co-host.
A Q And A (Question And Answer) – The audience asks, you answer.
The Interview – (Really?! ) – You speak with a guest every episode.
When you set out constructing the style and template of your show, have a think which of the above fits you best, and which will serve your listener most.
This is usually the spot where the fightback against format ensues.
I get it. You’re ‘a creative’ now. Nobody’s going to put you in the box.
You’re here to…. ‘think outside of the box.’
OK – First thing. I’m all for alternative thinking. I appreciate a beautiful new idea more than most. I’m a creative being too. (We all are!)
Two – The majority of folk live inside the box. It’s not that bad a place. Why would you want to completely ignore that mass audience?
I’ve always been a fan of this Ricky Gervais quote.
Another essential thing about making the ordinary extraordinary is that you start your audience in a place which is known to them.
Remember, we want your listener to get to know, like and trust you – so they become familiar, and build the habit of listening every episode.
That known place we start from is your choice of one of those formats – the one you can most easily replicate on a regular basis.
Whatever that ends up being, a brief reminder that if you make it to Episode 15 and beyond, you’ve already made it further than almost half of all podcasts launched.
That’s why pre-planning ahead of launch is so important.
Find a format that suits your listener and suits you.
Here’s a brief run down of the pros and cons of each.
The Monologue
Pros – it’s just down to you, no-one else to interfere or alter what you want to say.
Cons – it’s only you, no-one else to contribute. Occasionally, the sound of one voice, and only one voice can wear thin more quickly than a group of contributors.
The Double Header
Pros – strength in numbers. Two heads are better than one. If one of you isn’t having that great a day, the other can carry the majority of the show. You can pool the ideas from each contributor, and utilise the contacts of both to source items for the podcast and to promote it.
Cons – that dreaded band break-up phrase: we split because of ‘creative differences’. There’s more chance of wasted energy spent arguing over the direction and style of the content than you’ll ever get with one person! It requires both of you to be available.
A Q And A (Question And Answer)
Pros
This is an absolutely fantastic way to establish value and showcase knowledge in super-quick time. The format is all about the listener (your client or customer) providing you with a query / an issue they can’t solve on their own. You then do that for them over the course of the show.
Cons
It requires you to have a database of queries, difficult to do from a standing start at launch.
The Interview
The Pros
Taking to someone else is always easier than trying to carry something on your own. In essence you’re simply having a conversation and your listener is the third person at the table. You can use your own network of contacts to be interviewees or to help source interviewees. Depending on how big a following your interviewee has, after the interview has been recorded you can then leverage their audience / fans / followers by letting your interviewee know when their episode will be released and allowing them to plug themselves in advance of it being published.
Cons
It can be difficult and time consuming to source, recruit and record guests. Often they’ll cancel at the last minute because something came up. That all adds up to stress and inconvenience you don’t need.
Here’s the most important part.
Whichever format you go with, stick with it for at least those first ten shows and allow your listener the chance to form the habit.
Give them the opportunity to get to know, like and trust you.
Then once they do, and you’ve become their constant – the element they like most – they’ll permit you the licence to play around with the format and switch things up occasionally, so long as you, their favourite, remain the main constituent part.
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!
