podcasting format

You might have an excellent topic for your podcast, and terrific material, but for a podcast to be its finest, you need to come up with a specific format for your program and, for the most part, stay with it.

There are lots of things that make up the format of a podcast. The 2 that I’ll cover in this post are the parts, or sectors that make up a podcast, and the design you decide upon.

Segments and Flow of Your Podcast

Segments: If you listen to a radio program you’ll frequently hear news at the top of the hour, then sports, then weather, back into music for a several minutes, then an advertising break, a listener’s call, back into music, and so on.

All those parts integrate to make up the program. And while podcasting gives you the flexibility to do whatever you desire, whenever you desire, the majority of people are more comfortable when they have an idea of what’s going on– in this case, I’m talking about your listeners.

Familiarity allows your listeners to not think of the format and just go with the content. And while you don’t have to lock yourself into something truly exact, it’s a great idea to map out how your program will usually flow.

Here’s how one of my most current podcasts is formatted:

Introduction:

This is prerecorded with some music and informs what the program is called, exactly what it’s about, then presents the host (me!).

Invite and Teaser: A bit of chit-chat from the host, and then a teaser about exactly what topics will be covered in this episode of the podcast.

Current News: A take a look at the leading news and rumors from the past week including some editorial remarks if needed.

Sponsor:

If there’s a paid sponsor of the program it’s discussed here, otherwise the sponsor position is utilized to promote an item as an affiliate.

Main Content:

This is the “meat and potatoes” of the podcast and will vary depending on your podcast subject. It is best to have good copywriting that captivates audience and practice on your content.

Online Resource:

Tell about a resource online that’s associated to the main material which the listeners will discover beneficial or fascinating.

Feedback:

Answer concerns from listeners and obtain feedback using email, taped comment line, etc.

Outro:

Usually prerecorded with some music, this is the last farewell for this episode.

Each week I produce a podcast utilizing those segments. One huge benefit for me, the podcast creator, is that I don’t need to create something new each time — I already have the format, all I need to do is complete the blanks with the new content.

Some people do not like the concept of a fixed format for a podcast– they feel it disputes with the idea of a podcast being “by the people, for individuals.” However a podcast can still be individual while being formatted– and if you have a look at the leading podcasts, nearly all of them use a fairly constant format.

The other kind of podcast format you require to pick is the style you’ll use. For instance, you might be very casual, or strictly business-like. Or somewhere between.

Podcast Without Sounding Businesslike

Unless you know your audience very well, I ‘d recommend against sounding like you’re all business. That’s not to state you cannot utilize a podcast for company– you can! It just implies that a podcast, like any other method of interaction with your potential customers or clients, can be used to develop relationships. Being more personable will go a long way to structure that relationship.

You’ll also have to decide whether to fly solo or podcast with a partner. When you’re podcasting on your own it’s much easier to make choices– you do not need to bounce ideas of anybody first. You can also tape-record your podcast when it’s most practical for you – no balancing schedules with somebody else.

However, it’s normally much easier to produce numerous episodes of a podcast when there are at least 2 individuals. And lots of listeners think a group method is less dull than a monologue can be.

The decisions on ways to format your podcast are, obviously, approximately you. The bright side is that there are no wrong answers. Eventually it’s your podcast and you can make it the method you desire– and if you desire to try different formats to see which feel best, you can do that, too.

Just do not let the decisions hold you back– it’s much better to obtain begun and do some tweaking as you go than to never ever get your podcast launched because you’re overwhelmed with choices.

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