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10 Tips for Podcasting Success
10 Tips for Podcasting
As podcasts increase in popularity, listeners have more
choices. So while you might be ahead of the competition,
you should still be thinking about ways that you can
make your podcast unique and stand out from similarly
themed podcasts.
1. Plan Accordingly.
When making the decision and commitment to podcast,
it is important to think beyond the moment. Before starting,
think about the time the podcast production will take.
How will podcasting fit into a current schedule? How
frequently will you podcast? How will hosting of podcasting
files be handled? If the podcast is excessively popular,
how will fees be generated to pay for hosting? What
is the common theme that threads all podcasts in a series
together? Think not only of a broad theme, but also
various episodic themes that fit into a broader theme.
What will make you distinct or different from others
podcasting about similar content? By approaching podcasting
with a little forethought, you will set yourself up
for success.
2. Original Content.
Just like any media company, in order to attract and
maintain an audience, you will need to provide original
content, or at the very least, present the content in
an original way. Think about a long term strategy that
will help your show distinguish itself from others.
3. Get to The Point.
Jibber Jabber is fun, but not to the point of excluding
quality content. Listeners in today's society don't
have time for incessant rambling. If you have a point
to make, make it in a reasonable amount of time. Minimize
the fluff and focus on quality content.
4. Do Your Homework.
Not only is faulty information a liability, but incorrect
information will hurt a broadcasters long term reputation--just
like a journalist's credibility is paramount to their
success. It is important that the information that you
provide is accurate. While being a shock jock might
have short-term appeal to listeners, most will remain
loyal to a source that has properly vetted all of their
information.
5. Consistency.
The best content is consistent content. Podcasts should
contain compelling content with episodic titles, that
are united in common broad theme. The format of the
podcast should be consistent, persistent and stable.
Each show should be about the same length and contain
a common format.
6. Timeless Content.
Content that is timeless has a long shelf life. Broadcasters
will benefit more from content that is timeless and
can be effectively archived. How to content that solves
problems will often have long term appeal and listening
life. When choosing topics, consider the long term effects
of a specific piece and determine whether it will fit
with the broad theme of the show.
7. Articulate Words.
The quality of the audio content does matter. Think
of the last time you heard a good song, on a poorly
tuned radio station; regardless of how much you like
the song, most of us would move the dial along. Listeners
will not want to strain to hear a podcast; pay particular
attention to articulation. Another important item worth
noting is that Podcasts have global reach and often
global appeal. Minimizing an accent will often extend
the podcast's listening audience.
8. Optimize Podcasts.
Podcast titles should be optimized to incorporate data
that relates to the contents of the podcast. Think about
the themes when selecting a podcast channel title and
description. Use critical and related keywords and phrases
that relate to a common theme. The text in the feed
is important for both feed optimization and for attracting
listeners. Many of the podcast directories index the
contents of podcasts using the information contained
in the channel and item's, titles and descriptions.
Use these text fields to effectively capture the interest
of listeners.
9. Listener Expectations.
Invariably listeners will come to expect certain things
from broadcasters. In order to maintain a listening
audience, it is important that broadcasts are consistent
and satisfy the expectations of listeners. While it
is okay to experiment, straying to far from what a listener
expects will often disappoint.
10. Archive.
Many new listeners will want to review previous broadcasts.
Consider ways to make older shows available through
archives. Archives allow broadcasters another channel
to benefit from the content. Maintaining archives of
older podcasts might bring in new listeners and satisfy
listeners who just can't get enough. Podcasts require
effort, but by following basic guidelines and thinking
things through, podcasts can be instrumental in increasing
web traffic and communications within a community.
About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com
software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds
and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for
NotePage http://www.notepage.net
a wireless text messaging software company.
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