Podcasting is now a favored medium. It started in the mid-2000s, yet it does not show any signs of slowing down. The platform itself provides informative and entertaining content suitable for its target audience. So, if you opt to have your own, make sure to make your podcast stand out. Follow these top 10 ideas to keep your audience engaged.
Set your goals
Before you start with your podcast, set out your main goals and objectives. Make sure to establish your aims. Then, keep your focus on them and stick with them. Also, it allows you to deliver to the audience what you want to say.
By doing this, it makes your podcast stand out among others. Plus, it will help you develop a reputation for your listeners and be more visible to other audiences. Moreover, it boosts your reliability. Therefore, ensuring your listeners keep coming back.
Create your content
With established goals, you can move forward with your content. A majority of great-sounding podcasts include continuous content flow. You can either make a wholly free-form or a fully scripted one. Or you may opt to any point between the two.
Whichever you prefer, make sure to create a plan. Before recording, know the points you want you and your guests to hit. Keep a steer of ideas. It avoids unnecessary fillings of “ers” and “ums.” Plus, it saves you from unnecessary repetition.
Watch your time
In making a podcast, there’s no specific length per episode to follow. It can run for as short as three minutes or as long as three hours. The appropriate length depends on the ongoing conversation, the topic, and the audience.
Nevertheless, make it known to yourself at a target time. Set out a record about the length of an episode you want to be. Stick to it. It is feasible to keep every recording session tight. Or edit it strictly.
Most importantly, allocate time to introduce yourself. Do it in your first podcast episode. Your audience needs to know a bit about you. Also, indicate the value of your podcasts. Your listeners need to understand what’s it in for them. Finally, don’t forget to discuss the frequency briefly. It sets the expectation from your listeners. No worries. It won’t take much time in your first episode. It usually takes less than ten minutes to tackle it all.
Showcase your personality
Most podcasters struggle to find their voice when starting. Being familiar with the medium as well as the podcast setup takes time. Becoming comfortable with the new routine does not happen overnight. So, accept the challenge. But, don’t pressure yourself too much.
The best advice to make your podcast stand out is to be yourself. Showcase your personality in the show. It speeds things up. Also, listen back to your previous podcast episodes. Analyze and criticize yourself. Ask yourself these questions.
- How do I sound?
- Am I a natural while in front of the mic?
- Do I overuse phrases and fillers?
- Will I tune in more into the podcast if I am a listener?
Afterward, decide if changes or upgrades are necessary. Nevertheless, don’t forget to be you while recording.
Engage with your listeners
Engaging with your listeners is the best way to make your podcast stand out. It provides priceless insights to the audience. It gives them a chance to overcome their pains and struggles. Thus, making you more relatable to them.
At the same time, it offers you feedback from them. You have an idea of what most of your listeners like. Keep it up to make them stay with you longer. Also, listen to what the audience dislikes about the episodes. Make a constant improvement to cater to both sides’ needs.
Start your engagement through an intro and outro of a podcast episode. Then, invite listeners to sign up with a one-on-one chat. No worries. It does not necessarily need to take up much of your time. In addition, utilize other platforms such as email and social media. A continuous conversation leads to gold.
Maintain consistency
On top of content and episode length, a consistent podcast format makes your podcast stand out. So pick a form and settle onto it. For example, if you started with a stereo, don’t shift to mono. Avoid changing every time. Or else, it makes your podcast less reliable.
Furthermore, provide a release schedule and abide by it. Decide whether you’ll publish it daily, weekly, fortnightly, or monthly. Most importantly, stick to it. A regular release schedule encourages listeners to become loyal. Plus, they have an idea when to come back.
Don’t forget branding.
A podcast is like a discussion of a particular subject for about 30 minutes or less. However, it still needs a little more input to become a show. An introduction is a must before you begin talking. Adding a piece of music as an intro or outro makes it livelier. But be cautious. A licensed song requires a budget. Don’t fret. Many are available for free, like Free Music Archive, Jamendo, and Bensound. Find a jingle that suits the style and tone of your brand and podcast.
Moreover, pick an excellent cover art. It makes a difference, especially to a passing listener. Dedicate a specific cover for each episode. It helps your audience to differentiate the various podcast episodes in just a glimpse. Plus, it looks so cool.
Keep it fresh
Although being consistent makes your podcast stand out, you have to keep it fresh as well. It sounds contradictory, but it’s beneficial. Introduce new segments to your listeners. Or occasionally change the format for variation.
Putting a little spin on a fan favorite makes your episode innovative. Having an inventive show entices more listeners to tune in. They might even recommend your podcast to some of their friends.
Have fun
Above all the top ideas, enjoy while recording. Every podcast reflects your mood. So have fun while gaining more experience. It makes you talk more passionately. You won’t even feel like recording yourself for your listeners. The audience can feel how much you enjoy making the podcast. That’s why it is the key behind a successful episode.
Post episode transcriptions
Providing transcriptions is a bonus tip to make your podcast stand out. It squeezes more value about the content tackled in the episode. Also, it is beneficial for those who have hearing problems.
Moreover, audio and video transcription services will help you in attracting new listeners. And your podcast will show up in the search results when they search for engaging podcast content. Thus, it will eventually scale your audience.
So, partner up with trusted podcast management tools for your podcast like Transcribe by Wreally. It converts interviews, videos, meetings, and podcasts from speech to text. Plus, it is available in more than 80 languages. What a great idea to make your podcast stand out, isn’t it?
