Recently I wrote a piece talking about the wonders of podcasting and why everyone should either be listening or producing one. Well, now we shall talk about four ways for those who want to produce their own podcast to make it successful. So, without further ado, here’s a list, in no particular order,,
1) Pick a subject that has a niche market. This is the most basic rule in making a podcast and the first thing that you must decide. Choosing a subject or topic for your podcast must be something that has a built in market, either niche or broad. However, I suggest picking one that has a niche market because you will attract more people that way. If you choose the topic of “cars” that’s a little too general, why not narrow it down to “luxury cars” or “custom cars”? Want to do one about “travel”, why not try “budget travel” or “Travel for First Timers”? No matter what the subject, try and fit it into a niche. You will be rewarded in the long run for it.
2) Make it entertaining. This one is a no brainer. Be yourself and make it entertaining and fun for the listener. I have discovered that the podcasts where the team is reading a detailed, step-step outline, tend to come off wooden and insincere. Try making a rough outline of the talking points you want to cover, and improv it from there. This way, with practice, you will come off entertaining and passionate about what ever it is you are talking about. The more fun you are having, the more fun your listeners will have listening.
3) Make it interactive. This step, along with step 4, takes a little more effort to accomplish. Making your podcast interactive, though, is a very good way to connect to your listeners and to get almost instantaneous feed back about you podcast. There are two ways to make this happen.
1) Do an email show. Set up an email account, and ask your listeners to email in comments or questions and you can devote a part of a show or an entire show to responding to their emails. This will not only bring you closer to your audience but will also give something new to the audience as well.
2) Host a discussion board. This step takes a little more depth than the one above, but it also grants the most rewards. By hosting a discussion forum, not only can you interact with your listeners off the show, but you then allow your audience a place to come together and discuss whatever the topic of the podcast is, or other things in their lives. Discussion forums are a great way for you to get to know the listeners and for them to get to know you and each other.
4) Finally, set some sort of schedule. This, along with step 4, can take the most time and effort. You should try to set a schedule for your podcast. It can be once a week, once a month, or six times a month. It doesn’t matter, but by setting a schedule and letting you listeners know it, they can them anticipate the release of new podcasts and aren’t left wondering when the next one will be released.
Okay, so these are only a few things you can do to make your podcast successful. There are many other ways, but I think these are the most common ones you can do to make your podcast successful. Enjoy your podcasting and I look forward to hearing them.