HOW TO MAKE A GOOD PODCAST GREAT

BY HEIDI MCIVOR ALLEN

A lot of people know how to make a podcast. You generate an interesting topic/content and then record you and maybe a few friends discussing said topic. This seems pretty easy, which is why it has become so popular over the last decade. But, if you want to stand out from the millions of podcasts being created and published you want to generate a GREAT podcast, not just a good one! We have put together a list of items that will turn your mediocre podcast into something that grasps the attention of millions of listeners and keeps them coming back for more.

“When you change one thing, you have the ability to change EVERYTHING.”

BE AUTHENTIC WITH YOUR PODAST CONTENT

This may seem like a simple task but it truly can make all the difference. Listeners want to hear something that is personal and relatable. Don’t just generate content that you think people will want to hear. Be yourself and keep it real. Sometimes the most mundane things we go through in life are what people can relate to. Turn those mundane topics that everyone can relate to and add your own comical edge. You can make talking about going to the grocery store something and the odd or funny experiences that you’ve had more interesting than you think! Say the first thing that comes to mind even if its strange. Strange is interesting and will set you apart from the millions of other people with podcast.

TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW THROUGH STORIES ON YOUR PODCAST

You can create the best podcast possible when you talk about things that you know or experiences that have happened to you personally! A podcast is a place for story telling and you want to be the main character! Listeners love an intense or funny story – just like in movies – they want to try to predict what will happen and love a good plot twist.Make sure you stay on topic – no one likes a book or story that is all over the place, it’s the same thing with creating and enticing podcast. When you tell your own personal stories, emotions are portrayed making it easier to connect with your listeners. This also makes it easier to constantly generate new content because who knows you better than you? No one! You will always have something to talk about when you’re talking about yourself, your experiences, and what you know!

FOCUS ON YOUR PODCAST’S TARGET AUDIENCE

Those who enjoy podcast typically have a niche that they are looking to listen to. Make sure that your podcast generates similar content every week that is revolved around one topic and/or sub-topics that are similar to your main topic. With so many podcast out there, listeners want to have some kind of idea of the content you will be creating for them on a regular basis if you want them to be dedicated to your podcast specifically. You can determine your target audience by sitting down and thinking about what it is you like to talk about the most. Choose a main topic and some smaller sub-topics that relate to your main topic – then decide what kind of audience would enjoy listening to your podcast. If you are talking about cooking recipes and the best cooking products on the market – who would enjoy listening to this?

INTERACT WITH YOUR PODCAST AUDIENCE

If you want your audience to keep coming back to your podcast every week, you want to make them feel like they are apart of the action and conversation. You can do this in a number of ways. One way is by asking them questions during one episode and then create a whole new episode revolved around the answers that they send in. This shows that you care as much about what they have to say on the topics as you do. Another way you can interact with your audience is by providing actionable content. If you are discussing a topic on how hard it is to stay active with such a busy lifestyle, provide them with “how to” solutions to the problems that you are discussing. Be a teacher – provide them with tasks that are also solutions to their problems.

BRING FEATURED GUESTS AND TOPIC EXPERTS ONTO YOUR PODCAST

As much as your audience loves listening to you talk, if you’re looking for additional content and new information bring on a special guest speaker or topic expert. Make sure you are choosing guests with the right qualifications and experience for your shows focus. Your guest should be relevant, knowledgeable, and entertaining. Many experts are performing on the “podcast circuit” every week and know how to perform on a podcast. They may seem like the ones to target but chances are listeners have already heard what they have to say and are looking for new, fresh, underground guest who have new insights to share. During these face to face interviews it is important to not only provide questions and answers for your audience but to build off the answers that your guest provide. This will generate story-like content that will be enticing to your audience and will typically lead to more personalized and authentic content.

MAKE SURE YOUR PODCAST AUDIO IS TOP OF THE LINE

If you are recording your podcast in a room with lots of outside noise and echos, you won’t be producing the best audio possible. You want make sure that those noises are edited out. Same goes for heaving breathing that may be heard, stutters, and long pauses. Adding in sound effects, slowing down and speeding up your voice for dramatic effect, can also bring more engagement from your listeners.

Lucky for you, here at McIvor Marketing we have a professional podcast audio editor on our team who is great at what he does. He will ensure that your podcast sounds as professional as a broadcasting station. Quality audio can make all the difference between a good podcast and a great podcast.

PROMOTE YOUR PODCAST PROPERLY

If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, did it even happen? The same thing goes for podcast! If no one knows about or listens to your podcast, does it even exist? You want to make sure that you are properly getting the word out to your target audience and that your audience is as big as possible. Here at McIvor Marketing we have the best tools and resources to promote your podcast and gain you the largest audience you can imagine! We will help you generate fun, enticing ads for your podcast that can be promoted on multiple platforms such as, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google My Business, and Spotify. We can also help you send out email invitations to those who fit into your target audience to gain even further exposer. Lastly, it can also benefit you to post transcriptions of your episodes so that your listeners can also read what your podcast is saying if they choose. This also benefits you by providing SEO value to your website.

What Business Services Does McIvor Marketing Offer?

We are so glad you asked! From setups to start-ups to businesses in growth and transformation, McIvor Marketing has services to meet your needs. Not ready to dive into hiring a full-time marketing director? Are you just curious about how your marketing is performing? We can help you set up trackable ways to measure your marketing ROI with a project-based digital audit to help you find out what vendors are performing. We can also help you get your social media advertising portals set up. In addition to that, we also offer training on Google Analytics, Facebook Business Manager, Facebook Ads, Google Ads, Canva, as well as how to plan content and brainstorm ideas to help you grow through research.

Our phoenix based digital marketing agency can help with website design & development, logo design, branding items, off-line marketing design and strategy, paid search management, social media ad management, email marketing, display advertising and more! Check out our full list of services and reach out with any questions.

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