One of the first decisions podcasters need to make when they start a podcast is: What format will it be? Let's dive into the idea that format is more important than the host AND explore a couple of formatting experiments. Stick to one format OR mix it up often? This time last year, I slipped into an unnecessary questioning moment about my own podcast formats when I came across one of those podcast episodes that felt custom made for my brain and soul. You know the type of episode. It changes you. It changed me. So much so that when it came up as a reminder in my repurposing stack (yes, I have one), I relistened to it. And wanted to share it again. Here are some thoughts to help with your format challenges. Hugh Garry of Storythings has strong opinions on formatsIt's a conversation between Jay Acunzo and Hugh Garry on Jay's podcast, Unthinkable. The conversation is 39 minutes long and worth every second of listening time. However, since you're most likely a time strapped business owner or community leader, I'm going to break down 2 key points you need to listen to. And provide timestamps so you can skip to those sections if you want. Publishing weekly is NOT important Before we get to Jay and Gary's thoughts on formats, I want to spend a minute on publication frequency. Everyone publishes weekly, right? NO! Nor should you unless you truly want to, have the time (or money to outsource the production). Even then, it's not necessary. It's NOT a must. An example of this is my bookkeeping client, Paul Rosenblum of The (Not Boring) Boring Small Business Bookkeeping and Accounting Podcast. Here's the progress we've been able to make with building an audience during the podcast's 1 year return (shared with permission from Paul). And even more importantly than downloads, he's had listeners reach out and become clients. If that's what you're looking for in your marketing plan, we should talk! #1: Your podcast why informs the format. Well, it should!At 10:37 Jay and Hugh break down what format and structure is and why it's important "What is the behavior you want to see as a result of having this thing out in the world?" is a question Hugh admits asking everyone who wants to start a project. Funny that, I ask this too of potential podcasters (albeit in a slightly different way). In short, the format should fit the behavior you want to encourage. #2: Don't be scared of niches!At 35:00 Hugh goes into why people might be scared of going niche. LISTEN to this part. It's priceless. We spend too much time trying to talk to everyone. Trying to attract everyone. Everyone is not your audience. They're not your potential client. They're not a future community member. You can listen to that segment for Hugh and Jay's ideas on this, and I hope you do. But I also need to insert my two cents in here as well. Niching down does not limit who can listen to your podcast. It just focuses the content/conversations in such a specific way that our inner joyful geeks come out. This is a good thing. Really good. The more us we are in our podcasts, the more likely we will attract the people we want to connect to. Authenticity is the key to genuine connections. I think you know that already because you're here, reading this. But it's worth repeating. Now what?
I'm about to start a new season of Podcast To Connect, where we'll follow a client's audience growth over 3 months. So I'm thinking, hmmm, should we do a reverse interview format (where she asks me growth questions), or should we agree on a task to focus on and chat about during the session, OR something else I've not even thought about yet. We record episode 1 in about 4 hours so I guess it will all become clear then. It has to because a podcast episode is never done unless there are deadlines. And this new season is coming out this summer. So what formatting conundrum are you dealing with these days? Let us know in the comments below.
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AuthorFrom one passion led podcaster to another, here are some tips to make the most genuine connections with your podcast and supporting mediums. Archives
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