During our years of producing podcasts and broadcast radio before that, a large part of our job is to make the people behind the microphone sound great! So, we want to share some great tips to help you sound even better on your next brand podcast.
Whether you’re a new podcaster just starting out or a seasoned pro looking to improve further, you’ll find a whole bunch of golden nuggets below which you can apply to your own show straight away.
Ready? Let’s go!
- Provide value and make your podcast length exactly how long it needs to be for the information you want to share. In our experience this is usually between 20 and 60 minutes.
- Make your intro short and get to the content as quickly as you can. Do cut unnecessary filler but don’t rush through content.
- To grow your podcast, be a guest on other podcasts to get discovered by their listeners. If they like you, they will subscribe to your show after hearing your interview. Prepare interesting stories or advice for the host’s audience.
- Tell stories even when teaching or talking about technical topics to make dry information more engaging and memorable for listeners. Relate concepts to real world examples whenever possible.
- Invest in a great microphone for audio quality. If it is hard or uncomfortable to listen to you, people just won’t.
- When you record a podcast, try to record two (or more) at the same time. That will get you ahead of schedule, spread out the work and avoid rushing to meet last minute deadlines.
- There is no need to remove every mistake when editing. We remove a lot of um/ah but not all of them so we can keep a natural sound. Normally, any overly long pauses or verbal stumbles will go, but any that are a natural part of speaking we leave in. This keeps an authentic conversational style.
- Make your guests feel comfortable before interviews by explaining you’re not recording yet. Have a casual conversation to build rapport first. Chatting about their pets or kids is a great way to put them at ease to share freely.
- When you mention links, make sure to include them in the Show Notes and let listeners know they can find them there. Also always include a link to your own website or social media so listeners can easily access you through links. That kind of convenience will make you a resource for the listener.
- Guests don’t need to be celebrities. It’s far more important they are relatable to your audience and provide value, expertise and inspiration.
- Use the Voice Recorder app on your phone to record conversations when you are out at events or anywhere you come across someone interesting. If you can, use a portable recorder or lavalier mics with your phone to get higher quality audio.
- Ask follow-up questions in interviews to get “golden answers” by digging deeper on responses instead of just moving to the next question. If the follow-up is no good, you can always delete it afterwards.
- Don’t fully script episodes. Use bullet points instead for a natural sound and to allow flexibility in conversation. Too rigid a script sounds unnatural.
- Create an amazing hook at the start to keep listeners engaged by piquing their curiosity with an intriguing question, story premise, or problem to be solved that pulls them in and sets the stage for the value to come.
- Have fun with podcasting to connect with people and build relationships since enjoyment shows and inspires others as well as keeps you motivated for the long haul. Passion is contagious.
We hope you find these tips invaluable, and they help to ‘up your game’. As a team with years of experience in podcasts and broadcasting, we often guide recording sessions in a way that is not apparent because it’s become second nature through years of practice and refinement.
Remember, if you want to use one of the best ways to grow quickly while avoiding unnecessary mistakes, consider partnering with a professional such as DustPod!