Everything old is new again. Fads once forgotten are repackaged. And in a world of 280 character tweets, short articles and sound bites, the long-form radio show is making a comeback. Now granted, we have given this long-form radio show a new name and that is a “podcast”.
A podcast is an episodic digital download of an audio file. They are generally thematic, can be as short as 10 minutes to as long as 90 minutes. You can listen to back episodes, binge listen to a series or subscribe to a podcast and it will automatically download to your devices when a new episode is released.
Here are a few tips for making a good podcast.
Consistency. If your podcast is a weekly show, make sure it drops on the same day each week.
Theme. Whatever the topic of your podcast, make sure you stick to your theme. It is the reason people are listening.
Equipment. Invest in quality equipment and software. Your show needs to be well produced if you want people to keep coming back.
Audience. An audience is built through mentions and cross-pollination. Having guests on from similarly themed shows can help build your audience.
Host(s). The single host version needs to weave a narrative to engage listeners, while the two hosts version can play off of each other like “the straight man and colour commentator” trope.
Engage. Have a means for your listeners to engage with you. Facebook and Twitter are perfect avenues for feedback and continuing the discussion.
Recently Kevin George, rector of St Aiden’s, London, and Rob Henderson, rector of the Parish of Holy Trinity-St Stephen’s Memorial launched a podcast, “The Vicars’ Crossing”.
This is a good example of a podcast done well. There is a consistent theme, Church and the Public Square, it is well produced both in terms of audio, intro music and has been synchronized with other social media platforms and artwork, and they use “the two hosts” format. I’ll let you decide who is Ron MacLean and who is Don Cherry.
I would recommend adding this podcast to weekly listening. You can find information on it