Podcasts:
we <3 them
Robinson Creative started producing podcasts early 2018, give or take. It was also probably due to Carlie's background as a broadcaster and love of radio that got the whole thing started.
Somehow or another, the team started producing podcasts and have been very successful in creating & distributing dynamic audio shows since.
We've covered numerous multi-episode seasons in industries of finance, sports, and technology, and to date, have recorded over 100 episodes.
Here's an example of a financial podcast that delivers on education and entertainment:
Fortress Fund Managers: Do It Fuh Grantley
How does it work?
Here are a few of the key ingredients to whipping up a perfect podcast:
Name it
It's your baby, so what are you going to name it? Choose something short and memorable. It should also be descriptive of what the podcast is about. While you want an interesting name, you also want something that people see and register in an instant what you're going to be talking about. Your podcast is going to be competing against plenty others so first impressions count.
Design it
You will also need cover art for your podcast. Just like the name, it's best not to be abstract. Choose something that is simple, and obvious. In a glance, it should tell someone at the very least what category your podcast fits into, like money, sports, or travel.
Top & Tail
A great podcast has great intro music! Your intro music
"brands" your podcast and dictates the energy you want to deliver.
In the intro to your podcast, you may also want to record a quick summary of what's to come during the episode. This is normally recorded after the show has been produced.
Hosts with Good Chemistry
Your hosts should be people who are comfortable in front of a microphone. Don't select talent that is shy, or doesn't like to talk alot. You should also be open to the idea of hiring a professional host with the experience necessary to carry conversation, and combine them with a representative of your organization or brand.
You can also use the opportunity to invite your stakeholders onto the show. This gives you the chance to celebrate your relationships with partners, vendors and customers. You don't have to limit the voices to only those who represent your brand directly, or even those who share your point of view.
We recommend 2-3 guests at any time. Any more than 3 people, and somebody might get left out of the conversation, or the talk may become too noisy.
Here's an example of how an organization used a professional host, while inviting various stakeholders onto the show as guests:
Preparation
One of the most important factors to a successful podcast episode is the prep that comes before hand. Your show will flow much more smoothly, and be much more interesting for listeners if you've prepared.
It's as simple as creating a list of questions you need to ask or discuss among your hosts and guests. It's also advised you research the topic being discussed, and jot down a few important points to consider about this topic. Feel free to share information with your guests or co-hosts ahead of time too, as you want them to be prepared and not surprised. A surprised guest is more likely to draw a blank in front of a microphone.
A show which hasn't been prepped for is more likely to suffer with waffling, pauses, and going off topic just to fill time.
Distribution
So you've produced one bad boy of a podcast with rocking intro music, a hilarious pair of hosts, and really engaging topics. You've nailed a good 4 or 5 episodes, worked out all the tweaks, and are ready to launch. So...what's next?
Do you know how you're going to publish your podcast?
First, you'll want to distribute it to itunes, google podcasts, spotify, pandora and iheartradio among others.
But, you can also make a home for it on your website like this sports podcast:
By creating a podcast hub on your website, complete with shownotes formatted into a "blog" as well as the podcast audio in a media player, this allows you to send valuable traffic to your website. Once there, you can direct users to other pages on your site such as your products or services.
Hosting the podcast shownotes also gives you content which drives your SEO.
You may also choose to publish soundbites or snippets of your podcast on your social media accounts.
There is alot of content you can strip from a single podcast, so you need to think bigger picture when producing your show.
Get Started
If you want advice on getting your podcast going the most honest thing I can say is...just hit record.
It'll all play out perfectly. If your first three attempts are not good, you can save them to laugh at yourself later but you don't have to publish.
You'll make a few errors and you'll fix those quickly. You have to make mistakes, and you also have to learn from them.
Don't be afraid of "whether or not people will like it". Not only will your audience find you, but if you're flexible and check your data you'll see what your most engaging content is and can pivot quickly to produce more shows like that.
Don't worry about running out of ideas...once you start, you'll see the ideas start flowing in and you won't want to step away from the mic!
