Podcasting: Planning

So let’s talk about planning and producing podcasts. Sitting down and planning your podcast is

super important. Podcast strategy should be the first thing in your mind; what do you want to say, how are you going to say it and who are you saying it to? Write it down, this is going to keep you on the straight and narrow throughout all of your recording!

Episode Planning

Let’s assume you know what subject matter you’re going for, you now need to think

about episode planning - what aspect you’re going to look at in each episode and (if you’re going for guests) the best person to hear from. You can also do a little market research first to see what people would like to know about your chosen topic. Then you may need to consider episode structure, if you’re doing a series of six, for argument’s sake, how do they flow. Do you need to think about the order in which each episode comes?

Guests for your Podcast

Guests can be a really big part of your podcast. Not only do they provide you with content for the actual shows, but they can also increase your audience engagement. It’s worth looking at their social following, and who follows the; do they match your target audience? But a word of caution here. I’ve spent, what seems like, years of my life on the phone to people trying to persuade them to be a guest on a show. It’s not always easy and making timings match up can be a real task! It can take patience, perseverance and a lot of persuasiveness. I’ve always found it easier to engage with potential guests over the phone, simply messaging them or emailing them isn’t quite enough. I know it’s old school, but I always find the results much more positive!

Get out and about

You really don’t need to stay in one place! When planning your podcast, think about getting outside in the fresh air. You’ll literally be taking your audience with you, just the ambience ca make a real difference. Just be aware that, when editing your podcast, being outside can throw up all sorts of random noises that can make some cuts very tricky to make. Best to always wear headphones plugged into your recording device, so you can hear exactly what the mic is picking up. I’ll talk more about mics in the next blog.

But don’t forget, audio is a hugely versatile medium and, like video editing, you can use effects to amazing things. We have full access to a vast effect library at Ginger Wizard Producutons, but be careful! Many sound effects you find online will be subject to copyright, just like music, and you could find yourself in bother if you don’t use ones that you have legal access to.

Podcast scripts

Script writing for podcasts is a tricky area. It takes time to learn how to write something down and then speak it out loud so it sounds natural. It depends on what kind of person and reader you are. It might even be better to do it with notes instead of a full script. Why not play around with both and see what you think is most comfortable and sounds best for you. Also, a tip from my years in broadcasting, write down a running order of subjects, or parts of your podcast. That way the flow of it all doesn’t have to live in your head, and you can concentrate on sounding great and not missing anything out!

Don’t reach for the A.I

Finally, when it comes to planning, it can be tempting to turn to AI for help. I’d discourage this as when you write your script, you’re writing it in your voice. And that will come across over the mic. Sure, maybe do some research with AI, but really don’t use it to write your podcast!