Podcasting in 3 Easy Steps Suzi Dale and Julie-Anna Needham

Hi this week we have something a bit different for you, both Jules and I were at The Podcast Show last week so here’s our chat where we digest and debate our three takeaways (each) so you’ll get 6 things to takeaway this week ;)



Here are the picks from Jules: 

1.  What can we learn from the YouTubers. The onward march of video into the podcasting space and the increasing presence of YouTube was evident at the event with some big YouTubers (and their managers) there. They spoke about how they create content, how they focus on some of the tiny details and the cross over between creating a podcast and creating a show. One described YouTube as the cornerstone of the creator economy, as it's the place where you can actually make money from your content.

2.  The AI tools for podcast content reformatting will make your life easier. They allow you to upload your audio podcast. From that a transcript, a blog post and social media shareables will be created. Two apps that we're keeping an eye on are Capsho and CastMagic. We'll try these out and report back in due course.

3.  The importance of packaging and branding your content. Whilst content creators with a team of designers, videographers and producers behind them obviously have the upper hand here, small independent podcasters can benefit from having a consistent brand and content that's packaged across different channels (website, podcast, social media). This links to my two earlier points above.



And mine: 

1. Make a podcast not a ‘have to do’… it needs more thought. This was what Holly Tucker MBE - founder of Not on the High Street and presenter of Conversations of Inspiration She says don’t think of creating a podcast as a tick box exercise for your business - you can’t build a podcast because you need to, instead ask yourself what are you trying to change, who can you help,  what is the mission?

2. Growing your podcast and reaching an audience. This was a talk with Carver PR and journalist Miranda Sawyer. Don’t underestimate niche communities- specialist magazines and podcasts - where are your adjacent audiences? If you know your audience demographic you can target them- but break out of the echo chamber- where else is your audience? and look local, share your story (and your mission) with local press and radio.

3. Keep it fun- that was the message from The News Agents team. If you're creating a podcast you have to make it fun. You can’t argue that Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall have fun on that show- which is now one of the biggest podcasts in the UK (and they revealed will shortly have a News Agents USA spin off to tie in with the US elections run up) Presenter Emily Maitlis also said regarding the stories you decide to cover (whatever your podcast may be about) ask yourself would I click on that? This should be your only deciding factor on what you run.



Hope you’ve found this helpful. If you went to the show let us know what you are taking away from it.



You’ll find us @decibel_podcasts and @story_publishing

In this episode, Jules talks about how to prepare your guests before you start recording.

Here are three steps for getting the best out of your conversation:


Brief your guests in advance. Explain the tone, give them some basic technical instructions and talking points or questions so they know what to expect. 


Try & do a short technical check with your guests in advance of the recording. This only needs to be 5 minutes but it will highlight any technical issues before the actual recording. It will also allow you to gauge how confident or nervous your guests will be and identify any good or bad topics.


Make the guests feel at ease when you start talking to them. When you check their sound, ask them what they had for breakfast/lunch, where they are, what the weather is like etc and find some common ground (dogs, children, holiday plans etc). If they seem nervous run through the questions to make sure they’re happy with them. 



Below are the technical instructions I share with guests for using Riverside. I’d recommend including a line about using bullet points if they want to make notes, rather than writing out their answers word-for-word:

- We record using a podcast recording platform called Riverside. This works in a similar way to Zoom or Teams. You don't need to download anything.

- Riverside will only work when you open it using Google Chrome or Edge as your browser.

- It won't work if you're using a VPN.

- Please join the recording from a quiet room with no air con and one that doesn't have bare floors/walls (as these echo). Bedrooms with carpets are best. Meeting rooms are usually terrible.

- Please wear plug-in headphones 

- Please make sure you have your mobile phone to hand with the voice recorder downloaded and ready to go. This will act as a backup recording of your part of the conversation.

Hi It's Suzi and today I want to chat to you about The Podcast Show and how to get the most out of it…

 

Ok so if you are a podcaster in the UK you’ll know the biggest podcasting show is happening in London on 24th-25th
May. We went last year and so we wanted to share our thoughts on it and how you can get the most out of the show if you’re going.

 

(Side note if you’re not going - we will be sharing our key takeaways in a future episode of Podcasting in 3 Easy Steps… so you don’t have
to move a muscle!)



But if you’ve grabbed yourself a ticket… Here are my 3 things you’ll want to do:

 

1.    Pick just a few sessions you want to go to each day. The programme of talks is already available online and there’s loads to do
and see.  Have a read through and decide what you’ll get the most out of. If you are already creating podcasts it might not be the big headline names – it may be a session that will really help you with a certain aspect of your podcasting. 


2. Factor in quiet time. Meet ups for coffee with fellow creators and people in your community. Use it as a chance to nurture and
build  your community - plus it’s a chance to tell people about your podcast. The show is in a massive space with lots of areas you can catch up and plot your next podcast episode. You could even record one there.

 

3.    Take time to visit the stands – its easy to think that it’s all about the talks but this is a great opportunity to explore new technology and devices that make your podcasting easier. Try things out, get yourself a goody bag and make sure you factor in time to explore what’s new.



Are you going to the show? Let us know if you are and come and say hi!



If you're listening in Spotify let me know what you're looking forward to most in the questions.

 

Resources

https://www.thepodcastshowlondon.com/

@decibel_podcasts

@story_publishing



 

 

In this episode, Jules talks through three key steps to getting the best from your microphone.

It’s a common mistake when you’re starting out with a podcast to get the distance or direction wrong. Here are three steps to help you make the most of your microphone:

Step 1: Get the direction right,

Step 2: Get the distance right,

Step 3: Get your settings right

Are you an introvert?



In this episode of the podcast Suzi talks through how podcasting can really work for you if you are an introvert (or leaning towards introversion)



Here are the three ways it can work for you:



1. You don't need to speak in front of a big room - you can research and prepare your topic and share the information through a 1-2-1 with your guest and you can hold that conversation together. You get to take your time to consider the content, edit and script words which in turn gives you the freedom to explore more.



2. Networking - do it in a way that’s comfortable to you- rather than a busy room and competing to talk - you can focus on someone you’d like to talk more with and do this at depth. You can also gently nurture a community around your podcast who are ready to listen to you when they can and build and grow on this



3. You can give other people the confidence to share their stories through your enthusiasm during your recording. Yet you can retreat to the calm and solitude to pull it all together. Giving out socially you can retreat and reset.



So what do you think? are you more of an introvert? here's the definition:

Noun

a person who prefers calm environments, limits social engagement, or embraces a greater than average preference for solitude.



Adjective Also in·tro·vert·ed .

having a disposition that is taxed by social engagement and energized by calm environments, resulting in the preference for quiet solitude.

If you are listening on Spotify let me know on the Q&A how podcasting helps you as an introvert.



Resources

Contact us @story_publishing or @decibel_podcasts



Have you thought about starting a podcast for some time, but don’t really know where to begin? Perhaps you’ve been put off by the sound of your voice….or your lack of technical know-how?

Then you’re in the right place! From 16th May, we’ll be running ‘Step by Step to Podcast Launch 3’. This course will take you through each step of the process you need to get started with your own podcast. We’ll help you develop your voice and your confidence. We’ll keep things simple. We won’t baffle you with complicated terms or technology.

Book here now with an your early bird code SBSTPL_3_EARLY TO GET £50 off : https://www.decibelpodcasts.com/store


  Over six weeks, you’ll learn about the following:


Understanding your niche 
Identifying your audience
Simple formats and scripts
Duration and frequency
Choosing a name
Equipment for all budgets
How to record at home
Presenting basics
Remote recording
Editing basics (and where to find affordable support)
Finding royalty-free music
Creating simple artwork
Hosting platforms and how to create one
Uploading your podcast
Getting your podcast on Apple, Spotify & Google
Marketing your show

The course will consist of one live workshop each Tuesday at 10 am on Zoom and a drop-in Q&A session on Fridays 



If you have any questions about the course just send Jules or me a DM @story_publishing

In this episode, Jules talks about some of her key takeaways from the Birmingham Podcast Festival. It was the inaugural event and had a diverse line-up of hugely experienced podcasters. Here are her top takeaways:




Podcasting should be viewed as ‘narrowcasting’ for a niche audience rather than broadcasting for a broad audience.
A podcast should be your business card and a way for potential customers/clients to get to know you, rather than a direct source of income
Outsource your content and build community by getting listeners to leave messages for your show



The Birmingham Podcast Festival was organised and hosted by Soundtruism. Learn more here: https://soundtruism.com/

Learn more about SpeakPipe here: https://www.speakpipe.com/