Chances are, you have a broad idea in mind about what you want to do with your podcast. Your idea might still only be very general. Or podcasting might be something you've been considering for a while and, as a result, you have some very specific ideas in mind about what you'd like to do with your show. If you're only interested in doing the show you've envisioned and you don't particularly care if anyone wants to listen to it or not, then you can disregard at least some of the advice in this chapter. (That's not necessarily a bad thing, by the way. After all, it's your podcast!) On the other hand, if you'd like to create a podcast that's widely subscribed to by an enthusiastic audience, the first thing you should do is forget about your concept for your showat least for the time being. Instead of beginning your planning with the show concept, start by thinking about your prospective listeners. Ask yourself this question: If my podcast becomes wildly successful, who will likely be listening to it? If broadcasting is…well, broad, then podcasting is specific. The most effective podcasts in any genre aren't for everyone and don't try to be. Instead, each one appeals to a very specific group of listeners. (Two of the most popular podcasts at Podcast Alley are The Dawn and Drew Show and The Catholic Insider. Believe us, those two podcasts have very different, very specific audiences.) Let's begin a brief exercise that will help you to better understand the most important component of your podcast: Your listener. The First Step in Defining Your ListenerWho will want to listen to your podcast? Of course, no audience will ever be completely homogenous, but many of your potential listeners will likely have some similarities. Think about what your listeners will look like in terms of these characteristics:
Your podcast will appeal to its listeners in a way that relates to one or more of these characteristics. Your listeners might share an interest in a particular hobby such as chess, for example. In that case, they might all be somewhat varied when it comes to the other characteristics. Or they might share two or more characteristics. An example of that might be Beatles fans under 20. Drilling Down Another LevelNow that you've started to form a picture of who your listener is, let's take our exercise down to another level of specificity. What do you know about how your listeners will likely want to consume your podcast? Most of the time, are they likely to
Can you see how the answers to these questions can impact the choices you'll make as you design your show? (Stay with us. We'll have some very specific examples in a second.) Of course, right now you're mostly just taking educated guesses about all of this. That's fine. Later on in the process, as you begin to actually develop an audience, we'll start adjusting your listener profile based on actual information. |