Well, here we are again, lovely pod dogs.
Back at it.
We've got a tasty Pod Sound School episode for you all about planning and preparing with
Veronica.
Enjoy.
And remember, we generate fears while we sit.
We overcome them by action.
Hey there, pod-skis.
I hope you are enjoying learning with me.
Today we're going to talk about podcasts structure.
Scheduling some time before recording to plan, structure, and create your podcast episodes
will translate into editing efficiency, consistency throughout the episodes, and faithful listeners
from the start of your show.
So, let's talk about some simple steps that will save you time in the future, create efficient
work habits, and will help you grow your audience.
Step one, planning your podcast episodes.
While planning your podcast, here are three things to have in mind.
One, episode format.
There are two formats for podcasts, episodic and serialized.
Episodic shows have standalone episodes.
You can quickly choose any episode on your way to work without paying attention to the
order.
Subscribers of this type of podcast receive the latest episode, which is placed at the
top of the playlist.
On the other hand, serialized podcasts are organized oldest to newest.
Their content is usually story or a narrative organized in chronological order.
In order to make sense of each episode, they have to be listened to in sequence.
So, are you telling a story or will you have standalone episodes?
Second, scripted or unscripted.
The question we need to ask here is whether you will need a script.
The most common scripted shows are storytelling, educational, and some solo format and informational
shows.
The benefits of using a script in these type of shows is that you can control the experience
your audience will have and deliver the story intentionally.
And, the third thing to have in mind is frequency.
Frequency.
How often will you post your episodes?
Weekly, bi-weekly?
Keep in mind how long it will take you to plan, record, and edit each episode.
Schedule wisely.
Step two, structuring.
Now three things you want to have in mind for structuring are, first, intro and outro.
A fun, unique, and well-recorded intro piece or header can really help to catch the attention
of new listeners.
An outro or footer is also a nice touch that sends the listeners off on a good note and
makes them want to return for more.
Consider including information in the header and footer recordings that you will want to
include on every episode.
The intro and outro pieces are also perfect places to input a call to action.
For example, asking people to subscribe, rate, and review, asking your listeners to support
you on Patreon, visit your website, submit their stories, suggestions, or get involved
in your show.
And next, episode thesis statement and talking points.
Even if you're planning on having a loosely structured conversational podcast, a thesis
statement and talking points will really help to keep the listeners engaged.
Thesis statements tell the listeners at the beginning of each episode what the episode
is about.
On the same note, talking points are the layout or map of the episode.
Placing a thesis and talking points at the beginning of the episode will increase listener
retention, as they create interest and anticipation for the listener.
And, the third thing to have in mind for structuring, script-writing techniques.
If you're going to write a script, don't forget to account for the time it will take you to
write it and add that to your schedule.
Some great script-writing tips that I love from award-winning journalist Chris [inaudible
00:04:28] are, do your research, don't get stuck on an idea, read your scripts out loud,
paint the picture vividly, keep your pacing in mind, slow things down, build pauses, declutter,
and avoid excessive information.
Use conversational language and clean sentence structure.
Take chances, and have fun!
And of course, listen to podcasts with great writing.
Look for their techniques and their use of language.
And finally, step three, executing.
All right, you're all researched, practiced, and prepared.
Now it's time to put that lovely voice to tape.
During this stage, you'll be getting comfortable with the microphone.
You'll be finding your podcast persona, test-driving your equipment and your software, and recording
and editing your first episode.
You will also most likely want to record a trailer and some promo episodes for your show,
to help create a buzz around your launch and to share on social media.
We will go much more in-depth about executing, on later episodes.
So there you go, amigos. [foreign language] and be a good student and hit the subscriber.
Until later, [foreign language] and happy casting.