Semester 3 of the Creative Studio Academy could be exactly what you are looking for if you want to learn how to podcast.
Here in the Creative Studio Academy, we look at how we can get started with and improve our online content creation. We covered several different topics during the first semester. During the second semester, we went into detail about blogging. This third semester has a focus on how to podcast.
This week is a little break between semesters, but here’s a peak into what we’ll be covering over the next 12 weeks. You can also download the PDF version of this.
Getting started – know your audience and your why (3-1)
When you get started with podcasting (or any content creation) you have to know two things: your audience and your “why.” These two things need to be solid because they are going to both give your direction and motivation, even in the hard times.
Podcasting technology (3-2)
Podcasting is a technology based form of communication. There are many parts with hardware and software that people can get lost. Setups can be simple and easy, or they can be more complex; and we’ll examine several options.
Podcast formats – solo, co-host, interview (3-3)
If you’ve listened to many podcasts, you’ll hear a wide variety of different formats that are used. Several factors play into what will work best for you: your personality, your niche, your audience, and your expertise level.
How to work with guests (3-4)
Whether you have guests on regularly (either as a co-host or an interview) or just once in a while, it’s good to know how to interact with them. It’s starts with the introduction to setting up the appointment, and moves to interaction before, during, and after the recording.
Podcast show notes (3-5)
There are two things that podcaster generally hate to do, and one of them is creating show notes. Podcaster usually are fine with talking into the microphone and creating the content for the podcast itself, but they don’t like the time and effort it takes to make great show notes.
Podcast topic – show level and episode level (3-6)
Some people know that they want to podcast, and they have a lot they could share, but they can’t narrow down exactly what they should create a podcast about. You need to know both the overall topic of the podcast (at the show level) and the topics of each individual episode.
Hosting: web hosting and media hosting (3-7)
Having your audio file on your computer doesn’t help anyone: you need to host it somewhere. Web hosting companies allow you to create a home base on the web, and media hosts allow you to store your audio (or video) files.
Podcasting workflow – preparation (3-8)
A lot of the headaches in podcasting can be avoided with proper preparation. The more and better you prepare before you sit down (or stand up) to record, the better the experience will be and the smoother it will go. Preparation will include research, outlining the episode, gathering resources (links, articles, etc.), and communication with anyone else that may be involved.
Podcasting workflow – recording (3-9)
Recording a podcast can be as simple as pressing record and just talking into the microphone, but there are many things you can do to improve the quality of what you produce. You need to consider breathing and talking techniques, caring for your voice, and using recording techniques to ease the flow and improve the quality.
Podcasting workflow – post production (3-10)
Depending on how you approach the preparation and recording stages, your post production can be quick and painless, or it can be long and tedious. Either way, there are ways you can simply the process and add those final touches.
Podcast directories – iTunes, Stitcher, N&N (3-11)
People need to find your podcast somewhere – it doesn’t just magically appear on their computer or device simply because you record it. iTunes and Stitcher are the two big directories to list your podcast in, but there are other places to be listed as well. New and Noteworthy on iTunes is one aspect of being found, but it may not be as big as some people make it seem.
Podcast promotion (3-12)
“Build it and they will come” might work for Kevin Costner, but it doesn’t work so well in real life. You need to learn how to promote your podcast using social media, forums, and e-mail marketing. You also need to learn how not to be the spammer.
Again, this is available in a PDF format if you would like to download it.
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