We are about a year into the B&H Photography Podcast and, while we still have a lot to learn, our success in this relatively short time has been inspiring. In addition to the wonderful guests who continue to come to our studio, our listenership and subscriber list have steadily grown over the months, and we were even nominated for a Best Podcast Award in the Arts category by the People’s Choice Podcast Awards. These factors are encouraging, and motivate our small team to continue to produce the best shows possible, given the format we have chosen. Yes, our podcast is housed under a brand name, but we still face the challenges that are well understood by any independent podcast trying to make its way in a media world that doesn’t yet understand how to value the increasing popularity of podcasting. What follows is a list of ideas that I have kept in mind as we produce our weekly podcast.
1. Find the right hosting service
There are several available and they each have their pros and cons. Features to consider are pricing, customizable HTML player and podcast website, analytics reporting, storage, ability to put hyperlinks into your blurbs, and the option to redirect your feed if you want to change hosts. There are free services available, but pricing tiers can be complicated, so do your research. Some media hosts to consider are SoundCloud, Libsyn, Blubrry, acast, Podbean, and Archive.org.
2. Trust but test your format
In podcasting, the cart usually comes before the horse, and by that I mean that most people are already involved with the subject of their show even before they decide to start a podcast, but choosing a format for your show is important. Yes, the format may evolve and change over time from just you and your opinion to guest interviews to call-ins to on-location productions but, at the beginning, be sure to stick with your format so you can improve your skills and your listeners will know what to expect.
3. Choose episode topics that are of interest to your audience and to you
Again, this may be part and parcel of your podcasting—you are podcasting about a subject in which you are already vested and want to share that enthusiasm and interest with others. Remember, however, even if the overall topic is your “thing,” it’s important that each episode has some aspect that you find interesting and with which you engage. If not, your audience will sense your indifference.
4. Get good guests!
This is of the utmost importance to me, personally. Once you have the theme for your episode established, do the research needed to find the best guests available. Cast your net wide, if need be (don’t make promises you cannot keep), but then contact the best and brightest—don’t be shy, you never know who may be available and interested in speaking their mind. I can’t tell you how many times I was told, “so-and-so will never do the show,” and a quick email later, that same person agreed to come on (and turned out the be the nicest person you could ever imagine).
5. Treat guests well
Regardless of the stature of your guest, treat them all as if they were a guest in your home (depending on where you record, they might be!). Find out what they like to drink and try to make it available, at least ask if you can get them a coffee or a tumbler of water. Most guests on a podcast are not getting paid for their time and effort, so be sure to plug their work and website. Always schedule to their convenience as much as possible and make the logistics easy to understand. Follow-up emails and sincere thank-yous are a must.
6. Call sheet
Borrowing from my film-production experience, I like to create a “call sheet” and send it to the guests, host, and crew a day or two before recording. Nowhere near as elaborate as a film’s daily call sheet, the version I make does, however, provide the logistical information we need to put together the show, from the hour and location of the recording to the phone numbers of all involved and their expected arrival times. I also provide a loose outline of the show with sample questions and talking points. I am always sure to note that the outline is not a script, because we like our shows to be unscripted conversations, but most guests appreciate having a sense of what we will be discussing before they arrive. Of course, if it is just you on your show, a call sheet may be a bit unnecessary.
7. Keep the conversation on point and let your guests talk as much as they like
This may be contradictory advice, but I encourage you to try to follow it. Good conversations can easily get off track and onto subjects far from where they started. This can be a great thing but, if your show has a specific topic, it’s important to find methods to bring a conversation back to that topic. Pauses in dialogue can be subtle, but look to them to interject with a question relating to your topic. Of course, there are times when it’s just best to let someone talk, not simply because they are your invited guest but because ideas may come to the surface during conversation and a gem of a comment could be missed if the conversation is cut off. A healthy balance between these dichotomies will allow for unscripted genius moments, but also keep you on schedule and help to avoid monster editing sessions.
8. EDIT!
This is a tip that is contingent upon your show’s format, of course, and if you want your show to reflect the real you, warts and all, then editing may not be absolutely necessary to your final product, but I would always suggest that some parts of any show can be cut out to make for a better final product. We edit our shows thoroughly, not just removing flubs, coughs, and stumbles, but trying to put an efficient narrative order in place that will make for enjoyable and educational listening.
9. A great audio engineer and editor
This may be the same person and it may even be you, but someone who knows their way around a microphone, an interface, and audio software is essential to your endeavor. In general, the audio side of a podcast may not be as complicated as other audio productions, and learning the necessary skills may be half the fun, but one guarantee is that technical problems will arise, and probably at the worst time, so being able to diagnose problems and fix them in a hurry is absolutely crucial to your production.
10. Blurb and title
Writing a blurb that accurately and succinctly describes each episode will attract more listeners. I would suggest conveying a sense of the tone of the episode, in addition to a thematic description. It may be advisable to note the time in each episode, when a particular person is speaking or clarifying, when parts of the conversation will take place. Yes, people may skip ahead to those moments, but it’s better than not listening at all. Titles are a tricky business because you need to consider search optimization, as well as an accurate description. I also like titles to be playful and sometimes use a phrase or idea drawn directly from the episode.
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