Creating a great podcast requires upfront strategic thinking and intentful planning. When thinking about how to start a podcast, it is critical that there is alignment across your company’s business objectives, the needs and wants of the listener, and the content of the podcast. It also ensures that all logistics are coordinated and properly phased.
At ModPod, we have developed a comprehensive planning framework for helping our clients get started with their podcasts. We found that many of our clients have previously failed with their own unassisted podcasting initiatives because they’ve jumped directly to recording their first Episode without a) defining a podcast strategy, b) properly preparing their studio and a game plan/schedule for their podcast Series, and/or c) understanding some of the critical details of the actual production of Episodes.
When working with our clients, we follow a three-phase process:
- Phase 1 (Get Clear): Establishing the whys and what's of your podcast
- Phase 2 (Get Ready): Putting everything in place for your first podcast Episode
- Phase 3 (Get Going): Creating high quality and well supported podcast Episodes
Get Clear. Podcasting Strategy and Conceptualization: Why Are We Doing This Anyway?
Creating a podcast involves a lot of small decisions and actions, but those decisions need to be grounded by larger, more strategic decisions. If you’re a marketing professional, the key questions below should sound familiar; they are questions akin to those you would ask yourself when starting any significant marketing/communication initiative:
- What are my organization’s key business objectives?
- What role will podcasting play in reaching those objectives?
- Who specifically is the target audience?
- What needs, motivations, and fears do individuals in this audience have?
- How will podcasting support and reflect your brand?
- How will podcasting support, integrate with, and build on other marketing channels?
In order to have the best chance of Getting Clear here, it is imperative to consider and involve multiple perspectives across your organization. In our framework, we formally interview at least three senior executives: representing the perspectives of the CEO, Chief Marketing, and Chief Product or Technical Officer – whether it is those individuals specifically or those designated to represent them. This information is then synthesized, discussed (and often debated), and either validated or refined until there is alignment. The findings become the basis that anchors the rest of the Series planning process and production of the Episodes that follow.
Get Ready. Series and Studio Preparation: What Do We Need to Do to Sound Professional and Compelling?
Series Preparation
Once you’re in alignment on the strategic questions, we enter the Get Ready phase. The “Series” is the umbrella term for the actual podcast, under which all the individual Episodes are managed. In our Get Ready process, we start by conducting a Series Kick Off Meeting with all the relevant stakeholders, including the host(s) of the podcast, during which we review the podcast strategy/concept, determine the roles of each participant, and define an action plan for creating the assets to be employed across all Episodes, including:
- Intro/Outro music
- Artwork (the graphic square one sees on their mobile phone, plus social media banners)
- Voice talent choice to record a professional sounding Series introduction
- Choice of target podcast distribution platforms (for ex., Apple, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube, etc.)
The requirements for these assets are captured in a planning document call the Podcast Series Questionnaire, which contains questions pertaining to:
- Branding requirements, including the desired “vibe” of the series
- Music genre and voice talent preferences
- A draft Series description for posting to your website and the various podcast distribution sites
- Keywords for Show Note text. Show Notes capture what was discussed in an Episode in text form and are used on your podcast webpage for SEO purposes.
With this information in hand, ModPod goes to work. We develop artwork and music options for you to choose from. We provide feedback and editing services for the Series description to fine-tune it. And we’ll put together demo recordings from the various voice artists under consideration, so you can actually evaluate their vocal delivery before making any final decisions.
Based on the Series concept, we also develop Episode high-level topic descriptions for at least the initial six months, and a general target guest profile is also defined, with potential guests for each Episode. The Episodes are sequenced in an initial Episode Calendar, which establish recording sessions and expected delivery dates. In our experience, advanced planning allows the schedule to be modified without losing momentum and accommodates the lead time required to book guests. Episode dates will inevitably be modified due to host/guest scheduling constraints and changes in marketing plans, so you’ll want to be ready to accelerate certain Episodes if a guest drops or if a certain topic matches up with a new or rescheduled marketing initiative.
For highly regulated industries like finance or pharmaceuticals, it is also important to identify any legal and/or compliance requirements or restrictions, and proactively collaborate with the appropriate departments to draft ground rules.
Studio Preparation
We then turn our attention to the podcast studio. When I say “studio,” it should be noted that practically all podcasts are recorded in the homes or offices of the participants, rather than a separate, “professional” space. This can be done with minimal investment, but it’s how you use the technology and the space it lives in that determine a quality outcome.
Our process ensures that you’ll be operating in a studio space that is conducive to producing the best audio possible. We’ll start by helping you set up an account in Riverside FM. It’s like Zoom, except it is special purposed for podcasting. It allows two or more individuals to record, enables our production team to sit in on recordings, and facilitates the management and distribution of audio files.
You’ll also need the get the right podcasting equipment and prepare the space in which you’re recording. A microphone for podcasting need not be expensive, and there are things you can do to sound-treat your space. We can help you with both, and then set up a recording test with one of our audio engineers. Here’s a document with a brief summary of what you need for podcasting equipment, and a guide for podcasting testing.
Once all of these pieces are assembled, your podcast will be ready to roll.
Get Going. Podcasting Production Services: What Support Do You Need to Create a Great Podcast Episode?
You’re now Clear and you’re now Ready. That just leaves the simple matter of actually recording podcast Episodes. Simple enough, right?
I talked earlier about poor strategic alignment and inadequate planning as primary reasons for podcast launches failing to meet their potential. Oftentimes podcasts do launch but lose momentum because the the sponsoring organization lacks the experience, resources, and/or commitment to tackle the many small tasks and details that are required to produce a successful Episode.
ModPod provides podcasting services that guide you through both the planning and the execution of each Episode. We require our clients to submit an Episode Planner that communicates the basic information about each Episode (host and guest name, title, and contact info), desired record date and run length, and the description of 3 “Key Knowledge Points” that you wish to convey in the podcast. The points provide the basis for a pre-recording discussion between host and guest, and can be modified as mutually agreed upon, but either way, this exercise ensures that both parties are prepared and aligned going into the recording session.
For the recording sessions, we will often have one of our audio engineers sit in on in on at least the first Episode to guide the recording process and make sure that everything goes smoothly. Then the ModPod production team will provide an initial “mixdown” of the raw audio files, including a first pass of audio editing to identify and address vocal and acoustic anomalies. We will identify sections of the audio that are obvious candidates for deletion, or if requested, prepare a list of recommended cuts to reduce the audio file to the requested length.
The file is then reviewed by the client, who may choose to identify further cuts or corrections. Once approved, we will then:
- Make final edits, including integrating intro/outro music, voice talent introductions, and other sound elements.
- Create Audiograms, which are short audio clips integrated with the “artwork square” and overlayed with subtitles, for use with social media posts and other marketing vehicles.
- Create a title and Episode description
- Distribute to the various podcast distribution platforms, and/or prepare for posting to your own website.
Should you desire a video version of your podcast (also known as “vodcasting”), we provide video editing, creative, and consultive services as well. We also offer enhanced services that help you better prepare guests, improve any of the elements of your Series, and more effectively promote your podcast. Please see our Get Going Enhanced Services for more detail.
Find Out More
If you are interested in an exploratory discussion about the value that podcasting can provide for your business, please feel free to schedule a free consultation. For more information, visit us at GoModPod.com, or request information at info@gomodpod.com.
