How a little planning makes a big difference to your audience
We’d won gold at the Music Festival but as we listened to the review of our performance, I was mortified. The memory of that moment still mortifies me to this day. (Click play to hear what almost cost me my highschool band-geek card)
*Metta Warning: The above story is the anecdote example I promised you last episode.*
So, too lazy to listen, eh. Fine, I’ll spoil the fun and tell you that the whole point of the story is that when you DON’T PLAN trombone solos, things get messy and embarrassing and just, not good.
The same is true for podcasts. You can’t just wing it. You need to have a plan going into each episode.
And don’t give me that fooey about podcasters like Marc Maron and Joe Rogan not having a plan because:
- You are not Marc Maron or Joe Rogan
- They do plan
- They’ve got years of experience making it sound like they don’t have a plan and getting back to it when they expertly take a detour
At the very least, you should be able to answer this one question BEFORE you hit record:
What do you want your listener to get out of this episode?
Asking this question helps each episode have a point and it ensures that your listener is going to keep listening.
And a warning… if your answer is ‘they get to hear an interesting and entertaining conversation.’ [buzzer sound] Not good enough! Dig a little deeper. Care a little more.
Remember, you are not doing this podcast for you. You are doing it for your listener. Which is why you can’t just wing it every episode.
I’m not saying you can’t be spontaneous, or that you can’t go off on an entertaining tangent – but keep your listener in mind (and what’s in it for them) and bring it back to your plan.
This is ESPECIALLY important if you’re podcasting to grow your authority, build your brand, and market your business.
Don’t feel bad if you fall into the ‘I just wing it’ club. I talk to a lot of entrepreneurs and business owners who think that they can just hit record and start talking. When I connect with them during one of my Free 15-minute coaching calls, one of the first questions I ask is, “what does your listener get out of your show (or the show you want to create)?” It stumps a lot of people. And, answering that question changes the direction of their podcast for the better.
Don’t plan to wing it, actually plan it.
Want to know what other questions I ask in my Free 15-Minute Coaching Call? Book at time right now and find out. Let’s make sure you’re on the right track or planning to start a podcast right.
Special thanks to Stephen Kepler for playing the role of ‘Disappointed Adjudicator’. Check out his YouTube Channel (he was recently featured on John Krasinki’s Some Good News) or on Twitter. And check out his podcast The Green Room Actors Podcast.
