Podcast Pontifications

If you think 600,000 podcasts sounds like a big number, imagine what number you get when you look at individual episodes of podcasts? Millions, to be sure. 

While that's an arguably large number, it's not big in the world of datasets. Take the data set of "everything on the internet" (of which podcasts are a small but significant portion) where a variety of AI and well-trained humans work behind the scenes to flag content across the good-bad spectrum.

I look to the future on this episode, looking at a world where podcast content - episodes, artwork, and copy - are evaluated in a similar light, using Google's Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines as my guide. 

Spoiler: if you're a business podcaster, you've got it easy. Unless you did some silly things. But you've time to fix it.

Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.

Syndicating a podcast the right way is a mix of art and science. Knowing the right combination of text and images to place in a variety of mostly hidden fields -- mostly RSS feeds and ID3 tags -- is tricky because the field is constantly changing. 

And with the advent of new ways of listening -- watches, cars, countertop devices -- the pace of change is happening even faster, forcing those of us who offer strategic podcast consulting services to adjust our own ideas of "perfect balance" when advising our clients on the types, format, and style of content necessary.

That pace of change won't slow down anytime soon. Sometimes, our requests seem inscrutable. After all, if the end client can't see the point of the change... why do it?

Because, if we're good at our jobs, we're thinking of the future at least as much as the present state of affairs.

Planning for an uncertain future isn't something that can be easily micromanaged. Especially when the micromanaging comes from sources less-well-versed on all the nuances required.

In this short episode, I'll make the case for using trust to ensure your podcast is set for the future. And yes, that trust flows both ways.

Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.

Here's a trick: Don't think about your podcast as a continuous piece of content. Instead, think of it as contiguous pieces that can be assembled into a whole. 

That's what I mean by "atomizing" content.

There are many benefits to using atomized content for your podcast

• Assembly is a breeze.
• You not doing "all at once" work, letting you fit in small bits of time to produce content during your day (or week, whatever.)
• The atomized components are easy to syndicate in other, non-podcasting mediums to expose your content with a new audience.
• They're great for sharing on smart speakers, where shorter content rules the day.
• They may earn you a recurring spot on another podcast.

Lots of things to think about, for existing podcasters and those new to the game. And all of it is covered in this short episode.

Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.

Many podcasters struggle to figure out what to put in the outro -- the last bit -- of their show. Oh, and so we're clear: YOU MUST HAVE AN OUTRO. Seriously.

In this short episode, I'll talk about the three (and only three) scenarios to consider when figuring out what you should put in your outro:

• Being compliant with rules/regulations to keep you out of legal hot water
• Wayfinding for someone who finds your audio file "in the wild" and unassociated with your larger podcast
• Entertainment/extra content for hard-core listeners who always listen to the end

If you keep those in mind, it's a lot easier to figure out what should go in the outro of your podcast.

But here's what you SHOULD NOT put in your podcast outro. And I can sum it up in one phrase: calls to action. A call to action is important and should be put in every episode. Just not in the outro.

Listen in to learn more.

Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.

Using a podcast as an internal communication tool isn't new to companies. But some companies are taking novel approaches to this intimate communication medium, drawing on the lessons learned from 15 years of podcasting and breaking down some long-held assumptions about privacy.

In this short episode, you'll learn two trends that are revolutionizing -- and humanizing -- the concept of making hyper-niche content for your most valuable audience -- your employees. 

(Spoiler: They may not be the only ones listening. And that's a good thing!)

Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.