Recording the weekly Brand Newsroom podcast is the most fun I have every week. I know my co-hosts Nic Hayes and James Lush feel the same way. I didn’t have any broadcast experience when I started so it was stressful for me. We didn’t always make it easy for ourselves on the production end, either. After nearly three years, we’re ticking along like a well-oiled machine and enjoying it more than ever.
Essential list of podcasting resources
Reflecting on the recording of the Brand Newsroom podcast, I realised how much I would have appreciated having this information when starting out.
Here is my ‘go-to’ list of resources I recommend to people who have recently started a podcast or are thinking about starting one:
- Start with an article I wrote for CCO magazine about what you need to do to stay in front of the burgeoning podcasting trend. It’s packed with tips and stats to help you out.
- The Podcaster’s Hangout on Facebook is a wonderful place to ask questions, get news and nerd out with other podcasters. From novices to veterans, they all mix in here to create a terrific community.
- To help people find your show, you’ll want to submit your RSS feed to as many places as possible. Check out the podcast directory list at Podcast Places and get started.
- The podtoPod Newsletter is a weekly email crammed with all sorts of information about podcasting and the community around it.
- Check out BE Podcasting for a great podcast about podcasting. It’s produced in Melbourne and the fortnightly episodes offer insight from people running successful podcasts. (Disclaimer: I appeared on episode 8 to talk about sticking with it even when it feels like it’s time to quit.
- We use RawVoice to track our stats for Brand Newsroom. They provide a lot of other services, too, from hosting to syndication and distribution.
- You need to publish show notes either on your company website or on a site designed specifically for your show. These help you appear in Google search results because Google only crawls text, not audio content. Our show notes are currently residing on the Lush blog. Click on the link to see an example from episode 139 of Brand Newsroom.
- Edison Share of Ear research is helpful if you ever have to defend why you’re doing a podcast.
- Infinite Dial research, also from Edison, delves into the use of digital platforms and new media. Like the Share of Ear report, it contains lots of good stats.
- The Pew Research Center provides a terrific fact sheet on podcasting.
Podcasting tips from 3 years of Brand Newsroom
In addition, six helpful habits have improved our show immeasurably. In the beginning we were winging it. Some weeks we had good topic ideas and were organized in advance. Other weeks we scrambled to find a time everyone was in the office. A couple of times we didn’t have a topic when we arrived in the studio. Here’s what we found helped:
- Schedule a recurring meeting time in your calendar to do your recording. When James, Nic and I agreed we’d record at 8:30 on Tuesday morning, we became a lot more consistent. Our listeners loved knowing each episode would be available on Tuesday afternoon. If it’s not there on time, we hear about it.
- Put together a template for your show notes. This makes it easy for anyone to write your show notes and also ensures no important information gets left off. Most podcasts work to a format, so a template is a relatively easy and useful thing to have.
- Set up social media channels to promote your podcast. We have a Facebook page and Twitter account for Brand Newsroom. We also have a Brand Newsroom showcase on the Lush LinkedIn company page.
- In addition to social media, we distribute each new episode through the newsletters for Lush Digital and Media Stable.
- Get a photo of the recording. If you’re stuck for an image for your show notes, an action shot of you recording or a selfie in the studio makes a good cover photo. It’s also good to share on social media updates and lets your listeners know a new photo means a new episode is available.
- Lastly, the smartest thing we ever did on Brand Newsroom was to get a producer. That’s the person who schedules topics, researches and writes briefing notes for the talent, develops a script, and coordinates guest appearances. It took us more than two years to realise this was the missing link and our producer, Dan Hatch, is now considered our fifth Beatle. An added benefit is Dan easily slots in as a co-host whenever we have a gap.
Recording a podcast and producing a great show are two separate things. We’ve learned a lot over the years to help us put out a better product. Showing up for the recording is the easiest part. All the other work that goes into the production is what guarantees your listeners will keep coming back.
Where to get help producing a podcast
If you’d like help developing your own podcast, drop me a line at Lush Digital. We’re experts in all kinds of audio, video and written content marketing. A podcast is a great addition to any content marketing strategy.
Like what you’ve read? Sign up to the Lush newsletter for fortnightly advice to help you market your business better, tips from our video production gurus, and a podcast or two from our favourite podcasting team, Brand Newsroom. In the meantime, you might enjoy these:
Content Marketing: Podcasting’s Big Advantage
Podcasting for beginners: Tools and Advice to Get Started
