Planning a Podcast Interview? Start Here.

The interview format is one of the most common types of podcast out there. But even though there are a lot of interviews recorded, not all of them succeed! Cultivating a conversation that is insightful and valuable for your audience isn’t always as simple as it sounds.

This guide is here to help you navigate the interview process to make sure yours never falls flat, and that your podcast really stands out from the crowd. After all, you only get one run at a great interview. 

A quick house-keeping note - here at Message Heard, this format falls under our ‘duocast’ package. This is simply a shorthand for all podcasts involving two voices, so we use duocast and interview podcast interchangeably in this post.

So, back to business. Before we get into our step-by-step guide, it’s worth asking the question: Why are interviews (or duocasts) so popular with listeners, and what are the benefits of using this format? 

The benefits of a great interview

A successful interview has the potential to:

1. Communicate and connect with people

What better way to showcase a connection than through a great conversation? Successful interviews live on in people’s memory. This is a chance to connect not only with an interviewee, but also to communicate something intrinsic to the host. Bringing people together is the biggest opportunity of the interview format.

2. Showcase expertise

Your depth of understanding is on show through the questions asked and the answers received. It’s a two-for-one deal, where both the host and the interview subject have a chance to talk deeply on a subject that is of interest or curiosity to them.

3. Raise an individual profile

Raising your brand profile is often easier through an effective conversation than it is by simply stating what you know or have to offer. This is because calling in a great interview subject immediately offers you the chance to grow your network – leveraging their audience, as well as your own – and expanding the reach of a brand or individual.

The interview checklist

Stage 1: Research and planning       

Any good interviewer knows that it’s all about the preparation that goes in ahead of the conversation. Before your guest even sits down with you, it’s time to hit the books: read or listen to the guest’s previous interviews, look up their personal profiles or online presence, and start considering how you might angle your conversation. What have they not been asked before? What do you wish they’d talk more about? Come up with a focus for your interview based on your research, and start planning your initial questions.

With all of your questions written down, start to organise them into a structure that makes sense for the episode. Ask yourself: do these questions move between themes and topics in the most natural way? Consider the arc of an episode and where you’d like to ideally finish the discussion, as well as any key information that you need to get out of the conversation. Make sure this is covered in your line of questioning.

Stage 2: Pre-Interview priming

As well as doing your own preparation, it’s worth it to start priming your interviewee beforehand. Use an initial call, or a pre-interview, to get a shared understanding of:

• Your interview style

• What you’re hoping to achieve in the conversation

• Any technical information required

• And to give the subject a chance to speak their questions or concerns.

This is also where you are filling in the gaps from your desk research, as it is your chance to check any facts directly and clarify intent for the conversation.

Outline what you want to talk to about in the interview, but don’t give the subject the exact questions. This will keep the interviewee from overthinking their answers and will keep your recorded conversation fresh and in the moment.

Furthermore, this is your chance to begin to build rapport with the subject. Good rapport is always part of an effective conversation, and it can be tricky to do all of this in a few moments before recording, if you haven’t met the subject before.

Stage 3: Soundcheck and technical setup

Let’s face it: many of us are now recording remotely! If you aren’t able to record in studio (which is the optimum place to ensure quality) you will have to do a bit of extra work to ensure your podcast is recorded correctly and sounds great. Whether you’re able to use a studio or not, a producer or engineer can perform this soundcheck to make sure the host is focused on conducting the best interview possible on the day.

There are many good ways to record an interview. In general, we don’t recommend using Zoom or Skype to record, as these don’t record at an optimal quality. Consider one of the various recording platforms out there like Cleanfeed, Zencaster, Squadcast or Riverside. Technically, a tape sync is the technical term for a remote interview, and with a producer on board, it can be possible to arrange for a remote engineer in the guest’s location who will be able to set up and record remotely at a much higher quality. If safe to do so, this is worth considering too, to ensure the host and interviewee have the best audio at the end.

Whatever your setup, you need to check your guests sound setup to make sure the recording is the best quality possible. This will also help you hit the ground running on the day of the interview and elevates stress for the interviewee.

Stage Four: Making the most of your recording day

Now is the make or break moment! The day of your recording, do your best to ensure both you and your subject are feeling relaxed and ready to chat. Try to keep the technical setup as pain-free as possible so they too can concentrate on delivering the best answers without getting distracted by other factors. If you’re recording remotely, ensure everyone is somewhere they won’t be disturbed and where there isn’t too much background noise – turn off your phone, email notifications, etc. Again, if you’ve got a producer, they can help make sure all the conditions are as optimal as possible for a great quality recording.

As you start to ask questions, this is the time to be very present in the conversation. Focus is vital here, as is listening. Having done some solid prep, you shouldn’t be afraid if your subject starts to deviate or introduce a tangent – either guide it back on track with a clear question or follow the track further and ask appropriate follow up questions if you’re curious and want to dig deeper. This is all part of active listening.

If you’re not sure you’re getting the information you need, be prepared to ask extra questions that might help tease out a topic. In essence, this is all about flexibility – just as a natural conversation can move around or shift, be aware when this is happening and consider whether to follow or turn things around. And if your subject is nervous or unsure, reassure them that they can always pause, take a moment, and start again.

It’s all about managing a conversation – as well as having one! Pay attention to how the discussion feels as it unfolds. If you’re interested and excited about it, chances are that this will come across to your audience too!

Stage Five: Editing and final touches

Here’s your chance to really tighten up a meandering conversation – you can move things around a little, if really needed, cut out any repetition or mistakes, and consider the pace of the episode as a whole. Dialogue pacing is crucial – you don’t want a subject to not sound like themselves, but you also want to help them out if they were nervous or particularly slow to speak. Sometimes, it can help to manually pace the dialogue here and there to create energy and shift up the tone in a monotonous part of the conversation. Help everyone out as well by cleaning up any uhms and ahhs, for a nice crisp quality to the speech.

There you have it, the 5 steps to nail a podcast interview and create a conversation that is a pleasure to listen to. Implement these tips to ensure your interview really makes an impact and stays with audiences well after an episode is finished.

Want to learn more about duocasts? Find out all the podcast production services we offer here.

Going Solo: How to Podcast for your personal brand

Just you and a microphone. Sounds simple, right? Actually, a great solocast is a difficult format to master, but one that can be worth the work - especially as a powerful source for personal branding, and sharing individual stories.  

A ‘solocast’, for reference, is one host speaking on a subject, carrying an episode solo. Done badly, solocasts can embody some of the worst stereotypes of podcasts - ranty, unstructured, or indulgent. However, we don’t have to look far to find examples of podcasts that showcase the real potential of the format.  

From established classics like Dan Carlin’s cult hit Hardcore History, to John Green’s cerebral Anthropocene Reviewed and the beloved The Memory Palace, solocasts hold their own in the podcast canon. When done well, this format builds intimacy, connection, brand affinity and authority with your audience. Here’s how:  

Intimacy 

Intimacy with an audience is a powerful way to introduce a personal brand. You only have to tune into podcasts like Diary She Wrote, and Probably True to see this in action. Both hosts give audiences a no-holds barred glimpse into their world through confessional style monologues.  

Scott Flashheart of Probably True says of his decision to go solo that, “There were plenty (too many!) podcasts that were just two people having a conversation. I didn't feel that I could bring anything new to the format, or do anything that would really stand out as worth listening to against all of the others.” Taking a more personalised approach, he says, enabled him to really be creative and offer something unique. 

Connection  

Going behind-the-scenes with an individual can really bring a personality or a project to life. For the In Focus podcast, David Yarrow offers, “A dive deep into the narratives behind the work.” By talking us through the experiences behind particular photographs from his portfolio, David is able to dig into the context of his art, which brings new layered meaning to the work: “Sometimes it was the cultural landscape of the moment, in others, my life was in danger, sometimes, I was suffering personally. These stories influenced and shaped the course of my career as a photographer and continue to do so. If I can give people a glimpse into my bizarre world and captivate or inspire them for just a moment whilst doing so, then I have done my job as a storyteller.”

Brand Affinity  

After the podcast Criminal, the host Phoebe Judge has gone on to host a spin off show where she essentially reads audiobooks in the form of a podcast. Building affinity with her voice was a powerful move in developing a relationship with her audience. Her voice is widely quoted as one of the best in the business, and a certified fan favourite.  

Authority  

By creating a solocast that is well-researched and well-presented, you can become a trusted voice of authority. Great examples include Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History, and the Talking Politics podcast. Both have become revered for their subject matter and furthering the personal brand of their hosts.  

In the words of Sandra Ferrari, Producer of In Focus with David Yarrow, the solocast format is perfect “when emphasising an emotive story or a story meant for a targeted listening experience.” A possible pitfall of solocasting is the potential to sound monotonous. Maintaining the listeners curiousity is more challenging with only one speaker, but there are many ways to keep the podcast engaging throughout. We spoke to professionals both in front of and behind the microphone, and offer up the following tips:  

1. Maximise your sound-design 

Using sound design to add interest to your presentation can really make the difference. Here are some examples of the same sound clips, with and without sound elements integrated in:  

Producer Sandra Ferrari also recommends choosing the right microphone and setting up a good recording scenario to capture high quality sound. Learn more about the power of sound and why good quality audio matters here.  

2. Consider your episode length 

It can be tough to fill hours and hours alone as a single host speaking into a microphone. Short and sharp episodes will help you avoid becoming a podcast trope of someone ranting into the void - keep to your topic and know when you’ve said enough. Utilise your editing time to ensure your episode has just what it needs and conveys the story in a timely fashion for the audience. Shorter podcasts are not a problem - the old adage is true: it’s quality, not quantity that matters. 

3. Find a helping hand 

The double-edged sword of a solocast is that, while you may have all the creative control, you also have… all of the creative control. Scott Flashheart, host of Probably True, emphasises that one of the biggest challenges of solocasting is the fact that it is ‘solo’; “If you don't do something, it doesn't get done,” he says. “There's always more to do. Written an episode? Great. Now record it. Then edit it. Then publish it. Time to relax? Nope! You need to push that episode so people will listen to it, and also start work on the next episode, because the deadline is coming up again. It's a big, hungry beast that is never satisfied.”  

Sandra Ferrari adds that a new host who has little experience in broadcasting should work with a producer. You may be going solo on mic, but a producer can help you deliver your scripts in a fresh and engaging way. This will ensure that a host is “pacing themselves and emotively connecting in the delivery of their script.” Alongside production help, it can be worth seeking support to ensure your podcast is edited and distributed effectively, too.  

4. Lean into the preparation 

This point is about the talent, or host, behind the solocast. Finding the right story and pairing it with the right host is a huge part of any successful podcast, but in a solocast this is even more  important. No matter your experience level, as a host you should have the script down, and lean into the preparation behind it, ensuring you are familiar and comfortable with everything that needs to be said. Sandra suggests reading aloud multiple times before heading into the studio to record, and making notes to help you with your delivery. This might include underlining words to emphasise or indicating where to pause for dramatic effect. The key then, she says, is “Practice, practice, practice!” And having a producer on hand to coach a host through the recording, handle all the technical considerations, and allow the host to stay focused on delivery, can’t be overlooked.   

Final advice… 

A solocast can be a lot of work for any one individual, but can act as a huge boost for a personal brand and to develop a rapport with an audience that advances your branding goals. Flashheart adds it’s important to remember to “Find the joy in it - it should be fun. When it starts to be a grind, put it down and take a break. Your brain (and your social life) will thank you, and your audience will still be there when you come back.” 

Want to learn more about solocasts? Find out all the podcast production services we offer here.

How to Get Buy-In for a Branded Podcast

Getting a successful branded podcast off the ground requires internal buy-in. Learn how to sell your podcast idea to your organisation and secure the budget you need to get started.

Podcasts can make a huge impact to your content strategy, adding value to your business and helping you deliver against specific communications, sales and marketing goals. But for those who have never made a podcast, they can seem like a huge unknown. Overcoming any scepticism might be essential to getting the budget and support required to make your podcast happen. So, how can you make a compelling case for your podcast and generate buy-in internally?  

It’s important to prove your podcast is a valuable part of the marketing mix. For this reason, we want to share with you how you can establish the value of your podcast, track this value, and build the case for a company podcast.  

Make the link between your podcast and your organisation’s goals 

First thing’s first: What is the north star for your business? Make sure you’re aware of the key goals within your organisation, and plans for the short and long term. Placing your podcast in context is important to show that you understand the way this will further corporate goals.  

 Alongside your goals, it is also worth paying attention to the key challenges to overcome as an organisation. Do you have challenges or obstacles in your current communications strategy? How will a  podcast help plug the gaps, or shift the way your company communicates its key messages? How, specifically, can your podcast make a difference? These are the questions you will have to answer. 

For example, when we pitched our Twenty Twenty podcast internally, we focused on how the show would broaden out our audiences and diversify our portfolio — two things that help us live up to our aim of being a genre agonistic company. By focusing our pitch this way, we were able to align our larger business goals with our podcast idea.  

Use statistics to illustrate your point 

There are a lot of useful resources out there about the podcast market and the typical audiences they attract, which you can use to build your case. We particularly recommend using Ofcom for the statistics to back up your presentation, where it’s been stated that as of September 2019, around 7.1 million people in the UK listened to podcasts each week, a rise of 24% over the year before. You can find key information about genre and demographics. 

Another great resource is Statista, where you can find information about listener behaviour, ad spending, and lots of other key facts. For instance: 

• Driving is the most popular activity while listening to podcasts. 

• 79% of listening happens on smartphones. 

• The main reason for listeners to choose a podcast is said to be the sound of the description given. 

While some of these facts seem random in isolation, you might consider how it informs the way you reach out to an audience, the way you present your podcast, where and how you publish it, or the types of stories you decide to tell.  

With more data-based information, you can get more specific about the nature of your podcast and how it can support your business goals. As well,  you can support the  ideas that you’re proposing for your podcast so that they make sense in accordance with your desired customer base. 

Select key metrics in order to measure the success of your podcast 

One of the biggest selling points of podcasts is the level of data you can get, compared to traditional media. This makes setting metrics very important to both support your podcast idea and measure its success for future buy-in.   

Unlike more traditional media, podcasts can give you enough detailed data to  

help you learn more about your audience and the performance of your content. You will have access to data such as:  

• Demographic information 

• Amount of downloads 

• Consumption rates (i.e. how much of an episode people listen to)   

When we worked with Buffer, their Head of Editorial, Ash Read, told us: 

When it comes to budgeting, I also like to think about the end results we're after. With a podcast series, the number one goal is usually listeners/engagement — how many people can we get spending quality time with Buffer? But there are a number of ways you can "win" with podcasting and I like to build that into any pitch to make the case for a show. For example, Breaking Brand enabled our whole 90-person team to learn exactly how a business in one of our key customer segments operates and is incredibly valuable.

Consider your metrics carefully, and read more of our advice about how to measure the success of your podcast here.

Research the market 

Like with any new item of content, it’s vital to know more about the market you are in. look out at what other shows already exist, and where there might be an opportunity for you brand to add something new or different to the mix.  

A simple positioning exercise will help people understand your proposal in the context of familiar touch points eg. a show they have heard, or your competitors activity.   

In our pitches, for instance, we try to bring an idea to life with sentences like, ‘It’s X meets Y.” Giving clear reference points makes it easier to imagine what you’re going for, and helps to understand the placement of the podcast in the market. For example, a podcast about a rigged baking contest might be ‘The Great British Bake Off meets Serial”.  

Present a realistic budget 

Recently, we shared a blog about budgeting, and the key questions you need to answer in order to get a handle on your costs. Namely, questions around format, episode length and number, hosting, production, and promotion.  

 Keep your budget as realistic as possible - it’s important to make sure you aren’t caught short, or unable to execute the quality you hope to achieve. Equally, it’s important to show how the podcast will realistically create value at the costs you plan to spend. Read more about this subject in depth here.  

Gather examples and inspiration  

Once you’ve won over heads, it’s time to win over hearts.  

When you’re comparing your idea to the market, you might want to come up with a list of similar podcasts or other media that are reminiscent of what you hope to achieve. This is your chance to really show off your creativity! 

In essence, it’s important to create a sense of what your idea really feels like. Put together a playlist of inspirational shows to bring the idea to life. It’s possible that the people who you most need to convince haven’t really listened to many podcasts in the past - here’s your chance to make an introduction. One approach here could be building a podcast playlist to share with the decision makers in the team, you can use Spotify Premium or ListenNotes to do this.    

How to present your pitch? 

We hope this template gets you started on the buy-in you need to make your podcast a reality. You can find the template here - just copy it for your own use and edit that new version.

In addition to these tips, we’ve prepared a slide deck  for you to download that you can use to present your idea to your team. Personalise the pitch deck according to your needs. Good luck! 

Want to learn more? At Message Heard, we make podcasts that help your brand reach new audiences. Find out how we can help by getting in touch.

How to Budget Your Podcast for the Year Ahead

Get your podcast budget into gear with these key questions, and create great content that serves your business.

Making a great podcast requires some pretty smart planning. If you’re working on your budget for next year, you might be wondering what items you need to factor in to create a quality podcast that delivers results. In this guide, we’ll give you the information you need to get started on budgeting for your podcast, to help you get buy-in internally and plan effectively. It’s very hard to plan ahead when you’ve got a lot of unknowns, so let us help you get started! Here are the questions you need to answer to achieve a clearer picture of your costs:

What format will your podcast take?

The format of a podcast impacts the production costs significantly - some formats are just more expensive to produce than others! If you aren’t sure what kinds of format a podcast can take, we’ve got a great blog to help you out. Start thinking about the type of story you hope to tell, and which format best suits it.

It’s important to note that it is often cheaper to produce podcasts that involve fewer speakers, for example, or which revolve around a dialogue, rather than those that involve journalistic research and/or the piecing together of multiple audio sources. The more complex the audio requirements, in other words, the more costly your podcast can become. However, it’s important not to lose sight of what you hope to achieve, as well as what format best suits your story and how this will impact your budget.

Don’t sacrifice your goals for the sake of a monologue podcast, for instance, if this doesn’t suit the engagement you intend to spark! After all, the podcast is there to augment your wider content strategy and complement your business goals — be that growing brand awareness or delivering leads.  

How many episodes will you create?

Making a decision about the length of your series is an important factor for your budget. There’s always a trade-off to be made between the length and depth of your podcast series, the results you want to achieve, and your budget. It’s a balancing act.

 A longer run of episodes can actually be a more cost effective solution in many cases — with clever production timetabling, you can record in larger blocks or make the most of a paid host or recording slots, and thus your overall costs are likely to be cheaper per episode. You’re also able to really build trust with your audience, as well as have more opportunity to iterate based on the data your seeing, with a longer run

What host will you use?

The host can make or break a podcast. Will you get external host, or have you got someone in mind to host, internally? External hosts can be expensive but they often come with an audience already, and are experienced in the art of podcast hosting. This can help maximise your efforts at audience-building and make for a smooth production experience.

However, in some cases, it’s more appropriate (and cheaper!) to use an internal host. For instance, if your podcast relies on insider knowledge of your industry, or is very brand-specific, it can make sense to use an internal host that can speak to this. For all first time hosts, we recommend training sessions - and you can check out our blog on how to become a great host here.

How will you produce your podcast?

You have a few options when it comes to producing your podcast: You can go at it alone, or you can utilise the help of a production company for a slick result. If you want the lowest cost option you can buy your own mics and editing software – this could be as cheap as a couple of hundred pounds, through to thousands of pounds.

 The better the gear, the better the quality. However, there is a significant degree of technical knowledge required to get the best out of your equipment, no matter how fancy it is! Without the right conditions, even the most expensive audio equipment will underperform. With expertise on your side, you can guarantee a much better quality, genuinely professional result. Additionally, using an agency or production company they can support you on the development of your format and concept, as well as researching and scripting the episodes, not just the delivery of the final product.

 It’s therefore important to understand how much you can spend on this endeavour, and the range of costs involved in hiring a podcast company to deliver your show. At Message Heard, we provide a bespoke service that can cover anything and everything from coming up with the core idea for your show; through format and sound design; through episode scripting; to recording, editing and polishing the final article. We know how to ensure you maximise the results from creating podcast content that aligns with your business goals, by working with you every step of the way.

How will you promote your podcast?

Creating a podcast is exciting, but it’s not enough to simply put together episodes - you have to promote it, and make sure it’s disseminated properly.

 When it comes to building your audience, you can use either earned promotion or paid promotion. Earned promotion is when your audience or customers help share your content, as a result of loyalty to or simply being fans of your content. Paid promotion involves utilising a third-party channel, such as sponsorships or buying advertising on other sites. This could be anything from social media advertising through to more traditional marketing efforts like print ads.  

Your marketing strategy will likely rely on a combination of paid and earned, but both have budgetary considerations. When it comes to earned, make sure to account for things like internal time, creation of promotional assets and any tools you might need like Headliner or a social media scheduling tool.

How to build the case for podcasting?

 We all know an important part of budgeting is thinking about the results and outcomes you can achieve. Next week, we will be publishing a guide to generate buy-in internally for your podcast. In it we lay out how to build the case around your budget, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, don’t hesitate to contact us at Message Heard to find out more about how to build the budget for your podcast — and how to get the balance right between the costs involved and the business goals you intend to achieve! 

Want to learn more? At Message Heard, we make podcasts that help your brand reach new audiences. Find out how we can help by getting in touch today!

Which format suits your podcast?

Whatever your business goals, there is a format that suits your story best. Discover more about the shape your podcast could take to convey your company’s message successfully.

Looking to start a discussion? Or grow your profile? Creating the perfect corporate podcast is made up of many parts, including choosing the right format for your story. We might assume that a podcast is just two people on mic, talking to each other about a particular subject. But actually, a podcast can offer many forms of storytelling. 

In this blog, we want to introduce some other formats that might suit your podcast aims better, aligning with your business or brand goals and helping you stand out from the crowd.

A Monologue/Solocast

A Monologue or Solocast is one person on mic talking through a subject. This can be elevated with sound design and other editing techniques. Examples include Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History Series and The Anthropocene Reviewed with John Green. 

Pros

This format is great for thought-leadership, as well as narrative storytelling or reviews. It doesn’t rely on guests or other parties, as one person carries the show. Your audience really has the chance to know you intimately, which can be very powerful for personal brand building. It can also be easier to edit one voice rather than several, and you can always adjust and record again with an individual, if things don’t sound as you’d hoped. 

Cons 

Your host has to be very capable, as they really own the show - there’s no one to bounce off from! Also, to make sure this format really shines, it’s important to ensure audio is well produced in order to still sound dynamic and hold audience attention. This can also mean privileging shorter episode lengths or use of archive audio, to break up the single speaker. 

The Documentary 

Popularised by NPR, this format is very much about historical recounting of a series of events. This might be achieved with a combination of voices, music, archival audio, and more. An example of this is our podcast with Remembering Srebrenica, Untold Killing.

Pros

This format is very engaging and dynamic, and can definitely have broad appeal, enabling a deep exploration of a particular story. These sort of shows are also proven to have a broad appeal and are regularly seen at the top of the podcasting charts. Beyond this, documentaries often have an evergreen quality meaning people can discover and enjoy your content long after the run is over. 

Cons

This style of podcast requires a long production time, and has complex production needs. It requires lots of forward planning and more time to piece together the episodes. Great research is definitely required.

Non-fiction storytelling or reporting

In this format, you hear reporting on an ongoing story, or a hosted show that is being reported, usually based on real life or true stories. It’s a combination of a discussion and reported information, so multiple voices are heard and help to tell a story - this makes it a great way to teach something new to your audience, and expose listeners to new ideas and concepts. Examples include Breaking Brand, Reply All and Heavyweight. 

Pros

This is a compelling way to tell a story that you own, offering the chance to include other audio to create a dynamic episode. You really can tell any story at all, so this can be a very flexible and inclusive format.  

Cons

Because this format often involves many sources of information, it can mean long and complex production and detailed research are involved.

The Interview

An interview between a host (or multiple hosts) and a subject, who is given the chance to share their unique expertise or insight. The host guides the discussion, asking key questions. Examples include our collaboration with NatWest, or How I Built This and the very popular Tim Ferris podcast. 

Pros

Interviews offer the opportunity to introduce a new perspective. Hosts have less pressure, as the guest should do most of the talking. Listeners also don’t mind the occasional fluffed word - they want to feel there’s a natural conversation happening. New audiences might discover your podcast through your guest, which is great for audience building, and this format can help spark discussions. 

Cons

There are lots of podcasts already in this format, making it hard to stand out. Interviewing is also trickier than it looks - it takes good research and can be challenging if the guest is repetitive, talks for too long, or isn’t able to articulate their views. You’ll also need a new quality guest for each episode. 

Fiction storytelling

A fictionalised play or audio drama, this format is normally performed by voice actors. It’s much more similar to dramatic television or the radio play. Like any good fictional story, these rely on great characters, tension and narrative arcs. It’s a very creative storytelling type, and examples include The Archers and Forest 404. 

Pros

Audiences can be really engaged with this style of podcast, as they become invested in the story. With few examples out there, it can be easier to stand out in this format. The only limit is your imagination! Which also means, research and factual accuracy might be less important.

Cons

This is a less common format because it is generally less relevant to businesses. Your competition comes more from Netflix than other podcasts, so it’s much more about having the creativity to come up with a great original narrative. You do have to have the whole story in place at the start, so you know exactly where your episodes are going and how to hit the right beats to keep listeners engaged.

There you have it, some of the other podcast formats that might be perfect for your brand. Don’t get us wrong, sometimes two people and a mic just having a great chat can really work - after all that’s the format behind Conflicted! But it's important to consider why this is the best format. 

Think carefully about the format that best suits the story you have to tell, so that you can get out there and share it! And if you’re not sure — get in touch, we can help you figure it out. 

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Want to learn more? At Message Heard, we make podcasts that help your brand reach new audiences. Find out how we can help you by getting in touch.

How to use Podcasts to Boost your Content Strategy

What can a podcast do to boost your overarching content strategy? Learn more about how podcasts can help create a more effective content offering for your brand.

There are so many great reasons to consider creating a podcast for your business. Not least, a quality podcast can serve every part of your wider content strategy. From ideation through to engagement, a podcast can elevate your content one step further and maximise the efforts of even a small content team.

Are you considering the value of creating a podcast for your business or brand? In this blog we outline the ways a podcast can improve your content offering, to better serve your business and maximise your digital presence.

Podcasts offer a platform for unique storytelling

Any holistic strategy already accounts for the use of blogs, newsletters, social media and video. But podcasts appeal to audiences that may not wish to engage in text or video – as an audio medium, podcasts are popular with all sorts of individuals, and this popularity only continues to rise. 

Creating a content strategy without the consideration of audio is a missed opportunity. Podcasts can take so many formats – from two-hander conversations, dynamic multi-person discussions, re-enactment and in-depth reporting, thought leadership, and more. Take a look at The Cut and the New York Times podcasts – both publications have created specific spin-off blogs that boost their reporting in an audio format, making the most of the in-depth work their journalists already do, reaching new audiences and facilitating easy sharing and listening. So, ask yourself: What messaging and goals could you use podcasts for, rather than another medium? 

Podcasts are perfect for dynamic thought leadership

If your brand is keen to create thought leadership within your industry, podcasts are an incredibly effective way to go about this. They enable a vibrant conversation to take place, and you can invite those from your industry but external to your organisation, demonstrating your network, expertise and engagement within your field. 

Take a look at the work we did with NatWest for a specific example of how to make thought leadership work for your brand.

Podcasts enable conversations that boost engagement

Conversations with your audience are an essential way to boost brand awareness and appreciation. Podcasts can help facilitate this, beyond the recording studio – they offer something for your followers to listen to, think about and respond to, in a format that may be more appealing and varied than a simple blog. After all, reading long paragraphs of text doesn’t appeal to everyone – in this time-poor age we live in, audio might serve your audience better.

Introducing guests also introduces the opportunity to widen your audience, bringing in the supporters of your guests to pay attention to your brand and business. Syndication efforts are also eased, as podcasts can be embedded in a variety of places where conversations that concern your brand take place.

Podcasts can spark ideas for your whole content strategy

Given the variety and dynamism of a podcast conversation, episodes you create can feed your wider strategy, helping to support your content creation efforts across platforms. Take our Buffer case study as an example – the creation of a conference using podcasts helped to flesh out ideas for their next quarter of content, filling up the calendar with relevant new ideas born of strategic podcasted conversations with industry experts.

Episodes that we created together received a whole host of replies from interested listeners, which also helped Buffer determine what their audience really wanted to know more about from them as a business. It also helped them source ideas from industry experts themselves who are at the forefront of their field. Taking all these ideas and this information from their audience, Buffer was able to create new content plans and specific ideas going forward.

They also utilised snippets of the conversations from the episodes we collaborated on, reusing this to help boost their social media content, and also creating spin-off blogs. In this way, a podcast can help fuel a larger content plan and be reused and repurposed for other platforms.

If you’re ready to look into how a podcast can serve your business or brand, take a look at more of the best advice from our site for getting started. With one well-placed and thoughtfully created podcast, your entire content strategy can benefit.

Want to learn more? At Message Heard, we make podcasts that help your brand reach new audiences. Find out how we can help you by getting in touch.

7 questions to guide your podcast strategy

You know you want to make a podcast. But what comes next? Here’s the low down on developing a strategy that sets your podcast up for success.

Creating a corporate podcast is often more than just a matter of having a great idea. Making a podcast worthwhile for your business requires a strategy. A strategy can make the difference between a podcast that’s simply fun and satisfying to create, and a podcast that really works for your larger business or brand goals.

During lockdown, we worked closely with Historic England to deliver a detailed podcast strategy that supported their aims as a business, as well as their wider content strategy. In particular, we utilise a Discovery Workshop process that is the key to defining everything a podcast strategy needs. This involved conducting a series of workshops conducted online, using various visualisation tools to help our teams collaborate and brainstorm around several important questions. 

In this blog, we’re going to break down parts of this process, sharing with you the important overarching questions that you need to answer to develop a podcast strategy that works towards your goals as a brand. 

Our virtual whiteboard used in our Discovery Workshop with Historic England.

1. What are your business/brand values and goals?

All content that you spend time creating as a brand should reflect your values and should be created in alignment with your goals. So, a good place to start is here: what does your brand or business value? Knowing what you stand for can help get the ball rolling. 

In the case of Historic England, they had used podcasts before to support exhibitions and events. Their aim was to inspire people and create advocates for the built environment. These key values helped dictate the way in which we defined a strategy for their future podcasts. Creating content that speaks to an ethos really helps to shape and define the scope of your podcast and will lead towards certain themes and ideas that are important for you to explore. 

Next up: What are your goals for your content? Content that aims to acquire new members, for instance, is likely to be different to content that furthers brand awareness. While your podcast may be intended to achieve many things, it’s important to define exactly what this might be before you get stuck in creating episodes.

2. What content have you created already?

Reviewing or auditing your content to date is a good way to help define what’s missing, and what your podcast might build upon. What worked? What didn’t? Spend time reviewing what content you’ve tried to create, the effect it had, any measurable qualities of success, before defining your podcast.

3.  What are your competitors up to?

Have your key competitors already got a podcast? If so, it’s worth taking a look to see what they are up to. Set your podcast apart from the outset by researching your competitors and the way they present themselves. Take note of what stories they’re telling and use this to help find your niche. If they don’t have a podcast yet, all the better! It’s your opportunity to create something that’s missing in the market.

4. Who is your audience?

Defining your audience is a great way to hone your podcast content. Thinking about who they are, what they are like, what they need, and what information you can uniquely provide them. All of this will help get you one step closer to creating a successful podcast.

5. What themes do you have in mind already?

There might already be some obvious themes that relate to your industry, the experts or guests you have access to, content you already create or content that is missing. Define your themes in a broader sense. Brainstorming here may reveal new areas that your podcast can explore - after all, it’s not a text-based medium, which means that you can define ideas that suit an audio format specifically, and this might bring to mind new areas to explore in your content. 

6. What format will your podcast take?

There are many possible formats a podcast can take. From monologues, to interview, to narrative-style podcasts (like the infamous Serial podcast), round tables, multi-host (like our work with NatWest), and more. Defining what format might suit the stories you want to tell will help define how to execute your content, when it comes to turning ideas into reality. 

7. How do you want to be different?

Here’s your chance to really brainstorm and get creative! Having reviewed what you’ve already created in terms of content, as well as what your competitors are doing, the themes and formats you prefer, what your audience needs, and keeping in mind your values as a brand, it’s now finally time to start fleshing out your niche. What would you most like to try? What story do you uniquely have to tell? Setting your podcast apart is key to creating something extra special with each and every episode. 

With these key questions answered, you can begin to define a successful podcast strategy. At Message Heard, we work with this as a starting point with each and every one of our clients. As we dig into the Discovery Workshop process, we can help you unveil the insights that can help your podcast stand out. By defining a detailed strategy, production also becomes a far smoother and more time and money efficient process. Take your ideas and turn them into a reality that serves your brand.  

Want to learn more? At Message Heard, we make podcasts that help your brand reach new audiences. Find out how we can help you by getting in touch.

The untapped value of podcasts for subscription services

Rather than getting a slice of airtime on someone else’s podcast, why not host your own?

How many times have you heard an advert on a podcast for a recipe kit, a beer club or razor delivery? We imagine the answer is, “lots.” You might even be advertising your subscription service on a podcast or two. And they work. In fact, 76% of UK podcast listeners have engaged with an ad, according to Acast.  

But why not take it a step further? Rather than getting a slice of airtime on someone else’s podcast, you can host your own.  

Podcasts and subscription services are a match made in heaven — both nurture ongoing relationships with consumers who come together over a niche interest.  

A podcast is the perfect platform for you to engage, expand and educate your customer base. Here’s how.  

Engage: strengthen your relationships 

As Fast Company put it, branded podcasts are “the ads people want to listen to.”  

So, if you’re searching for a way to engage your subscribers’ attention, then look no further, podcasting is for you. 

That’s because they’re informative, entertaining and engaging — in other words, they don’t sound like your typical advert. They blend intriguing narrative or gripping conversation with music and sounds to keep the ear hooked. They keep you company during routine activities like doing the dishes or commuting. They create the sense of an intimate and informal connection between the listener and the host.  

That last one is possibly the most important factor for a subscription service podcast because having a close relationship with your customer is so important. If providing extra, bespoke content for loyal subscribers is your way of making sure they stick with you and your service, then a private podcast feed can help.  

Did you know you can host a podcast for your members’ ears only? What better way to show your members that you’ll go the extra mile for them.  

Expand: help new subscribers find you  

But what if you’re hoping a podcast could help you reach new audiences?  

Have no fear, podcasts are a growing trend with one in eight people in the UK now listening to a podcast every week. You can tap into that market by hosting a publicly accessible podcast, rather than a private one. As your podcast grows in popularity, word about your subscription service will also spread.  

Creating unmissable content for your market niche or interviewing amazing guests will help you to direct conversation and become the leader in your industry. Great guests are extra helpful because they can bring their following to your podcast and introduce new audiences to your brand.  

While advertising on someone else’s podcast may help to get your name out there, hosting your own gives you more control over your brand message. Rather than figuring out which podcasts you’d like to be associated with and finding out where your audience is, you can grow your own listener base, perfectly aligned to your niche. As the BBC’s Jamie Robertson says, “podcasts offer a chance to speak intimately to a very precise selection of people.”  

Educate: build brand awareness  

A podcast will give you the time and creative space to craft your message exactly how you wish it to be. There are several ways you can use podcasts to educate listeners about your brand so feel free to get inventive.  

Your podcast series could be a how-to guide for making the most out of your product or service. It could be a conversational podcast including interviews with staff, customers or inspirational figures in your field. You could use the podcast to share the stories and ideas that make your company tick. It could even be an audio accompaniment to your service - something enjoyable to listen to while you use the product.  

Whatever you decide your podcast should be, and the possibilities are endless, it will help your subscribers to gain a deeper understanding of your brand and what it can offer them.   

Want to learn more? At Message Heard, we make podcasts that help your brand reach new audiences. Find out how we can help you by getting in touch. 

How to Become a Better Podcast Host

What does it take to be a great podcast host? Here’s what you need to know to make successful podcasts. 

Podcasting is one of the most popular forms of media right now. The best corporate podcasts have something in common: a great host! While anyone can try their hand in front of the mic, it takes something special to be a capable podcast host. After all, contrary to popular belief, an engaging podcast isn’t just about creating a conversation — it’s  about how you curate that conversation for the listener. So, what can you do to become a stronger podcast host? Here are our tips to get you started.

Start preparing early

Hosting a podcast  can be intimidating - most of us aren’t used to being recorded! This means that having confidence on your subject matter is a great way to start, as well as preparing yourself for what needs to go into the episode you’re making. 

Recently, we worked with NatWest to produce a branded podcast. Our hosts were first-timers to the world of podcast production, and one of the hosts, Burcu Karabork, had this to say about the process:

“There is a tremendous amount of discipline and experience required in knowing where to stop conversations, what questions to ask, where to prod a bit deeper...So the question becomes; can you afford that learning curve? Often we only get one chance to impress listeners, after which they turn away from us and don’t come back. It’s imperative to get it right the first time so we don’t alienate them.”

While a lot of podcasts sound ‘off the cuff’, chances are there was still a lot of preparation behind this. That means: having questions in mind, knowing what subjects or information you need to cover, and having thought through the way you want to articulate this. Even some of the most natural, and famous, podcast hosts are scripted. 

An excerpt of Micheal Barabaro, host of The Daily’s, script.

Practice makes perfect

The great thing about podcast production is that you can always re-take a line if you mess it up. So give yourself room to practice! Try out recordings, and listen back to yourself. While this can be awkward at first, it’s essential to know how you are coming across, and whether you need to mix things up. Give it to someone else to listen to: do they know what you’re trying to convey? 

The style of delivery required for a podcast is different from simply talking in everyday life, though it’s not too far removed. The art of hosting is about staying true to your style and tone of voice (as it represents who you are as an individual!). However, learning how to do things like clearly delivering the words in your script; conveying emotion through your intonation and pacing your delivery, are skills that different you from a rookie podcaster and host with command of the mic.

So if you’re new to this… practice, practice practice! Get you phone recorder out and give your read of the script a go (or two).  Listen back to your way of delivering information, try different versions of the same thing as you are recording, and have patience. The process does become easier. 

Work with a producer

A producer can be a huge help for making a successful podcast. In the case of NatWest, our Head of Production, Sandra Ferrari, was there to provide support and advice along the way. In Burcu’s words, “When you know that you’re being looked after and that you have a safety net, you relax. When you relax you say things in the moment that are more genuine and authentic to yourself, which in turn makes you far more engaging for listeners.” 

Sandra was there to guide our hosts through to creating their vision. Burcu adds:

“It’s difficult to know what your artistic vision is if you’ve never worked on that before and Sandra was instrumental in helping us to discover ours. She went above and beyond to introduce variations into the podcasts, allowing us to pick and choose what we liked and discard what we felt didn’t speak to our authentic selves. I really appreciated being allowed to push my own boundaries in that way, expanding my views on what I thought our podcast should sound like, all the while feeling in control enough to let go of what I liked less.”

Producers are there as a trusted minder, to help you stay on track and create the episode you planned to make. 

At Message Heard, we specialise in guiding your project through to completion. Whatever part of the process you’re struggling with, from ideation through to distribution, we can help. 

It takes skill to become a great podcast host. Whether it’s your first time trying it out, or you’re a seasoned professional, the same skills apply. Take a look at our Business of Podcasting section for more great advice on creating amazing podcasts. 

Want to learn more? At Message Heard, we make podcasts that help your brand reach new audiences. Find out how we can help you by getting in touch.

What's the key to great communications — and where do podcasts fit in?

Consulting Guru, Chell Smith, talks leadership, communication and podcasts.

Want to know how to communicate effectively with any group of any size? Meet Consulting guru, Chell Smith! Chell has grown successful global Consulting businesses at EY, Capgemini and Cognizant. 

I sat down with Chell to talk about how to get your message heard across both internal and external communications — and where podcasts fit in. Read on for the nine key takeaways from our interview.

1. The only problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred! 

As a consultant, communication is all that you do. You’re helping to transfer your experience, your insight and your knowledge to your clients. What I’ve learned is that the challenges of communication are always the same, whether you’re speaking one-to-one or one-to-many. The first thing to understand is that no one can absorb a complex message in one hearing. It takes many iterations. Repeatedly introducing the challenge and introducing the concepts. There’s a reason you see adverts over and over again. Once you understand that, it changes the whole game. 

The challenge for any leader is to communicate a message multiple times without being perceived as repetitive or harping. And to do that requires a combination of varying the language and varying the medium. 

 2. Be crisp, clear and concise 

Whether you're doing a consulting engagement, talking to your team or trying to sell to a new client, you need a crisp, clear way to articulate the issue you want to address. It takes work to get below the surface and find the essence of what you want to say, but the more succinct you can be, the more likely you are to get your message across.

This is vital at the CEO, senior executive level, because here you’re dealing with people who have a lot on their plate and not a lot of patience. But over the years I’ve found that it’s true whoever you’re talking to in an organisation. The difference is that below senior executive level you have the opportunity to be a little more social and a little more engaging in the way that you deliver the information.  

3. Stay authentic 

In any communication, in any medium, the most important element is to be authentic. To be yourself. Don't try and put on airs. People sense authenticity immediately – and they respond to it.  

If you're uncomfortable, if you're being guarded, it stops people believing what you're saying. Now they're going to question everything that you say. This is a human thing: it happens at every level. We all make that judgment.  

Take it to the world of politics. A few years ago, Mitt Romney was running against Barack Obama. You didn't need to agree with everything Barack Obama said to understand that he was being authentic, that this is what he really felt. Whereas Mitt Romney was hamstrung by a Republican platform that he didn’t believe and hadn’t acted on.

You could see that it wasn't authentic for him. I think that was a huge reason why he wasn't successful.

4. Know when to stay neutral... 

Leaders introduce change. But neuroscience teaches us that every change is threatening to people. It can be threatening in many different ways and in many different dimensions. As uncomfortable as people may be in their current situation, change is still threatening. There's just no way around it.  

So, when you are instigating change you have to articulate the current situation and the reason for the shift. But it’s critical that you do that without letting judgement – or the perception of judgment – creep into your voice. When people feel judged, they feel guilt. That prevents them from hearing or absorbing what you’re saying.  

The answer - when you’re describing the current situation and building the case for change - is just to state the facts. Keep the information factual and keep your voice neutral. Then people can hear you.  

This takes practice. When I’m preparing for this type of communication I’ll sit down and sketch my core message out on paper. But – as judgment is all in the perception of the listener – I’ll always run it by other people. I try and find four or five people that have very different perspectives, get their feedback and adjust.   

5. ...when to use emotion... 

Where you have the opportunity to bring emotion into a communication about change is when you start talking about the what's in it for me, for your audience. Why should they care about this? What does this mean to them? What are the opportunities that this opens up? 

6. ...and when to use humour 

Knowing when to use emotion feeds into another point, which is the importance of connecting with your audience. When people feel at ease, they’re able to listen.  

I try and connect with people through some kind of humour. I’ll say something about the situation we're in and it will often be self-deprecating. I want to show that I’m open and vulnerable.  

7. Ask questions 

People want to be listened to.  So I always make it clear that I really am here to listen, not just to talk. 

There are a lot of ways to do that. One I'm pretty fond of is starting with the question and asking for feedback from the audience. So, today we want to talk about cost of sales. You guys have been in this company a long time, give me some perspectives. What do you see around cost of sales? Is it an issue? Do you think you are best in class?  Open it up and solicit feedback.  

8. Use every communication tool you have 

People learn differently. People have different styles, some are more visual, some are more aural, some like to read. So, use all the tools at your fingertips. Meet with people in person; combine white papers and strategy documents with calls; webcasts; video; podcasting.  

“It was clear that we needed something more concise for people to wrap their heads around. That was when we settled on podcasts. ”

— Chell Smith

I've had really good luck with podcasting. What I like about the medium in particular is that people can listen to podcasts anywhere. They can be on the way home or out on a run. That accessibility is huge. And I’ve found that with a short podcast – 10 minutes – people will both listen and re-listen. So, you can give your audience bite-sized chunks of information that are relevant to them and you can meet them where they are.  

9. Make it a conversation 

When you can make communication conversational, it’s much easier to listen to and to absorb. This is another space in which podcasts play to an advantage.  

At Cognizant we had a new concept we were bringing to market about how organisations needed to operate in the face of rapid technological change. It was an approach that we knew would challenge organisational norms: crossing fiefdoms, challenging people’s territory and turf and responsibilities – all of those things that aren’t easy to challenge. 

So, after sourcing feedback, we started communicating. We did a series of white papers. We did internal sessions. We did webcasts with clients to introduce them. It still didn't feel like we were getting though the full uptick, particularly internally. It was clear that we needed something more concise for people to wrap their heads around. That was when we settled on podcasts. 

We started with an introductory episode that introduced the concepts and the research. Then we did a series of industry-based podcasts. If you're in Insurance, listen to this one. If  you're in Life Sciences, listen to this one. That allowed people to select what mattered to them, while absorbing more detail and more context.

The thing that I got the best feedback from was the fact that we did these as a Q&A. I was the moderator, interviewing the people driving the concept. So, the podcasts had the authenticity of being a conversation – which meant we got our message heard.  

Want to learn more? At Message Heard, we make podcasts that help your brand reach new audiences. Find out how we can help you by getting in touch.