The podcast is the fastest-growing platform for media in 2020. It combines the ease of access to the internet with the comfort of production that comes with the radio. All you have to do is talk into a microphone and upload the results.
Of course, that’s only an acceptable approach if you’re happy with a mediocre production. To create a quality podcast that will attract many listeners, you’ll need to devote a lot of thought to what you say and how you say it.
The first step in this process has to be scripting. Having your podcast planned ahead of time will allow you to deliver the material with greater confidence, adding to the production quality and the listener’s experience.
We’ve looked at the five most important things you can do to craft the perfect podcast script every time.
1. Decide How Much You Want to Plan in Advance
When you’re writing a script, the first thing to think about is how much you want to actually come from the script, rather than occur naturally during the podcast. Some of the best podcasts out there script anything barely, preferring to leave hosts and guests talk at their leisure.
This depends hugely on the nature of your podcast. If you’re running a talk show, you should avoid being too strict with your scripting. However, if you’re trying to inform listeners about a specific topic, you need to be much more careful about how you plan your podcast.
When you’re starting a podcast, it can be challenging to strike this balance properly. The only way to get it right is through practice!
2. Think About Your Listener, Not Yourself
Its listeners, not its producers ultimately define the success of a podcast. If you don’t make a show people want to listen to, you’re wasting your time.
With this in mind, you need to think about what listeners want to hear when you’re scripting your podcast. It’s important to judge this correctly because what the listener wants to hear might not always be what you’re most interested in talking about.
Always focus on adding value for your listener. If there’s a complicated topic that you understand very well, make sure you break it down properly so that listeners unfamiliar with it can comprehend it as well. Check out, Autodesk Maya.
3. Make Sure You Pay Attention to the “Boring” Bits
When you listen to podcasts, you pay the most attention to the discussions and the points that were made. You probably notice the show’s administrative parts, where the hosts talk about upcoming events or advertising, much less.
However, these parts are crucial if you want to grow your audience and monetize your podcast. If you want regular listeners, you need to remind them when they can expect your next episode constantly. It would help if you also encouraged listeners to subscribe to your show and “like” your social media posts as much as possible.
Advertisers will also want to see that you have an understanding of how to do this. Otherwise, they won’t want to waste money, promoting their product or service on your show.
4. Consider How to Segue Properly from One Topic to the Next
This is one thing that many new podcasters struggle with when it comes to producing scripts. They have a long list of ideas that they want to get through in each episode but struggle to think of good ways to get from one to the next. If you want your show to have a conversational tone, you need to plan how you’re going to get from one part of it to another without sounding unnatural.
The easiest way to do this is by ordering your topics so that they naturally progress from one to the next. This makes the segue easy to come up with and prevents the jarring that comes with jumping from one unrelated topic to another.
5. Don’t Overdo It
This is closely related to the first point, though it’s worth stressing independently as well. Whatever you do, don’t script too carefully.
When you’re writing a book or shooting a film, everything needs to be planned to perfection. You don’t just decide how things will play out as you’re creating (at least, not usually).
However, podcasts are different. People listen to them because they offer a degree of spontaneity. If you set out what you want to cover in strict detail, you’ll deprive your listeners of that experience.
With this in mind, always try to leave room for innovation in your podcast scripts.
Bringing Quality Shows to Your Listeners Every Time
There are plenty of mediocre podcasts out there today. You don’t need to add another one. If you want your show to stand out from the crowd, you need to put the proper time and effort into planning content for it.
The five scripting tips we’ve looked at here will help you to achieve the desired effect. Put them to work and watch your audience start to grow!
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