Planning your podcasting show
To be successful at podcasting, you will need to constantly upload new episodes. You can’t develop a loyal audience if they don’t know when to expect a new episode of your podcast.
Podcasting will consume a large chunk of your time, even if you only post one episode a week. Don’t bite off more than you can chew (at least when you’re starting out).
I recommend that you create a strict schedule for yourself that your viewers can rely on. Depending on how often you plan to upload your show, you should set at least one day each week (for a weekly podcast) where you’ll record your episodes (no matter what). If you’re conducting interviews, you’ll find it easier to say to someone “I record my interviews on Wednesdays between 5 and 9 pm” instead of saying “What works for you?”
Personally, I use a scheduler to manage my interview schedule. I do several interviews every week. The scheduler I use will sync with my personal calendar so I don’t have to double book between other interviews and my personal schedule. If you’re just starting out, you probably don’t need to use a scheduling service like I did. You can personally coordinate with each potential person you will interview.
You should also have a separate day each week that you will upload the podcast to your podcast host. Having a strict release date helps you stay on schedule and be consistent in what you’re doing.
Some people will record all of their episodes in one day (or two) for the entire month. If you’re putting out a weekly podcast, it’s only four or five episodes. That can easily be accomplished over two days with very little interruption to your personal schedule. You can then edit your episodes another day and then a third day to upload them all to your hosting platform. Now, your entire month is up in just three days!
Many podcasters will simply record all their podcasts on one day, edit the next, and upload on the third day. Some will record one day, edit and upload the next day. You should choose a time that works best for you! So stick with it!
Your audience will get used to seeing your podcast episode in their feed at the same time and on the same day every week (or daily, monthly, whatever time you decide to post). Many of your loyal listeners look forward to receiving your new content and will depend on listening to your podcasts the same day or time they are released!
That’s your goal: Get a loyal audience!
If you upload new episodes randomly, your listeners won’t be able to plan when they’ll listen to you! This could be a problem for someone listening to your podcast while doing chores, driving, etc. Someone who listens to it as part of their “Bible study time” will have their routine interrupted if their publishing schedule suddenly changes.
Plan your publishing schedule and stick to it! Only change it when absolutely necessary. It is easier to switch from a few episodes to a more frequent frequency (probably weekly to two or three times a week). That’s easier for your listeners to appreciate than expecting to hear from you three times a week and then down to once a week.
A real life example is how you feel when a TV show you really enjoy and look forward to is switched to air on a different day or time. You have gotten used to a certain schedule and your personal schedule is marked as a routine to enjoy that show. When you find out it’s later in the evening or on a different day, that can conflict with something else that’s in your routine. Either you change your routine or you stop watching the show.
Don’t force that same kind of decision on those who become your loyal fans!
My recommendation is to start slow and then increase your posting frequency as you gain experience and grow your audience.
You may also want to start a notebook or document where you can jot down your ideas. Every time you think of a topic for your podcast during the week, you should write it down quickly, so you don’t forget it when you go to record.
I’ve developed a system for tracking items and ideas for making podcast episodes and also keeping track of those I’ve already recorded episodes for. It is a simple Excel spreadsheet. I list the main topics at the top (say 10) and below each main topic I list 8-10 ideas for a podcast episode (and you can cover more than one topic in each episode and this will be a record of the ones you covered). . If you did 10 side by side and 10 side by side, you would have 100 topics for your podcast! By posting a weekly episode, you could have the whole year planned out well in advance!