Monday, I aired my very first podcast for SolarSwift.com. The name of the show is “Results Driven Marketing” and it’s a resource devoted to transforming your website into your most valuable asset. Because this was my first show, there was a huge learning curve I needed to overcome-and I thought it would be nice to share some of my experiences with you all.
I was prepared with an agenda before I started the show, but it was not in any way scripted. I spent a few hours writing a clear series of pointers a few days prior to the event, so it definitely kept me from going off topic too much. This was a good and bad thing for me. A script would have been less entertaining, but a list of topics that I had to adlib at some times seemed as if I were unprepared.
Here are my tips to making a good podcast:
- Be confident. There would have been no way for me to accomplish this without really knowing the information I was about to discuss. Run each topic through your head a couple of times and make sure you’re prepared.
- Be “in the moment”. You absolutely have to create a distraction free workplace. Turn off your cell phone, IM, e-mail, and close the door.
- Be comfortable. Sit in a cozy chair, have good posture, and speak in a relaxing, resonant voice. This will keep your tone pleasurable to listen to.
- Be hydrated. Bring a bottle or two of water-not soda, coffee, or tea. This will ensure your voice sounds the same throughout the entire broadcast.
Here are a few bonus tips I’ve learned:
- Use a good sound editor, like Logic or Pro Tools.
- Use a powered condenser microphone and an audio interface. This will keep your voice sounding crisp, clean, and professional. Adjust the EQ or apply digital filters until you’re satisfied with your sound.
- Use a “pop” filter to prevent unwanted vocal sounds from showing up in your recording. These sounds include “pa”, “ta”, “da”, and many others that sound as if you are tapping the microphone.
- Breathe properly through your mouth. Never, ever, ever breathe through your nose. The proper way to breathe is immediately before you start talking. This should be a very quick sounding breath.
- Don’t record everything at once. Just like when you record music, you record the verse, then you record the chorus, then you record the bridge, etc. Podcasting can be the same way. Record topic one, pause, record topic two, pause, and so on. Edit as you see fit.
I hope these tips are able to provide a good source for you to get started with your own podcast and I look forward to sharing insightful Internet Marketing advice with you!
