Podcast Freq

Today is the end of my series on podcasting - ideas, tips and thoughts. I have enjoyed writing the series and I hope I have given you some inspiration. Today we cover Y and Z.

Y= Yardstick. When you start podcasting you start with a goal. It is important that you set yourself yardsticks to measure your progress. It depends on the goal but they may include downloads, links, mentions, PR, marketing leads, sales….. Yardsticks keep you on course and are important times for celebration. When you reach one, stop and celebrate. You put in a huge amount of work into your show - make sure that you celebrate your success. I remember my first ever yardstick was - don’t laugh but 100 downloads! When that was achieved I had the best night out with friends that you can ever imagine….I know it was hardly a tough one, but the pride I felt was as good as any of the feelings that I have now. Obviously my yardsticks now are a lot tougher but I look forward to the achievement of them and that keeps me going on the nights when editing seems the last thing I want to do…

Z= Zest. It is important to have a real passion for your subject and allow your listeners to hear it. To avoid podfading you need to keep the ideas flowing and the energy high. Here are tips that I use
a) Read blogs, books, magazines to inspire me…particularly like trend and design despite the fact it is not my forte!
b) Listen to other podcasts….see how they are evolving or listen for things you don’t like as a listener and ensure you are not doing the same thing.
c) Jot ideas down wherever you are….I carry a moleskin notebook and as I people watch or am travelling etc and I have an idea, I capture it before it disappears…
d) Keep going back to why you podcast, what is your ultimate goal to keep your vision for your show alive.
e) Talk and link with other podcasters…they are a great source of inspiration and motivation to keep going

Phew I have got to the end of the series and I have enjoyed writing about my thoughts and experiences. I will be a speaker on the panel at the Podcast Expo in September and hopefully we can explore some of the ideas there. If you are going to be there, let me know it would be great to meet up.