Creating Listener-Friendly Podcasts

Radio is in the business of audio. So why are many morning show podcasts neglected or difficult to navigate? Because we don’t take time to view our content from a listener’s perspective. Podcasts should serve both P1s and the casual listener (who you hope will become a P1 after listening to your awesome podcast). To create a podcasts page on your website that is listener-friendly, consider the needs of your listeners.

• I heard a tease or the beginning of a bit, but didn’t get to hear the whole thing. I want to find that one segment online quickly because I’m bummed I had to miss it.

• I heard a feature that was really entertaining. I would love to hear it again and share it with my friends.

• I’m browsing your website because I like the show. If I see content that looks entertaining, I will read the story or listen to the clip.

• I can’t stream or listen to your show when it’s live, but would love to listen to the whole show later in the day.

Are you serving your listeners’ needs? If you’re one of the 100+ shows whose websites I visit weekly, I can answer this question for you and admit that your site could be the reason I’m writing this blog. The good news is that it’s not hard to give your listeners what they want. You already have podcasting capabilities on your website, so it’s just a matter of getting organized. Here’s a plan to make sure your podcast is listener friendly- for both P1s and the casual listener:

• Post the show in its entirety, labeled with the date. This is the easy part, which is why this is the only thing most shows are doing. This is great for the listener who wants to hear the whole show, but can’t listen at the time it airs live. You can post the day’s show in one hour clips for faster downloading, labeled with the date and time.

• Post your regular features and daily clips individually. This way a listener looking for something specific can find exactly what he or she is searching for. Many listeners do not have the time to listen to a whole hour or the whole show to find the short clip they want to hear. Make it easy for them to find, and they’re likely to return. Small clips are also more likely to be shared, giving your feature the potential to go viral online.

• Tease in the title. When posting a daily clip that isn’t part of a regular feature, consider reusing the tease you used on-air for the title. This will compel the listener who is browsing your site to listen.

• Add the date and summary in the description of all podcasts. This will make the audio easy to find for a listener who knows what they are looking for, but also compelling for the listener who is just browsing.

For an example of a listener-friendly podcast, check out The Dave Ryan Show online. Listeners have several ways to listen. In addition to streaming, Dave Ryan Show listeners can listen to each day’s show in its entirety, or listen to one feature at a time. Regular features are organized so that fans of a specific bit can find all of those clips in one place.

Have more tips on creating a great podcast page? Please share by commenting below. I would love to hear them.

-written by Stephanie Winans