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Podcasting: A How to Guide

This guide is meant to help users get started with podcasting.

Content Creation

Quality content is the backbone of a quality podcast. Once you've decided on a format, you can begin tailoring your content to fit the format and your audience.

Tips for content creation:

  • Your content should be engaging and relevant to your audience. 
  • Your content should also be engaging and relevant to YOU! Choose topics that interest you.
  • Research your topic and prepare more content than you need. (Your librarian can help you with research!)
  • Have a storyboard or outline before you begin recording.
  • Connect with your audience through storytelling.

Templates and Models

The AIDA model was developed in 1898 by Elias St. Elmo Lewis, an advertising expert who wanted to explain how to sell products more effectively. However, it also works well for a basic podcast structure. Consider this an overlay for the rest of your content.

Attention- How are you getting your audience's attention? From your episode title to your planned guests, consider what will draw someone in and encourage them to press play. 

Questions to consider:

  • What does your audience care about?
  • What is your audience's background or what information do they already have on your topic?
  • What interested you in the topic you're discussing?

Interest- Once someone chooses to press play, how are you keeping their interest? Your script should start strong and engage the listener in the minute of content. 

Questions to consider:

  • What new or novel perspectives are you or your guests bringing?
  • What helpful information will your episode include?
  • What interested you about the content you are presenting? Is that apparent in your podcast?

Desire- In a marketing context, desire is about helping a customer want to purchase your product. But in terms of a podcast, desire is about helping your audience want to connect with you further. 

Questions to consider:

  • What will your episode offer to make your listener want to tune in again?
  • Are there stories or guests who can help your audience connect with your content?
  • What emotion are you trying to evoke?

Action- After you have connected with your audience and drawn them into your content, provide actionable content that gives the listeners something to do beyond the podcast. In marketing, the logical action step would be to purchase the product advertised. But in podcasting there are more options!

Questions to consider:

  • What specific actions can your podcast inspire listeners to do next?
  • Could you ask a question and elicit responses you share on future episodes?
  • What incentive do your listeners have for completing the action?

The three-act storytelling structure is a common narrative model. It is comprised of three parts:

  1. Setup
  2. Confrontation
  3. Resolution

Common illustrations of the structure picture it this way:

Storyboarding is a great way to sketch out your podcast. It provides you with a visual representation of your podcast episode. 

Some tips for storyboarding:

  • Use a visual format that works for you- sticky notes on a wall, storyboarding software, whiteboard, etc.
  • Use a format where you can move things easily, and be sure to save (or take pictures) so you can change things back if you don't like what you've done.
  • Include items such as
    • descriptions of various stages of our episode
    • accounts of narrations, discussions, topics, or major points
    • placeholders for other media
    • estimates of time for each stage
    • transitional cues

A basic storyboard might look like this:

Storyboarding resources:

You can also use Microsoft Planner, Microsoft Project, Visio, or Whiteboard, all available for ISU students, faculty, and staff. Microsoft Planner was used to collaborate on the creation of this guide.

More Resources

The library's collections and services are available to all ISU students, faculty, and staff and Parks Library is open to the public.