Podcasters - The Challenge of Quality Content Creation

I was talking to a co-worker of mine the other day (now that I have a full-time job again, I can do that ;), and he was talking about blogging since 2004. He said he started out blogging a couple of times a day, then he tailed off to every couple of days, and now he blogs once very week or couple of weeks. He says his listeners savor his content a lot more, and he has more to say. He can work with his content, massage it, and turn it into something higher quality.

It's true. And I think it's even more true of podcasting, simply by virtue of the fact that podcasting takes a lot more time than blogging. Especially if you're going to put together something with higher quality than a telephone call. With blogging, you just sit down and type and post. Sure, you can do edits and really get into coming up with quality posts, but the publishing process is a whole lot easier than with podcasting, which is closer akin to radio broadcasting, in terms of production, than blogging. The publishing model is equivalent to blogging, but the production model is closer to broadcasting.

I think we're going to see a lot of people tailing off in their podcast production. There's going to be a "culling of the herd", so to speak, with hobbyists who are into the novelty going off to find other things to do with their time, and the folks who are really passionate about the medium and who are willing to regularly put the time and effort into production, coming up with more inventive podcasts and new and different ways to keep things fresh. They're going to have to keep things fresh. There's an avalanche of new and innovative material out there, and to stay with the "herd", each podcaster will have to figure out what makes their podcast special and appealing to others out there. And they'll have to make it easy for other interested parties to find them.

They'll also have to make it easy for themselves to stay excited and invested in their effort. Like I said, podcasting takes effort and it takes inventiveness. And it takes renewed reserves of energy and inspiration on a regular basis. In a way, podcasting is the best of all worlds, and the worst of it, as well. Not only is it easy to do and easy to deploy, but it's easy to burn out, as well. Combine the energetic requirements of broadcast production with the freelance writer's challenge of coming up with the fresh ideas on a regular basis, and you've got a recipe for some real hurdles, on down the line. It's fine, sure, when you're starting out, and you're all excited about what you can do and say and put out there. But think six to nine months down the line... There's a good chance you'll run out of energy and ideas if you "blow your wad" right out of the gate.

Ways to "keep on keepin' on" podcasting

Keep a notebook with ideas about future podcasts
Keep it with you in your daily travels, and when you come across some really interesting ideas or information, jot them down for future reference.

Keep a portable MP3 recorder on hand
Got an idea? Find a quiet place and record your "guerilla podcast" for future production. If you need to re-record later, you can always do that, but capture the idea, when you can.

Have a regular production schedule
Set aside regular time slots to do your podcast production. Pick a quiet time, when you're not too tired.

Keep in mind that you won't be inspired indefinitely
Do some production of episodes up front to use later. Stash them for later use. Or recycle your past episodes and re-use them, on down the line.

Make it easy for yourself to succeed
Don't pile up too much for yourself to do. If you have an intro you use, use it over and over again. Learn to use your tools with skill. Podcast about things that interest and excite you. Don't overcomplicate your podcasts, belaboring them with so much production detail that it becomes a monumental effort to do production each week. Given that podcasting is still a hobby for so many, and there are lots of obligations and other activities already demanding our time and attention, you don't want your podcasts to just fall by the wayside when you get busy, or you lose inspiration.

Remember, the important thing is to make sure you've got quality programming out there for people to come back to, time and again. Remember your audience. And above all, have fun!