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Last week, we discussed podsafe music and content. As we all know, content is king when it comes to blogs and podcasts, so tonight, we will talk about having the right stuff to be a podcaster.

Podcasting, especially, live, interactive podcasting, like Talkshoe for example, is not for everyone. Now, don’t get me wrong, anyone can be a podcaster, but it takes a little extra to be a great podcaster. So, I have went through and gathered what some believe to be the tips and tricks to be a great podcaster.

Keep in mind that the following list I am about to give you is a compilation that I have put together. I have added my own thoughts in here as well.

Live Podcasts should be short. 60min is actually too long. Unless it’s just jam packed with good content, life is too short and it requires too much attention. Keep it as short as possible without cutting your message down, thus losing what you are trying to convey to your audience. I’m thinking 30 minutes. I may fudge on that one, but honestly, unless you’re interviewing someone or have a topical style podcast, 30 minutes max.

Don’t take yourself too seriously. There are people that will call themselves experts in their niches, but will never talk about the subject they are supposedly an expert in! If you are going to proclaim to your audience that you are an expert, make sure you know the subject matter that you are talking about. Otherwise, be honest with yourself and your audience and you will have a much better time podcasting!

Be whimsical. Maybe this is the same as the last point, but I’ve noticed something about the popular podcasts… they’re having fun, and it shows.

Be Chunky. Make segments short, diverse and put an audio bumper between your segments. It can be music, a sound effect, some whimsical voice trick, whatever. This keeps it interesting. A single droning line of ramble can really make the eyes glaze over. You need variety, we’re an MTV generation, like it or not. We like it fast, varied, and fun.

Don’t Ramble, Be organized. This should seem obvious, but some podcasters just flip on the mic and ramble for 45 min. AARRGGG! If you are interviewing someone, prepare the questions ahead of time. Send them to your guest so they can be coherent. Don’t stick to it slavishly, but let it keep you from ad-hoc preparation on my time during the podcast. If you aren’t interviewing, take the time to prepare exactly what you’ll be talking about. Write down an agenda with talking point notes. Move quickly and coherently through them.

Cram, cram, cram as much good stuff as you can into the time. Our minds move quicker than your mouth, so do you best to pack your podcast full of goodness and move quickly.

Be regular, but only if you’ve got quality. I’d rather listen to an excellent quarterly podcast, than a mediocre one every week. Again: this isn’t so much the case with something like a blog post where I can skim and move on, but with a podcast, you have my trust and full attention, use it wisely.

Get decent audio! Seriously, the tin-can-and-string / Houston-to-Apollo-11 sound really kills things. A little effort and investment in a decent mic not only makes you sound better, but it’s not as hard on the listener. When I listen very long to a poor audio quality podcast it gives me a headache, hurts my ears and wears me out. Make a pop screen, that helps too.

Get a Co-Host. If you can, get someone with whom you can riff, someone who brings another layer of experience and expertise. It helps you be chunky. Two have an easier time that one keeping things moving, plus it’s just usually more interesting.

Make that Co-Host a member of the opposite sex. Not required of course, but there’s something about the dynamic between a man and a woman. The best podcasts I listen to have a man and a woman.

Have show notes on your blog. If you mention something, make a list of links to explore your topics in more depth.

If you’re doing interviews, don’t be Charlie Rose. In other words, shut up and let your guest talk. That doesn’t mean sit there and let them ramble. Provide regular engaging questions and keep things moving, but don’t spend time trying to be smart yourself, be a master facilitator in helping your guest share great stuff.

Don’t interview Jonathon Doe. And I don’t mean Jonathon specifically of course. I’m saying come up with someone fresh to interview. Jonathon has been interviewed by every Tom, Dick and Harry that podcasts. I love listening to this guy and I love listening to him riff as much as the next guy, but at some point we need to be more creative. There are many topics, interview subjects and approaches that have been done to death. You need to have something fresh.

Try to be natural. I guess this is kind of a recurring theme, but don’t try too hard to be stodgy and official. Don’t be lazy and inane, but don’t be stuffy either.

Don’t be scared to throw a show away. It happens. You get a crappy guest, you do a crappy job, your audio blows, whatever. My advice is to use podcasts to put your best foot forward. Because podcasts demand so much attention, they really need to be high caliber. If you write a mediocre blog post (for example: this one) your readers can skim, skip and move on. With a podcast, they’re trusting you with very precious attention for that period of time. Treat it with the utmost respect. If in doubt, toss it out.

Do some editing. Take a note from NPR or other audio documentary style programs. You don’t necessarily need to give us every single utterance made during a period of time. Just like you might prune a copy from a rambling blog post to tighten it up, tighten up your podcast. A little post-production work goes a long way toward making an excellent podcast.

Use music. Music really softens a podcast up. I don’t want an MP3 of your favorite songs, don’t waste my time. But as an intro, a little background and as transition material, music can really polish things up.

Verbally identify your podcast at the start of your podcast. Date, issue number, topic/guest, etc. We need this meta data to give it context. Someone may listen out of sequence or even years or decades later. Take a couple seconds to lay it out at the start.

Put an iTunes (at least) or Feedburner chicklet with appropriate linkage on your blog to make super easy for me to subscribe.

Well, I’ve just set the bar impossibly high for some with these tips. Ok, let me say this: doing a good podcast is hard. It takes equipment, production, planning, and good editing. These things take time, effort and money. So let me add one final one to the mix.

* If you have something important/valuable to say, get something out there. It may not be perfect, but if you’ve got great content, some omissions from the above list are tolerable.

Here are some additional items I found that come into play tonight too.

Exude energy. Be positive. Mitch Joel’s enthusiasm is infectious – you can’t help but enjoy his podcasts. Be excited about what you’re doing and it will show.

Focus on content. “Content is king. It’s what people tune in for. Personality comes into it and celebrity has an impact, but without the content you’re nothing.

Value your audience. You’re dedicating your time to the podcast, but also remember that they’re investing their time in you. Also remember: if you promote a company (yours or a sponsor’s) on your podcast then your behavior reflects on them, be it positively or negatively.

If you’re going to solicit comments, engage in real two-way conversation. Not all shows do include comments, which is fine, but those that do should have a genuine dialogue. One of the reasons I enjoy some podcasts is that the hosts are willing to be wrong. They’re happy to include and genuinely discuss comments from people that disagree with them, and they don’t have to ‘win’ the discussion.

10 Podcast Tips To A Great Sound

What defines a good podcast? Make no mistake — there is a difference between a good podcast and a not-so-good podcast. A high-caliber podcast is much more than just decent content. The sound quality, and the way a podcast is recorded, will impact the value of the podcast as well. Podcast structure and pre-planning are also important; do not skimp on the production, as it too can make or break a podcast.

Podcast production takes effort, but anything worth doing is worth doing right. Use these tips to help produce a quality podcast that will be distinguished above other related podcasts…

1. Invest In A Good Microphone

A gritty sounding podcast is tantamount to a radio station that can’t be tuned in completely. Poor quality podcasts are not going to be tolerated, and listeners will simply unsubscribe rather than being subjected to a poor quality recording. There are a variety of microphones available, and different types are designed for different situations. Find a microphone that suits your recording environment. Sound quality really does matter.

2. Distance Matters

Maintain a consistent distance from the microphone while recording — this will ensure the recording volume is consistent throughout. If you find this challenging, you may wish to consider a microphone that is on a headset, as that will help insure a consistent distance during the recording.

3. Inflections

Use voice inflections to show emotion and to emphasize points and opinions. The inflections can add character and humor to broadcasts. Listeners will catch on to any enthusiasm, but will often tune-out monotones.

4. Polish It

Add an image and background music to your podcast to make it stand out. Those small additions will help distinguish your podcast from competing podcast listings in the podcast directories.

5. Use Editing Software

Use audio editing software to remove any recording defects or errors. Remove any long pauses or sound artifacts that might occur during the recording.

6. Minimize Background Noise

Find a secluded spot to record your show; this will help minimize background noises. Use the same spot to record each show, which will result in continuity in recordings.

7. Test

Prior to recording, conduct an audio test to make sure that the sound quality is acceptable and background noise is minimal.

8. Break It Up

Record longer shows in short segments; this will make the final editing process easier.

9. Add Transitions

Use software to add transitional sound effects between show segments. Additionally, add background music, theme music, or overlays between the show segments to spice up the podcast.

10. Format

Each show in a podcast series should follow a prescribed format. All shows in a series should be similar in length. Try not to stray too far from the preplanned format, as listeners will come to expect it.

Podcasting is becoming more and more popular. In order to differentiate your podcast and make it stand out from others in the same sector, use these top 10 tips.

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