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Podcast

Protecting Your Podcast Voice – PTC 307

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Your voice is your power. It is your tool. Without your voice, you have no podcast.

(We discussed an amazing event called Collaborate at the beginning of this episode. Get details HERE.)

My college professor reached out to me this week. He asked if I would give a presentation to his new podcast class about developing and protecting the voice when creating a podcast.

ILLNESS HAPPENS

Throughout the year, it is inevitable that you will get sick. Maybe it is just a scratchy voice. Maybe you lose your voice altogether. When illness hits, what do you do about your show?

I typically get sick every Spring and Fall. Allergies in my part of the country run rampant.

We get extreme weather changes. It can get up above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the Summer and below zero in the Winter. Spring and Fall are yo-yos. Two weeks ago it was 84. This morning it was 24 as I was taking my son to the hockey rink.

The combination of crazy temps and the leaves falling from the trees spikes allergies.

When I get sick, it makes it difficult to record my show. My throat is sore and raw. There is usually a bad cough. The frog sound coming from my voice box is not anything I can use to record a podcast.

Luckily I am prepared. When I record my show, I typically record two or three episodes at a time. They are also prepared a week or two in advance.

In addition to working ahead, I always have an evergreen episode ready to go. This is in case of emergencies where I need an episode at the last minute.

THREE THINGS

There are three things you can do to prepare for disaster.

First, work a week ahead. When you are working on the podcast for the following week, you have some flexibility. If something happens where you can’t record for any reason, you already have the show ready for this week.

Second, create an evergreen episode. This is an episode with content that never becomes outdated. This is your “just in case” episode. You simply set it aside in case you need it.

Finally, you can record an evergreen “donut”. This is an open and close that allows you to put repurposed content in the middle. It is like you are putting it in the middle of the donut.

Michael Hyatt, creator of Platform University and other great programs, did this a few years ago. He went on a month-long sabbatical. In order to continue to publish episodes, he recorded a brief open and close to highlight previous popular episodes.

To do this, you would record an open just like your regular show open. However, instead of introducing new content, you say something like, “This week we will be revisiting the one episode of my show that has been downloaded more than any other episode.”

You could also create a show of highlights or “best of” questions. This could be any content you can gather from previous episodes.

Your close would be very similar. “I hope you’ve enjoyed this ‘best of’ episode. I will be back next week with an entirely new episode.” This closes the donut.

Now, if you ever get sick, you have an option to continue to deliver content every week. Consistency is crucial to creating relationships. Plan ahead.

So, how do you stay healthy? How do you get well if you get sick? What ounce of prevention can you use to protect your most valuable asset? Here are a few tips.

CARE FOR YOUR VOICE

Take care of your voice.

  • Wear a hat & avoid the head cold
  • Speak from the diaphragm when recording
  • Avoid excessive clearing of the throat
  • Warm up properly by slowly expanding your range
  • Use a nasal rinse

DRINK

When recording, stay hydrated.

  • Drink room temp water to avoid constriction from cold beverages
  • Avoid caffeine, because it also constricts
  • Avoid soda & syrup drinks to prevent the crud building up in your throat

GET WELL

If your voice gets strained, here are a few things to try.

  • Gargle with warm salt water
  • Use a humidifier to keep your membranes hydrated
  • Drink warm decaf tea with honey
  • Drink warm, diluted cocoa
  • Use a nasal rinse
  • Drink plenty of water
  • Experiment to find what works

Your voice is your most valuable asset. Do all you can to protect it. Stay healthy.

If you get sick, try these seven tips to get well.

Above all, don’t risk it. Plan ahead. Illness is inevitable. Have a show in the can or a plan to create some evergreen content should you get sick. Get ahead of the game.

Above all, do your best to protect your podcast voice and stay healthy.

 

You can also find tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

Here Is A Quick Way To Make Them Care – Episode 074

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Here Is A Quick Way To Make Them Care – Episode 074

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Making your listener care is the only way to get them to listen and more importantly come back again.

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “what’s in it for me?”

Your audience will be asking this very question every time they tune into your podcast. Your introduction better tell your listener exactly how your topic will affect them. You need to hook them right at the beginning with an intriguing introduction. If you don’t hook them early, they will be gone in search of something more captivating.

When your audience knows what is in it for them, they begin to care.

Lead with an intriguing introduction.

Start your podcast with the benefit right up front. Hook them early.

This is true for your podcast in general as well as each individual topic. Your intriguing introduction should hook your audience, let them know exactly what to expect, and allow them to enjoy the story.

What do you hope your audience will take away from this particular discussion? Your introduction should spell it out. It should set up what is to come.

If your goal is to make your listener laugh at the horrible restaurant service you received, lead with it. “When we were out to eat this weekend, I couldn’t get the waiter to pay attention to our table if I had been waving $20 bills in the air.” The audience will now have time to enjoy the vivid details of your restaurant story rather than trying to figure out your point.

When you begin your story with the details, your listener spends energy trying to determine the point you are trying to make. They are trying to figure out what the story is about.

Have you ever been stuck listening to someone tell a story while you’re thinking, “Will he ever get to the point?” That is what we are trying to avoid.

Here is an example of a story you might hear. “This weekend I had some time on my hands. I figured it would be a good weekend to clean out the attic. I dug through the garage to find the ladder and get at it.” Are we telling a story about a mishap in the attic? Is this story just recapping the weekend? Maybe it is about discovering something in the attic. You don’t know. I haven’t told you. There is no lead to this story.

To hook your audience and allow them to truly enjoy the story, lead with an intriguing introduction.

Be A Storyteller For Success.

As you create your podcast, become a great storyteller. Great storytellers create fans.

Interest in your story never remains constant. Your information can only become entertainment when interest is rising. If interest is falling, the show is becoming boring and is no longer entertainment. A great story continues to develop the plot and raise the interest.

Have you ever sat through a long, monotonous story that never seems to end? You stare and wonder if the speaker actually has a point to this monologue. You pray for your cell phone to ring and save you. That scenario is exactly what you want to avoid. Practice becoming a great storyteller.

Stories help define your character and personality. You should always be yourself. It is difficult to play a character consistently and tell great stories. Your true feelings and identity will always be revealed in the stories you tell. If you are successful hiding your true self, you simply are not telling great stories. Vivid details and interesting points that stir emotions in your listeners can only come from your true feelings. Reveal your true character. Storytellers create raving fans.

Make them forget.

When your audience is listening to your podcast, make them forget they are listening to a recording. Take them to another place. Make your storytelling so strong that the imagination of your listener puts her in another time and place. That’s what great storytelling is all about. That’s what great relationships are all about.

People seek entertainment to escape from reality. They want entertainment like movies, concerts, television, radio and podcasts to make them forget about all of their problems. Entertainment that succeeds will take the audience member to some other place and time.

When you record your podcast, you need to create that wonderful theater of the mind. It doesn’t matter if you’re reading fiction or talking about gardening, put your audience in the moment. Make your listener forget they are listening to a recording.

Become a great storyteller, take your listener to another place and time to make them forget about their problems, and hook them early by leading with an intriguing introduction.

Get the story development worksheet as part of the pack of worksheets available for free online at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

I’d love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.