Before You Commit, Know the Answers to These Questions

1. WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? Is it to launch an initiative? Build reputation? Boost egos of your executives or clients? Give value to your existing clients? Open the door for new clients/prospects? Have fun with your lighter side?
2. WHO WILL HELP? Anyone involved needs to know and commit to the time and tasks for their portion of the podcast’s success. Then you have to decide: If you have the money but not the time, how much can you outsource? 
3. WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE? Once you know this, you can determine where you can find them listening to podcasts, their habits, do they “listen” or read captions? At work or on the treadmill. What are you competing with when they hit play? Do they binge-listen?This is CRITICAL and where a lot of podcasts fail before the first episode. You MUST be realistic.
4. IDEAL LENGTH? Once you know all the players, the tasks, the audience you can determine the length. I have some shows that are always 25 – 35 minutes – a good “lunch” episode. Others do quick micro episodes of 4-7 minutes. Many combine – do the full show and later extract a nugget and create a new “highlight” episode from that. This will help you plan the time needed to record and edit. 
5. CAN YOU COMMIT? WHO IS THE TALENT? WHO IS THE TEAM? Potential hosts - this is where you may have to tell a hard truth or two. Just because they are good leaders, doesn’t mean they know how to lead an interesting interview. Some will be better than others. You may have to have a “casting call of unexpected hosts.

What if you are getting help from an outside company?

If companies simply send you links, videos and pdfs, you have to decide if that’s how you want to communicate with your producers. I know for Funnel Media Group, our hosts love the relationships we have with them and that we are very open helping them improve. Sometimes people have speech patterns or bad habits such as “EXspecially, rather than especially.  This may not matter to you. But, if you are sharing this with your networks, prospects, investors, clients, it may matter so that you are not distracting because of these patterns.  Can you hear the excitement in their voices.  Will they will be coming up with ideas on the spot as they get to know you and your goals. How do they share those ideas? If they have no new ideas regularly, they are not thinking about your account.

1. What is included?
   1. Host coaching. Will they tell you the truth when you need to improve? Do they care? Someone has to have the experience to help you improve fast.
   2. Pre episode prep – testing with the guest? Creating a preview of the episode before publishing? Live option – If you want that. Vetting guests. Writing the post. Voiceover work? Template for each episode.
   3. Production – are they in the recording session? Voiceover work as the overall host – intro, commercial, outro? 
   4. Editing – what type of editing? How detailed? Can they correct bad audio when the guest chooses to show up from their car or in an airport? How do they recommend recording?
   5. Publishing – posting the episode to hit all podcast apps, creating guest packages – what’s included in the guest package? What about a type of “Boost” package for host and guest teams to share it out.
   6. Who orders the transcripts? Do they provide transcripts? What is the quality – AI or by hand?
   7. Who pays for hosting? Who owns all the hosting accounts, feeds, materials? Music license.
   8. Post – 2-3 months later – how are they going to help you use the content? Create a round-up post? What about milestones in your show – so many episodes, so many listeners, focus on topics – will they write those posts for you or will you?
2. Ask to talk to some of their hosts. Are they pleased with the results? What would they wish they’d known before they started this? Check out their presence on ListenNotes, Podchaser – are they all around?
3. Do they charge to update your commercials, intros/outros each time? What about if a host changes?
4. What is the turnaround time?
5. Is one person assigned to my account that we can talk with or is it all via email? Can we have recap meetings included?

Learn more about my courses at https://dmanc.org