Selecting the Best Podcasting Format

Besides content and voice projection, format is another factor that affects the success of your podcasts. If you end up choosing the wrong content, the podcast may not be as effective and entertaining as it should be.

Types of Podcasting Formats

Interview Format – Your podcast will consist of one or a series of interviews. When using this format, make sure that you have a purpose for interviewing a particular person. If there is more than one person to be interviewed, there should be a clear link among all the interviewees. It’s okay, for instance, to make random impromptu interviews of strangers spending time in the park if you intend to ask them the same question, or you simply want to know how they’d react in a certain situation.

Call-In Show – Technically speaking, this is a difficult format to create, but it’s a very effective style to use, if you have a lot of wisdom to share on a particular topic.

Monologue – This format is dangerous to choose, as the listener can easily get bored. With monologues, you need to keep it short – if not, make sure the content is very interesting. Speaking of content, you need to talk about something that you have extensive knowledge of, or at least something that you’re PASSIONATELY interested in. Lastly, your voice must not be the type that puts people to sleep.

Dialogue or Debate Format – Interactions are usually more enjoyable than one-person-speeches. If there’s great chemistry between or among the speakers, this would be immediately felt by the listeners. The best topics for this format are those that people rarely agrees to, or are presently controversial.

Creative Format – You can do whatever you want. You can make a movie, sing a song, or recite lines of poetry. The content however must be original. And if you want your audience to grow, the content must again be very interesting!

Quiz Show – This is very easy to accomplish. Just make sure you have the right questions.

The Importance of Length and Content Matching

Besides focusing on the best podcasting format to use, make sure as well that you focus on other and equally important factors. Always choose a format that complements the topic of your podcast. Secondly, make sure that your podcast has the correct length: some podcasts last for only a few minutes, while others can last as long as two hours, just like a full-length movie. Never make your podcast longer than it should be, lest you want to risk boring your listeners.