A virus wipes out the nation. The totalitarian government takes control, and oppresses its people. Everyone has lost hope and they're afraid. It's easy to think this is a recap of the nightly news. Fortunately it's not. This is the story line from one of my favorite movies, V is for Vendetta.
The main character's name is V, he's a masked vigilante who is hell bent on setting people free. Towards the end of the movie V faces off with the evil Mr. Creedy and his 7 heavily armed henchmen. They've got fully loaded semi-automatic pistols, while V only has knives.
Creedy's men unleash a storm of hot lead into V, but he doesn't go down. In a blink of an eye they're all dead and Mr. Creedy cries, “Why won't you die?” Those are Creedy's last words as V vanquishes him. The citizens collectively sigh a breath of relief. The tyrant is finally gone.
Podcast listeners aren't too different from the oppressed citizens in the movie. When they're stuck listening to a show that's needlessly long, they're counting down the seconds until the host is finally gone.
That's what happens with poor planning. Podcast episodes get too long, and the host talks too much. Today we'll discover how to keep listeners engaged and entertained so they don't wish you were gone. In this article:
- The “KTWM” formula for success
- The “1-3” Planning Method
- The perfect length for any show
The “KTWM” formula for success
One of the biggest mistakes new podcasters make is talking too much. They think they need a three hour long show because that's what Joe Rogan does. How do I know? Because I made the same exact mistake. In 2014 we launched The Antipreneur Show. I teamed up with long time friend and mentor, the master of eMail marketing, Mr. Ben Settle. When planning the podcast we decided to do an hour long show. This turned into a total nightmare.
Talking for an hour each week was a lot of work and we were beginning to hate the show. Three months into the project we nearly quit. We decided to cut the show in half and give it another shot. Podcasting became fun again and our listeners thanked us for the shorter shows.
That's when I discovered the “KTWM” formula for success. To keep listeners engaged with your show you have to keep them wanting more. But how do we do this? Let's move on to the next section to find out.
The 1-3 Planning Method
The first lesson my Rich Dad taught me about investing was, “Plan your trade, and Trade your plan.” This was great advice, because the stock market gets crazy and it's easy to make bad decisions when your emotions take hold. It's like that with podcasting too. It's easy to aimlessly babble when you don't have a plan. So how do we avoid babbling on our podcast? Try the 1-3 planning method.
- Choose 1 big idea for your show.
- Choose 3 supporting ideas.
Let's say we wanted to record a show about “How to start a podcast” (the big idea.) Next we'd need three supporting ideas on the subject. We might choose (1) Equipment (2) Software (3) Scripting. The show plan would look like this:
- How to start a podcast
- Choosing the right equipment
- Choosing the right software
- Writing your script
Some people like the freedom of being able to riff when they're recording, so this plan could be enough. But if you need more detail you can apply the 1-3 method even further. It would look like this:
- How to start a podcast
- Choosing the right equipment
- Mic
- Headphones
- Recorder
- Choosing the right equipment
- Garage Band
- Audacity
- Zencastr
- Choosing the right equipment
-
- Writing your script
- Intro
- Topic
- Close
- Writing your script
It's easy to see how the 1-3 method can make podcast planning simple. At the same time, we want to make sure our shows aren't so long that our listeners want us gone. How do we avoid a show that's needlessly long? Let's find out in the next section.
The ideal length for a podcast
“How long should my podcast be?” That's one of the most common questions I get from my clients. The answer ties into what we first talked about. Keep them wanting more. The best way to do this is to create single serving shows.
We've asked hundreds of people where they listen to podcasts. Some of the most common replies were, in the car, on the train, at the gym, cleaning the house. Most times these activities take no longer than 20-30 minutes. With that in mind, the ideal length for a podcast is 20-30 minutes. This gives listeners exactly enough time to consume one complete show before they're off to the next activity.
Don’t treat your listeners like oppressed citizens.
In the movie, “V” the citizens wanted the evil Mr. Creedy gone. Our podcast listeners will feel the exact same way if we make our podcasts too long. To keep your listeners engaged and wanting more, follow these simple steps.
- The success of your podcast depends on your ability to “keep them wanting more”
- Avoid babbling by using the 1-3 planning method
- The ideal length for a show is 20-30 minutes
What’s Next?
In today’s article we talked about making your listeners want more by keeping your episodes short and tight. Another way to keep your listeners locked in is using great stories. Check out THIS ARTICLE for tips on telling better stories.
If you want to have a podcast that your listeners listen to, love, and buy from – we should talk. I can show you how to use Direct Response Podcasting to turn your listeners into raving fans and your best clients. Book a time to talk here: https://thepodcastfactory.com/start/
