Starting a podcast teaches you a lot. After 13 episodes, I have a greater appreciation for those have had a lot of podcasting success. There's a lot of time and little details that go into making a good show, in terms of content and quality.

New Recording Setup

Photo by Ben Brooks

I have no vision of being the next Dan Benjamin or Leo Laporte, but I do want to give people something enjoyable to listen to. So there is pain every time I edit an episode and hear all the stupid things I say or poor sound quality. Here's a few lessons I've learned.

  • Don't say um so much (obvious one).
  • Try out a few more adjectives to describe things you like instead of, “Cool.”
  • Prepare your guest. Give them some tips on how to make themselves sound as good as possible, but without making it sound like work.
  • Preparation is everything. Everything. When I used to do a lot of interviews on my site, I took every effort to do a lot of digging on my interviewees. If you're doing an interview show, do the same. It's harder to do on a weekly basis, but make the effort (I'm giving myself this advice as well). The audience will be that much better off when you uncover unknown gems about your fascinating guests.
  • Respect your listeners time. I have no idea how anyone can find time to listen to one 90 minute show, let alone listen to them regularly. Commuters excluded, I guess. But Shawn and I try our best to keep the show to 30 minutes and have yet to go over 45.

That's just the tip of the iceberg. I could go into technical details, but if the content is great, the audio details are less important. And there are great resources already available on the subject. As the title suggests, I put the majority of my time into preparing to talk to the guest. The purpose of Creatiplicity is to highlight the amazing people who make up the Fusion Ads network. I simply think of all the things about that person that interest me and try to have the conversation I would have with them if I were meeting them face to face.

With all that said, having a sharp dressed co-host is the best way to get your show off the ground.