Shhhhhhhhhhhh...
Keep the noise down
I just got back from London after the Publisher Podcast Awards and I have to admit I’m feeling a little fragile. Please let me know about any favourite hangover cures I can steal for next time?
Over-indulgence aside, it was a fantastic night back in the real world with some amazing people. And our winners list is as impressive as ever.
In their honour, and to make things a wee bit easier for my fuzzy head, I have decided to dedicate this newsletter to podcasting ideas worth stealing. Just keep the noise down if you try any of them out.
Read aloud
The New Statesman, winner of more than one award on Wednesday night, has recently launched an Audio Long Reads podcast. The new weekly series features the best of the magazine’s content read aloud by the authors and professional voice actors. For anyone struggling to come up with a podcast format that they think they can deliver regularly, this approach to audio re-purposing could be an excellent way to get started on your podcasting pilgrimage.
Go long
Morning Brew asked a group of podcast pros what’s the best length for a podcast advert. As with all things podcast related, there’s no such thing as too long, just too boring. That said, 60-second host reads got a lot of love from the panel with a definite correlation seen between the length of the ad and the impact it had. Bonus points for hosts that read longer because they are so excited by the brands they are promoting.
Take a message
SpeakPipe is an interesting little widget that lets your podcast listeners leave voice messages directly from your website. You can then cut the audio that they record into your episodes to give your audience an actual voice.
I love this idea and I’m definitely planning on building it into my next podcast plan. I might even manage to persuade Esther and Chris to give it a go for Media Voices.
But for now, as a little test, please tell me all about your go-to hangover cures.
If you’re interested in more podcasting ideas worth stealing, listen to my ‘Lessons from award-winning publisher podcasts’ series (we so need a better title).
And keep an eye out for announcements about the Publisher Podcast Summit that we’re planning for October. We’ll be keeping it all very practical, for publishers just starting or looking to level up.
To make sure you get the announcements about the summit or next year’s podcast awards, go to the Publisher Podcast Awards website and register for updates. Just do it quietly.
Thanks for reading
Please remember to send me any ideas that you think are worth stealing for future issues.
And remember, if you would like any help finding ideas for your business, let's arrange a chat.