Making stories about mentorship and career development
This project is maintained by WCSCourses
We have prepared a detailed description of podcast production using the Your Digital Mentor Podcast resources as a toolkit for processes and templates which can be adapted for own needs and setting.
Title for podcast - Come up with several podcast titles which are catchy and broad enough to attract listeners. Test these among peers or conduct a survey.
Research on other similar podcasts out there and how yours will contribute to gaps. Find podcast apps and go through genre lists to determine how your ideas are already being covered. Podcast theme, topic and scope. Clarify team roles Make sure the team has skills and capacity for the following and agree on the tasks and how you will work, timelines and communication platforms. Assign tasks - Key tasks include research and production, editing, marketing, logistic coordination and graphic design
A brainstorm session with the team should be held at the start of planning. During the brainstorm session aim to identify a sub-theme, create a potential list of topical issues to research on. When you have a final list you can sequence the topics, or schedule release dates to coincide release with specific local or global events. Decide if you may want to run bonus episodes.
Review the topics to determine if they are within scope, in context and of topical relevance to keep listeners interests. Identify potential guests at this stage. Scope the guests to determine suitability and following (if they are popular, this could be good for podcast’s visibility). Ask colleagues for help to identify appropriate contacts, and request for introductions. GDPR means you cannot just contact someone whom you are not acquainted with. Therefore you need to apply your networking skills in scoping for guests and find people who can help you to connect with potential guests of interest.
A marketing strategy is outlined in the concept proposal. A more specific approach may be needed depending on availability of resources and time.
Other items to prepare include
• Logo and podcast graphics
• A trailer
• Setting up social media pages and a website
• Coordinate release of episodes with social media uploads
You may microphone which can be attached to your computer and run via recording software. However, if internet connectivity fluctuates or your computer does not have recording software, then using a phone to record your audio is a sure way of capturing all your inputs. The audio files can be sent to the editor after the recording session. Your Digital Mentor Podcast used Zoom to record the episodes. Although the podcast is published as audio only, having the recording session with video is recommended for more comfortable interaction among the guests and hosts.
Guest are often very busy people and need sufficient notice to be invited for an activity such as podcast. Be mindful of timezones especially when guests and hosts are in different parts of the world. Make sure you obtain consent for the podcast. Go HERE to view the talent release form which gives permission for the episode to be released. In addition, consent is needed for use of social media links and images for promotional purposes.
Your Digital Mentor Podcast Toolkit consists of SOPs, checklists and templates for adaptation to your needs.
• Guest liason and email templates
• Talent release and consent for media and images form
• Recording SOP
• Episode fact sheet
• Timeline and checklist for Your Digital Mentor Podcast Season 2
• Production summary checklist
Data on listeners is collected via podcatchers. The main data collected for Your Digital Mentor Podcast includes number of listeners, geographical location, top countries accessing the podcast. Other data collected includes feedback provided by listeners via social media or directly email.
The Your Digital Mentor Podcast team meets on a weekly basis for 1-1.5 hours at a time to plan and develop content and promotional strategies. The team work collaboratively to brainstorm on topics, identify key guests, conduct preliminary research and outlining the episode discussion. Each episode is further developed by a podcast team member, who becomes the lead producer of that episode. The rest of the episode production process is detailed in the episode production checklist document. We estimated 20+ hours per episode spread across the producer, editor and marketing team from pre-production to editing to episode promotion.
All SOPs and checklists can be downloaded HERE
• Preparation, preparation, preparation!!!
• Time!!! - The most critical resource for podcast team and guests
• You need a good podcast development and production team who are imaginative and create content based on topical issues
• Skills - creative/artsy skills, interviewing/hosting, communication skills marketing and editing
• Budget - consider editing - the biggest part of the budget, marketing, subscriptions to hosting platforms
• Platforms and equipment for recording
• Plan ahead e.g. 3-6 months before start of season you should work on a schedule including periods for interviewing. Best to schedule as many as possible during a short period to allow for full attention than spreading out over several weeks
• Work as team! Right from the start agree on roles and responsibilities for each team member. Divide the labour and ensure the team support each other
• Good guests - lots of scoping work is needed to identify the best guests; Have several options and factor in time to find alternative guests
• Good to consider not only content, but also engagement on social media, for instance, to attract more listeners. Don’t make the mistake I did for recruiting guests only based on a paper
• Invest in a good editor - and make sufficient time to review episodes and on time
• Good marketing strategy
• Sharing with networks and at every opportunity
• Develop clear SOPs for consistency
Welcome to Your Digital Mentor Podcast
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About Your Digital Mentor Podcast.
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