PODCASTING

MATTY STAUDT

PRESIDENT JAM STREET MEDIA

PODCASTING Why Podcast By Committee Does Not Work

When you do a podcast for everyone, you are producing a podcast for no one. What I mean by that is, the more people you try to include in your target audience, the more segments you cram in, and the more people chiming in on what they think will sound good, the more you will most likely alienate people and make a podcast that doesn’t do any one thing right. That becomes a big issue when you’re working on a podcast for a brand. When working for a brand, you’ll find that each organization will have a lot of stakeholders who want to be involved with the podcast. This makes sense, as the brand is spending good money and they want to make sure they’re getting what they want and need out of the podcast. The problem is that this leads to way too many ideas for a 30-minute podcast, some of which a podcasting pro will know will not work. So, how do we appease everyone and still make a great podcast?

As A Brand

• Be clear with what your KPIs are for the podcast. What is it you want to accomplish with the show? Is it brand awareness, lead generation, or content for marketing? Or all three? • Know who your audience is. Very targeted demographics make things easier when developing content strategies. • Be open to the ideas your producer brings to the table, and be flexible with your ideas about formatting, hosts, etc. If you’re paying a pro, listen to them when it comes to what content will work well for certain audiences. • Let the paid creatives be creative. At some point, you have to hand things off to them and trust they’ll do a great job. • Understand that there are limitations to what kinds of podcasts can be made with certain budgets. If you want a Wondery-sounding show, be prepared to pay more than you would for a simpler podcast.

As A Producer

• Remember that the brand is your client, and you have to listen to and incorporate as many ideas as you can that will work. • Push back on ideas that you know will not work, but give reasons and cite data to back up your arguments. • Listen to all ideas with an open mind.

Often the best podcasts come out of several ideas morphed into one. • Be realistic with what you can do with the budget you’ve been given. Don’t promise This American Life if the budget is for an interview podcast.

At the end of the day, the best podcasts for brands work best when everyone knows their part and their strengths, and are ready to let each other do their jobs. Staying focused and making sure everyone is in their lane makes for the best podcasts for the listener. At the end of the day, we’re making a show for them, not for us.

Matty Staudt is the former director of content at Stitcher, and was radio’s first VP of podcast programming with iHeartRadio. He is now the president of Jam Street Media in Los Angeles, where his network includes the hits Deep Cover: The Real Donnie Brasco, Appalachian Mysteria, and The Big Swing. He also provides consulting for podcast startups and brands. jamstreetmedia.com; @MattyStaudt on social media.