Podcasting dedication (and scheduling)

Part of a run of answers to follow-up questions about podcasting, from students at the University of Toronto. Here’s a link to all the apprentice Q&As, including those from 2010.

Question: Perhaps Donna could discuss how it’s a excellent thought to have resolve and dedication while making a podcast. Mentioning how one should schedule podcast recordings could also be an thought for future presentations.

Answer: Well, resolve and dedication are excellent qualities for anyone in business or a creative field. If you’re being paid to produce podcasts for clients, chances are that you will allow sufficient time to make high-quality episodes. If you’re producing your own podcast, it’s very simple to let it fall to the bottom of your priority list. (Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt.)

But, it’s my belief that no matter how busy we are, we do find time for the things that are vital to us, whether that’s writing a blog post, tape a podcast, or sending out invoices. (Have you noticed that some people who “don’t have time” really spend three or four hours watching TV each day?)

If a podcast is one of your marketing or PR tactics, then you’d better be sure that the shows are plotted, produced and published on time.  I often suggest that clients use an editorial calendar for their blog and podcast, to sketch out the types of topics to be covered in the next three, six or 12 months. This doesn’t have to be an onerous task: Just jot down the theme, the interviewee (if applicable), and the date you want to circulate. Go the order around until you get it right; the sequence needs to make sense.

Right now I’m working on a plot for a run of podcasts on digital storytelling. I may deviate slightly from my plot once I get into it, but I’ll stand a better opportunity of producing an fascinating run if I do my plotting up front.

By the way, if you use WordPress as your content management system, you can try the Editorial Calendar plug-in to help you with this task.