EPISODE 28: ENGAGING STORYTELLING AND PODCAST 101 WITH ELIZABETH EVANS
Live Date: Monday, October 12, 2020
Show Description: On today’s episode, Heather speaks with our very own podcast editor, Elizabeth Evans. Elizabeth is the owner and founder of Elizabeth Evans Co., a woman-owned, full-service podcast production agency. She has partnered with world-renowned artists, best-selling authors, speakers, and influencers to help build their brand, expand their reach, and amplify their voice. Heather and Elizabeth dive into all things podcasting, including the value of sharing your story with others, how (and why) to show up authentically with your community, the steps to set up the outline of your episode, engaging storytelling that captivates, the future of podcasts and trends in the industry, where to start when launching a show, and so much good advice about podcasts!
Biggest Takeaways:
Regardless of your background, storytelling is a key component to a successful podcast. Heather and Elizabeth dive into storytelling and tips to share your story well and impactfully. Elizabeth shares three steps – or acts – to your episodes.
Act 1 – Setting: The setting paints a picture for the listener. Where were you? What year was it? This can feel like obvious information, but it really helps to set the stage for the rest of your story.
Act 2 – Tension: Raise some tension in your story after you’ve set the scene. This raises the stakes and captivates your listener.
Act 3 – Resolution: From this tense moment, share the lesson learned. This is the takeaway for the listener and the point of your entire story.
Are you wondering if you are ready to start a podcast yourself? Elizabeth shares some checklist items to ensure you are ready to take the leap.
Consistency is key. Do you have the time and bandwidth to create, record, edit, and release episodes each week?
Know your brand well. You need to understand your established brand to provide another way for your audience to consume your content. It’s difficult to start from scratch with a podcast (but it can happen).
Get a bit comfortable on the mic. You don’t have to get it right at the start, but you should practice a bit and get comfortable on the mic before starting a podcast.
Find the best process for you. Do I have team members that can help? If not, do I have the budget to outsource it?
Be aware of your demographic. Even if you have great content, if your audience isn’t consuming podcasts, they will likely not come to yours. Make sure your audience is the right audience for a podcast.
So you’ve checked all the above boxes, and you are ready to move forward with launching a podcast. Congratulations! Now what? Elizabeth says to start with these questions:
Content: Do I want to talk about my expertise? Or, do I want to use this podcast to pivot into a new industry?
Format: Will I be solo? Have a co-host? Have guest interviews? Or, a combination of these options?
Equipment: You’ll want to grab a few items to ensure quality sound for your listeners.
Quotables:
“At the end of the day, I really feel like a compelling podcast comes back to one thing, and that is exceptional storytelling.” – Heather Adams 4:18
“When we tell stories, we start to understand that we’re not alone in our experiences. So, if we never communicated, if we never told our stories, if we never connected with other people, we would start to feel really isolated and alone and what we’re experiencing and what we’re going through. But the moment that we tell our story and somebody else is like, ‘Oh my goodness, I have a similar experience,’ you start to create that connection right away.” – Elizabeth Evans 6:22
“It’s really difficult to not tell the truth on audio because all you have is your voice. And that is such a natural, authentic connection.” – Elizabeth Evans 13:34
“When you’re going through the plot, and you’re telling it in that linear sequence of events, and then you raise it to that higher-level point, like, ‘so what,’ then that’s where people are captivated because they want to know what happens at the end. But, then it’s kind of ingrained into their memory because that point is what resonated with them so much.” – Elizabeth Evans 23:42
“What is their pain point that you are solving for them in that specific episode? Are you saving them time? Are you saving them money? Are you increasing joy? So, really know who your demographic is and what their pain points are.” – Elizabeth Evans 25:03
“Something that I just saw a couple of weeks ago is there’s a new social media app in beta testing called clubhouse, also huge tens of millions of dollars in funding. And, it’s an audio-only platform. So, they’re kind of equating it to audio for Twitter. So, I’m really intrigued to see how that will pair with the podcasting community.” – Elizabeth Evans 32:27
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