So You Want to Start a Podcast? Part 3

A four-part series to guide you through the basics of podcasting in 2021, with some tips you may not have read elsewhere.

Part 3 — Episode Structure:

HOT TIP — A great podcast is founded upon consistency.

In the past two articles in this series, we’ve covered podcast equipment and the content you’re going to produce for each episode of your podcast.

In this article I’m going to zoom out even further, away from the mic and the content, to look at how you structure your podcast episodes.

The thing that most successful podcasts have in common is a consistent structure for their episodes. Be it a seven-minute lecture, or a half-hour show, or a narrative over multiple hours, the structure of your podcast should remain relatively consistent.

Ok but why? Why have a consistent structure for each episode?

First off, consistency builds trust with your audience. This is true for when you release an episode (every day, week, or limited run seasons ) so they know when you’re going to show up and for how long. But it’s also true for how you distribute. If the structure of the podcast is consistent from episode to episode, that consistency will reassure your audience that you are going to keep coming back and delivering the same great content in a familiar format they enjoy. Every time you do that, they trust even more that you will keep doing that.

In turn, they are more likely to keep listening. Because they like what they hear and they know they can get more of it if they stay tuned to your podcast — especially if you keep them on the hook, just like I’ve done with this series of articles.

The other reason to establish a consistent structure is to make your life easier. A consistent structure helps in much the same way that pillar content helps: it gives you a framework that you can drop ideas right into and keep your show going consistently.

Your content will dictate your structure to a certain extent, and every podcast will be different. Some podcasts are quick bits of information, sandwiched between an intro and outro. Some are organized like a conventional radio show, with several short bits grouped together in the same pattern from week to week. Others are long-form narratives, which might feature several breaks or asides during the broadcast.

Now, this isn’t to say that you can’t change up your episode structure. Quite the contrary. You can create multiple structures that could vary based on your content pillars, covered in Part 2 of this series. Or, after a period of time or a certain number of episodes, you may want to refresh your structure to avoid becoming stale. (This may also become a more natural progression of change as you iterate and find what works best for all involved.)

Episode Structure example

I have a few ways I like to conceptualise structure but before I get into it, let me say this, you can shape your podcast however you like. I use a News broadcast as my example below, but may be easier for you to think of it in terms of a three-act stage play or chapters in a book.

So long as you’ve got a structure that works for you and you apply it consistently, you’ll be good!

1. Branding elements: intro, outro, bumpers for before and after ads, etc
2. Introductions: episode, topic, guest, etc…
3. Talking points: questions, sub-topics, etc…
4. How to connect: visit a website, send an email, call-in, etc…
5. Calls to action: sponsored ad, affiliate deal, your own product or service, etc…

So you’ve got five different types of blocks and you organize them based on what works best for your podcast.

We have an intro, a short call to action, three talking points, a sponsored ad, two more talking points, a way to get in touch, another call to action, and an outro. Every episode (more or less) follows this structure.

My way of thinking about podcast structure is framing it like a news broadcast — that is unless your show is a fictional/drama style of podcast.

This way of thinking about structure tends to be helpful for the more mature among us who grew up watching traditional television because it’s a structure we’re familiar with. But I suspect the structure of other formulaic shows like bake-offs or monster-of-the-weeks would be just as useful for thinking about how to structure your podcast episodes.

How long should a podcast be?

Length of episodes is a question I hear frequently and, unfortunately, there’s no golden number that works every time. Some podcasts are as short as a few minutes, some stretch into multiple hours. There are definitely podcast types that fall easily into one category or another, and I will probably address that in the Brand My Podcast show at some point. But there’s no easy answer.

I will say this: Podcasting is a medium that audiences tend to stick with for way longer than any social media platform. Further, because they are primarily audio-oriented media, podcasts can be consumed like no visual media like TV, movies, or even YouTube. In other words, there’s more flexibility with podcast length than there is for most other forms of media.

Another important point is that listening to a podcast is an intentional act. Unlike most social media (and even many streaming services), people get to a podcast on purpose.

There’s no podcast version of mindless scrolling until you’re watching some cat fighting a bear with a cucumber.

Because of that, many listeners come back to finish an episode if they don’t complete it in one sitting, car ride, grocery shop, or 5km run. They were invested as soon as they hit that little “play” arrow, and as long as your content is solid they will most likely listen through to the end.

Here are my tips for episode length:

1. If it’s just you talking, shorter episodes can keep you on track.
2. If it’s an interview, don’t be scared to put up the whole interview (even if it’s long!). You can also split it over several episodes.
3. Podcast listeners are typically happy to commit 30–45 minutes to an episode.
4. Test what works for you in terms of time commitment for recording AND editing.
5. If in doubt, ask your audience for feedback.
6. If they want longer episodes, it’s a sign you’ve got a great podcast (and it’s up to you if you want to change the length).
7. If it’s less, your episodes probably have too much fluff and you need to take stock of your content and your editing to see what you can eliminate.

Ultimately, the length of your podcast episodes won’t make or break you. Go with what works, and pay attention to your audience (and your data) to see if you need to adjust.

Episode length is kind of like audio quality — your audience will stick around even if it’s not the best and when you make improvements they’ll be grateful.

Now, to sound like one of those late-night telemmercial presenters, “But wait! There’s more!”

I’m going to leave you on one final cliffhanger. Part 4 is the final part of this series and I’ve definitely saved the best — and most valuable — part for last. (Hint: great TV shows do this all the time.) So stay tuned for Part 4 — Podcast Structure!

-Frank

PS: I wrote this article with a wonderful content writer named Rachel H. If you’re in the market for long-form writing (like articles or newsletters or whatnot), she’s the gal to talk to and you can find Rachel here.

PPS: This article is part of a series. Here are links to all of it so far:

Part 1

Part 2

Frank is a brand identity designer, podcaster and host of Brand My Podcast. A podcast show AND service to help podcasters start their podcast and build their podcast brand.

For info about how to start and brand your podcast with confidence, to make podcasting as easy as pressing record, visit: brandmypodcast.com

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