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Breaking Your Podcast's Format Isn't Always A Bad Thing
Episode 5527th October 2021 • Podcast Pontifications • Evo Terra
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Evo Terra:

Consistency is often key in podcasting, and your

Evo Terra:

show's format is a part of that.

Evo Terra:

But your format is simply a tool that helps you better tell

Evo Terra:

the story to your audience.

Evo Terra:

Sometimes, a different tool may get better results.

Evo Terra:

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Evo Terra:

Hello, and welcome to another Podcast Pontifications with me, Evo Terra.

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Format!

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Format!

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Format!

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It's drilled into our heads as early stage podcasters, either something to

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choose from and never deviate from, or as something to avoid because

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it's a construct from other mediums and podcasting is meant to be free.

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Look, I've seen successful podcasters take either side.

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Both of those approaches can work.

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And I think that's one of the many things that I love about podcasting; there's room

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to succeed, whether you're a rule-follower or whether you're a rule-breaker at heart.

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Today's episode is for the format adherent podcaster, of which I am

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amongst your ranks, even though I am a notorious rule-breaker.

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But my short form, single topic, monologue show is a format you have

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come to understand and almost expect every single time I put an episode out.

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But here's a reality check for you and me, my format, the format of

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this show, it's just a construct.

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The format on your show that you have chosen is just a contract.

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That's it.

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Whether you're doing a chat cast, a news rundown, reading a daily poem,

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or a narrative deep-dive over twenty episodes, these are all simply constructs.

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They're extremely helpful constructs, to be sure, constructs that help us better

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craft the information or the entertainment that we're imparting to our listeners

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through the stories that we tell.

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No doubt about that.

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But format is just a construct, and sometimes the story that we're telling

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doesn't neatly fit into the construct format we've chosen for our podcast.

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So I'm going to ask a question.

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What's more important, the story, the information you're

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imparting, or the format?

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It's kind of a fake question, right?

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There's one answer to that.

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It's not the format it's the content, it's the information.

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And I'll tell you another thing, it's very likely that your audience, the

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who you are for and why they are there?

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They're not here for your format.

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They're not here because you interview guests.

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They enjoy the information presented, and the interview is just a

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construct that lets that happen.

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They aren't here because you don't interview guests either.

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They enjoy the insight from your shows and a monologue is just the

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construct you're using to give voice to your inner narrative.

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They aren't here because you include exactly three

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headlines from the daily news.

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No, they like being caught up on the most important things.

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The number chosen in the podcast episode is just a construct.

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So sometimes, on occasion and when it is really, really warranted, it's okay to

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temporarily eschew the construct if it better serves or complements the story

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you're telling with your overall podcast.

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You say, I don't think the audience is as invested in your format as you are now.

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They still have expectations from you and of the show, which you need to meet.

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So ignore them at your own pace.

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You look, no, one's going to be happy with you.

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If you try to sneak in an hour long rambly unedited episode, where you're

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interviewing somebody when your last 500 episodes have been tight, less than 10

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minute monologues, for example, but most podcasters are free from the constraints

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of traditional broadcast format.

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And that's a beautiful thing because sometimes when it's really necessary

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to break format, to tell the story, or just part of the story, using

Evo Terra:

a better format that will still delight your audience, you can do it.

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Go podcasting!

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Some fun Boostagrams today.

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Now it's time for the boost-the boost-the boost- Boostagram Corner.

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Boostagram Corner.

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I don't know a thing about crypto.

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Thank you, Rich Romano, whomever you happen to be, for the virtual coffee gift.

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I appreciate that.

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And I also want to thank Regina from open conversations for the payment via

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PayPal and hello students have Regina is class who are at Arizona state

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university attending the podcasting class that Regina is putting on.

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I'm very excited to see you and your shows get into the podcasting space.

Evo Terra:

Welcome.

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Another big thanks to Oscar from the podcast listening app

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Fountain for well, listening to my grumblings and making that app work.

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Here's the bonus starting next week.

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I'm going to start migrating all of my podcasts, where as many as I possibly

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can over to the new Fountain app.

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And because I'm doing that, that will allow me to start streaming more Satoshis

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out to all of the value-for-value enabled podcasts that I'm listening to.

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Also a big thanks to this month's sponsor Gumbal.fm.

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Thank you very much, Dane.

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Please visit podcastpontifications.com/valueforvalue

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for ways you can support me and this program.

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And if you're a business, you can also go to podcastpontifications.com/sponsor

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if you're interested in sponsorship opportunities for 2022.

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That assumes the business you're in is the podcasting business.

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Right?

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Right.

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I shall be back tomorrow with yet another Podcast Pontifications.

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Cheers!

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Podcast Pontifications is written and narrated by Evo Terra.

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He's on a mission to make podcasting better.

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Links to everything mentioned in today's episode are in the notes

Evo Terra:

section of your podcast listening app.

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A written-to-be-read article based on today's episode is available at

Evo Terra:

podcastpontifications.com where you'll also find a video version and a corrected

Evo Terra:

transcript, both created by Allie Press.

Evo Terra:

Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media.