PodMov Daily: Thursday, May 27

Episode 439: Your Thursday Podthoughts

Focus Any Podcast Episode with a Single Sentence

There are many reasons why audio stories end up lacking focus, says Rob Rosenthal of HowSound. “The worst reason is, ‘Well, it’s a podcast. The story can be any length.’ Ummm, wrong.” The Transom Story Workshop founder explains how a single ‘focus’ sentence can sum up a story’s entire essence.

At first, the focus sentence template seems too simple: “Someone does something because, but…” However, character, action, motivation, and conflict are all there. This isn’t just fiction: Rosenthal breaks down examples with audio clips, one he wrote for an economics story for the BBC and Marketplace.

Podcasters in any genre can easily end up with a long recording and “no plan for wrangling it — just find good quotes and see what happens.” Instead, it’s best to craft a flexible focus sentence early in the episode planning process. Rosenthal outlines more story-lassoing techniques here.

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Fresh Podcasting Programs and Workshops for All

Every creator can benefit from continuing education, writes journalist and podcaster Jenna Spinelle. She’s rounded up eight classes and workshops that allow an opportunity to “step back from the daily grind of pitching, producing, and promoting a podcast, and re-focus on the creative process.”

The list includes programs for a variety of budgets, time commitments, and experience levels. Free Podcast Movement University programming makes the list (hi there!) as well as immersive experiences like Pod-Pod, which brings together six podcasters to live, work, and collaborate in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

“There’s nothing like the structure of a course or a weekly event on your calendar to give you the motivation to start something new or refresh an existing project,” Spinelle says. Programs need refreshing, too. She reminds readers to check websites for the latest details on timing and cost.

HubSpot Podcast Network: Listen. Learn. Grow.

HubSpot was built on a simple truth about business: Growth is powered by bringing value to your audience. Now, HubSpot Podcast Network is giving creators who deliver outsized value to their audiences a platform to amplify their voices. This brand-new audio destination brings together best-in-class business shows that educate and inspire — all in one place. 

On HubSpot Podcast Network, your show could join top-performing shows like Entrepreneurs on Fire, MarTech Podcast, and My First Million to reach millions of business leaders.

Business podcasters are growth-oriented, and so are their audiences. HubSpot Podcast Network’s primary objective is to grow each show so that more people can benefit from its content. It’s time to harness your ambitions and help listeners do the same. Ready to explore?

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Here’s what else is going on:

• Inside out: The Outlier Podcast Festival is this evening through tomorrow. Led by OutlierHQ, the free virtual event will focus on podcasting and creative storytelling from large-scale and indie perspectives. Attendees will be able to collaborate and ask questions during live panels.

• Report card: How’s Apple Podcasts working out? A month after the ill-fated launch of Connect, Podnews wants to hear from subscribers. If you receive Podnews and are still experiencing publication issues on Apple Podcasts, see request details here and reply through the newsletter.

• Fair warning: Podcasting expectations vs. reality can be brutal for the uninformed (and often, misled) beginner. In Podcast Pontifications, Evo Terra urges creators to “be every bit as honest as you are encouraging” when friends or colleagues express interest in starting a show.

• Copy brief: Hot Pod’s Aria Bracci imagines a “book podcast” meant to be listened to before reading. The audio companion would cover each chapter’s jargon and obscure references, “hypothetically prevent[ing] all the stop-and-go jerkiness by clearing things up before they arise.”