Devin Steffens - 6 minute read time.
I have seen a lot of shows that are producing a weekly episode and expecting to see growth, but not leveraging their content for MORE. So, I wanted to take this time and share some tips on how to take small steps to push more out of your content without exhausting yourself.
Now, let it be known that as of April 2020, there over 1 million podcasts with 30 million total episodes in circulation. That is of ALL podcasts world wide according to Podcast Insights. That means there is a lot of competition, but it also means there are a lot of tools and resources available to you if you know where to look. I took the time to find resources that were either free or had a free option in them.
(P.S. We did a Twitter post on this with some amazing links to MORE information on Micro-content and you can find that thread here.)
Micro-Content
According to Marketing Insider Group, Micro-content is short content in any form that delivers stand-alone information. Quotes, Clips, and Audiograms are perfect examples of Micro-content.
For each episode of Bardic Babble we try to make eye-catching and unique looking micro-content for all of our social media platforms so that we maintain a good output of daily/weekly/monthly posts. Now, I know that sounds like a lot of work but what if I told you I spend less than 30 minutes total on all of my social media output for each episode drop?
From left to right: Twitter Quote Post. Instagram Reels/Story. Pintrest Post. Instagram Wall/Facebook/Misc post.
My secret? Templates.
As you can see I use the same quote, a good one, for three different forms of micro-content here. So, while I am doing my editing I am looking for a bit sized nugget of knowledge, something inspirational, or something comedic to lead the social media effort. I then head on over to Canva and dive into their ALREADY MADE templates (I actually have my own templates in Photoshop//After Effects but I went with the most accessible options for this post).
While I am opening Canva I am simultaneously opening Headliner to snag my Audiogram. Headliner is a free/cheap alternative to Audiogram making as opposed to After Effects. I then take my quote that I exported from my interview and plug it into Headliner. Smack some edited photos into the background and export. You can then take that video and plug it right into Canva.
Same picture. Same Quote. Clean and simple micro-content to keep my feeds churning and keeps eyes on my content paths. Engaging on the social media post takes more time than creating it more often than not.
(PS. Make your audiogram something that makes a NEW listener interested in checking out your show. Inside jokes, context heavy quotes, or very nuanced situations can be hard to attract new folxs. Try a 30-45s episode summary if you do an Actual Play.)
Micro-content Benefits
Stylized, Clean, and Simple engagement opportunities on your social media channels.
Continued social media push and post-filtering back to your episodes or RSS feeds.
Maintained brand recognition.
Transcripts
It is the year 2020 and accessibility is key.
If you are plugged into the #ttrpg Twitter space then you know that Accessibility has become a very popular and in demand topic. We have seen the rise of @MustangArts Combat Wheelchair, Safety Tools, and Sign Language being added to games in the last few months alone. We actually did an amazing interview with Rich of the Inspirisles RPG, a game that uses British and American Sign Language in their rule sets. (You can find that episode here)
So why are you not transcribing your shows?
I know the answer, it is time consuming! And it is. It can also be expensive if you are using services that charge per minute. One episode of Bardic Babble would cost me upwards of $55.00 bucks for transcripts. That is why I use Descript.
For a few bucks a month I get a block of hours for transcripts and a 95% accuracy rate. It recognizes multiple speakers and has an Apply All feature that shaves so much time off my edits. It takes your audio file and reads it to you while you edit and the interface is simple and easy to navigate.
For a higher monthly premium, you also get access to 30 Hrs of transcripts, Overdub (text to speech clone of your voice), Filler word removal, and an Audiogram creator. However I find that the lowest tier works best for me.
When I go to do my transcripts I turn it to 2.0x speed and go to town. I then take my final export and plug it into my website on the episode blog post. I have seen shows that add them to their show notes, or at least abbreviated versions of them, or even highlights.
Now I know some people just don’t have the head space for doing transcriptions or may squeeze every ounce of time out of their day just to produce their show, if that is the case head on over to our Service page and connect with us, we charge very little for transcription and occasionally do Pro Bono work for some cross promotion!
Transcript Benefits
Accessible to hard of hearing or hearing disabled folxs.
SEO - every name or product mention triggers some great SEO and can add to your show being easier to discover.
Editing - a new way to see your content where you might have missed an edit opportunity.
YouTube
Now for the big one to round us out. YouTube. The media giant. THE BIG RED BUTTON.
In a Variety article YouTube has 2 BILLION monthly unique users that averages 250 million hours of consumed content per day. That is a potentially huge audience share that you can tap into.
Taking your content and uploading it into Adobe Premiere, Movie Maker, or iMovie is as simple as a few clicks. Then slap your branding in the back ground, maybe do a neat visualizer or some kind of on screen motion element and you have yourself a simple recipe for continued content output.
Not to mention you also have more options for your social media, “Hey, we are over on Youtube now!”
Oh, did I mention Youtube also has a built in Transcription service? The native one is OKAY at best, BUT if you use Descript all you need to do is export a .VTT file alongside your original export and you can just slap it onto your video. You might need to tweak it a bit but it’s nothing crazy.
YouTube Benefits
Easy distribution tool - a lot of websites, social media channels, and blog have built in options for YouTube video sharing.
Potential income source - ad revenue can be generated per video. (it is a tough climb to get here and even harder to stay monetized.
Additional SEO triggers - more places to find your show, more words to get your show out there, new audience that prefers YouTubes interface or application.
Repost
Make your content keep working for you.
Repost old episodes with different media (use a still as opposed to a motion graphic) and tag guests, cast, and crew to keep the impressions up on the posts and keep things in motion on your socials.
Final Thoughts
If you treat social media like it is a job, it will yield results. Treat it like an after thought and your audience is reliant on your show itself to act as their source for information and the harbinger of updates.
Social media and micro-content can be a daunting thing but if you set clear goals for your content and know exactly what you want from it then it can help cut through the anxiety and provide you with a way forward. Also, really pay attention to the analytics. It will show you where your core audience is and where to really focus your social media efforts. We will do another article in the future on podcast data and how to look at it!
Finally, do not be afraid to reach out to channels, shows, or Community Managers that you follow and ask what tools they use or if they would be willing to chat about their process. 9/10 times they are more than willing to give some time to colleagues and fellows in the space.