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In the Sunday Blog post “Only Got 2 Minutes to Save the World: Welcome to Microcasts”, I brought up some of the main reasons why people listen to podcasts, and how microcasts can serve those same purposes. I also discussed some of the differences between microcasts and podcasts, but despite their shorter, more casual nature, microcasts still share similar challenges with podcasts. Chief among them is holding the listener’s attention.
Podcasts are a very saturated space. Everyone and their friend wants to start one, so the trick to having a successful one is to grab and hold people’s attention. And let’s face it, when the only thing you have is your voice, there aren’t too many gimmicks that can get your listener to care.
The same holds true for microcasts. While you don’t have to hold your listener’s attention for as long, we live in a world where people’s attention is generally shorter than that of a microcast. This is an even bigger reality for those who want to create a microcast series. So whether it’s a one-off or a collection, how do you be interesting?
Being interesting is the name of the game because it means you can grab and hold someone’s attention. While there are a number of factors that go into that, I’d say the number one thing you should make sure to start with is two sides of the same coin. That is the coin of caring. Specifically, speak about something you care about AND speak about something others care about.
Speaking about something others care about doesn’t mean your topic has to be grand, like a recent natural disaster or a celebrity scandal. It only need fall into one (or more) of these categories:
- The topic itself is of interest to a subgroup of people (such as true crime)
- It impacts people. This can include things that benefit the listener, like advice, or have a bearing on their life in some way, like public policy.
- It connects with people emotionally. This can include making them laugh, making them think about their experiences, tugging at their heartstrings, and more.
But here’s the thing. Speaking about something others care about is as much about the topic as it is the way you deliver it. A fantastic storyteller can make even a story about vegetables juicy. On the other hand, a bad storyteller can botch the delivery of a car chase.
That’s why it’s important to speak about something you care about. Doing so allows you to bring your passion and your personality to the topic. This allows you to put your own unique spin on it so that the listener hears a fresh take.
Before speaking on a topic, ask yourself: do you yourself care? How does it affect your personally? Being able to speak about something naturally goes a long way in holding people’s focus because not only are they interested in the topic, they’re interested in you.
Does following this advice guarantee your microcast will blow up? In the fast-paced world of social media, I can’t guarantee that. Your microcasts still have to go up against the luck of the draw, but more thought and effort into your craft will undeniably increase your odds.
And bear in mind that this is only the first step. There are other ways to make your microcast interesting, but it all stems from speaking on a topic you and your audience care about.
In the spirit of microcasts, here’s the tl;dr. You want to speak about a topic that connects with folks and connects with you. That way, your words can serve as a link between the minds and hearts of you and your listeners.
Tuesday Deep Dive is a series where we discuss in more detail a specific point made in the previous Sunday Blog.