One thing that podcasters usually forget is that podcasting is an medium of sound. It is in audio that you relay your information or tell your story. The reason I mention this is because most podcasters still do their podcasts without taking this important fact into consideration. What I mean is that they do not paint a picture.

When you do a podcast you talk to your audience. But since it is not a visual medium, they will have to use their imagination to “see” what you are talking about. But to do this, you will have to paint the picture for them. This means that you have to give details and describe nuances. Let’s say that your podcast is about a visit to a historic landmark. If you just say that you went to this place and found it interesting, your audience won’t “see” what you experienced. But if you paint a picture for them — describing the trip, pointing out the people that was also there to visit, describing the color and smell of the place along with other unique details  — then you have started painting that picture. You effectively transport your audience to that place.

But painting a picture is not limited to just descriptions of places. You can use it in all types of podcasts, even interviews! You can describe how your interviewee took various questions. Was he comfortable? Did he fidget? Does he have any mannerisms that you found interesting? Look out for the details, remember them and then describe them. It makes for a more “visual” and memorable podcast.

It is the rare individual who takes to podcasting immediately. Sometimes the best way to ease into a new skill is to ask for a little company. Add some alcohol into the mix and what you have is cool and fun way of podcasting that will surely be entertaining and spontaneous.

Beercasts are gaining a lot of fans in the podcasting community because it is a lot of fun and a relatively easy way of making a podcast. the setup for a beercast is quite simple. All one needs is a few microphones, a Behringer mixer and an MP3 recorder.

A beercast is actually  round table discussion. A topic is presented to the participants and the discussions begin. It’s an easy setup and when it gets going, it is so much fun. A discussion like this will be energetic, free-flowing and, if the participants are witty and eloquent, quite a great show of verbal repartee. Of course, introducing some alcohol into the mix could result in even more free spirited discussions.

Beercasting is a great way to get your feet wet in the world of podcasting simply because conversations come naturally, unlike a monologue. A podcaster is more likely to feel more comfortable when he’s talking with other people rather than just talking on his own while on the microphone. Conversations will allow you to actually think about what you will say next when the other participants in the beercast are talking. Beercasts and multiple host types of podcast are so popular and more engaging to audiences that you will notice that in any ranking of podcasts, there’s more multiple-host formats in the list.

If you’re interested in trying out a podcast, try to read the excellent resource Podcasting Hacks.

Many beginner podcasters think that since podcasting is distributed by subscriptions, and since they are doing it on their own time and effort, then they can make podcasts whenever they want to without adhering to a regular release schedule. But this is the wrong attitude. You need to get a regular schedule going in order to increase your followers and also develop loyalty.

By keeping a regular schedule, your listeners will know when to expect your show, they will anticipate when it will arrive and the regularity will make them more ardent supporters. Imagine if your TV show gets broadcast whenever the producers want to do it, you wouldn’t know when it is on and most probably, in frustration you’ll just drop it from your list of shows to watch. The same thing can happen to your podcast if you don’t follow a schedule. Granted, a subscription pushes your content to your followers, but it’s still not uncommon for this thing to happen.

A schedule will also give you the opportunity to tease your audience with what’s in store for your next episodes. This will whet the appetite of your listeners and if the topic is really exciting, your followers can even start telling about your show to their friends.

To give yourself a proper handle on your schedule, you will need to look at how your show is produced. Check the time spent on the pre-production and production work itself. Also take into account how often you get your material if it’s sourced from research or from other sources. From there you can make an educated assessment of the ideal schedule for your podcast.