In a packed conference room, two students and an advisor from Mako News at Nova Southeastern University in South Florida presented on how to produce a quality podcast to MediaFest 25 attendees.
“I really don’t understand why podcasts got so popular, but I think the really popular ones, like ‘Call Her Daddy,’ really made people want to go into podcasts,” said Jonesia Martimbor, Mako’s radio station manager. “But at the end of the day, proper podcasts take time, take effort and take a lot of energy. I think that is what a lot of people miss when it comes to podcasts.”
“Off the Record,” Martimbor’s radio show and podcast, was previously hosted by her sister who recently graduated, and she was nervous to take over for her. It took convincing from her family and friends for her to believe in herself and jump into the role.
As a biology student, Martimbor added mental and physical health segments into the show. One of the most important things to making a podcast is being excited about the topic you are covering, she explained.
“If you’re not passionate about it, why should I bother to be passionate about what you’re talking about?” Martimbor said. “So, if you speak confidently and with clarity, people are going to want to hear what you have to say.”
This takes practice, said Martimbor. A podcaster’s voice is the first thing audiences notice when listening to a podcast, but it can take some time to develop it.
Everyone has a radio voice in them, Martimbor believes – it just has to be found. Even if it makes them uncomfortable, she told attendees to rehearse by recording and listening to their work.
“I hate listening to my voice,” Martimbor said. “But that’s one of the main ways that you can improve.
Amaia Flores, Mako News’ social media manager, is a dance and communications student who started her own podcast featuring local dancers from southern Florida. Passion is essential, but so is building a brand, she said.
“A lot of the time I don’t even watch the podcast for the guests they’re bringing on,” Flores said.
“I watch it because I love the host, or I love the brand they’ve built. When you’re discovering a new idea, you have to visualize the brand you want. What colors or fonts? You have to visualize it.”
After considering a brand, Mike Lynn, assistant director of student media at Nova Southeastern University, told attendees to think about the audience. But start small, he said, and slowly build a podcast’s reach.
To set a podcast apart from the rest, Lynn pointed to Nardwuar as an example. Her show is known to surprise interviewees with obscure facts. Lynn said research on topics or people featured on an episode is essential to making a unique podcast.
“If you stick to surface-level questions, it’s going to be really dry,” Lynn said. “You want to do your own research, especially when you’re doing public figures. Find other podcasts, other articles to verify information.”