While the formats of a podcast refer to the way in which the content is presented, there is another type of classification for shows, according to how they naturally gain an audience: intent podcast or interest podcast. We tell you what they are.
Launch a podcast and getting it on the air, with a clear frequency, a solid bet and all the extra work that implies, are two very different scenarios. Although the success of a good production depends on many factors, one of the most important aspects is to be clear about the type of content that will be created.
Understanding your podcast with precision implies defining themes, styles and formats -fiction, documentary, monologue or round table-.
However, understanding the format of your podcast is not enough. It is also necessary to think, for example, about the most logical and natural way in which the audience will reach the content. In this regard, we can say that there are, in general terms, two main options for listeners to discover a podcast: by intention or by interest.
This article is a small guide to understand more about this division, which, when mastered, can lead to a clearer path for creating episode titles and knowing what type of content you can offer in each episode.
🤔 So what is the difference between a show of intent and a show of interest?
Both terms refer to the way in which listeners arrive at the content. And, as their names indicate, in the first case, in the first case the audience listens to the podcast because it has a very specific and concrete intention, while in the second case it is more about users who discover the show because they have a general interest in the cross-cutting theme of the show or episode.
Another way to better understand this division is to think about how people tend to search for information and content in social networks or on the Internet.
When we go to Google, generally speaking, we have a very clear search objective: specific questions for which we need answers. This is search by intent.
When we log into Instagram, on the other hand, we tend to browse for no particular purpose beyond consuming the content we follow, always being on the lookout for when an eye-catching post pops up on the radar to click on it and see more like it. This is search by interest.
The same goes for podcasts. To summarize: listeners can come to your podcast looking for a specific answer - and you'd have a show of intent - or for a more general taste - and you'd have a show of interest - and you'd have a show of interest - and you'd have a show of interest..
💡 Show of intent and its characteristics
As we said, these podcasts focus on answering very specific audience questions through content.
Knowing that the community has a latent need, that they want to solve a problem and that they have probably looked for solutions in other channels is knowledge that can easily be leveraged.
How? Creating titles that immediately tell the listener what they will find in each episode. Thus, the titles alone end up creating a sort of index for the show, in which it is enough to see the name of the episodes for the promise of value to be very clear: "this is the pain that I will heal you today".
In this type of podcast, business topics are very common. In our case, for example, Sales Machine has been a benchmark in this regard: the person can read the title and choose exactly the episode that will clarify his or her doubt.
Another characteristic of the intent shows is that always bring value to the audience with their contenta tool or learning that is combined with a more predictable part of your format, such as information or sections that are already recognized by your community.
A very powerful thing about such timely and valuable content is that it triggers the famous "voice to voice"In this way, people naturally start recommending the content to their co-workers, their friends, their social networks or any niche that shares the same need that the podcast solved in their case.
For this to happen and for this type of podcast to have the substance that the listener expects, you need experts behind the microphone, someone who handles the topic very well, along with a curatorship of what is allowed to say and what is not, taking care not to deviate from the main purpose: to answer the user's questions.
Another way to feed an intention show is to put together a content grid, taking as a basis the results from Google Trends o Answer The Publictwo digital tools that allow us to find what Internet users are looking for around specific topics, in this case the podcast topics. In this way, it is easy to be constantly updated.
On the other hand, if your podcast is already so robust that you have a consolidated community around the show, take the opportunity to ask them directly about their doubts, needs and everything they want to hear in the show. From this, you will be able to understand what content to create and you will have a permanent and inexhaustible source of ideas.
🚀 Show of interest and its characteristics
The other way for the audience to reach your podcast is to have a show of interest. In this case, you are dealing with much more relaxed content, which is born more spontaneously, like when you are with your friends and they say: "Oh, let's do a podcast because we talk a lot about a topic and we'll put it on the air!
Unlike an intentional show - in which the podcast has very good results beyond the charisma of the hosts because they master the subject very well and answer the audience's doubts, Here all elements have to attract the attention of the listeners because the probability of losing the audience is much higher.
Why?
Because the user is not there to find a specific answer but to have a good time, to be entertained and to be distracted from the routine... That's why, evidently the charisma of the hosts is an essential detail for the success of this type of podcast.
However, fun is not enough: the purpose of enjoyment does not in any way exclude the need for planning and the fact that one must be very clear about the topic to be developed and why it is entertaining to talk about it in this way.
In this case, Google Trends or Answer The Public resources are not as useful. It is advisable to interact constantly with the community and always keep in mind the original intention with which you created the program. and what you wanted to convey with it: having fun talking about things you love. In that sense, the first person who has to enjoy the content is you when you create it.
Regarding the titles, these should not have such a logical or strict sequence as in the intention shows. Rather, should focus on being much more eye-catching titles even if the central idea of the episode is not mentioned.
Here again, it is not necessary to provide such added value, advice or teaching because the audience expects much more flexible content, without a commitment to learningbut with one to spend a pleasant and perfect time for leisure.
🤔With this clear picture, what's next?
To create a successful podcast, in addition to acquiring a lot of knowledge and tools to enhance the result, it requires a very robust planning that will allow you to take the right path.
Deciding whether you want to have an intent or interest show is one of the key steps, but there are still aspects to define: what pre-production, production and post-production efforts you will require, where to start, what kind of topic will be the focus of your podcast, what is the most appropriate format for the content, what will leverage the growth of the show, what is the marketing budget idea, how to put titles that engage... And, in fact, much more.
If you want to know more about this topic, I am ready to answer all your questions.
I'll read you in the comments section!