Are you wondering how to choose a podcast format and name?
I’m assuming you have already decided what your show is going to be about, so let’s take the next step.
Goal: An initial format (or maybe a combination) that are easy to record. Listeners will also look forward to varied segments and know what to expect.
Podcast Formats
You can choose from many different styles. Many people will combine formats. For example, in my show I do long form interviews, master classes, and quick tips.
There isn’t a right or wrong way to go here – many shows evolve and change over time to include different formats or segments. You don’t need to put yourself in a box!
Here are some examples:
- Interview
- Conversational / Talk Show (multi-host)
- Solo
- Panel / Roundtable
- Storytelling (fiction and nonfiction)
- Q&A
You could also combine formats in one episode or publish a hybrid of formats within the same show.
Segments
You will also want to decide on segments within each episode. Recording in “evergreen language” (i.e. you can use it all the time) is ideal when possible. These could be:
- Teaser / intro
- Outro
- Quick tips
- Call-to-action (subscribe to the show)
- Recent news
- Q&A
- Tool of the day
- Recent reviews
- Customer testimonials
- Outro
Be your own sponsor!
If you are a direct seller, make sure you also incorporate consistent segments about your brand. In a podcast, that could be:
- product of the week
- customer testimonial of the week
- tip of the week (related to your offering)
I recommend advertising segments, especially those related to your direct sales brand, be limited to less than :90 per episode.
Try listening to a few different shows to get ideas for what you like and what you want to include in addition to your main content.
Remember, you can always change your show format and segments over time (and many shows do exactly that).
Action Step: Decide on an initial podcast format and outline the segments you will include.
Name your show
Now that you have a format, let’s talk about how to choose a name for your podcast.
Goal: A name that isn’t too generic, but also doesn’t put your show into too small
If you look at the Apple Podcasts charts, you’ll see a variety of different names. Some are descriptive of what the show is about, others are not.
You should choose a name that leans more broad, like your topic idea. That way you don’t pigeonhole yourself into something that you may get bored of or run out of content for.
For example, Run Lift Mom allows me to pull from anything related to fitness or parenthood.
You can’t formally reserve a name, so the best way to “hold” your podcast name is to buy the domain name. You should also reserve all of the social media handles, regardless of when you plan to roll out a presence in the funnel.
If you are with a direct sales brand, you probably aren’t allowed to use the company’s brand name in your show title. In fact, I had to get special permission from my company to use the moon in the “o” of Mom.
Policies and procedures aside, I do not recommend branding with the company anyway (this is regardless of whether you have a podcast or not!) if you want to grow with your show.
Pro tip: if the name isn’t available on popular channels like Instagram, simply add a period (.) or underscore (_) within or at the end of your handle.
Action Step: Register a domain name (the .com) for your podcast.
If you’re in direct sales and are thinking about starting a podcast, connect with me! You can also listen to my podcast episode about How to Start a Podcast.
I offer coaching services and guidance and have firsthand experience selling ZYIA Active while hosting Run Lift Mom, which has been featured on New & Noteworthy and charted at number 17 in Kids & Family!
