Arielle Moore Capstone
Abstract
For my capstone, I created a podcast. Having no experience with the medium of radio and audio, you can imagine that starting my own was a definite challenge. First, I considered my target audience: adolescents and young adults. Ultimately, I decided that social awareness, pop-culture, and politics would be the best backdrop for my show. Next, I had to create a name. After polling a few of my peers and searching for inspiration, I stumbled upon the name ‘Get Schooled’. It was short, concise, and not only represented the podcast well but that it was school-based.
Now, I had to find a hosting website for each episode. I learned that SoundCloud lets artists upload their content for free, and it can be streamed from their app. Concluding that this was the most feasible option, I created my SoundCloud page and got to work designing a logo and the content I would use to market my podcast with.
After collecting all my necessary recording materials, it was time to begin creating each episode. I first made a template for what would be covered in the span of 15-20 minutes, and requested a co-host and ‘student spotlight’ for each week. Coming up with new subject matter on a weekly basis was the most efficient way to ensure a consistent episode schedule. I used Monday & Tuesday to write, Wednesday to record, Thursday to edit, and Friday to upload. This system was time-consuming and hard work, but proved itself to be worth it in the end.
Capstone
https://soundcloud.com/getschooledpodcast
(All episodes are here and available to be streamed)
Bibliography
Adams, R.L. “7 Cost-Effective Ways To Market Your Business Online.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 31 Dec. 2016,
This source was really informative regarding the outreach for my podcast. I don’t have a strong background in marketing so this showed me how to effectively and inexpensively get your message on a larger platform, ultimately having your voice heard. I wanted to make sure that SLA students at least knew about my podcast so that I would have an established audience. For the most part, I’m just using my hosting website and some flyers around the school as promotion and this website talked about getting a strong base as being effective.
‘Code Switch’ Podcast
This podcast is a bit more structured, but still maintains the format of a natural, fluid conversation, which I plan to use in my own podcast. I also really like that the show has a playlist of current songs that they encourage their listeners to hear. That is a creative touch that I might consider mirroring with my podcast. I do find a bit of their topics to be more geared toward a different demographic, but I appreciate getting inspiration from all areas.
Geoghegan, Michael W., et al. Podcast academy: the business podcasting book: launching, marketing, and measuring your podcast. Focal Press, 2014.
This book is all about the technical aspect of creating a podcast. Which audio is the best, where to host your podcast, how to record, how to plan your episodes, and so much more. Before knowing how to even begin, I needed a template. This book served as a guide on how to get started and understand the basics of running a podcast. In many instances, I was able to refer to it as a foundation for my new show. A few of its aspects are a bit outdated since this book is almost 4 years old, but its content was very helpful to me nonetheless.
Martin, Dylan, "Inside the notebook: taking inspiration from a podcast about starting a podcast business" (2015). Maine News Index – MaineBiz. 6260
I gained a lot of vital information from this source, although I’m not planning on making my podcast a business. It provided a lot of points about how to manage and market your podcast strategically and successfully which I find to be quite helpful. I will hopefully be able to expand my podcast beyond the borders of SLA and I think this source will put me on the right track to manage and monitor it by myself. It also gave me a lot of information on how to properly plan and strategize in order to have the most fruitful outcome.
"NPR One" NPR. Accessed January 25, 2018.
NPR is a tool to search for and create new podcasts. I find it to be incredibly innovative and interesting when searching for inspiration or needing new information about what kinds of podcasts have a large audience. I like getting other aspects of podcasts I wouldn’t usually listen to or that aren’t geared toward my demographic. It allows me to see more than one perspective and learn how to incorporate themes that are transcendent and cater to a plethora of interests.
‘The Read’ Podcast
Looking for a podcast that candidly comments on aspects of media, pop culture, politics, and everything in between? It’s The Read. Its two clever hosts continuously keep their fingers on the pulse of what everyone’s talking about and their witty banter sets the perfect scene for a podcast. I’ve been pulling a lot of inspiration from this show due to their fast-paced and consistently interesting episodes. As an avid listener, I closely look for what aspects make this show worth listening to each week. A bit of their topics can be a bit vulgar which I tend to stay away from when making my podcast, but I appreciate their honesty.
Taylor, Mike. “Start a Podcast Now. Here’s How.” Entrepreneur
This article provides a lot of resources on how to upstart your podcast and how to take initiative with the topics and make a clear decision for your show. This article was from more of an
entrepreneur standpoint, so the business aspect was clearly displayed as well. Being responsible for just about every aspect of my podcast is quite intense, but with the right guidance, it is bound to be successful. Laying out the surface on which to build your vision requires being disciplined enough to educate yourself on the things you didn’t previously know, and this source showed me the importance in asking for help and searching for the materials you need.
“How to Actually Create Podcast Intros That Attract Listeners.” Podcast Motor
What do the people want to hear? That is the question. This article shows the reader what it is that actually builds an audience. I have gained a lot of knowledge from using this source because even though I have social media as a platform for my outreach, I would also like to know what it is that actually keeps listeners consistently tuned. A large part of what attracts listeners is your intro. When creating mine, I needed a place of reference and I found this source to be incredibly helpful.
"Using Social Media to Build a Podcast Audience." Podcast Motor
I’m currently finding it a bit difficult to use social media as a way to expand my voice, but this article has been really helpful in labeling the steps I should take. I appreciate that this source takes a realistic and achievable approach to getting your message across through social media. I want to ultimately enlarge my platform and this article breaks down each aspect that is necessary to do so.
"How to Make a Podcast: Lessons from an NPR Producer." OkDork.com. August 05, 2017.
This website shows the time, effort, and logistics that go into starting and running your own podcast. I have never done this before and have no real point of reference, so being able to read about someone else’s experience and draw inspiration has been helpful and benefitted me and the current state of my podcast. I gained a lot of information about how to turn your writing into something people want to hear, and how to incorporate other creative themes into your final product.
Comments
No comments have been posted yet.
Log in to post a comment.