If you’ve ever considered launching a podcast or it’s already on your list of things to do in 2021, you aren’t alone. Law firm podcasts are a great opportunity for attorneys to accomplish their goals in the modern era of legal marketing. They are also a lot of fun to put together and record.
Benefits of podcasts for lawyers include:
But if you’ve never done a podcast before, the idea of recording your first episode might be intimidating. Here’s a podcast checklist that includes four tips to help you master the art of making a successful law firm podcast:
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many podcasts were both audio and video experiences. People interested in tuning in to hear you speak could listen to your podcast on one of the usual platforms like Spotify or iTunes, or they could watch the podcast. Many hosts posted their podcasts on both their firm’s website and YouTube.
In-person podcasting is not the norm right now, but there’s no reason to think it won’t return. Some hosts even used recorded video conferencing tools to continue their video podcasts during the pandemic.
Regardless of where 2021 takes us with social distancing, planning to have a visual component for your podcast is smart thinking. A lot of people prefer to see who they are listening to and it creates a more personal connection. This is especially true when you are interviewing someone else for your podcast. Just make sure you warn everyone involved that they’ll be recorded so they’ll invest the time it takes to be camera-ready.
One of the biggest reasons why lawyers and other professionals don’t take the leap into podcasting is because they aren’t sure what they’ll say. These are experts in their fields, but they aren’t confident that people will be interested in hearing from them, especially in the format of a law firm podcast.
A great way to make sure your podcast flows from beginning to end and that you are comfortable discussing 20, 30, or 60 minutes or more of material is to create a loose script or agenda. You can veer from the scrip if it seems natural to do so during the broadcast, but you’ll have a map to follow that takes you from beginning to end.
Creating a script gives your podcast “bones” and helps you avoid that “what else should I say?” awkwardness that so often occurs. If you plan to interview anyone for your podcast, share the agenda with them in advance so they can prepare their answers.
If you’re not sure how to put together a podcast script, this information can help.
This might be easier said than done when you first begin. But once you’re comfortable with podcasting in general, it’s important to keep in mind how much easier it is to listen to someone who is relaxed and at ease.
Of course, it’s still important to be professional when recording your law firm’s podcasts. But you want to avoid being stuffy or uncomfortable. Legal podcasts should inform and entertain, even when the topic is serious. You want listeners to find your podcast interesting and to tune in to learn and enjoy hearing you speak. Although it might take some practice for a podcast to sound polished, relaxing and having fun with recording puts everyone at ease.
There are plenty of people out there you could speak to on your law firm’s podcast that would be able to share a wealth of information with listeners. But unless they bring some personality to the table, you might want to avoid using them in this audio endeavor. Having chemistry with the person you interview is an important part of a great podcast.
If you want to interview an expert in a certain industry, speak to them a few days in advance. Tell them you’d like to collect more information for an interview that might be used as a blog or podcast. This gives you a chance to assess everyone’s comfort level with a recorded interview and allows you to determine if the content will be entertaining for listeners. If things don’t go well in the prep stage, you can still go forward with the interview and post it to your blog.
Law firm podcasts provide endless opportunities to expand your presence on the internet. If you think a podcast might be right for your firm or you are ready to launch a podcast in 2021, contact us to learn more.
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