Video meets podcast: Five tips for making a successful 'vodcast'

Credit: Photo by Marty O’Neill on Unsplash

Spotify's top three UK podcasts - The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett, The Rest Is Politics and The Rest Is Football, all use professional standard video elements to pull in more listeners on platforms like YouTube. Normally these are simply video recordings of the podcast conversations. But these 'vodcasts' shake up the way audiences consume content by combining the best of video and audio.

Want to know how to do this for yourself? Paul Doyle is the head of editorial video at Immediate Media, overseeing a portfolio of brands including BBC Good Food, Radio Times, History Extra and BBC Gardeners’ World. He led a talk at last week's Publisher Podcast & Newsletter Summit offering the essential steps to creating a video podcast.

Getting the headline right

The headline - or title - of a vodcast episode should feel conversational, perhaps highlighting the theme, any special guests or a key moment. Unlike a typical short and snappy news article headline, it can be richer in detail but some of the same rules apply.

It is the first thing your audience will see, so offer a tease to hook audiences in, think about searachability across the web and find a consistent format for regular listeners. The podcast and vodcast headline do not always have to be the same, but it can help.

What makes audiences click onto a podcast? Do not be afraid to include a surprising fact or an inviting question to reel them in.

Pulling heartstrings 

Pick topics and subjects that audiences will empathise with and connect to. A good example of this is when The Radio Times Podcast spoke to pop star and actress Lily Allen about her struggles being a woman in a male-dominated sector. (Side note, this is also an example of where the podcast and vodcast headline can differ).

Podcasting is great for letting these topics breathe, but they hit harder when guests are on screen. Stories like these can turn your podcast into a community where viewers feel seen and heard.

Comedy value

On the opposite side, listeners love to tune into a podcast that gives them a good laugh. Clipping those up onto social media is a good way to generate views and shares for your show, even for seemingly dry topics.

Once you get to a certain level of popularity, you might find users even doing this for you on platforms like TikTok. This would not be possible without the video element to your podcast.

@adil.d.erdogan

The name of Elon Musk's son 🫨 #joerogan #podcast #elonmusk

♬ Originalton - Adil D. Erdogan

Prioritise personalities

You want viewers to remember your podcast, recommend it to others and most importantly keep coming back for more. Personalities play a key role in achieving that.

On the podcast Saving Grace, Grace Keeling uses her bubbly and witty character to share funny unique stories about her life whilst engaging with guests about their own upcoming ventures. 

Get viewers involved through Q&A sessions or listener polls. You never know what unlikely or fresh discussions might crop up, but it is sure to appeal to curious audiences.

Tap into trending news

This should come naturally: keep your pulse on trending topics as a way to reach a wider audience group.

See last year's simultaneous cinematic release of Barbie and Oppenheimer as a prime example of a topic that did the rounds across social media in particular. Your podcast can dip into that virality via video.

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