When I started as a podcaster so very long ago (less than 1 year), I started with a portable voice recorder, a patch cable, and a hosting service. As Bernies World grew and changed, I went through a variety of formats and iterations before finding my ‘comfort zone’. I’m still growing and changing, but the change is coming much more deliberately and slowly.

You see, I’ve learned that my listeners have come to expect certain aspects of the show, and I want to give them what they expect, with just a little bit of surprise at a sitting. Why? Because for me, it’s not about the shock. I don’t know all of my audience, but I believe it’s the same for them. And if it’s not, it doesn’t matter. There are a lot of podcasts out there to fill that niche. I have my niche to consider.

The changes between episode 1 and episode 10 are dramatic. The length increased from less than 10 to an average of 30 minutes. The sound quality changed for the better. The format evolved into a 5 segment show interspersed around 4 songs. The content improved- greatly. The production value overall is better. It makes me look back… and wish I hadn’t published some of those first shows.

If I had been smart, I would have made a few shows, shared them with friends, and asked them to be brutally honest. My wife would have been a great critic. She would never let me do something half-baked. I didn’t, and now principle makes me leave them up there, for you and all to see. The newest, episode 28, is the last with my current recording setup, since I asked Santa for a new recorder. Another change for the audience, but hopefully one to enhance their experience.

All of this leads up to an important aspect of podcasting- Imaging. I’ll not steal someone else’s ideas, but send you to Podcasting News to hear it straight from them. They do a great job of imaging, and you should heed their advice. I didn’t in the beginning, and I may have lost listeners that I’ll never regain. It’s like having a bad meal at a restaurant. No matter how much they tell you they’ve changed, you never really want to go back.

graphic courtesy of clipartheaven

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