Pod-Crashing Episode 37 Imaging

<a class="spreaker-player" href="https://www.spreaker.com/episode/21030703" data-resource="episode_id=21030703" data-width="100%" data-height="200px" data-theme="light" data-playlist="false" data-playlist-continuous="false" data-autoplay="false" data-live-autoplay="false" data-chapters-image="true" data-episode-image-position="right" data-hide-logo="false" data-hide-likes="false" data-hide-comments="false" data-hide-sharing="false" data-hide-download="true">Listen to "Pod-Crashing Episode 37 Imaging" on Spreaker.</a><script async src="https://widget.spreaker.com/widgets.js"></script>


Pod-Crashing Episode 37 Imaging

Not to step on any toes but a lot of non-radio people have probably never heard of imaging.  They just know they want something kind of fancy to electrify the podcast.  You can hear it when you jump into an episode. Woot there it is!  A huge 30 to 60 second show open with sweepers layered within the presentation. 

Imaging can be a great tool or a reason to drop you like a fool.  It’s branding for a listeners ears.  It’s speaks out in ways that keeps the talent in the host chair. 

Terrestrial Radio loves using it because the days of using a jingle package pulled too many dollars from their pockets.  Imaging a radio station actually began in the mid-80s when huge voices like Mark Driscoll and Bryan James invested a ton of money into building home studios.  They made a lot of money for barking out call letters with attitude. 

Why?  Because everybody in radio and television wants to look and sound cool.  You can physically see the importance of it while watching pro football.  FOX cannot be compared to CBS.  It’s an automatic to think fancy sound effects and filtered voices lure the listener and viewers to your stage.

I’m not sure that’s true.  For every second you keep people away from why they tuned in is every reason why they’re taking off. 

Old School Radio utilizes the strength of imaging to beef up the stations showmanship.  I can see why podcasters would want to do it.  One problem.  Sometimes all you truly need to be is impressed listeners showed up without having to be wined and dined with too much glitz and glamour.  Don’t push them away with a bunch of loud noises in a world created to be a one on one relationship. 

Podcasting is about content.  If the description of the episode says you’re talking to Paul McCartney or you’re reviewing movies and books.  Hit the stage running. 

Marc Maron uses a little bit of imaging.  No big voices or crazy listeners shouting out his name.  It almost sounds like he’s recorded a few guitar riffs that simply state yeah this is me get over it. 

Howard Stern who isn’t a podcaster has the world’s longest show open.  No large voice just Rob Zombie at the same time every day.  Over and over.  Not a bash.  It’s imaging.  You hear that song and you know Stern’s show is just getting started.  Look at Rush Limbaugh with the Pretenders song intro! 

But wait.  I’m talking about incredible talent brought up through the veins of terrestrial radio. 

Does podcasting in 2020 need imaging?  It does in your social media!  Spend time perking up the attention of a potential listener.  Once they land on the episode they are yours to lose. 

When I first got into podcasting in 2012 I was all over imaging the episodes.  I wanted to be The King Biscuit Flower Hour.  Lots of wow!  No conversation or interview was posted unless it was thoroughly over produced.  Zip bam pow up front and music always under the talk.  Then Jesse Venture’s son wrote me a note, "My dad was talking about a lot of great things. You destroyed his impact by using music in the background.  Thanks a lot.” 

Dropping the hardcore showmanship approached changed my life and my analytic numbers.  The moment I stopped trying to wow listeners the episodes gained in strength.  Also gone were the brief bios about those I was talking with.  I did it in the early days because I wanted my image to be that of someone that knew something about the subject.  Get to the hook of the song!  Again, listeners came to your episode because of the headline or the description. 

Many times in the past we’ve talked about how we live in a world where listeners endlessly hit the Next button.  Guess what else they know? Fast forward!  That’s their way of giving you a second and third chance. 

I love me some Joe Rogan but man I don’t like the 18 billion commercials at the start.  Dax Shepard and Conan O’Brien salt and peppers them through the episode.  I feel like I’m cheating on Rogan when I hit fast forward.  His advertisers need to be heard!  His image is being that MMA calm compassionate talker but man as a listener I’m ready to take him on during those endorsement commercials. 

I’m not saying don’t image your episodes.  By way of face planting in a pile of digital numbers I’ve noticed how much change I’ve gone through by not making a lot of noise. 

Mike the terrestrial radio program direction told me in 1994, “The ears on the other side of your speaker aren’t interested in anything but what benefits them.” I totally got what he was saying.  The average podcast isn’t blaring out of the speaker.  It’s coming to a listener usually at a cool volume.  Their imaginations are locked onto the moment you’ve designed and then Dax Shepard stops the interview and uses a fake radio disc jockey voice to remind his listeners that he’ll be right back.  It might be me but that’s a trigger.  I can hear my shouting, “Hey go see what Chelsea Handler’s doing on her podcast!”

I imaged terrestrial radio across the country between 1991 to 2005.  It’s was brilliant fun because as the producer I was designing stages.  It was more than being Johnny and Jack in the morning.  They also played 50 minute Rock Blocks for your workday.  Giving away $10,000 a day.  You get the picture.  Now see if it truly fits your image. 

There are a lot of production houses and voice over people that would love to help you put an imaging package together.  It comes with a price tag.  That’s when many podcasters do the imaging themselves or get a student fresh out of broadcasting school.  They might be good but they probably aren’t great.  Ask yourself if you really need it. 

I sat down for thirty minutes today to talked with Rock n Roll Hall of Famer Joe Elliott from Def Leppard.  Dancing up the front of the conversation with a montage would’ve killed the moment.  iPod listening was more than slam dunking a billion tunes into a tiny box.  It was a continuation of sound with no interruption.  There weren’t any sweepers, promos or top of the hour ID’s.  Nope… Just the music. 

Treat your podcast the same way.  Imaging can come across as an attack.  This is who I am.  I am because I can.  This is my podcast.  Today we’re talking with Mary Wilson of The Supremes!  Then when the conversation starts Mary’s incredibly soft voice whispers out a gentle, “Hello.”  All of that imaging power for Mary to be a buzz kill. 

One of the biggest reasons why imaging shouldn’t be used is based solely on copyright laws.  Those zips, pows and swooshes are protected just like music beds.  The bigger your podcast gets puts you on a different level of visibility.  Using a production library without a license will earn you a letter.  Why bury yourself in a puddle of stress? 

So what’s the moral of the story? Whip out the paint brushes and put something on that blizzard white canvas.  What are you listeners doing before they check into your episodes?  What do you see them doing?  Who are they?  How old are they?  What’s their name?  Where do you think they work?  Do they tune into your podcast to escape or to get information?  Picture who you are breaking bread with.  When you imagination taps into that portrait hang it on the wall.  Talk with that person.  Build a relationship in the way you think they want to listen.  Be aware of who they are by researching what you think is their lifestyle. 

When I produced commercials for iHeart I always asked questions about the client.  What color of car do they drive?  Are they openly fun and free spirited?  Do they tap their pen on the desk when you meet?  As a producer I wanted to know who I was producing for then I’d start researching who we were reaching out to. 

Get your transmission out of bang it out mode and put some love for your listeners into the fuel tank.  Know what image you’re trying to shove out there or share.  To image or not to image!  It’s always your choice.  Take it for a test drive and keep your decision on the road.