I took stock of the podcasts I subscribe to (15 total), and noticed a few trends:

  1. Nine of the podcasts use the roundtable style format or something similar (e.g., multiple hosts). Even some news podcasts, such as NPR’s Bryant Park Project, involve a handful of regular reporters who are given time to chat back and forth, adding banter to the podcast. I recognize that the roundtable format outlined in TBPB does not work for every genre or scenario, but there are some characteristics of this format that are worth considering. First, the multiple host format lends to a more loose, conversational style. This is much easier to listen to than the typically stiff delivery when one person hosts the podcast. Second, because this format lends to a conversational style, listeners get to know the hosts and their relationships with each other. The lends to the “sitcom” effect: listeners will come back to listen to podcast personalities they like, even if they might have little interest in the topic discussed that week.
  2. Most of these podcasts solicit input from listeners, and they respond on the podcast. Of the podcasts that don’t do this, almost all are transferred from TV or radio (e.g., NPR, ESPN). This is a great community-building tool, not only for your podcast but for your product/business.
  3. Almost all of the podcasts I subscribe to involve humor, to some degree. Even the Grammar Girl host, who reads the entirety of each podcast, adds subtle humor into her examples of good and poor grammar. She doesn’t have a natural radio voice or great delivery, so these extra touches of humor (and a well-written script) make the final product worth listening to.