24: Tight schedule? Try these 3 effective episode styles

Have you ever found yourself in a pinch, needing to produce a podcast episode, but feeling overwhelmed by time constraints? Worry not! This episode is here to guide you through the process of creating a minimum viable product (MVP) podcast episode when you're short on time. Also, learn how to record episodes on the go, without your usual podcasting setup, so you can keep the momentum going no matter where you are.

Struggling to fill an episode with content? There are various strategies for creating podcast episodes on the fly. One of these strategies includes breaking an episode into micro-episodes, recording one-off intros (so you can reuse old content in a coherent way), and using pre-selected segments. This way, you can create an MVP podcast episode that still provides value to your listeners (while avoiding the need to ‘skip the week’).

Furthermore, it is crucial to understand how to break down your content into manageable chunks and craft engaging episodes. This will prevent you from spending precious time if you’re getting stuck in the planning phase, or re-recording multiple times.

Let's delve into each of these strategies in detail.

Valuable Podcasts Under Time Constraints

When faced with time constraints, it's essential to focus on creating an MVP podcast episode. This means delivering a valuable episode without feeling overwhelmed. You can record an episode on the go, without needing your usual podcasting setup. This flexibility can help keep the momentum going. Remember, your listeners don't know if you didn't plan the episode, so don't overthink it.

Consider that perhaps creating an audio-only episode, or promoting it only on one or two platforms that week (instead of three) is better than releasing none. Be realistic!

Creating Shorter Podcast Episodes

One strategy for creating podcast episodes on the fly is to break an episode into micro-episodes. This strategy involves focusing on one topic and providing valuable insights on it. It's crucial to choose a topic you're comfortable talking about so that the recording process becomes easy and natural - you don’t want to be second-guessing yourself when you’re tight on time!

Another strategy is to record a standalone intro. This intro can be a versatile tool in your toolbox, allowing you to introduce podcast replays, replay series, or episode takeovers. Remember to keep it short and generic so that it doesn't clash with the regular episode.

Practical Content Strategy Tips

Finally, it's important to break down your content into manageable chunks and craft an episode that is both practical and engaging for your audience. This will help prevent you from getting stuck in the early stages of planning - you can ask yourself:

• ‘If the one takeaway from this episode was a quote from the internet, what would it say?’ Work backwards from there.

• Don’t obsess over what your peers ‘may think or say’. What matters is your commitment to being there for your listeners, when you promised you’d be there. Who knows, by getting creative, you may realize you actually enjoy the podcast doing things in a different way!

Remember, it's not about the amount of content you produce, but the value that content provides to your listeners.

In conclusion, don't let time, content, and space constraints hold you back. With the right strategies and mindset, you can overcome these challenges and continue producing high-quality, valuable episodes. So tune in, take charge of your podcast journey, and remember to keep creating content that moves you forward.

Takeaways from this episode:

• Being short on time due to vacation, sudden work ‘emergencies’, or content planning mistakes can happen anytime. But that shouldn’t be an excuse to not publish a podcast episode.

• Just because you have other episodes recorded and ‘in the content bank’, doesn’t mean that you SHOULD use them - sometimes those are longer episodes, or don’t fit in your overall content strategy - creating a shorter episode is sometimes quicker than trying to make do with unedited content.

• Just because you aren’t in your regular recording space, it doesn’t mean that the episode isn’t worthy enough for your listeners!

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Episode 9: Podcasting on the go

Episode 8: A quick guide to micro episodes

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