Going Solo: How to Podcast for your personal brand

Just you and a microphone. Sounds simple, right? Actually, a great solocast is a difficult format to master, but one that can be worth the work - especially as a powerful source for personal branding, and sharing individual stories.  

A ‘solocast’, for reference, is one host speaking on a subject, carrying an episode solo. Done badly, solocasts can embody some of the worst stereotypes of podcasts - ranty, unstructured, or indulgent. However, we don’t have to look far to find examples of podcasts that showcase the real potential of the format.  

From established classics like Dan Carlin’s cult hit Hardcore History, to John Green’s cerebral Anthropocene Reviewed and the beloved The Memory Palace, solocasts hold their own in the podcast canon. When done well, this format builds intimacy, connection, brand affinity and authority with your audience. Here’s how:  

Intimacy 

Intimacy with an audience is a powerful way to introduce a personal brand. You only have to tune into podcasts like Diary She Wrote, and Probably True to see this in action. Both hosts give audiences a no-holds barred glimpse into their world through confessional style monologues.  

Scott Flashheart of Probably True says of his decision to go solo that, “There were plenty (too many!) podcasts that were just two people having a conversation. I didn't feel that I could bring anything new to the format, or do anything that would really stand out as worth listening to against all of the others.” Taking a more personalised approach, he says, enabled him to really be creative and offer something unique. 

Connection  

Going behind-the-scenes with an individual can really bring a personality or a project to life. For the In Focus podcast, David Yarrow offers, “A dive deep into the narratives behind the work.” By talking us through the experiences behind particular photographs from his portfolio, David is able to dig into the context of his art, which brings new layered meaning to the work: “Sometimes it was the cultural landscape of the moment, in others, my life was in danger, sometimes, I was suffering personally. These stories influenced and shaped the course of my career as a photographer and continue to do so. If I can give people a glimpse into my bizarre world and captivate or inspire them for just a moment whilst doing so, then I have done my job as a storyteller.”

Brand Affinity  

After the podcast Criminal, the host Phoebe Judge has gone on to host a spin off show where she essentially reads audiobooks in the form of a podcast. Building affinity with her voice was a powerful move in developing a relationship with her audience. Her voice is widely quoted as one of the best in the business, and a certified fan favourite.  

Authority  

By creating a solocast that is well-researched and well-presented, you can become a trusted voice of authority. Great examples include Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History, and the Talking Politics podcast. Both have become revered for their subject matter and furthering the personal brand of their hosts.  

In the words of Sandra Ferrari, Producer of In Focus with David Yarrow, the solocast format is perfect “when emphasising an emotive story or a story meant for a targeted listening experience.” A possible pitfall of solocasting is the potential to sound monotonous. Maintaining the listeners curiousity is more challenging with only one speaker, but there are many ways to keep the podcast engaging throughout. We spoke to professionals both in front of and behind the microphone, and offer up the following tips:  

1. Maximise your sound-design 

Using sound design to add interest to your presentation can really make the difference. Here are some examples of the same sound clips, with and without sound elements integrated in:  

Producer Sandra Ferrari also recommends choosing the right microphone and setting up a good recording scenario to capture high quality sound. Learn more about the power of sound and why good quality audio matters here.  

2. Consider your episode length 

It can be tough to fill hours and hours alone as a single host speaking into a microphone. Short and sharp episodes will help you avoid becoming a podcast trope of someone ranting into the void - keep to your topic and know when you’ve said enough. Utilise your editing time to ensure your episode has just what it needs and conveys the story in a timely fashion for the audience. Shorter podcasts are not a problem - the old adage is true: it’s quality, not quantity that matters. 

3. Find a helping hand 

The double-edged sword of a solocast is that, while you may have all the creative control, you also have… all of the creative control. Scott Flashheart, host of Probably True, emphasises that one of the biggest challenges of solocasting is the fact that it is ‘solo’; “If you don't do something, it doesn't get done,” he says. “There's always more to do. Written an episode? Great. Now record it. Then edit it. Then publish it. Time to relax? Nope! You need to push that episode so people will listen to it, and also start work on the next episode, because the deadline is coming up again. It's a big, hungry beast that is never satisfied.”  

Sandra Ferrari adds that a new host who has little experience in broadcasting should work with a producer. You may be going solo on mic, but a producer can help you deliver your scripts in a fresh and engaging way. This will ensure that a host is “pacing themselves and emotively connecting in the delivery of their script.” Alongside production help, it can be worth seeking support to ensure your podcast is edited and distributed effectively, too.  

4. Lean into the preparation 

This point is about the talent, or host, behind the solocast. Finding the right story and pairing it with the right host is a huge part of any successful podcast, but in a solocast this is even more  important. No matter your experience level, as a host you should have the script down, and lean into the preparation behind it, ensuring you are familiar and comfortable with everything that needs to be said. Sandra suggests reading aloud multiple times before heading into the studio to record, and making notes to help you with your delivery. This might include underlining words to emphasise or indicating where to pause for dramatic effect. The key then, she says, is “Practice, practice, practice!” And having a producer on hand to coach a host through the recording, handle all the technical considerations, and allow the host to stay focused on delivery, can’t be overlooked.   

Final advice… 

A solocast can be a lot of work for any one individual, but can act as a huge boost for a personal brand and to develop a rapport with an audience that advances your branding goals. Flashheart adds it’s important to remember to “Find the joy in it - it should be fun. When it starts to be a grind, put it down and take a break. Your brain (and your social life) will thank you, and your audience will still be there when you come back.” 

Want to learn more about solocasts? Find out all the podcast production services we offer here.

Which format suits your podcast?

Whatever your business goals, there is a format that suits your story best. Discover more about the shape your podcast could take to convey your company’s message successfully.

Looking to start a discussion? Or grow your profile? Creating the perfect corporate podcast is made up of many parts, including choosing the right format for your story. We might assume that a podcast is just two people on mic, talking to each other about a particular subject. But actually, a podcast can offer many forms of storytelling. 

In this blog, we want to introduce some other formats that might suit your podcast aims better, aligning with your business or brand goals and helping you stand out from the crowd.

A Monologue/Solocast

A Monologue or Solocast is one person on mic talking through a subject. This can be elevated with sound design and other editing techniques. Examples include Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History Series and The Anthropocene Reviewed with John Green. 

Pros

This format is great for thought-leadership, as well as narrative storytelling or reviews. It doesn’t rely on guests or other parties, as one person carries the show. Your audience really has the chance to know you intimately, which can be very powerful for personal brand building. It can also be easier to edit one voice rather than several, and you can always adjust and record again with an individual, if things don’t sound as you’d hoped. 

Cons 

Your host has to be very capable, as they really own the show - there’s no one to bounce off from! Also, to make sure this format really shines, it’s important to ensure audio is well produced in order to still sound dynamic and hold audience attention. This can also mean privileging shorter episode lengths or use of archive audio, to break up the single speaker. 

The Documentary 

Popularised by NPR, this format is very much about historical recounting of a series of events. This might be achieved with a combination of voices, music, archival audio, and more. An example of this is our podcast with Remembering Srebrenica, Untold Killing.

Pros

This format is very engaging and dynamic, and can definitely have broad appeal, enabling a deep exploration of a particular story. These sort of shows are also proven to have a broad appeal and are regularly seen at the top of the podcasting charts. Beyond this, documentaries often have an evergreen quality meaning people can discover and enjoy your content long after the run is over. 

Cons

This style of podcast requires a long production time, and has complex production needs. It requires lots of forward planning and more time to piece together the episodes. Great research is definitely required.

Non-fiction storytelling or reporting

In this format, you hear reporting on an ongoing story, or a hosted show that is being reported, usually based on real life or true stories. It’s a combination of a discussion and reported information, so multiple voices are heard and help to tell a story - this makes it a great way to teach something new to your audience, and expose listeners to new ideas and concepts. Examples include Breaking Brand, Reply All and Heavyweight. 

Pros

This is a compelling way to tell a story that you own, offering the chance to include other audio to create a dynamic episode. You really can tell any story at all, so this can be a very flexible and inclusive format.  

Cons

Because this format often involves many sources of information, it can mean long and complex production and detailed research are involved.

The Interview

An interview between a host (or multiple hosts) and a subject, who is given the chance to share their unique expertise or insight. The host guides the discussion, asking key questions. Examples include our collaboration with NatWest, or How I Built This and the very popular Tim Ferris podcast. 

Pros

Interviews offer the opportunity to introduce a new perspective. Hosts have less pressure, as the guest should do most of the talking. Listeners also don’t mind the occasional fluffed word - they want to feel there’s a natural conversation happening. New audiences might discover your podcast through your guest, which is great for audience building, and this format can help spark discussions. 

Cons

There are lots of podcasts already in this format, making it hard to stand out. Interviewing is also trickier than it looks - it takes good research and can be challenging if the guest is repetitive, talks for too long, or isn’t able to articulate their views. You’ll also need a new quality guest for each episode. 

Fiction storytelling

A fictionalised play or audio drama, this format is normally performed by voice actors. It’s much more similar to dramatic television or the radio play. Like any good fictional story, these rely on great characters, tension and narrative arcs. It’s a very creative storytelling type, and examples include The Archers and Forest 404. 

Pros

Audiences can be really engaged with this style of podcast, as they become invested in the story. With few examples out there, it can be easier to stand out in this format. The only limit is your imagination! Which also means, research and factual accuracy might be less important.

Cons

This is a less common format because it is generally less relevant to businesses. Your competition comes more from Netflix than other podcasts, so it’s much more about having the creativity to come up with a great original narrative. You do have to have the whole story in place at the start, so you know exactly where your episodes are going and how to hit the right beats to keep listeners engaged.

There you have it, some of the other podcast formats that might be perfect for your brand. Don’t get us wrong, sometimes two people and a mic just having a great chat can really work - after all that’s the format behind Conflicted! But it's important to consider why this is the best format. 

Think carefully about the format that best suits the story you have to tell, so that you can get out there and share it! And if you’re not sure — get in touch, we can help you figure it out. 

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Want to learn more? At Message Heard, we make podcasts that help your brand reach new audiences. Find out how we can help you by getting in touch.