How to make a podcast engaging

Finding the answer to our simple yet rich diagnostic question will set you on the path to creating compelling scripted podcasts.

It’s a common question people face when starting out in audio storytelling. As we’ve talked about in other videos about recording and sound quality, narrative podcasting’s greatest power compared to other media might be the intimate and personal sense of connection you can create with a listener: that unique combination of the storytelling you get from a great book, and the lying-in-the-dark conversation of a teenage sleepover.

So here’s the question we always ask students in our training programs: “What’s your skin in the game?” Because while any good creative work shows a unique creator behind it, again, a personal angle in your story plays to podcasting’s strengths.

I’m not saying that you always have to dig into your childhood trauma in every episode; defining your personal boundaries is an important part of developing as a creator. But if you remember, and embrace that you are an important character in every story you tell, you’ll take an important step toward making a scripted podcast that really speaks to people.