Every once in a while, I'll be asked what needs makes a professional podcast professional. Creating a professional sounding podcast is important when trying to build credibility. Amateurish podcasts tend to make you come across as amateurish. However, a strongly professional podcast will make people automatically presume that you are worthy of respect. In essence, a professional podcast will borrow credibility from radio which like television provides an automatic level of credibility.

So how do you make your podcast sound professional?

Here are five characteristics of a professional podcast and what you need to do to produce the same result.

1. The content is relevant and interesting to the audience. Professional broadcasts spend ridiculous amounts of money surveying their audience and working hard to ensure that the content they are providing is relevant and interesting to their audience. The reason they do this is simple. Your audience will judge the quality of your podcast based on the relevance of your material to themselves.

2. The announcer is confident and practiced. Even professional broadcasters make mistakes. They read a sentence out of order. Or their mouths have problems forming the words. Despite this, they persevere and finish the work. Your presentation needs to be just as polished and your ability to overcome issues will be judged.

3. The recording quality is excellent. Most broadcasters invest in high-end recording equipment. Far more expensive equipment than a normal podcaster is capable of ascending. However, the equipment you need is still able to produce high enough quality records that is suitable for impressing your audience.

4. The material is well organized and focused. When just winging it there will always be a tendency to go off into irrelevant discussions. And the argument you are trying make won't be as clear and precisely focused discussion on the topic at hand. A professional broadcast knows what the audience wants to hear and therefore they are specific, focused and clear in the organization of their material.

5. The podcast is finished or packaged. We've become used to packaging in a professional broadcast. What do I mean by packaging? Each podcast needs to begin with a set of introductory credits, and a list of what will be covered in the podcast. Similarly, the podcast needs to end with a set of closing credits. These credits need to include music to help the audience feel connected. Finally, transitions between elements should also include a musical transition.

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Glen Ford is an accomplished consultant, trainer and writer. He has far too many years experience as a trainer and facilitator to willingly admit.

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