Here’s a recap + takeaways from my conversation with Doug of Stories & Strategies Pro about how to include video in your podcast product without going full-scale video production mode.
We talked about:
Doug’s experiment making video with AI
How to determine what’s right for you and your show (this link might help)
The power of the podcast audience lurker (we love you, EarBuds patrons)
What you can try TODAY
Doug is Still Thinking Audio-Forward. As Am I.
Doug said it right at the start, that he’s “audio-first.” That’s both as a listener and as a creator. But with pressure from the industry (both from fellow creators and from the platforms pushing it), video has come into the picture.
Video can be…
A discovery tool (sitting at the top of the funnel)
A contextualization tool (helping set the scene for your audience)
But hey! Look at me when I tell you this. Are you looking? Video does not have to be the main product.
A mistake that a lot of people make in the process of figuring all of this out… taking an audio episode and slapping some video onto it — whether that’s b-roll, AI-generated bits, or even just a rotating image or branded elements of your show.
Doug found, in this approach, that the view count can be pretty encouraging, but the audience retention throughout the video was not ideal. His audio episodes can get up to 85% listen-through rate. That wasn’t the case with his video… yet. (He and his team are gonna keep at it).
Your Video Strategy Doesn’t Have To Be FULL-ON VIDEO Production
Before you even touch AI or full video production, there’s a whole spectrum of visual add-ons you can test out:
Audiograms (can still be useful — though not so much for social media — depending on your audience)
Quote cards and image carousels (especially for dense, data-driven shows)
If you’re posting carousels on LinkedIn, did you know that they need to be uploaded as a PDF?
Short clips (10 - 60 seconds) — both for social media and for YouTube
Short segments of your show (2 minutes - even 10 minutes)
If you don’t have time, bandwidth, resources…etc. to edit the whole episode as a video, try just 10 minutes. Pick a segment.
Spur of the moment, not super planned face-to-camera promos (these can outperform the polished stuff you’d take hours to plan because they’re authentic)
Newsletters - they offer images or even a place for you to house your short-form video clips AND make your show more searchable
Doug explained things in a way that resonated with me: every piece you put out there should have a once upon a time → happily ever after arc (to borrow a phrase from him)… even a 30-second clip. And, this one is critical: different shows → different visual/video formats. A nutrition podcast might be great for carousels, but a comedy show might not be!
Action item: look at what other shows / creators in your category are doing to find a baseline. From there, figure out what’s right for you.
The Best Video Strategy Might Not Look Like Video (…what??)
One of my favorite ideas from this conversation with Doug: don’t just make video versions of your episodes, try making visual companions to those episodes.
This could look like…
Maps
Timelines
Scene-setting visuals
Short “primer” videos before a longer series
Example: Doug mentioned a book that I happen to know and love, “New York” by Edward Rutherfurd. He talked about how — at the beginning of the book — there are maps that correspond with each historical time period that the story later dives into. For Doug, these maps become an orientation tool. To bring that idea over to video / content creation, they’re signposts for consumers — ways for them to visually get themselves into the story they’re going to later listen to.
Every time I host a conversation about video in podcasting I feel I also must note: you don’t have to do any of this. Audio-first productions still have a (beloved) place among consumers.
Takeaways From Our Conversation
Don’t default to video episodes. First, decide what video is meant to do for your story and find out how / if your audience (or intended audience) wants to receive it
If you want to make a video production, by all means! You can build a video-first product. If you want to also distribute that on audio platforms, make sure you’re acknowledging the listener too.
That means: if there’s something visual they’re missing out on, describe it to them or give them a call to action to check out the video or click on a link in the show notes to see an image
Try using video for:
Discovery
Contextualizing your story
If you want to test things out, start simple:
Clips / shorts, carousels, short video segments
Talk to your audience before investing time/money
What do they want?
You can spend $0 - $500 - and still experiment meaningfully
That’s what Doug and his team did
You might be feeling pressure to get into the video game. Totally understandable.
Just don’t let that pressure dictate your strategy.
Thank you to Doug of Stories & Strategies Pro for joining me for this conversation. And to the attendees who joined us live and asked questions along the way. Watch the conversation above and let us know if you have comments, questions, or feel free to link us to your show below!
Links You Might Like & Want To Click On
Event: May 6th online Defining Terms: Podcast Marketing 101
Event: May 14th online What is podcast PR? Build a campaign that grows your show.
Listen: podcasts for Earth Day (April 22)
Watch: Doug’s video experiments
Newsletter Friend:
Catch ya next time!
-Arielle
