Breaking Down Audiogram Effectiveness: Myths & Tools

Welcome to the Podcasting Resources Guide, your ultimate companion podcast to our popular app. Join us as we explore and review the latest podcasting platforms, tools, and techniques added to our guide. Today, we're delving into the love child of sound and vision: Audiograms. You're passionate about your podcast, pouring your heart into each episode. But when it comes time to share your content with the world – or even just that hilarious zinger from your last guest – are you fully using the tools available? From Instagram to 'X' (you may remember it better as Twitter), every platform offers a unique way to reach your audience. We will be debunking the myths around audiograms, discussing tactics to maximize their potential, exploring platforms like ClipGen, and wrapping it all up with some tips you won't want to miss.

Audiograms, huh? Have you heard of them before? Well, in case you haven't, they're basically visual representations of audio content. People love to share them on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. And guess what? Podcasters use them to give their audience a little sneak peek of what they can expect from their episodes. Pretty cool, right?

But here's the thing: why are audiograms so popular? Well, one reason could be that they're a quick and easy way to repurpose podcast content and present it to your existing audience. It's a way to keep them engaged and get them excited about upcoming episodes. Makes sense, doesn't it?

However, let's address a common misconception here. While audiograms can be great for reaching your "owned audience" - those who already follow you on social media, for example - they might not be as effective when it comes to gaining new listeners. Yeah, I know, it's a bummer.

In marketing terms, "owned media" refers to the channels that you control. It could be your website, your blog, or even your social media accounts. Basically, it's any platform where you have control over the narrative. And when it comes to podcasting, your owned media includes platforms like your podcast's website, your email newsletter, and your social media profiles.

Now, let's talk about "earned media." This is a bit different. Earned media refers to things like customer reviews, word-of-mouth recommendations, or social shares - basically, any exposure that you didn't pay for or directly control, but you gained because of the quality of your content and the relationships you've built. It's like having wider visibility without even trying too hard.

So, where do audiograms fit into all of this? Well, when you share an audiogram on your owned social media pages, you're basically preaching to the choir. You're showing your content to the people who already follow and engage with you. It's a safe bet to keep your existing audience in the loop. But here's the catch: it might not necessarily help you expand your listener base... I know, disappointing.

You see, many podcasters get enthusiastic about audiograms because they think that by sharing them widely, they'll magically gain a bunch of new listeners. But here's the harsh truth: relying solely on audiograms may not give your podcast the exposure it needs to truly break through and find new audiences. Ouch.

But wait, don't get me wrong. Audiograms are not useless. Not by a long shot. They're actually a great communication tool for your existing followers. They help to keep your audience engaged and excited about your content. However, if your goal is to gain new listeners, you'll need to do more than just post an attractive wave-form on a fancy background... You've got to step up your game.

Audiograms have been a go-to tool for podcasters for a while now. They provide an easy and efficient way to repurpose audio content into a format that's more suitable for social media. But with the ever-changing landscape of content creation, it's important to stay on top of the latest features and innovations when choosing an audiogram platform.

Of course, there are some basic features that are a must-have. A good audiogram generator should allow you to combine your audio with a still image, generate a waveform, and add captions. And let's not forget about branding options. Being able to add your logo or use your brand colors is essential for maintaining consistency across all your content.

Usability is also important. You want a platform that is user-friendly and doesn't require a lot of technical know-how. Navigating through complicated steps can be frustrating, especially if you're creating audiograms on a regular basis.

But basic features might not be enough anymore. Many new platforms are pushing the boundaries and offering enhanced features that are worth considering. For example, some platforms now allow you to use chapter-specific images. This means you can choose different visuals for different parts of your podcast, adding variety and depth to your social shares.

AI-powered platforms are also gaining traction. They can automatically detect significant areas of your podcast and generate ready-to-share snippets. This saves you time and effort in manually locating the best parts yourself.

Video features are another area to consider. Instead of just using a static image background, some platforms offer the ability to use a short looping video. This can make your audiograms more eye-catching and engaging.

And speaking of video, there's a promising trend of AI-generated video content that directly relates to what's being discussed in the audio. Think about images or clips of the subject matter appearing as they are mentioned. This creates a more immersive experience for your audience and keeps them engaged.

Whether it's chapter-specific images, AI-generated snippets, or video features, there are plenty of options out there to help take your audiograms to the next level.

Let's dive into the usage and publishing platforms for audiograms! Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Twitter, or "X" as Elon would now have us call it, are crucial components of most social media strategies. Each platform has its unique considerations when it comes to sharing audiograms.

So, let's start with Instagram. When it comes to posting audiograms on Instagram, you have three main options: Posts, Stories, and IGTV. For image posts and videos, aim for a length of up to 30 seconds. If you need a bit more time, Stories allow a maximum limit of up to 60 seconds. And if your audiogram exceeds 60 seconds, IGTV is the way to go, as it allows for videos up to 10 minutes long for most accounts.

Moving on to Facebook, remember that you have the option to post audiograms as regular posts, Stories, or use their new Twitter-like feature, 'Threads.' When posting regular posts or video content, it's best to keep your audiogram up to 2 minutes for maximum engagement. But if you choose Stories, you're once again looking at a 60-second limit.

Now, let's talk about Twitter slash "X". Video tweets on this platform have a maximum length of 2 minutes and 20 seconds. However, due to the quick-scrolling nature of Twitter, it's crucial to make your point within the first 45 seconds to capture your audience's interest.

Moving on to LinkedIn, this platform allows for a generous 10-minute video length. However, like on 'X,' it's essential to consider your audience's attention span. Based on our experience at Polymash, we've found that the sweet spot for LinkedIn tends to be around the 2-minute mark.

Now, let's look at TikTok. This platform encourages short, punchy content, so it's best to stick to a maximum length of 60 seconds. However, the most engaging TikTok videos tend to be even shorter, ranging from 15 to 30 seconds.

Lastly, let's discuss YouTube. With its longer-form content, YouTube allows you to get creative with the length of your audiogram. However, keep in mind that shorter videos ranging from 2 to 5 minutes are more likely to capture more views and engagement.

For us, YouTube stands atop the podium of platforms - not merely because of its vast audience, but importantly, because it also serves as a search engine. When your content is impeccably optimized for SEO on YouTube, it really helps your podcast gain the visibility it deserves. But let's bookmark that conversation for a future episode.

So.... what about posting the full episode as an audiogram on YouTube? While this may seem like a good idea and is easily cross-posted with video podcast recording platforms like Riverside FM, there's something important to consider. An audiogram, by its nature, doesn't offer much visual stimulation. For a short clip, this isn't an issue. However, for a full-length podcast episode, relying solely on a bouncing waveform might lose your audience's interest over time.

YouTube is still primarily a video platform, and most visitors are there for visually engaging content. Using a static image and a waveform for a prolonged period risks diminishing engagement as users may find it monotonous.

That's why, if you're thinking about posting full episodes on YouTube, we at Polymash suggest considering a video podcast format instead. This could involve a "talking head" video or showing your guests. By providing a more engaging and authentic experience for viewers, you can still incorporate your waveform as an element of the video rather than making it the sole focus.

Ultimately, whether you should post full episodes as an audiogram or opt for a video podcast format depends on your podcast's content, your audience, and your overall strategy.

Alright, folks, in this segment I want to talk to you about a recent audiogram tool we added to the Podcasting Resources Guide called "ClipGen".

ClipGen allows you to easily create short video or audio clips from your full podcast episodes. Not only does this push your content onto social media platforms to reach those elusive new audiences but it also funnels traffic back to your main podcast. That's reaching out and retention served on one platter.

Now, for the specifics. With ClipGen, you're not confined to either video or audio – it works smoothly for both. You would think the process of creating highlights and short clips from full episodes is painstaking but ClipGen simplifies it. It generates editable transcripts, allowing fine-tuning of the start and end points of your clips.

Your concern for aesthetics and branding is regarded as well. ClipGen isn't rigid, it lies on a bed of customizable settings offering you a palette of fonts and colors to choose from, and letting you add subtitles to your content.

Worried about your visuals being out of frame? Enter the face tracking feature, making sure your audiences stay connected with their speaker. You can also remove silences and autocrop to spin those rough drafts into polished shareable clips with ease.

Each social platform comes with its specifics and ClipGen understands this. It makes exporting your clips tailored for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter a piece of cake.

So what's our take at Polymash? Well, ClipGen does have a bag of pros. We love the "face tracking" feature. It makes converting horizontal "talking heads" video into vertical mobile TikTok and Instagram clips easy. It saves you time creating social clips as opposed to traditional manual editing. Their pricing tiers also offer flexibility based on usage needs.

We acknowledge that ClipGen has areas to improve. Automatic transcript accuracy can somewhat be a game of hit and miss and might require your intervention for a cleanup. It currently does not buddy up natively with podcast hosting platforms and for video podcasters, they might find the customization a tad limited compared to a full video editor. The maximum clip length is capped based on your subscription tier and you currently can't reorder or stitch clips together.

But all in all, it seems that ClipGen offers users an easier way to slice and serve pieces of their podcast content into engaging social media clips. It's got enough to save you time and allow for basic branding needs. If you're about wearing multiple hats and spanning across platforms, their flexible pricing is something to consider. Give ClipGen a thought the next time you want to add that extra layer of coverage to expand your audience and get more listening.

In today's episode, we discussed the popularity of audiograms for repurposing podcast content but highlighted the need to attract new listeners effectively. That does it for today, but if you would like to learn more about all the audiogram tools we have reviewed, just visit our show notes at podcastingresourcesguide dot com Thanks for listening to today's episode, I'll see you guys at the next one, and don't forget to subscribe!