Let’s take a look at podcast audiograms, one of the best tools for any podcast. An audiogram, or podcast audiogram for those unfamiliar with the term, is a multimedia asset that combines visual arts, audio tracks, sound waves, and text. Essentially, it’s what you need to create a highly shareable marketing asset for your podcast.
This post will discuss what an audiogram is and what makes it such a valuable asset for your podcast, and finally, how to create audiogram visuals for your podcast to share on your favorite social media platform.
What Is a Podcast Audiogram?
An audiogram is a visual representation of what you hear when you listen to your favorite podcast. It’s what gives life and color to the words coming out of someone’s mouth while also making it easy for listeners to pick up on any key messages they may have missed during their first listen-through. In other words, an audiogram makes listening just as engaging as viewers watching TV, watching a YouTube video, or browsing social media content.
While podcasts are audio-focused media sources, an audiogram can help promote them by taking them beyond the original audio file. It’s what gives them a visual presence and increases their chances of going viral. Audiogram examples illustrate this point perfectly: these images often go viral on social media and attract more potential listeners to the original podcast content.
What Makes an Audiogram a Valuable Asset?
In today’s attention economy, where consumers are bombarded with marketing messages from all different directions (online and offline), getting noticed is nearly impossible without standing out in some way. And because we can’t be everywhere at once — we physically cannot see every tweet posted about our favorite company, for example — using multimedia assets to share our story becomes that much more important.
Audiogram videos are one of the most effective ways to stand out from the noise because they’re highly visual and engaging while also being a quick and easy way to consume content. For podcasting, this means that creating audiograms can be an extremely valuable way to reach new listeners who may have missed key messages during their first listen-through, as well as driving traffic back to old episodes.
What Makes a Good Podcast Audiogram?
An effective, engaging audio snippet starts with great content. So before you even think about what tools or resources you’ll use for creating an audiogram, you must identify what topics are most relevant and valuable to your target audience. This will ensure that when people view your final product, they’re getting something out of it instead of wasting their time on mediocre content. Choosing what visual assets complement those messages is easy because there are so many types of visuals available.
You need to ensure that your podcast audiogram is well-connected to the long-form content that will ultimately accompany it because people will be more likely to watch the entire thing if they’re interested in what they see. This also includes using similar branding and design elements so that people know right away that your audiogram is associated with your podcast.
Finally, don’t forget about the sound! Make sure the audio quality of your audiogram is just as good as the visuals by using a clean and well-mastered track. You don’t want any jarring transitions between sounds or annoying background noises pulling attention away from what’s important.
The best audiograms focus on the stand-out clips from the podcast and ensure they catch the listener’s attention. This could even be considered a form of clickbait, but don’t think of it as a cheap marketing ploy – this is a valuable tool for promoting your podcast.
How to Make a Podcast Audiogram
To make a podcast audiogram, first, you’ll need to find a tool or service that can help you create them. There are many different options available, but most of them fall into two categories: online tools and software/apps.
Online Tools: These are websites or services that provide an easy-to-use interface for creating audiograms without having to download any software or apps. All you need is a link to your podcast episode and the website will take care of the rest. Some popular online tools include Headliner, Audiogram, and Wavve.
Software/Apps: If you’re looking for more control over the final product or want to create more complex audiograms, then using software or an app may be a better option. This gives you more flexibility with what visuals you can use (e.g. animated GIFs), what type of audio filters are applied, how it’s exported to be shared online, etc. Some popular software/apps include Audiogram Maker, Adobe After Effects, and GarageBand for Mac users; Animoto Video Maker or Voice Thread if videos are needed.
Once you have the right tool for making your podcast audiogram, start by finding a good audio clip or audio snippet from the podcast episode. It could be an interview snippet, a soundbite that captures the essence of the episode, or even just podcast audio introducing the hosts and what the show is about.
From there, think about how you want to structure your audiogram. Most people prefer to keep it relatively short with only a few key points, but it’s completely up to you. Just make sure that everything included is valuable and relevant to your target audience.
Now that all the content is planned out, it’s time for layout and design. Choose visuals that complement your topic and are interesting enough to capture attention – this may take some experimentation until you find what works best.
Finally, you’ll need to consider what type of audio track you want. The best tracks are those that don’t get in the way and instead help reinforce what’s being shown visually, but this isn’t always possible if your podcast is more about discussion than presentation (e.g. a roundtable).
Then just export the file and promote wherever it has value to grab new listeners and subscribers! Your new podcast audiogram is sure to bring more eyeballs and ears to your podcast and expand your reach if the audiogram goes viral.
