Podcasting with Zuri Berry

In April, I hosted a masterclass for Teachable's Creator Starter Pack Community on podcasting, where I talked about all the frameworks that help boost audio storytelling. But I believe there is only one podcast interview framework that has universal appeal for brands, entrepreneurs, and content creators, and that's what I want to address today.

Hi, my name is Zuri Berry, and this is Podcasting with Zuri, a podcast about the craft of audio storytelling and how you can use podcasts to enhance your brand. Let's get right to it.

A podcast interview framework is a structure for your audio, including when you ask certain questions, when to include music or sound effects, and when to include other materials like natural sound or gathered interviews to build a more compelling.

Your basic interview podcast has its own framework, but it lacks specific storytelling devices. For example, a basic interview will have music to start the show, a host introduction, dialogue with a guest, and then music to close the show. It's very simple. It doesn't have a specific storytelling goal other than maybe a good conversation held by two or more charismatic people.

This is why I emphasize better audio storytelling during the podcast development process. A framework provides more instructions for the podcaster to create engaging. , those instructions include having a hook, identifying a conflict or a complication, building tension through insight, a climax, and some sense of resolution.

The best podcast interview framework is Freytag's Pyramid. Freytag's Pyramid is a basic storytelling structure that is perfect for narrative and interview podcast. The elements of the structure include an exposition, the introduction of an issue or problem in the form of an inciting incident.

Rising action as a result of recognizing this conflict, a climax, and then falling action and resolution in which the effects of the climax is understood and resolved. Okay. That's a lot. So let's break that down. A simpler way to understand this is that something happens. That sets us down a path of exploration until we have a significant revelation or experience. The fallout of this experience is explored. Finally, through the story, we now better understand these events and maybe ourselves.

For interview podcasts, this translates to an introduction of a problem or complication, followed by developing insights and then a chief insight that serves as the climax. The fallout of this chief insight is discussed and pored over.

In my master class, I gave the example of The Ezra Klein Show because the podcast from The New York Times, which I'll link in the show notes, does a great job of introducing complex problems. He breaks down each problem into chunks and builds toward a chief insight. This chief insight is usually teased in the opening monologue from Ezra as some concept he wants to explore further.

And once we get to that chief insight, we're able to really take our thinking about the subject or the issue to the next level. So I highly recommend the show as an excellent model for interview podcasts.

Here's how you set up the framework for your podcast to demonstrate. I'm gonna use the topic of cryptocurrencies. It's a hot topic and there's plenty of discussion on the subject, but I would argue that it's a topic that deserves more inspection. So let's start there.

First, introduce the problem through a monologue or short q and a. I'll tell my listeners why I'm interested in cryptocurrencies for this episode because I believe they need more scrutiny and because they're volatile and speculative.

Second, relay an inciting incident. Going along with our crypto theme, here's my example. In April, Warren Buffet spent some time at his company's annual shareholders meeting criticizing the value of Bitcoin because he doesn't believe that Bitcoin could ever replace the dollar or any cryptocurrency for that matter. The implication of his remarks was that we should be questioning the value and usefulness of cryptocurrencies. So essentially, what's the point?

In this instance, Warren Buffet will serve as the hook for this episode. My listeners will want to stick around to understand his reasoning because he is well respected.

In this situation, I would want to pull audio from the shareholder meeting to include in my episode as a sound bite. I'd also tease more comments from Buffet and what my listeners can expect from my guest and me.

Now we have to identify our developing insights. For this interview, I'll ask my guest about the important aspects of cryptocurrency that help my audience understand the subject more. I'll ask about environmental issues and energy consumption, illicit markets, and the theft of millions of dollars that move anonymously online thanks to crypto.

I'd also ask about Buffet's past comments on Bitcoin, which might help explain why these current comments are of significance. These developing insights should all be enticing subjects on their own. Think of them as mini hooks that can be boosted with soundbites and music to enhance or reflect their importance.

Only after I've exhausted these threads of the discussion will I move on to my main point or chief insight.

The chief insight of my cryptocurrency interview will tie directly to my introduction of the problem and the inciting incident, which will be a question and answer about the speculative nature of cryptocurrencies. Now, this may come in the form of the question, is Warren Buffet right?

At this point, I'll use more audio of Warren Buffet's comments to enhance that moment and maybe some music to signify the importance of the issue. Afterward, we'll discuss the implications of the chief insight. I'll spend the rest of our interview exploring the implications of this issue, asking and relaying my own thoughts on the matter and how it all ties in to these developed insights we've previously discussed.

And I'll end my interview only after I've resolved the question of what my guest and I think about the nature of cryptocurrencies and whether Warren Buffet's comments really matter.

Freytag's Pyramid works as a framework for interview podcasts because it can be scaled up or down. But it's predicated on the notion that you are conducting research, screening your guests to evaluate what they might say, that you're scripting your questions and introduction, and that you're editing your audio so that it aligns with the basic structure of Freytag's Pyramid.

As you do more complex storytelling, the basic structure remains the same. You can involve multiple interviews so long as you understand where your guest comments fit into the story.

And the same goes for solo podcasters. You can use the framework to build compelling narratives around your episode topics. Finally, you can layer on top of this structure other audio storytelling elements like music and sound effects to accentuate different parts of your story.

This is why Freytag's Pyramid works so well for content creation. The framework gives branded podcasts several creative opportunities to quickly and easily build engaging stories that both inform and entertain your audience about topics within your domain of expertise.

When done correctly, The net benefit will be an engaged audience throughout the podcast episode. And as an individual content creator, you get the benefit of a storytelling framework that can be upscaled or downscaled based on your level of effort or free time.

And everyone gets to avoid another boring interview podcast.

That's it for this episode of Podcasting with Zuri. As always, I hope you found some value in it. Please let me know if you did by leaving a comment on this episode in the Goodpods app or on YouTube. Just search for Podcasting with Zuri.

If you're trying to take your podcast to the next level, get in touch with me by visiting zmcpodcasts.com. That's zmcpodcasts.com. Thanks for listening.