How Lawyers Can Improve Their Podcasting Voice

Podcasting is a powerful tool, and one of the most critical components of a podcast is the speaker’s voice. A high quality podcast voice can be the difference between an engaging and exciting podcast or a lackluster one. If you are already leveraging podcasts as part of your law firm’s marketing mix, this is a good time to improve your presence and get more subscribers. Here are some dos and don’ts on how lawyers can improve their podcasting voice for even better results.

1. Make sure to warm up

Did you know your voice box is a muscle? Like any muscle, it’s better equipped to do what you want it to after a warm up. Do a quick Google search to find some exercises used by singers or actors. Lawyers can work on these exercises daily for their podcasting speaking voice to improve. 

2. Practice makes perfect

It’s important to practice reading and speaking out loud. We recommend trying some simple exercises and poetry, as well as reading your episode content. The more familiar you are with the content you’re talking about, the easier it is to speak at a normal pace and with clarity. Extensive practice will help you see where to place inflection, pause for punctuation, and convey emotions with your voice. 

3. Try breathing exercises

Improve your lung capacity and diaphragm strength and you’ll enhance the overall quality of your voice. Again, search online for videos to help with breathing. Practice these methods along with the voice warm-ups for a comprehensive routine in improving your podcast voice. 

4. Find a “sweet spot” with your mic

How close is your mic when you’re speaking? Believe it or not, that can make a difference in sound quality. For most microphones, the recommended distance from your mouth is 5-10 inches, but since every person and every system is different, you need to test. Try a few spacing options and find the spot that’s best for you. Make sure to always record from that same distance. 

5. Raise your voice, but lower the pace

In short, speak up but slow down! People have a tendency to talk quickly when public speaking. They also tend to overestimate people’s ability to hear them. You don’t want to yell, but definitely talk an octave or two louder than you normally would. Make a conscious effort to speak at a slower cadence than what might feel natural at first. You can always slow down or raise your dialogue in the editing process, but speaking with a quality tone and cadence in the first place will save you time and ensure your listeners can actually comprehend your valuable content. 

6. Enunciate

Along with speaking slowly, make sure you speak clearly. People tend to get lazier than they realize when speaking casually. The exercises mentioned above will help you loosen your mouth and vocal chords, which should make enunciating easier. You need to clearly pronounce every word in order for listeners to take everything in. Furthermore, try to avoid legal jargon that prospective clients who are listening to become informed on your topics may not understand.

Follow those tips, and you’ll gradually become more comfortable and sound more clear, more professional, and more interesting to your law firm’s audience. Of course, there are a few things that you shouldn’t do as well. Make sure you avoid these behaviors to continue enhancing podcast performance. 

1. Don’t rush

No matter how much content you have to get through, if you rush and your listeners can’t take in what you’re saying, your podcast is pointless. Take the time to clearly articulate every point.

2. Don’t settle

Remember how we said your voice is a muscle? Just like physical exercise, you need to keep working it out in order to improve. Similarly, keep in mind that podcasting is a medium that’s growing in popularity for lawyers. Tools and resources will continue to evolve. Keep up with new information that can help your law firm set its podcasts apart and do what you can to continue improving with each episode.

3. Don’t slump

Posture matters, even when no one can see you. Whenever you record, sit up straight and open your chest. Take full, deep breaths so that your voice can come out strong and clear. Absolutely don’t sit hunched over your microphone. 

4. Don’t forget to smile and sound enthusiastic

This is another element that matters even when you’re alone. If you ever listen to the radio, you know that you can tell when someone is smiling. Many experts also believe that hearing a smile is as contagious as seeing one. As you record, share a smile! You’ll sound enthusiastic about your content and personable to your audience. 

Your voice makes the content come alive, which is what keeps subscribers listening and adds more. Practice daily, complete breathing exercises, and slow down and enunciate. 

Takeaway

Launching a podcast that has an engaged and consistently growing following is easier said than done. If you put these tips into practice, you and your listeners will surely notice a big difference because a big element of a successful podcast is a compelling voice. Other considerations include making sure the right audience can discover your law firm’s podcast, whether it be on search engines, through social media, or in iTunes and Spotify. For tips on discoverability and podcasting for lawyers, check out our recent blog post: How to Improve the Discoverability of your Law Firm’s Podcast.

If you need more suggestions on how to make your law firm’s podcast the most successful in your practice area, don’t hesitate to contact us. We can help you develop a podcast strategy, produce, edit, and promote your law firm’s podcast so that it effectively reaches and engages your target audience.