Make Sure Your Listeners Understand What You’re Saying
Chances are, more of your podcast listeners than you even realize care a great deal about proper grammar.
Your podcast represents you, and how you speak. You want your podcast listeners to understand what you’re saying, to think you’re bright and competent.
But your weak word choice might be raising eyebrows and red flags. With the incorrect word choice, people might not actually know what you’re trying to say.
Here are 6 words you think you’re using correctly in your podcast but you may not be...
Less/Fewer
Literally/Figuratively
Imply/Infer
Now's a good time to take another listen to your latest podcast episode and see how you are using your words. Do you have room to improve? Did you get your point across using the words you chose in that episode? Did you notice that you had to clarify your point more than one time?
As with anything you create, taking the time to speak grammatically correct as possible saves you time, and saves your listener time in understanding what points you are trying to convey.
Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you.
Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website at circle270media.com
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Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.
Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.
Email us at podcasts@circle270media.com to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.
Transcript
From Studio C in the 511 Studios located
Speaker:in the Brewery District in downtown Columbus, this is a Note To Future Me.
Speaker:This is Brett Johnson, your host, and I'm
Speaker:the owner of Circle270Media Podcast Consultants.
Speaker:Chances are more of your podcast listeners
Speaker:than you even realize, care a great deal about proper grammar.
Speaker:Your podcast represents you and how you speak.
Speaker:You want your podcast listeners to
Speaker:understand what you're saying, to think you're bright and competent.
Speaker:But your weak word choice might be raising
Speaker:eyebrows and red flags with incorrect word choices.
Speaker:People might not actually know what you're trying to say.
Speaker:Grammar rules were created to make communication clear.
Speaker:Communication is the heart of podcasting.
Speaker:When you use words incorrectly, you can
Speaker:sound sloppy and precise and even unprofessional.
Speaker:Here are six words you think you're using
Speaker:correctly in your podcasts, but you may not be...
Speaker:The words less and fewer.
Speaker:Contrary to popular belief, these two words are not interchangeable.
Speaker:Here's a usage trick to keep in mind.
Speaker:If you can count the number of whatever it
Speaker:is you're referencing, use the word fewer if you can't use less.
Speaker:Remember, this rule is important enough
Speaker:that the Game of Thrones TV show had two characters correct?
Speaker:The misuse of the word less three times.
Speaker:You may also remember in 2004, for a few
Speaker:years, Clear Channel's Less is More initiative, where the broadcast company
Speaker:began cutting commercial times from one minute to 30 seconds.
Speaker:You heard the branding on air on other stations with that slogan, Less Is More.
Speaker:Which, of course is grammatically incorrect.
Speaker:But continued the misuse of the word less on a large scale across the country.
Speaker:I guess viewer is more doesn't really have the ring to it,
Speaker:literally and figuratively
Speaker:If what you're referring to is really
Speaker:happening, or is going to happen then and only then would you use the word
Speaker:literally. If you choose the word literally to describe metaphorical
Speaker:outcomes or to emphasize at present situation beyond what it actually is,
Speaker:you're potentially coming off as unnecessarily dramatic?
Speaker:Well, that or like you don't know what the word literally means.
Speaker:Imply and infer.
Speaker:While both words deal with communicating
Speaker:and processing information, imply and infer, have different meanings when you
Speaker:imply you're the speaker and the one providing information and meaning.
Speaker:For example, I didn't mean to imply that there was anything wrong with the way you
Speaker:dress when you infer you're the listener, you're the one receiving information and
Speaker:taking a certain meaning from that information or situation.
Speaker:For example, since you did not show up for
Speaker:the first day of work, we will infer that you are not serious about the job.
Speaker:Now's a good time to take another listen
Speaker:to your latest podcast episode and see how you're using your words.
Speaker:Do you have room to improve?
Speaker:Did you get your point across using the words you chose in that episode?
Speaker:Did you notice that you had to clarify your point more than one time?
Speaker:As with anything you create, taking the time to speak grammatically correct as
Speaker:possible, save you time and save your listener time in
Speaker:understanding the point you're trying to convey.
Speaker:Want to learn more? Hey, be sure to sign up for my free daily.
Speaker:Open The Mic Newsletter.
Speaker:Each day is a different topic from articles around the web on podcast,
Speaker:monetization, podcast, marketing podcast, audio production, the week's podcast news
Speaker:and our suggestions for your next seven days.
Speaker:A podcast listening.
Speaker:The link to that newsletter to sign up for free is in the podcast show notes.
