Kim Kardashian shocked us once again with the highly anticipated release of her brilliant podcast, The System. The mega influencer, beauty mogul, and entrepreneur has been vocal with her concerns for change in the criminal justice system. And we are here to tell you, Kim definitely did not disappoint when it came to delivering maybe one of the best podcasts by far!
Kim has been taking on cases of her own and after passing the baby bar, The Skims founder began increasing her pro-active public advocacy for criminal justice reform. In an exclusive deal with Spotify, The System documents over an eight-episode podcast series the case of Kevin Keith, accused of triple homicide, and journey of wrongful conviction that is narrated by Kim Kardashian alongside multiple credible figures of how the justice system is in disarray. Following the series premiere, new episodes will be released every Monday thereafter.
Listening to the thrilling true crime story feels like you are transported into a movie-like documentary that takes you on a rollercoaster ride of events. Kimberly definitely did not sugarcoat a superficial story to make it seem attractive to her millions of followers, but actually went in-depth and delivered in many people’s view a show that’s deserving of an Oscar.
Best tips to take away from The System to boost your podcast’s quality
Kim Kardashian might have some of the world’s best producers, guests, and informants on her team to help make The System podcast as successful as it is, but we have analysed the top 6 aspects that make her show stand out which are easy enough for you to include in your next upcoming podcast.
1. The Role of The Host
As the biggest influencer in the world, you cannot deny that just her name itself will attract millions of listeners to her podcast. Although the role she plays and how she situates herself is far more important as it is the selling aspect which will keep the listeners engaged. Kim clearly states that she is the narrator and would be using her voice to raise awareness of the current pressing state of the criminal justice system. How she will use her voice, platform and connections is what will keep listeners engaged to see if Kevin will reap the rewards of her influential power.
Tip: In your podcast clearly state what your role would be as host and what you will be delivering to listeners to make it worth their time and invested engagement. In addition to this push out your role as host on all your social media channels to create coherency in your social image and attract more traffic to your show.
2. Sound Effects
Just like in movies; sounds and music contribute to the environment of how listeners consume content. Sounds set the mood of the podcast and is a creative form which helps listeners visualise storytelling. In The System, Kardashian’s team have outdone themselves with sound effects such as the changing of cassettes to help listeners transition from one scene to another. Or the use of rustic television sounds to mimic news that was reported in the past at the time of the crime scene. As well as the sound of metal clangs as it slides to imagine a prison cell door close. All these sounds, especially in a podcast, takes the storytelling to another level as it aids listeners to use their imagination and visually picture a movie being told to them in their minds.
Tip: Pick sounds suited to the genre and atmosphere you want to create for your show. The sounds do not always have to be the same, but it should match the content you are talking about to help you better emphasise your point to listeners.
3. Storytelling
Narration and the flow of a story is a crucial aspect to carry listeners from the beginning to the end. Good narration with descriptive words that evoke images in the viewers head is what sets apart recalling a story told versus transporting someone into that same moment. For example it’s easy to say, “a man was shot” but utilising descriptive words in The System such as “a man was gunned down at point blank” creates a more substantial listening environment and contribute to the overall success of a podcast.
Tip: For your podcast keep in mind to play with your tone of voice when using imagery descriptive words as it will make your timeline clear and add character to your show. Remember tone of voice is a key aspect that will allow listeners to reflect how you make them feel by telling a story.
4. Credible Guest Speakers
The System is narrated by Kim herself, but also alongside credible guest narrator Lori Rothschild Ansaldi – a veteran true-crime producer. Substance, change of character and credibility of guest speakers contribute to keep listeners intrigued as it introduces change and figures of authority in a specific field; in this case crime.
Tip: Find guest speaker who have a large following in the topic you want to cover as it will increase your podcast’s reach. Make sure you have a credible figure that’s renowned in their field as this will eliminate any accusations of quoting false information, but make it more factual based.
5. Have a mission
In the first episode of The System, one of the first words Kim Kardashian says is that her mission is to raise awareness and use her voice to bring aid to people wrongfully convicted. Her mission is clear, straightforward and it immediately makes listeners understand the reason why she is doing the show. So right there listeners of the podcast can choose if they want to stick along for the ride to see what Kim Kardashian will achieve or do they want to log off because the foundation of the show does not appeal to them.
Tip: Make your mission and goals clear. If your podcast has a mission then it sets the goal that each episode would be working towards achieving. If this is clear, then you would start forming a coherent brand identity for your podcast.
6. Takeaway
In the end of each episode of Kim Kardashian’s The System the podcast induces a personal take away that every listener can reflect on. Whether it is educational or the insightful knowledge that the mega influencer gives, listeners can’t help but reflect on the incredible story which she told that says in the mind of her audience. A takeaway from a podcast is like an added value which listeners get when tuning in. It makes them feel that their invested time was worth it, beneficial and memorable. The fact that Kim Kardashian talks about how the criminal justice system works, makes audiences question afterwards how crime scenes and investigations are conducted and if sometimes we make up our minds too soon about a case.
Tip: Identify what you would like to resonate in the mind of your audience after your show has finished. It will allow them to revert back to your podcast when they want to have an added value and make them feel excited to tune in on the next episode. Think of it like a hanging thread like in all the best series which leaves you to question; what’s next?
As we wait in anticipation for Monday to come around sooner, let us know your thoughts of Kim Kardashian’s brilliant podcast,The System and how the influencer will reform the crimincal justice system.
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