Bianca Gonzalez shares how she was able to find a system for doing content for “Paano Ba ‘To?!”
Podcasting has become one of the outlets for people’s content and passion projects during the pandemic.
Many podcasts have come alive during the pandemic where people have more time to indulge in their own passions or those who want their voices to be heard by a more massive audience.
But now that the pandemic is over and everything is back to normal, there are podcasts that have not been sustained or suddenly went on hiatus.
During the Hear For It event by Globe in partnership with Kroma Entertainment at Glorietta Activity Center on October 20, FreebieMNL asked Bianca Gonzalez, the creator and host of “Paano Ba ‘To?!” podcast, for tips on sustaining a podcast.
First, she agrees that the “more difficult part” is sustaining a podcast.
She says, “A lot of people are most curious on how to start a podcast but actually, the more difficult part is how to sustain a podcast and not just a podcast, any type of any regular content release.
“Actually, ang concept, yun ang madali, e. The concept is easy, the initial topics are easy, the excitement at the start is easy.
“But once you get to like your fifth episode, your 10th episode, your 20th episode, parang, ‘Huwag na,’ or parang life gets in the way, which I totally understand.”
Bianca suggests that content creators can do a seasonal release as much as breaks are also important.
“I think in terms of podcasting, especially if you know na you wanna do it for the long run, kasi pwede rin namang 12-episode series, and then you take a break, and then the next episodes, and then you take a break.
“There are several ways you can go about it but I would say that find a system that’s sustainable for you.”
The beginnings of “Paano Ba ‘To?!”
Bianca believes that the system she was able to develop for “Paano Ba ‘To?!” can be a good example in terms of sustaining content.
She shares, “Before the podcast, it was the YouTube channel na nauna and I knew that I wanted to be on YouTube, I knew that I wanted to invite these big guests, I was very clear that I wanted it to be an interview.
“But, sabi ko, how do I make it sustainable, how do I keep going kahit naka-100 episodes na ako?”
Bianca just has to find the best format for her show.
“The answer was the format, so the format that I figured out, the system that I figured out na kaya ko itong gawin was that when ‘Paano Ba ‘To?!’ the video series started, it was like a walking selfie video.
“If you look back at the first episodes, ganun siya, and I knew I wanted it to be minimal cuts, minimal edit, so 10 minutes.
“It became sustainable in a way na if I ask Vice Ganda, ‘Vice, I’ll interview you after ‘Showtime,’ 10 minutes lang.” It’s hard kasi to say, ‘Vice, do you have a one hour free in the next two weeks?’ Ang hirap ibigay no’n.
“But if I say ‘Pupuntahan kita sa dressing room for 10 minutes,’ everyone says yes because it’s less of their time. So, actually, that’s how it started.”
READ ALSO: “Paano Ba ‘To?!” Is Now A Podcast Too
Getting guests and doing interviews
Coming from her story about how “Paano Ba To?!’ started, Bianca believes that it is important for any starting content creator to work a format on a system he can sustain.
She says, “Find a format or a system that you can commit to if you want to do it for the long run. There are several ways again that you can go about it.”
READ ALSO: Bretman Rock Reveals He Wants To Try “Pinoy Big Brother” In “Paano Ba ‘To?!” Interview
If a podcaster wants to have guests and do interviews in his show, Bianca also has her tips.
“Siguro, to get the hang of it, you can start with the low-hanging fruits, ang i-guest mo yung mga malalapit sa’yo, mga madaling i-contact.
“Pwedeng thru Zoom, there are several ways to go about it. It’s hard to sustain pero kaya naman.”
Bianca herself even does Zoom interviews. Even then, the technology makes it easier to still upload clean audio despite doing an interview virtually.
Bianca explains, “Yes, I still do it especially for guests that are overseas or mahirap yung schedule, especially with the tech naman now, there’s a way to record the audio clean. Pero sometimes, even my favorite podcasts, kahit hindi malinis yung audio, papakinggan mo pa rin, e.”
Bianca is one of the speakers at the Hear For It event of Globe, which is touted as the first podcast festival in the Philippines.
Banner Art Dani Sison
