Should I Script My Podcast or Wing It? Find Your Style

Welcome to Podcasting Problem Solver

Leah Bryant [00:00:00]:
Hello, and welcome back to the Podcasting Problem Solver. I'm Leah Bryant, podcast strategist, growth coach, and your go to for making podcasts way less complicated and more aligned with your business. Before we dive into today's episode, I want you to hear from someone who's not only a client, but also a dear friend. This is Krissy Kirkman. She's the host of the Old School Food Freedom Podcast and the executive director of Finding Balance, a nonprofit ministry. She's sharing her experience of what it's been like working together on our podcast. Here we go.

Client Spotlight: Chrissy Kirkman Shares Her Podcasting Journey

Chrissy Kirkman [00:00:37]:
Hey. This is Chrissy Kirkman, host of the Old School Food Freedom Podcast and executive director of Finding Balance, a nonprofit ministry. I absolutely love working with Leah. She feels like a true part of my team, and since onboarding with her, our podcast has seen incredible growth and significant reach. As a busy nonprofit leader, I just didn't have the margin to learn SEO or didn't have the time to craft strategic show notes. And every podcasting decision was landing on my already full plate. So partnering with Leah has been such a gift to me. She really knows about podcasting.

Chrissy Kirkman [00:01:16]:
She stays on top of all the trends and industry changes, and she brings ideas and strategies that make my job so much easier. And honestly, she makes the whole process fun. We have a lot of good laughs. I love you, Leah.

The Value of Podcast Support and Collaboration

Leah Bryant [00:01:30]:
Chrissy's energy always makes me smile, and I'm so grateful for the chance to support her show and her mission. Her story is such a good reminder that you don't have to do podcasting alone. With the right support, it can actually feel fun and sustainable. All right, today we're diving into one of the most common, quote, unquote, am I doing this right? That I hear from podcasters at every single stage. And that is. Drumroll, please. Should I script my podcast or just wing it? Now, here's where I want you to listen. Are you ready? There's no single right answer.

Should I Script My Podcast or Wing It?

Leah Bryant [00:02:07]:
Yep, that's right. But there is a right answer for you. So in this episode, I'm going to help you determine which approach best supports your strengths, your style, and your strategy. Because whether you're a bullet point boss or a scripted top, feel safe podcaster. There's room for both. And today, I'm going to show you how to find your flow. All right, so let's get to it. Here's the thing.

How Your Podcast Delivery Impacts Your Show

Leah Bryant [00:02:32]:
The way that you deliver your podcast isn't just about whether you like notes or not. Okay? It directly affects three big areas. The first is how your podcast sounds to your audience, do you come across as polished and professional or casual and conversational? Neither is better, but your delivery sets the tone for your show. Like for example, a financial strategist podcast might need more structure, while a lifestyle podcast might thrive with a looser feel. Number two, how long it takes you to produce an episode. So some styles save time on the front end, but cost you hours in editing later. Ask me how I know. Others take longer upfront.

Leah Bryant [00:03:20]:
But streamline everything else. And let's be honest, time is a non renewable resource. The faster you find what best fits your workflow, the easier it becomes to stick with podcasting long term. And number three, how confident you feel behind the mic. See, confidence is contagious. That's right. If you sound scattered or second guessing yourself, your audience is going to feel it. They can hear it in your voice.

Leah Bryant [00:03:46]:
If you sound clear and grounded, they're going to trust you faster. And trust is what drives listeners to become clients. Now here's a part most podcasters don't think about. This decision also ties directly into your business strategy. I know, I know. Mind blown. But it's true. If you're planning to repurpose episodes into blogs, LinkedIn posts, carousels for Instagram scripting will give you essentially ready made copy.

Leah Bryant [00:04:17]:
If your primary goal is thought leadership and authority, structure keeps your message sharp. And if your brand thrives on connection and personality, well, a looser approach may showcase your authenticity better. This is why I place it inside the execution phase of my seamless podcast framework. Yes, strategy gives you the vision, but execution is where it either flows or falls apart. When you find your best delivery style, you're not only making recording easier, but you're also setting yourself up for smoother editing, simpler repurposing, and ultimately more consistency. And who doesn't like that? I know I do. Here's the thing. I want you to think of it like cooking.

Leah Bryant [00:05:03]:
Some people thrive with a recipe. You know, they went step by step. Some are confident improvisers winging it. And others like to glance at the recipe but freestyle along the way. The goal isn't to cook like someone else. It's to find the method that makes you love being in the kitchen over and over again. All right, so let's dive into option one, scripting it out. Now, this method where you write your podcast almost word for word, like a mini speech.

Podcast Scripting: Pros and Cons

Leah Bryant [00:05:34]:
What it looks like in practice could be you start with a document that includes your intro, your body and your outro. Like every sentence is written out in the exact way you're going to say it. So essentially, you're performing the script into the mic. So why some podcasters might choose this method is because of the message clarity. You know exactly what you want to say and how you want to say it. No fumbling, no forgetting. And then there's brand alignment. Every episode can hit the right tone, phrasing, and flow because you're crafting it in advance.

Leah Bryant [00:06:06]:
And then three is repurposing gold. Right? So scripts double as draft blog posts, captions, or even email content. No extra step required. And number four is that confidence booster. If being on the mic makes you nervous, a script can help feel like a safety net. One of my clients came to me saying, leah, I freeze as soon as I hit record. My mind goes blank. Yes, friends, I've been there, done that too.

Leah Bryant [00:06:32]:
So what we did is we started scripting her first 10 episodes word for word. By the time she got to episode five, her confidence had skyrocketed because she wasn't second guessing what to say. Scripting gave her the safety net she needed to find her voice. Now, there are downsides. Now, believe it or not, there are downsides. The first one being time intensive. So writing 1500, 2000 words or whatever it takes for your episode is commitment number two. There's a risk of you sounding stiff.

Leah Bryant [00:07:03]:
So without practice, reading from a page can sound kind of flat, right? And then editing on the front end, you'll spend more time tweaking before you actually hit record. Now, here's an example. This is how I run most of my solo episodes. Fully scripted, but with enough flexibility to pause at a story or ad lib when it feels natural to me. So this means that I can record once, edit lightly, and then pass the script to my team for show notes or social posts. Tip for you print your script and mark it up like an actor would. Circle where you want to pause, highlight words you want to emphasize. This will keep your delivery dynamic and not monotone.

Leah Bryant [00:07:43]:
And you know what? If you don't want to print it, if you're not old school like me, don't print it. You could do all that in word, too. All right, option two, winging it. This is the opposite approach. No script, just you and the mic. I feel like some of you are, like, instant nervous, right? Sometimes you'll have a rough idea of your topic, and sometimes it's completely spontaneous. Now, what this looks like in practice is you jot down a topic or maybe a headline. You hit record and talk your way through it.

Winging Your Podcast: Benefits and Pitfalls

Leah Bryant [00:08:12]:
You find your flow as you go. And often sounding casual and conversational. Now, why some podcasters love this method is number one, speed prep time is minimal. You can go from idea to recorded episode in minutes. Two is authenticity. Your personality shines through because you're speaking naturally, the way you talk to a friend. And number three is flexibility. You can pivot med episode, add a story, or riff on a new angle without being tied to a page.

Leah Bryant [00:08:41]:
Now, I had a client who was a natural speaker. She could stand on stage and wow a crowd with zero notes. So winging it felt perfectly normal for her and her podcast. But after recording a few episodes, she realized editing was eating up hours every week. Why? Well, it's because she was circling around her points instead of landing them. Once we shifted her to like a bullet style outline, her editing time was cut in half and she still sounds like herself. Okay, who's ready for the downsides? Number one, rambling risk. Yes, it's true.

Leah Bryant [00:09:14]:
Without structure, you might go off topic or repeat yourself. Number two, editing nightmare. Yes, cutting out those tangents, pauses and filler words can really eat up hours later. And then number three is missed opportunities you may forget. A key point or call to action you want to include. Tip for you treat winging it like an improv with a map. Write down three checkpoints you must hit on your key point, your story, call to action. This will keep you from wandering too far off track.

Leah Bryant [00:09:47]:
Now, this method leans into the attraction phase of my seamless podcast framework, where connection, personality, and relatability. But you know it can hurt your momentum if you're constantly bogged down and editing or struggling to repurpose content afterward. Okay, so keep that in mind. Fun twist Option three, the hybrid method. This is one that I do love, and this is like kind of the middle ground. Okay, so this is where experienced podcasters land because it offers the best of both worlds. The security of structure with the flexibility of the flow. So what this looks like in practice would be you script your intro, your outro, and your call to actions.

The Hybrid Podcast Method: Combining Structure and Flow

Leah Bryant [00:10:26]:
The parts where clarity and consistency like they really matter. Okay, These are your brand anchors, and scripting ensures you nail them every single time. You could outline your main talking points instead of writing them word for word. This might look like three to five bullets under each section to keep it on track. And then third is that you can ad lib your transitions and examples, letting your natural voice and personality fill in the details. Why do podcasters love this method? Well, it saves time. You're not writing a full essay for every episode. It gives you confidence, your key points and call to actions are already polished.

Leah Bryant [00:11:01]:
It feels authentic. You have room to riff, tell stories, and respond naturally to ideas. It's also repurpose friendly. Since your intro, takeaways and call to actions are written, you've already got text you can drop into show notes and promotional content. Now, another client of mine loved scripting, but it felt stiff and she loved winging it but rambled. So Hybrid was a happy place for her. She scripted her intros called actions, but did use those bullet points for the body. And she told me, this feels like a conversation with my audience instead of a lecture.

Leah Bryant [00:11:33]:
And that's exactly what the balance is that most podcasters are looking for. This method balances execution, which is staying efficient and on message with attraction. So sounding human and relatable. It's also a powerhouse for momentum because once you have a repeatable template, you can record multiple episodes in one sitting without sounding like a robot. Okay. If you batch record, keep your scripted sections in a template. That way you're not reinventing your intro and your call to action every single time. Unless you want to change out your call to action, you just tweak the topic and hit record.

How to Choose Your Best Podcast Delivery Style

Leah Bryant [00:12:08]:
And I hear you. Okay, Leah, this is all great, but how in the world do I choose my style? How do I figure it out? Well, you're in luck because I'm going to help you out with that. So we're going to break it down. Step number one, Tune into your natural strengths. Do you thrive when you're fully prepared, or do you come alive when you're speaking off the cuff? Number two, Think about times you've presented or led a meeting or told a story to a friend. Did preparation make you feel calm or did it trip you up? Number three, if you get flustered with notes, scripting may be your best friend. If you talk in circles around a topic without losing focus, outlining may be enough. All right, step number two.

Consider Your Podcast Workflow: Time, Energy, and Goals

Leah Bryant [00:12:51]:
Consider your time and energy. This is so important because do you have a packed calendar and need to minimize prep, then winging it or a hybrid might make more sense? Or would you rather invest time upfront writing a script if it means saving hours later on editing and repurposing? This is a direct tie to the execution phase of the seamless podcast framework. Your workflows should reduce friction and not add to it. Okay, step number three, factor in your goals beyond the podcast. Yes, because we want your podcast to work smarter and not you work harder. Okay. Are you planning to repurpose your episodes into blogs or newsletters or carousels. Then scripts make it seamless because the words are already on the page.

Leah Bryant [00:13:34]:
Is your main focus audience connection or sounding approachable? Because a hybrid or outline style might create more space for your personality to shine. And step four, think about your audience experience. Does your audience expect polished educational content they can trust to be tight and to the point? Scripts will help with that. Or do they crave authenticity, personality, and a pull up a chair and chat with me vibe? Well, then outlines and hybrid will keep things conversational. Step number five. I want you to give yourself permission to evolve, because your podcast should be an evolution anyway. It isn't a pick one and stay there forever situation. With anything in your podcast, you might want to start with full scripts to build confidence and then shift to bullet points once you're comfortable.

Evolving Your Podcast Workflow Over Time

Leah Bryant [00:14:22]:
Or maybe you're gonna outline most episodes, but script high stakes launches where the messaging has to be spot on. Don't think of it as choosing once and for all, I want you to think of it as choosing what works for this season of your podcast and business. Okay. All right. So one of my clients started out fully scripting every single episode. I mean, it worked beautifully at first for her. Her episodes were polished, structured, and easy to repurpose. But as her confidence grew, so did her desire to loosen up.

Leah Bryant [00:14:54]:
She wanted her personality to shine more, not just her expertise. So what happened? Well, guess what? The evolution. Right. She shifted her workflow. She kept scripting her intro, those transitions and her call to actions, but moved the main content to like an outline with bullets. Now her episodes take half the time to produce, and she feels so much more connected to her audience because she sounds like she's having a conversation and not just delivering your presentation. Okay. And that's the beauty of podcasting, isn't it? It gets to evolve with you.

Leah Bryant [00:15:27]:
What worked for episode two doesn't have to be your forever workflow. And quite honestly, it shouldn't. Okay, so should you script your podcast or wing it? And the answer is, do what makes you sound clear, confident, and like yourself. If that's a full script, amazing. If it's an outline and riff, go for it. If it's a hybrid, welcome to the club. If you like this episode, the tips that I share, then you need to be on my email list. That's right, friends, it's free.

Final Thoughts & Call to Action for Podcasters

Leah Bryant [00:15:58]:
I share one email a week. Super in depth, Lots of great value where I deep dive into a topic each week to help you turn your podcast into the business, building momentum that it can be. The link is below, so make sure you go hop over and sign up. I even have something special for you if you do, you you don't want to miss it. If you've got a podcasting question you want answered on a future episode or to be featured, send it in using the link below. I would love to hear from you. Until next time, keep it structured, keep it simple, and keep it seamless. Bye for now.