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Not all podcasts are created equal. Many people begin podcasts to give their business a boost, but a negative show is pointless–and there are a great number of
Many people create podcasts without any real thought to how it should all go together. They wind up with a disjointed mess of audio that nobody wants to listen to. It becomes a giant waste of time for the business putting out the podcast.
CEOs and entrepreneurs who really want to spotlight their businesses must do more than just fill up the podcast space with useless content. They need to develop extremely high-quality content. Taking the time to plan out your content calendar is going to pay off dividends later down the line.
I have discussed many times the benefits of a podcast to any brand. At the same time, it is an investment of time and money and it must be taken very seriously. A little bit of research reveals a great set of strategies for making sure your podcast is taken seriously by listeners.
For some tips on how to produce an extremely professional podcast, I did some research. I found one of the best podcasters on the market. I checked in with Jordan Harbinger, someone who has hosted a top 50 iTunes podcast for over 12 years and gets more than 4.5 million downloads per month. The Jordan Harbinger Show is definitely one of the most popular podcasts in the world.
Jordan gave some great advice on how to make sure people take your podcast seriously. After all, who wants to produce a podcast that isn't listened to by anyone?
Here are my five amazing ways to up your game if you want to begin a podcast in 2019.
Always Use a Two-channel Recording System
If you're serious about producing a great podcast, you will want to use a high-quality recording software like Ringr, Zencaster, or my choice, SquadCast, rather than Skype. You want independent audio tracks for each guest, which makes editing easier and ensures that problems with one person's saving won't impact other parts of your show.
If you have the budget, set up a mixer and all the bells and whistles that go with it. Set up a mix minus for a cell phone connection. Allow multiple microphones to be used. Be sure each person is recording a separate track so that post-production will be easier.
Have a system in place just in case the primary platform crashes. Pass on your backup plan ahead of time to everyone involved. This will stay clear of last-minute panic attacks. Nobody wants to be caught in a situation where their guest must wait while they fix some technical glitch.
Research Your Own Guests
If you have guests on your show regularly, make sure they are of interest to your one of a kind audience, so be selective. The greatest podcast hosts do their homework and more efficiently guide the conversation. If you have a team, make sure they understand what type of guest you are looking for.
Don't send your guest a large list of common questions to answer in writing, or ask them what they want to talk about. That's transferring the buck. Instead, develop certain questions based on what you know about them, and send a few out in advance so your visitor can prepare. Being on your show should be easy–like experiencing a concierge at a five-star hotel, not like showing up to a BYOB party.
Harbinger's team spends at least 10 hours researching each guest before every appearance, reading online profiles and reserve reviews. Tim Ferriss, whose show has been heard by literally hundreds of millions of people, is also known for great questions and thorough research. If these busy guys can make the time to do all this, you can as well.
The research aspect really is that critical. Your audience will get excited if you bring on guests that are of interest to them. At the same time, they will walk away from your show if you continually bring in guests just to fill space on your show's content calendar.
Market Your Own Podcast
You should focus on making it easy for your guests to publicize the event by providing them sociable links, don't count on them to share your show, and don't continue to bother them about it. They agreed to be a guest on your show because they believe you have your own audience. If you make a big deal about them helping you promote, they will get the idea that you need their audience, so, what value are you bringing?
This is not to say that you shouldn't encourage all guests to share their episode of your show with their followers. It just means make sure you are not relying solely upon the guest for marketing. Have your own plan in place and execute it. Any help the guest gives will be gravy.
A wonderful way to get people to share more efficiently is to generate some fun graphics using quotations from the podcast for public media. Always tag them so your guests see the posts and share them with their own following. Think of this like an affiliate marketing program. Be sure you have ample materials you can provide your guests so they can successfully market their appearance on your show.
Give Lots of Details and Be On Time
Your guest's time is very valuable. Act like that matters to you. Establish a firm time and date for the interview, and follow up with a calendar invite with links to the
Always make sure to reconfirm all the information a few days beforehand, and suggest that each visitor talks from a quiet room using a headset or dedicated microphone. This shows you care about quality.
I have a PDF file that I send to every guest after they book on one of my shows. It explains exactly what their experience is going to be like. I do this so there are no surprises in store for the guests.
Whatever you are doing, avoid being late. Individuals who are serious about their podcasts are on the line 15 minutes before the start time testing out everything. They don't rush off their latest client meeting.
Never Book Guests Who Do Not Interest You Personally
Harbinger says that one of the biggest blunders new hosts make is inviting guests just because they think those people will entice an audience. This practice is referred to as “standing on the shoulders of giants,” and it doesn't work. Unless you really hit yellow metal (like getting Tom Cruise on your show because he's your second cousin), nobody wants to listen to you conduct the 100th interview of a mass media darling that offers nothing new.
Few people subscribe because a show has one guest or another. They subscribe
Be picky about who you book on your show. As mentioned previously, make sure they fit your audience. If your audience continually hears guests who they feel provide them with little to no value, they will eventually stop listening to your show altogether.
Providing value is as easy as understanding what your audience wants and then matching guests to that.
You only get one chance to make a great first impression. If people tune in and don't like what they hear, you'll likely never get that audience back. This is extremely important.