Prologue
Girl Scouts vs. Podcasters
I walked up to the grocery, minding my own business.
Some Girl Scouts were inside the store, where I couldn't ignore them – right beside the carts!
"Would you like to buy some cookies?" one asked.
"I'd love some, but my wife is gluten-free," I replied. "I'd get in trouble if I brought home a box of cookies I couldn't share with her."
"Caramel Chocolate Chip are gluten-free," she said.
"I'll have to catch you guys later. I didn't know you'd be here and only brought a credit card," I told her as I grabbed a cart and started walking inside the store.
"We take Venmo!"
And that's how I ended up with eight boxes of Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties, Lemonades, Toast-Yays! ... and Caramel Chocolate Chip, of course.
What does a Girl Scout know about podcasting?
Let's be honest – probably a lot. Current kids seem to be born with an intrinsic knowledge of mobile phones and everything you can do with them, especially recording themselves.
But let's assume this girl and her friends knew nothing about podcasting. Even then, she was onto the two big things that will make a podcast (including your podcast) successful:
- Ask for what you want.
- Make it easy for people to say yes.
Print this out and stick it to your computer monitor. Make an extra copy and put it on your bathroom mirror, your refrigerator, or somewhere else where you'll see it every day.
Doing these two things will change everything about your podcast and the money you make with it.
This issue of Big Podcast Insider is about getting better interviews, so let's look at how these two things will help you with that.
Asking for what you want:
- asking for an interview
- asking the questions you want to ask during the interview
- asking your guest to show up in a certain way (e.g. with a quality mic that sounds good)
Making it easy to say yes:
- walking potential guests through the entire interview process and answering all questions
- working around a potential guest's busy schedule
- going to your guest and bringing the needed equipment
Making things easy on your "customer" will get you results. This also applies to getting people to subscribe (or to your podcast by the way. See this page for an example of how easy it is to subscribe to Build a Big Podcast.
Too much work to click this link? Pick up your phone and call 615-488-4321.
Make it easy. Then make it even easier.
Sponsor
Missinglettr
Missinglettr is an all-in-one promotion platform that turns podcasts into engaging social media posts and helps you solve distribution by finding the best influencers in your niche.
Podcaster Opportunities
Do You Have a "Bad Guest" Story?
Every podcaster has had one interview that was so bad, it's especially memorable. And I want to hear yours.
I have two questions for you, which you'll answer via voice.
Podcast Hosting Skills
9 Strategies to Get Better Podcast Interviews
Want to be better at interviewing guests on your podcast? Here are 9 strategies that you can use on your next interview ...
1 - Before the interview, research your guest and do a pre-interview call, if not with the guest, with people who know the guest. This will help you come up with thoughtful, relevant questions.
2 - Set clear expectations for the interview. This includes the length of the interview, the format, and the topics that will be covered. But don't send questions in advance. You want to capture moments of connection, not somebody reading a script.
3 - During the interview, make sure to create a comfortable environment for your guest.
If doing something in person, this can include things like water or room temperature. But the most important aspects of comfort are emotional and psychological.
4 - Keep conversation flowing by allowing for natural pauses and silences. This will give your guest the opportunity to gather their thoughts and provide more thoughtful responses.
Pauses also put pressure on the guest to speak, since most people are uncomfortable with silence.
5 - Ask open-ended questions. Don't ask leading questions or give "options" for answers. This will allow your guest to give more detailed, interesting answers.
6 - THIS IS IMPORTANT!! Before and during your interview, encourage your guest to share stories and anecdotes. These will add a personal touch to your interviews and make them more engaging for listeners.
7 - Be prepared to follow up on your guest's responses. This shows that you are actively listening and engaged in the conversation.
Also consider "call backs" during later questions/discussion to connect different parts of the interview together.
8 - Don't be afraid to steer a conversation in a different direction if it's not working. It's up to you to get the interview you want/need, because only you know what you want/need.
9 - Finally, be human. Enjoy the experience of connecting with another person and let it flow naturally.
Human interactions aren't perfect ... or at least they don't appear that way. So ditch trying to be flawless when doing your podcast interviews. See the pretty version and join in on the conversation.
Podcast Production
Zoom Hacks for Podcasters
If there was a positive to everybody staying home during the pandemic, it was that we all learned how to use Zoom. And this has been especially beneficial for podcasters doing remote interviews.
But Zoom has some "tricks" that go beyond what most people do on the platform. These will help you to get better interviews and deliver better online presentations.
Some hacks you may find helpful:
- How to share what's on your phone.
- How to QUICKLY turn off both your camera and mic ...
- A simple way to improve poor lighting, so you can look your best.
- How to spotlight your mouse and highlight one area of your screen.
- Use slides as a virtual background.
- Add live captions and a transcript.
- How to suppress background noise.
Podcast Humor
Valentine's Day Gift Guide
The graphic is a joke, but this is also a serious message.
You know how it feels when people let you know that they're enjoying your podcast - it feels great.
Today, I encourage you to reach out to another podcaster or two (or any type of creator) and let them know you value the work they're doing.
Classifieds
Swell AI
Use Swell AI to automate your podcast episode summaries, time-stamped episode highlights, and long form articles based on the content of your episodes.
Riverside - Remote Recording Studio
Riverside records high-quality audio (and video) directly from your browser. No special equipment is needed and connecting with your guest is as simple as sending a web link!
You can try Riverside free (no credit card is needed) and, if you like it, save 15% on any paid plan by using the coupon code BIGPODCAST.
The Wrap Up
Like this newsletter? Subscribe to the podcast!
If you like the newsletter, you'll love the podcast. It's called Build a Big Podcast and it will help you do three things:
- Grow your podcast audience.
- Get people talking about your podcast.
- Make more money with your podcast.
You can subscribe for free.
On a desktop? Use your phone to scan the QR code above to make it easy on yourself! Or call me at 615-488-4321 and I'll send you the link via text.