Prologue
The Holy Grail for Podcasts Hosts
"Nobody's ever asked me that."
For some reason, there are a lot of podcast hosts who love to hear this from a guest.
But don't confuse this as a complement to your interviewing skills.
Your job as a podcast host isn't to uncover a deep, dark secret that a guest has been hiding or have an off-topic conversation that has nothing to do with the focus of your show. Your job is to create an episode that's helpful to your listeners.
This means asking questions (and getting answers) about things that have probably been discussed before.
Sure, by all means, get creative as far as the way you approach topics. Yes, be personal and show a human side of your guests – don't let them "play the tape" so many guests bring to interviews.
But don't worry about trying to ask something that they've never been asked before. Instead, focus on approaching a topic they've talked about a million times in a unique way that will be helpful for your audience.
In this issue of Big Podcast Insider, I've got some "new ways" of making a podcast using AI, important information you'll want to know if you have a mailing list, and a strategy for getting better as a podcast host.
Want more? Try my daily newsletter for podcasters and my podcast on podcasting, Build a Big Podcast.
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Steal This Idea
How I Automated My Daily Podcast with AI
What does an AI-generated (and hosted) podcast sound like? Listen here.
Interested in making one yourself? Watch this video for a step-by-step process.
I'd love to know what you think of this and if/how you'd use it. You can reach out to me via Mastodon, Bluesky, or Threads!
Need a realistic voice to use? Try Speechki for realistic (but inexpensive) options.
I'll have more thoughts in the audio version of this newsletter.
Podcast Marketing
Are Your Emails Getting Blocked? Try This!
Whether you have an email list for your podcast or just send individual emails, you'll want to review new email guidelines from Google to see how they'll be processing your email from now on.
If you're not a tech person, resist the urge to ignore these changes – your email deliverability may be affected.
DMARC Report is a service that will walk you through setting up your email/domain to make sure everything is compliant with Google (and others) and your messages hit the inbox. There's a free option for those who only need this service on a single domain.
Podcast Hosting Skills
The Surprisingly Relaxed Lives of Elite Achievers
Some interesting commentary by Cal Newport related to The Berlin Study, which will help you to become a better podcaster.
Researchers looked at the practice habits of two groups of violin players:
- Average
- Elite
Both kept practice diaries and that revealed each spent, on average, the same number of hours on music per week (around 50).
Why was one group better? The elite players were spending almost three times more hours than the average players on deliberate practice.
But also ... The average players, they discovered, spread their work throughout the day, while the elite players concentrated their work within two well-defined periods.
How do you organize your podcasting work? Let me know via Mastodon, Bluesky, or Threads!
Podcast Humor
An Easy Way to Get "Better" Guests
One of the most common requests people come to me with is "better guests."
Most of the time, this means guests with some level of fame, not necessarily people who are better at being interviewed. But it could be argued that there is some correlation, since the more opportunities you have to be interviewed, the more interviews you do, and the more interviews you do, the better you get at doing them.
Want "better" guests for your podcast? Here's the trick ...
Edit interviews.
Yeah, potential guests want to know you have an audience and their messages will be heard, but they're also looking for somebody who's going to honor those messages and make them sound their best.
This means editing. And it starts with the guests you have now.
If you need help editing, reach out to me. I got a team of professional radio editors who can do this for you, making you (and your guests) sound great, without any stress.
Or edit everything yourself. Your guests don't care ... as long as you make them sound great.
The Business of Podcasting
Your 8 Podcast "Friends"
I love this list of the eight people you need to be happy in life, because it's very similar to the people you need to be successful in podcasting.
Nobody successfully podcasts alone. Obviously, you need people listening to your podcast, but even if you're a solo operator handling all your guest booking, recording, editing, and promotion, you've still got a lot of people helping you along.
I think this list is a great "audit" for where you are as a podcaster and nice reminder that, if you need a certain type of help, you can get it by bringing in additional people to fulfill open roles.
- The Builder - These are motivators, always pushing you toward the finish line.
- The Champion - Somebody who roots for you and describes you to others in a way that makes you blush.
- The Collaborator - Somebody who loves that same strange thing that you love.
- The Companion - They won’t just help you move; they’ll help you move bodies.
- The Connector - No matter what the issue, they know somebody who can help.
- The Energizer - That fun friend who always give you a boost.
- The Mind Opener - They get you to question your assumptions.
- The Navigator - Sometimes they’re a mentor, sometimes they’re a sounding board, but they’re always your GPS system for when you don’t know which exit to take.
Who are the most important people on your team? What people do you need to add to your team? Let me know via Mastodon, Bluesky, or Threads!
Classifieds
Swell AI
Swell AI automates writing podcast summaries, articles, social posts, and more.
- Manage multiple shows in one dashboard.
- Build custom templates for each show.
- Connects with Google Drive, Dropbox, and Zoom.
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.
Book Like a Boss - Automated Guest Booking for Podcasters
Tired of guests missing interviews? Book Like a Boss handles all the little details when it comes to guest booking.
- automated guest scheduling
- automatic reminders (including text messages) sent to guests
- integrates with all email and calendar software
The Wrap Up
When you're ready, here's how I can help you even more ...
If you like the newsletter, you'll love Big Podcast AMP (Audio Monetization Program).
This program has been designed to help you do three things:
- Grow your podcast audience.
- Get people talking about your podcast.
- Make more money with your podcast.
You can get details here.