Prologue
The Secret to Good Podcasting
People ask me all the time about "tricks" and "secrets" to growing a podcast audience. And yeah, there are some cool tactics you can use that will help you do just that. If you look at the archives of this newsletter you'll see some tools that will get you started on this.
But the real secret to growing a great audience is being a great host who is connected with the people who are listening to you. And this comes from "time on the mic."
This issue isn't sexy, but if you take the information here and put it to use, you'll become a better host and, because of this, attract the audience you want.
Podcast Hosting Skills
Voice Over Sample Scripts - Free Demo & Practice Scripts
Confession time...
The Big Podcast Audiobook is over 10 hours long, but it probably took me 30 hours to record myself reading it. Some of that is because I wanted the "perfect performance" and redid things, but a lot of it was that I simply made a ton of mistakes while recording.
I'm working on a followup book and want to make the audiobook version goes a bit easier. To do this, I've started a daily practice of reading out loud. It's easy to do and takes maybe 10-15 minutes per day.
I read anything and everything, including scripts, such as the ones included on this page. Some of them are completely ridiculous (like used car ads), but it's great practice that makes me better on the mic.
Regardless of the type of podcast you have, the ability to read out loud is a must. And if you spend just a few minutes every day working on this skill, you will be amazed how much better you become at it.
30 Podcast Episodes in 30 Days
I'm working with an upcoming podcaster who was recently approached by one of those podcast booking agencies who takes on anyone and everyone – they suggested 20 potential guests for her to interview. None of them were a great match for her.
My advice? Interview all of them and learn from the experience – it will make you a better interviewer and prepare you for when your interviews count. And if you can jump in by doing solo episodes, you will never be dependent on guests and will have total podcasting freedom.
Your episodes for this challenge don't have to be perfect – you could read a script from the site mentioned above. That counts, because you're working on skills here, not trying to make the perfect podcast for somebody to listen to.
Jumping in fully makes you a better podcaster. If you want to get good, you need time behind the mic.
I hope the information in this article inspires you to try doing a 30-in-30 challenge for yourself.
How to Interview Someone
This article was written for writers, not podcasters, but everything mentioned here still applies to you and your podcast interviews. It shows you how to make interviewing a "competitive edge" and will help you create great interviews that will grow your podcast audience.
The Art of the Podcast Interview – What I’ve Learned from 700 Episodes
Some great advice on podcast interviewing from a guy who has done 700+ of them. This article includes segments on:
- Guest Selection
- Pitching Guests
- Guests Referrals
- Guest Research
- Telling a Story via Interviews
It's worth a read.
How to Find Your Voice – Advice From a Hollywood Vocal Coach
Hollywood vocal coach, Denise Woods, has been a professional vocal and dialect coach for over 20 years. She's worked with people like Will Smith, Halle Berry, and Jessica Chastain.
Listen to hear Denise gives tips on how to nix the bad habits of the “ums,” “ahs,” and “likes,” figure out your unique “voice print,” and learn to harness the power of your breath when speaking.
The Wrap Up
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My goal is to better empower podcasters to be more successful spreading their messages and make more money with their podcasts.
I'd love it if you'll help me spread the word about this newsletter by sending your podcasting friends to bigpodcast.com/newsletter.