Fifth Lesson In Podcasting: Be Yourself
By Cheval John
This is the fifth lesson (chapter) on podcasting as part of a series of posts for my second book “8 Lessons Every Podcaster Needs To Learn.”
I have taken part in Nina Amir‘s “National Nonfiction Writing Month” challenge.
To find out more about the challenge, visit the website at www.writenonfictionnow.com
Without further ado, here is the post below:
Even though it is very important to have talking points from your research, you should not stick to the script.
You should try and be as conversational as possible with your guest and show your personality because a audience loves a person who is very authentic and willing to be real.
That does not mean you should talk about yourself the majority of the time while you are doing the show because it will come across as self-promotion.
Your main job is to showcase the guest and lift them up to your audience, not in the way that you do not have some disagreements about a particular subject.
If your guest ask you about your work, then you can chat about yourself for a bit.
Always keep in mind the 80/20 rule.
80% of the show is focused on the guest while 20% is focused on you.
Video courtesy of CenturyBooks
Fourth Lesson In Podcasting: Send The Reminder A Day Before The Show
By Cheval John
The post is the fourth lesson (chapter) of my second book, “8 Lessons Every Podcaster Needs To Learn.” as part of the National Nonfiction Writing Month challenge.
If you want to participate in this challenge, visit the website at www.writenonfictionnow.com/wnfin-2012/participate-wnfin/.
Here is the fourth lesson below.
I had booked a guest who was coming out with a new book.
Everything was scheduled and we were counting down to the day of the show.
Once the show began, the guest did not call in and I had to improvise while I was waiting for the person to dial the number for the show.
The guest sent me a message and said, “Her assistant did not sent her the number to call into the show.”
So I gave her the number and the show went on as usual.
I could have avoided the blunder if I had sent a reminder to the assistant the day before with the number to call.
You might think you do not need to send them or their representatives a reminder because they said they got it jot down in their calender.
However, it is always important to send a reminder because it can determine if you will have a great show, a mediocre show or no show at all.
As in my case, the show was near perfect after the blunder.
So how do you send a reminder the day before the show begins without feeling like you are being rude?
Below is an example of how to send the reminder notice for your guest:
“Jane Doe, I hope you are having a great week and I can not wait for the show tomorrow. Just in case, here is the number to call five minutes before the show begins at 3 p.m. eastern, 2 p.m. central, 1 p.m. mountain, noon pacific: 1-888-888-8888.
Thank you again for taking the time out of your busy schedule to make an appearance on the show.
Have a great day.”
Cheval John
Host, “Name of Podcast”
So to recap, if you want to make sure that you and your guest or the representative of the guest are on the same page, send a reminder the day before the show because you will avoid the awkward moment when you are by yourself doing the show without a guest.
Video courtesy of Nina Amir
Third Lesson In Podcasting: Research, Research, Research
By Cheval John
So now you have landed your guest for your podcast and are counting down to the show.
One of the most important things you must do before the show is to do your research.
You might say, “That is so obvious.”
The sad reality is many people don’t do their research on their guest.
The host might think they can wing it with the guest on the show.
However, your audience can tell right away if you are on top of your game.
When you do your research on the guest, you will find out interesting things you never knew before.
From the research, you can create some talking points which will be a guide for you once the show begins.
And when you ask your guests specific quotes, they will feel very valued because of the research you did before the episode.
Once that happens, the guest will refer your show to their friends who are influential as well.
In addition, you will gain greater credibility with your listeners because they know that you are very disciplined in preparation and also your audience knows you value them.
The blog post is the third lesson (chapter) from the second book I am blogging here, “8 Lessons Every Podcaster Needs To Learn.”
Video courtesy of Josh Sundquist
Second Lesson In Podcasting: Choose Your Niche
By Cheval John
This post is the second lesson (chapter) of my second book “8 Lessons Every Podcaster Needs To Learn” that I am blogging as part of Nina Amir’s “Write NonFiction In November Challenge, #NaNonFiWriMo.”
Though the challenge already began, it is not too late to join in on the fun of blogging a book in a month.
If you want to participate in #NaNonWriMo, visit the website at www.writenonfictionnow.com
Hope you enjoy this post below.
You might be wondering if you should aim for a general audience or go for a niche market.
You would think that it is easier to go after a general audience because you want to show that you are well rounded and also want to cater to everyone.
In a lot of ways, it might work if you want to display your experiences to a potential employer or in the case of a freelancer, a client.
However, that can cause you to lose your audience because you are trying to please everyone and are stretching yourself thin.
The best thing to do when you are starting a podcast is to go for a niche market.
Whether it is marketing, sports, self-help, etc., you are solving a specific need and in the process, creating a loyal following.
Dori DeCarlo, a seasoned entrepreneur, first got into podcasting after launching the show, “The Three Wise Girls” with co-hosts Debbie Barth and Linda Alexander.
During one of the shows, Dori did a two part segment on Mompreneurs, a woman who is a mom and is an entrepreneur.
In the process of that segment, Dori found her niche.
With the encouragement from her co-hosts, Dori launched her own show called “Word of Mom” which evolved into the network, “Word of Mom Radio.”
In the four years since launching, the network has received over 70,000 downloads in 2013 and is continuing to grow.
So if you want to grow your podcast, focus on a niche market because you will separate yourself from the crowd.
Video Courtesy of Tom Corson-Knowles
Sixth Lesson In Podcasting: Be A Good Listener
By Cheval John
This post is the sixth lesson (chapter) on podcasting.
It is part of a series of posts for my second book “8 Lessons Every Podcaster Needs To Learn.”
To read the back story on why I decided to blog the book, you can click here.
Here is the 6th lesson below, short and sweet.
One of the most important things a person can do during a podcast is listening carefully to what their guest are saying.
Most of the time, the interviewer will ask a question and then focus on what they are going to ask next.
When a person only focus on what they are going to ask instead of listening to their guest, they miss out on an answer so insightful that can benefit the listener.
If you don’t listen, the guest will believe that you do not care about what they have to share with you and your audience.
When that happens, your podcast might suffer and it will be hard to build it back up again.
So if you want to gain insightful information during your podcast that will benefit your audience, be a good listener.
Your guest will appreciate it so much that they will give you praise when they are showcasing their appearance on your podcast.
Video courtesy of Psyche Truth
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