{"id":2334,"date":"2022-01-20T15:54:15","date_gmt":"2022-01-20T10:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hubhopper.com\/blog\/?p=2334"},"modified":"2025-05-01T16:27:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T10:57:15","slug":"being-an-effective-podcast-host","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hubhopper.com\/blog\/being-an-effective-podcast-host\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Contrarian tips on being an effective podcast host"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-flat ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/hubhopper.com\/blog\/being-an-effective-podcast-host\/#11_Contrarian_podcast_host_tips\" title=\"11 Contrarian podcast host tips\">11 Contrarian podcast host tips<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/hubhopper.com\/blog\/being-an-effective-podcast-host\/#1_Dont_send_your_guest_a_list_of_questions_beforehand\" title=\"1. Don\u2019t send your guest a list of questions beforehand\">1. Don\u2019t send your guest a list of questions beforehand<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/hubhopper.com\/blog\/being-an-effective-podcast-host\/#2_Play_devils_advocate\" title=\"2. Play devil\u2019s advocate\">2. Play devil\u2019s advocate<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/hubhopper.com\/blog\/being-an-effective-podcast-host\/#3_Have_long_conversations\" title=\"3. Have long conversations\">3. Have long conversations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/hubhopper.com\/blog\/being-an-effective-podcast-host\/#4_Go_off-script\" title=\"4. Go off-script\">4. Go off-script<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/hubhopper.com\/blog\/being-an-effective-podcast-host\/#5_Tell_your_own_stories_and_show_your_own_weaknesses\" title=\"5. Tell your own stories and show your own weaknesses\">5. Tell your own stories and show your own weaknesses<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/hubhopper.com\/blog\/being-an-effective-podcast-host\/#6_Ask_dumb_questions\" title=\"6. Ask dumb questions\">6. Ask dumb questions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/hubhopper.com\/blog\/being-an-effective-podcast-host\/#7_5_Whys_and_Redundancy\" title=\"7. 5 Whys and Redundancy\">7. 5 Whys and Redundancy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/hubhopper.com\/blog\/being-an-effective-podcast-host\/#8_Dont_worry_about_%E2%80%9Cactionable_takeaways%E2%80%9D\" title=\"8. Don\u2019t worry about \u201cactionable takeaways\u201d\">8. Don\u2019t worry about \u201cactionable takeaways\u201d<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/hubhopper.com\/blog\/being-an-effective-podcast-host\/#9_Dont_introduce_them_or_ask_them_to_introduce_themselves\" title=\"9. Don\u2019t introduce them or ask them to introduce themselves\">9. Don\u2019t introduce them or ask them to introduce themselves<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/hubhopper.com\/blog\/being-an-effective-podcast-host\/#10_Ignore_growth_for_the_first_dozen_episodes\" title=\"10. Ignore growth for the first dozen episodes\">10. Ignore growth for the first dozen episodes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/hubhopper.com\/blog\/being-an-effective-podcast-host\/#11_Dont_learn_about_your_audience_Be_your_audience\" title=\"11. Don\u2019t learn about your audience. Be your audience.\">11. Don\u2019t learn about your audience. Be your audience.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/hubhopper.com\/blog\/being-an-effective-podcast-host\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <strong><em>This guest blog is by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alexbirkett.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alex Birkett<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Being a podcast host is hard. Some of it is certainly natural. But even the naturals have to work hard at delivering a great interview. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I\u2019ve been a guest on dozens of podcasts, and I\u2019ve now done <a href=\"https:\/\/beomniscient.com\/podcast\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">50+ interviews as a podcast host<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In the beginning, I wasn\u2019t great. I was awkward, asked vague questions, and was overly nervous about the interview, which led to ineffective responses.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Through practice, mentorship, and lots of reading and feedback, I\u2019ve become much better. Still not a \u201cnatural,\u201d so to speak, but our podcast is growing and guests constantly say things like this:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cI\u2019ve been in a few podcasts interviews and this has been the most fun. It\u2019s nice to have an active participant in the conversation and learn a little bit about you as well, so I really appreciate that.\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This won\u2019t cover the technical aspects of podcasting, including where to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alexbirkett.com\/podcast-hosting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">host your podcast<\/a>. Instead, this post covers what I\u2019ve learned about being a great podcast host and producing a great interview.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"11_Contrarian_podcast_host_tips\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 11 Contrarian podcast host tips<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Don\u2019t send your guest a list of questions beforehand<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Play devil\u2019s advocate<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Have long conversations<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Go off-script<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Tell your own stories and show your own weaknesses<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Ask dumb questions<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 5 Whys and Redundancy<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Don\u2019t worry about \u201cactionable takeaways\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Don\u2019t introduce them or ask them to introduce themselves<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Ignore growth for the first dozen episodes<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Don\u2019t learn about your audience. Be your audience.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Dont_send_your_guest_a_list_of_questions_beforehand\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <strong>1. Don\u2019t send your guest a list of questions beforehand<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This might be the strangest thing I do, at least in the context of the business podcasting space.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve been a guest on many podcasts. In almost every case, they sent me a list of questions beforehand. When they sent me questions, here\u2019s what I did: I wrote in-depth answers for each of them before the interview. During the interview, I pretty much read them verbatim.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Which led me to think: why did we have to record this together? I could have just emailed you these or sent you a Loom video.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The magic of a podcast is often in the unexplored or unplanned territory. What you don\u2019t expect someone to say is often infinitely more interesting than what you do expect them to say.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Granted, many people will be nervous to jump on a podcast with a stranger with no idea of what to discuss.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Therefore, I mitigate this fear in a few different ways:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I send over general topic areas.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I ask them \u201cwhat are you on a soapbox about lately?\u201d and \u201cwhat are you banging your head about lately?\u201d This helps me plan areas to talk about that they\u2019re passionate about.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I do a lengthy pre-podcast chat to warm them up and explain the concept.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This is really only for guests I\u2019ve never met before. If I\u2019m interviewing a friend, I just throw them in the deep end and have the discussion we would have if the mic weren\u2019t even on.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Play_devils_advocate\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <strong>2. Play devil\u2019s advocate<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> When you feel that a guest is slipping into safe answers, you can do one of two things:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Play dumb.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Play devil\u2019s advocate.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I\u2019ll talk later about asking dumb questions, but here\u2019s why playing devil\u2019s advocate produces interesting answers.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> You trigger a small defensive response when you say something contrary to what the guest believes. You can\u2019t be too argumentative; otherwise, the interview can get hostile and they shut down. But if you simply say something like, \u201cin my experience, I\u2019ve seen [opposite of their views],\u201d you can get them to defend their point with more vigor than otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Talking to an email marketer about retargeting? Say something like, \u201cbut isn\u2019t email remarketing kind of creepy?\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Talking to a content marketer who believes in editorial style guides? Say something like, \u201cI\u2019ve tried to build style guides, but I often find they\u2019re not useful for clients.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This perks up their ears and gives them an \u201cantithesis\u201d to their thesis, which usually results in a synthesis (good old <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dictionary.com\/browse\/hegelian-dialectic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hegelian dialectic<\/a>).&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Have_long_conversations\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <strong>3. Have long conversations<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It\u2019s hard to get people to book a long time period. People are busy. But I require guests to book 1.5-2 hours, regardless of how busy or important they are.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I took this cue from Lex Fridman, who does 3 hour long conversations with technical AI experts and huge names. If they can do it, famous content marketers can do it, too.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Why long convos? Because, like writing an article, the first few paragraphs are just warm up. The real meat of the conversation comes after 10-20 minutes of getting to know each other.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> You can choose to edit this stuff out later and produce a 30-minute episode. But having the 2 hour conversation gives you enough material that what you keep in is actually really interesting.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Look, it\u2019s hard to be a guest and only have 20 minutes to talk. There\u2019s so much pressure to say pristine, intelligent things right off the bat. No one works well under that kind of pressure. So let the conversation breathe, and make your guests book longer time slots.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Go_off-script\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <strong>4. Go off-script<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Back to that list of prepared questions: even if you send over questions beforehand, try to go off-script. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I don\u2019t mean, \u201cit\u2019s okay to go off-script if it happens, but try to stay on course.\u201d I mean, deliberately veer off course.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Again, I run a business podcast, but I\u2019ll often ask questions like: <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cDid moving to Hawaii affect your ambition and happiness?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cWhat novels did you read as a kid?\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cWhat do you do outside of work?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> These questions serve two purposes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> First, regardless of how serious and professional your podcast aims to be, people love to know the person behind the tactics. Bringing personality and color to your guests helps people love them.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Second, these questions are easy and fun to answer, and they throw the guest off their normal \u201cbroken record\u201d stock answers. I try to jar them into honesty by bringing things down to the personal and seemingly irrelevant. And then when I ask a follow-up question that is more technical and professional, their guard is down and they\u2019ll give me a real answer.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Tell_your_own_stories_and_show_your_own_weaknesses\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <strong>5. Tell your own stories and show your own weaknesses<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It feels weird telling your own stories, shifting the focus to yourself in an interview.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cIsn\u2019t this interview about the guest?\u201d you ask.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Yes. It\u2019s about the guest. But an interrogation is rarely the best way to get them to truly open up.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> People open up in conversations, not interviews. If you only ask and you don\u2019t give anything of your own, the guest will always feel like they&#8217;re on the defensive to a certain extent.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I try to relate to things they say with my own response, not necessarily just the next question on my list. In fact, I\u2019ll open up about my challenges, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cI\u2019ve always felt insecure about the fact that I\u2019m a generalist,\u201d I\u2019ll say.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> How much stronger is this than simply asking, \u201chow do you feel about being a generalist?\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> People want a sparring partner, not a punching bag. Give and take. It\u2019s a conversation.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Ask_dumb_questions\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <strong>6. Ask dumb questions<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I want to get down to the absolute roots of how someone thinks. I want the most specific description of a tactic or something they\u2019re explaining.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The only real way to do this is to play dumb.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cWait, can you back up? What *is* integrated marketing?\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cOkay, silly question but ______.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cCan you explain more? I don\u2019t really understand that.\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This takes the pressure off the conversation, which gets the guest out of their head. When you ask really tough, advanced questions all the time, people can get self-conscious. They begin to consciously concoct intelligent sounding answers that don\u2019t actually get to the root of an issue.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> So play it down. You\u2019re the amateur, they\u2019re the expert. Teach me something!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_5_Whys_and_Redundancy\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <strong>7. 5 Whys and Redundancy<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Similar to asking dumb questions, I really drill down on specifics. I use the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mindtools.com\/pages\/article\/newTMC_5W.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">5 Whys framework<\/a> here.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> When someone tells me a high level story about how their content team is set up, I\u2019ll follow up with something like, \u201cwhy did you set it up like that?\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> When they tell me that they set up their content team like that after many reorgs, I\u2019ll ask something like, \u201cwhy have you decided to undergo so many reorgs? Is this because of evolving content strategy and goals?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Then, \u201cwhy are your goals and content strategy evolving?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> And on and on. I don\u2019t move on to the next question right away.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I probably sound redundant, like an annoying broken record.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> But the first answer someone gives is almost always obvious. The second answer is intriguing. And the third answer? That\u2019s usually mind blowing.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Dont_worry_about_%E2%80%9Cactionable_takeaways%E2%80%9D\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <strong>8. Don\u2019t worry about \u201cactionable takeaways\u201d<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Marketers can be obsessed with \u201cactionable takeaways\u201d and tips.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> However, you, as the host, need to ignore the tendency to push for these actionable takeaways.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> When you\u2019re explicitly chasing these things, the guest becomes self-conscious. They start to pre-plan their answers to sound a certain way. You\u2019re after honesty, not actionability. Actionable takeaways are hard to predict.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Specifically asking the guest for tactics is an amazing way to bore yourself, the guest, and the audience.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_Dont_introduce_them_or_ask_them_to_introduce_themselves\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <strong>9. Don\u2019t introduce them or ask them to introduce themselves<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Introducing the guest is awkward. Asking them to introduce themselves? Unbearable.&nbsp; <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Do this later on your own. You can rattle off their job title, name, acumen, etc.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In the conversation, though? Just jump in.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Later, I do a podcast introduction that I record myself. Fun fact, I use Jarvis to write them. But it\u2019s at this stage that I can fully flesh out who this guest is for the audience and capture their attention. Then I don\u2019t need to make it weird in the conversation itself.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_Ignore_growth_for_the_first_dozen_episodes\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <strong>10. Ignore growth for the first dozen episodes<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Chances are, you started your podcast for a reason.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> While it\u2019s certainly nice to have conversations with smart people, most podcasters have a bigger goal. It might be <a href=\"https:\/\/collectingcents.com\/passive-income-ideas-to-make-money-online\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">monetization <\/a>through ads. It might be generating authority and eventually getting leads. It might just be a brand awareness play for a brand.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Lofty goals aside, focus first on getting your flow with the podcast and format.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Growth comes later. The first dozens of episodes are where two things happen:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> You iron out the kinks in the process and feel comfortable podcasting<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> You get past the emotional obstacle of a dozen episodes and get into a routine<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Once you\u2019ve got those things figured out, you can figure out how to <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.appsumo.com\/email-list-building\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">drive email subscriptions<\/a> with your podcast, sell ads, promote yourself on other podcasts and co-marketing partnerships, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartling.com\/resources\/101\/localized-content-marketing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">translate your podcast transcripts to a global audience.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> But first, focus on quality.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"11_Dont_learn_about_your_audience_Be_your_audience\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <strong>11. Don\u2019t learn about your audience. Be your audience.<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If I\u2019m not having fun in my conversations, I\u2019m going to stop doing my podcast. Not only that, if I\u2019m not having fun, it bleeds into the guest\u2019s responses, and then the podcast itself is boring.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Turns out, you have to be your own audience to a certain extent.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Virginia Zacharaki at Moosend gave me this tip:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em> \u201cA successful podcast host needs to understand what the audience thinks and feels when listening to their podcast. Being at one with the audience and thinking like a fan enables podcast hosts to better engage their audience with spot-on questions to the visitors and enticing content that entertains and educates. Understanding what makes the audience tick and what piques their interest is an integral part of being a successful presenter.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I find that you can do audience research (and feedback really helps), but what really helps is when you yourself are interested in the same things as your audience. That\u2019s the secret that makes most podcasts worth listening to.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Conclusion<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Hosting a podcast is hard work. What you think will work sometimes backfires (like when you pre-send questions or push for actionable answers).&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> What usually works, as a heuristic, is making the guest feel comfortable and like they\u2019re having fun. It should be fun &#8211; for both you and the guest.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> When you\u2019re having fun, you lose track of the recording, the audience. You speak more honestly, and through honesty, you produce differentiated content.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> And through differentiated content, you grow an audience. That\u2019s how you win.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This guest blog is by Alex Birkett. Being a podcast host is hard. Some of it is certainly natural. 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