12. Picking the Perfect Podcast Format

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Welcome to podcasting for business owners. If you’re thinking of launching a podcast

Laura: Welcome to podcasting for business owners. I’m your host, Laura McCrae, a podcast consultant, educator, and self confessed podcast nerd. If you’re thinking of launching a podcast or want to grow the one you have, you’re in the right place. Hold on to your headphones and let’s go. Welcome back to podcasting for business owners, the show helping you share your story, lead your industry, and grow your network through podcasting. Hi, I’m Laura, and today we’re talking about an essential topic, podcast formats, and what to consider before launching your show.

A lot of podcasts stick to one format, but I encourage you to mix it up

Let’s talk about choosing the right format for your podcast. A lot of podcasts stick to one format, but I’m here to encourage you to mix it up. It keeps your show interesting and can bring a fresh dynamic to your content. For example, if you mainly do solo episodes, it’s a great idea to occasionally bring in a guest for an interview. It adds variety and keeps your listeners engaged. Today, I’ll walk you through the three most common podcast formats, discussing the pros and cons of each. Let’s start with interviews. Interviews are fantastic because they allow you to bring in experts on topics you may not be an authority on. If your listeners are curious about something outside your expertise, you can find an expert and create a valuable episode that resonates with your audience. It’s a great way to provide new perspectives. Interviews allow you to connect with industry experts, influencers, and potential collaborators. This can lead to valuable relationships that extend beyond the podcast. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but you can meet some amazing people by interviewing guests on your show. Uh, I’ve met people that I would have never thought I’d get to meet before just by having a podcast. I’ve connected with them through social media and asked them if they’d like to be on the show. They’ve accepted, and I’ve had the opportunity to chat with them on a subject that we both love talking about. Also, my clients have met people that they’ve admired for years through having a podcast. One of my clients saw, uh, Siri Linley on stage with Tony Robbins and absolutely loved her energy and message. So after the show, she got in touch with her on Instagram, and they were talking back and forth on Instagram, so they had a relationship already. And then my client invited Siri onto her show. They had a great interview, and ever since then, they’ve stayed in touch and have developed this great connection. So when you’re thinking about doing interviews and asking people on your show, you can never dream too big. Just ask they might just say yes. Another great thing about having guests on your show is that they may share the episode with their own audience, which can help grow your podcast reach and attract new listeners. I’ve noticed this when I do the stats reports for my clients. I can see when one of their guest has shared the episode. As the downloads skyrocket, it can really make a difference. Although you can’t guarantee that your guests will share your episode, so don’t rely on this tactic to gain more listeners and downloads. Also, by you, regularly featuring experts on your show can make you seem like a, uh, well connected and knowledgeable host, which can enhance your credibility.

When recording interviews remotely, there can be connection issues or glitches

However, interviews do come with their, uh, challenges. It can sometimes be tough to find guests who align with your show’s values and message. Plus, there’s a hassle of scheduling and coordinating with your guests. I recommend using a scheduling tool like calendly. It connects to your calendar and lets your guests book a time that works for both of you, removing those annoying back and forth emails. Also, the quality of your episodes can vary depending on your guests experience and ability to communicate effectively. Some guests might not be as engaging as others. Also, their tech might not be great. They might not have a decent mic, or they may not use headphones. This can really make a difference to your audio quality. Also, they may record in a room that’s echoey. Again, not a good place to record. Another thing, when recording interviews remotely, there can be connection issues. If you’re using Wi Fi, your guests can sometimes cut out or glitch. They might be in the middle of a really good topic, then they start glitching. If this happens, it’s a good idea to ask them to just repeat what they said. If you’re comfortable doing so, then you can just edit the glitchy bit out when you do your editing. But despite these challenges, interviews can really enhance the content quality of your podcast.

Co hosting allows you to share responsibilities and make podcast workload more manageable

Next up, let’s talk about conversational or co hosted podcasts. This is where you and at least one other person host a show together. This format is great for offering different perspectives and creating an engaging back and forth conversation.

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Not only this, co hosting allows you to share the responsibilities of content creation, promotion, and other podcast related tasks, making the podcast workload more manageable. You can spread out who does the editing, who does the social media posts, who finds the guests, that sort of thing. If you have a great rapport with your co host, it can create a lively, engaging atmosphere that your listeners enjoy. This dynamic, um, can make your podcast feel more like a natural conversation than a structured show. But choosing the right co host is crucial. You need to be on the same page about roles and responsibility, like who’s handling the editing or social media. Sorting out these details before you start recording will save you from any awkward situations later on. Um, trust me, you don’t want any behind the scenes tension affecting your podcast. Unfortunately, I’ve seen this happen before and it can break up a show. Coordinating schedules with a co host can be challenging, especially if you both have busy lives or different time zones. Make sure to set the same time and day regularly to meet and um, both put it in your calendars so you never miss a meeting again. If meetings are missed, this can really affect your relationship and cause tension, especially if one feels like they’re putting more effort in than the other. Over time, you may find that you and your co host have different visions for the podcast. These differences can lead to conflicts if not addressed early on. If you get to this stage, it’s probably a good idea to quit whilst you’re still on good terms and start your own separate podcasts.

Solo episodes allow you to showcase your unique voice without distractions

Lastly, let’s talk about solo episodes. These are perfect when you want complete control over your content. You can record multiple episodes in one go, edit them on your schedule and decide on topics that matter most to you and your listeners. Solo episodes allow you to showcase your unique voice, personality and expertise without distractions. Its an excellent way to build a personal brand around your podcast. You have full control over the content, timing and pacing of your episode, which allows you to be more spontaneous or reactive to current events or trends. So for example, if you saw something on the news and wanted to talk about it in your podcast, you can just get straight on your mic, record the episode and schedule it so that its timely. You dont have to worry about making sure your co host agrees or is ready to record the podcast. You can just decide yourself and go for it. Solo episodes can create a uh more intimate connection with your audience as listeners may feel theyre getting to know you on a personal level. Thats why I always recommend that when you launch your podcast, your first three episodes should be solo episodes so that your audience gets to know you from the very beginning is your show after all the downside of solos, everything falls on you. This can be overwhelming at first, especially when you’re just starting out. Many of my clients find the first few solo episodes challenging, but once they get into the swing of things they find it much easier and even start enjoying it. It can feel weird just talking to a mic and not talking to anyone, but the key is to keep going, it will get easier and easier. Also, since youre the only voice on the show, you might miss out on alternative viewpoints or uh, fresh ideas that could come from guests or co hosts. And if youre solely relying on your own ideas and experiences, you might find it challenging to keep the content fresh and avoid repeating yourself over time. Thats something im finding at the moment with my solo episodes I keep referring back to other episodes and making sure im not repeating myself. Lastly, with solo episodes all the responsibility falls on you to keep the content engaging, informative and entertaining, which can be daunting, especially if you’re having an off day. That’s why I think it’s a great idea to batch record solo episodes when you’re in the mood for recording. Make the most of the mood and record as much as you can. There’s a couple of other formats that aren’t so popular, which I’m going to touch on briefly. Now there’s the narrative or storytelling format. This format focuses on telling a story, either fictional or non fictional. Um, it’s great for creating engaging content, but it requires careful planning, scripting and often more editing. It’s ideal for niche topics or building a series around a specific subject. This could be like your true crime type podcasts. The great thing about this format is that you can captivate your listeners with an exciting story which can make you really stand out. But the trouble with this format is that it can be really time consuming to produce an edit and it requires really strong storytelling skills. Then finally, there’s the panel format, which involves a group of people, usually around three to five people, discussing a topic. It’s similar

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to a co host podcast, but with more people. These are great because you get diverse opinions and a lively debate which can be very engaging if managed well. The trouble with these though, is that it can be difficult to manage the conversations. People are likely to talk at the same time as there’s so many of you, which can make editing the podcast tricky. Also, it might be tricky to organise the calendars of three to five people to enable you all to be on the show at the same time. I’ve seen this happen before too, where four hosts are in the US and the other is in Australia. The australian host is very rarely on the show because the time that the others recalled rarely works for him. I’m just going to sum up now and give you some tips with podcast interviews. If you’re planning to interview guests on your show, your guests need to be relevant, knowledgeable and uh, most importantly, engaging your guests don’t need to be comedians, but you need to make sure they won’t irritate or bore your audience. So do a bit of research before inviting someone on your show. Listen to other podcasts they’ve been on to get a sense of their style when it comes to interviews. Like I said earlier, use a tool like calendly. It’s a lifesaver. And before you interview, ask ah your guests for a headshot, their name and their job title, a short bio, and any links that they’ll refer to in the episode. This just makes it easier for you to promote the episode and ensures you have all the details you need to write your show notes. Make sure your guests know how long the interview will be, and remind them to record in a quiet space with headphones on and preferably an external mic. These little things make a difference in the quality of your recording.

Today’s podcast focuses on podcast formats for business owners

So that’s it for today’s episode on podcast formats. Whether you’re going solo, co hosted, or mixing in interviews, each format has its own set of benefits and challenges. Think about what works best for you and your audience, and remember, don’t be afraid to mix it up. Thanks for tuning in to podcasting for business owners. I’ll see you next week when we chat with content marketing coach Chris Solaris about how to repurpose your podcast content. If you found value in this podcast, please leave. A five star rating and a review would be even better. Your support shows that this is a good show, which will attract high profile guests and in turn, deliver greater value to you. This podcast is produced and edited by me. Don’t waste your time on editing. Let me help you with your podcast. Cheque out the links in the show notes to get in touch.

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