2 min read
Humanizing your podcast is the difference between a good podcast and a great one. Your ability to authentically connect with your audience and bring the best out of your guests and your stories is a real differentiator.
When people tune in to your podcast it’s a very personal experience. It’s much more intimate than simply reading an article online or even watching a video. It taps into something much more primal with ties to the oral history that was required for so long in humanity.
So how do you do that?
- Prepare Your Guests Well
- Prepare Yourself Well
- Share Yourself
Prepare Your Guests Well
You should always do a prep call with guests to help them get comfortable with their appearance on your show. In this call, you’ll want to talk about the general tone of the show, your audience, show length, and the conversation strings you’d like to cover. Ask if there are additional topics that the guest wants to make sure you cover. Generally, this is a 20–30-minute conversation that lays the foundation for the episode while giving the guest what they need to feel confident and valued.
Unfortunately, sometimes there’s just not time to be able to do a prep call that is separate from the actual recording. In those cases, schedule the recording with extra time so you can do a brief prep before the episode.
This shows your guest that you value their time.
Prepare Yourself Well
The way you prepare yourself for your show makes a big difference in the episode. Do your research on your guest. If your guest has a book, read at least the key themes of it. Bonus points for reading the whole book. Then incorporate those themes in the conversation because that will open the conversation up in ways you couldn’t have imagined. It gives your listeners a way to get additional insight direct from the source, and it tells your guest that you take this seriously and are not here to waste anyone’s time.
If your guest doesn’t have a book, look at their industry and their background. Then look at current trends going on there and read a few articles around those trends.
Listen to other podcasts where the guests appeared. This gives you valuable insight into the personality of the guest and the way they’re likely to show up for your show. And you can adapt your approach based on that learning.
Share Yourself
People listen to podcasts because they like the topic. They continue listening because they like the host. That means you need to be open to establishing a relationship with your listeners and letting them in to at least some of your life. The best way to create genuine moments with your guests and your listeners is to be willing to be a little bit vulnerable. Don’t be afraid to admit things you struggle with. But watch out for oversharing. Remember, the show is about your guest, not you. Position those guests as heroes.