Being the fastest-growing medium, the podcasting industry is brimming with intriguing new talent and ideas. However, not all podcasts are successful. This is where a good podcast host makes the difference. Audience will instinctively make an evaluation of your podcast depending on the emotional mood you give out. While listening to a podcast, for instance, the listeners might think the podcast host sounds fake or robotic. So, the podcast, although being informative, might become uninteresting based on their monotonous interview with the guest. The host is the key driving factor behind everything. They have complete control over the material, guests, and audience participation. In order to become a great podcast host, you'll need a certain level of practice and skill. Podcastle has some tips and strategies to help you become a better host and create a competitive advantage for your podcast that will set you apart from the competition.
Know Your Audience
Your audience plays a vital role since, after all, the end result is for them. Everything you do and every piece of content you create should be in service to your audience. You should go deep into your listeners' minds and figure out what's running through their heads. To become a successful podcast host, you should speak to the audience as if you are friends. Your listeners will connect with you and your show on a much more emotional level. So, you will create better content and build a stronger connection with your audience, which will keep them interested and tuned in.
Find The Best Guest For Your Topic
You owe it to your audience to interview guests who are relevant to the wants and needs of your listeners. So, you should be wise when choosing a guest for your show.
Many guests are repeatedly asked the same questions. Therefore, you need to make your interview stand out from the others. The interviewees appreciate it when the host knows them well. That's why you should prepare for the interview and gather all the necessary information about your guest. Check their social media accounts, listen to other podcasts where they've given interviews, and read their articles, blogs, and books.
Keep Authenticity
Audience values your individuality more than almost every other podcast component. Your show will score higher in the Apple Podcast ratings if your content is intimate, regardless of genre or topic. So, being authentic is one of the best ways to engage audiences. You can use your everyday language and slang to make your speech vivid. Share your point of view and personal stories, and most importantly, have fun.
Transcribe Your Podcast Episodes
An engaging podcast host seeks to offer as much value as possible for their audience. One way to do that is by providing speech-to-text transcriptions of your episodes. You may significantly improve the user experience and increase discoverability by transcribing your episodes and repurposing your transcripts by turning them into blogs, social media posts, etc. Here at Podcastle.ai, we know transcribing might be exhausting and time-consuming. So, to make the process easy, we offer accurate and fast transcription tools.
Have A Pre-Interview With Your Guest
We all know that podcasters have a lot on their plate before starting each episode. But to make an effective show, a good host should do some pre-interview prep work. It might seem like a pain, but it can really help you get the most out of your podcast guest. Before starting any episode, it's highly recommended that you schedule a pre-interview call with them to work out the best stories and advice they can offer. It will let you be more focused on those topics during the main interview.
This way, you'll also make your guest feel relaxed and comfortable while they're on the show. You'll prepare them before the interview and help them forget that you're going to record at all.
Request Feedback
Feedback is essential. Even though you may not like the idea, getting feedback for your podcast allows your audience to share their thoughts on how they feel about your show. This will help you create more listener-orientated content.
Ask your listeners to take a short survey answering questions like "How does the audio sound? What makes the show so special? Is there any specific content that they'd want to hear?"
Summary
Becoming a good podcast host might be a challenging task since it requires constant improvement. To help your podcast succeed, you should be informed of your hosting skills and seek to upgrade them in order to keep listeners interested and returning for more. Learn to create the type of conversation that your listeners want to hear, look for the best guests to interview on your show, and become an expert on the subject.