Starting a podcast can be an overwhelming task. There are many things to consider, from choosing a topic to figuring out the technical aspects of recording and publishing. AMIRIGHT? But, with experience and my help, you as a podcast host can learn to improve your skills and create a more successful podcast.

Today I’m sharing five important strategies that I wish I had known when I first started podcasting.

1. Make a PLAN: Spend time on the important stuff.  You gotta have a plan! Two ways to do that.

A. Research your guests or have an idea of your episode point a, b, and c. You can riff and be conversational with the content but keep the main thing the main thing.

B. Let go of perfectionism.  The women in my group program have coined the hashtags #ditchingperfectionism and #doingitmessy Don’t edit out every single “ah” or “um” - I wasted SO MUCH TIME doing this!  Editing myself out was a huge part of this, as well as dealing with my own insecurities after doing a lot of inner work on myself with the Lord and what He has called me to do.

The importance of preparation cannot be overstated when it comes to creating a successful podcast. When I started the Friends of a Feather Podcast, I wanted to ask the questions everyone wanted to know! The fun questions, the deep questions, the behind-the-scenes questions that I knew my listeners were probably wondering about too. Spending time researching your guest or your topic is SO helpful and helps you feel more prepared before recording each episode. It will help you be more knowledgeable and professional, and it can also make your episodes more engaging for listeners. And, as you will see, engaging listeners are what we want!!

2. Remember to get your audience Involved

I wish I had prioritized audience engagement! Your listeners will become like friends and will be loyal to you throughout your entire podcast. You want them to interact with you. This could include doing a Q&A episode and interacting with them over social media.

Here’s how you can invite your audience to get engaged with your content.

A. Let your personality come out on your episode, emails, and social media….Don’t be afraid to let your real personality shine.  If you are a dork be a dork. If you sing when you are nervous, sing when you are nervous. BE REAL.

B. Ask the guest questions you want to know! (Are you like me and go straight to the Q and A’s OR the coaching episodes? I LOVE those!)

C. Read reviews from your listeners. By engaging with your audience, podcast hosts can build a loyal following and create a community around YOUR podcast. How fun!

3. Consistency is important to the health and growth of your podcast!

Jump in.  You will get better at podcasting! You may surprise yourself and EAT IT UP!  CONSISTENCY is part of my proprietary process: Plan, Accountability, and Consistency. After hosting a few episodes, you will realize the value of developing consistency with your podcast.

As we learned 2 weeks ago, Consistency doesn’t mean more!  It’s consistency OVER our idea of perfection (see related episodes, below)

4. Learn from Listener Feedback

Finally, podcast hosts who have been at it for a while will likely become more attuned to listener feedback. It’s important to pay attention to your listeners…they are why you are doing it anyway! Look at your analytics and then give the people what they want!!  You can tell how long someone listens, how many people listen, where they are listening, and what content they listened to the most on your analytics page in Apple Podcast so go check it out!

5. Be a leader in your realm.

By leading others through your podcast, you will become more knowledgeable and professional and will make your episodes more engaging for listeners. Don’t interrupt, but do take control of the conversation. Lead them where they need to go...

On the Friends of a Feather Podcast, I remember interviewing Jamie Ivey. After welcoming her, I dove into the interview and then I didn’t even talk about adoption with her, which is what I had wanted to talk about in the first place! So do what you say you’re gonna do. I KNOW I am going to possibly veer off topic, but at least acknowledge it…don’t leave your listeners or your guests wondering.   Confidently share your message. Be bold in it.

Now, am I doing things differently than I did 7 years ago when I was starting out with the Friends of a Feather podcast? Yes!  The neat thing is by incorporating these 5 strategies, you can create a more successful podcast and build a loyal following!

I want more Christian women business owners to start their podcasts as a way to allow them to walk in the gifts God has given them. ~ Wren Robbins

I need your help…here’s the engagement I need from you to ask yourself this question: did this episode help me in my podcasting journey? 

And if so, would you share it? Take a screenshot, share it in your stories on Instagram or FB, and tag me @wrenrobbinscoach on Instagram and on FB at wrenrobbinspodcaststrategist

Let’s get the word out about helping others in their podcast journey!  Thank you SO much!

Grab your Podcast Checklist!

RELATED EPISODES:

• Episode 32: Overcoming Filler Words in Your Podcast with Karen Laos

• Episode 75: Podcasting Non-Negotiables, Part 3

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