Podcasts are becoming an ever-bigger thing!
So this issue is focussing on them – and, in particular, on what the podcast boom potentially means for you!
According to research by my glamorous assistant, Ms Google, there are now over 5-million podcasts out there.
And she reports that, between them, they’ve racked up over 70-million episodes so far – with millions more to come!
This means that – if you decide to use your specialist knowledge, and/or that of your company’s expert team, to become podcast guests – there are loads of ongoing potential opportunities out there for you!
And if that isn’t enough, there’s also the video version of the podcast: the vodcast.
And the good news is that you’re likely to be given way more airtime on a podcast or vodcast than you’ll typically get on a mainstream news or current affairs programme.
From the perspective of Michael Dodd Communications – which helps people shine out in all kinds of interviews – much of the guidance I give interviewees for appearing on TV and radio stations and in newspapers, magazines and news websites also relates to podcasts and vodcasts.
But some things are different.
The idea of planning, preparing and practising ahead of your appearance – which is vital to mainstream media interviewees – applies equally to podcast and vodcast guesting.
You still need to think in advance about the likely questions – and ensure you’re ready for them.
And you still need to work out what are your key messages for the audience of each outlet – and tell the right fascinating real-life stories to illustrate them.
BROACASTING VS NARROWCASTING
However there is an important difference to consider.
Being interviewed on mainstream radio or TV, means you’re dealing with the “broadcasting world”.
So those making mainstream programmes are typically seeking to ensure that a broad range of listeners and viewers is captivated and encouraged to keep coming back.
Being a podcast or vodcast interviewee means you’re dealing with the “narrowcasting world”.
Here the podcasters and vodcasters are typically seeking to appeal to a more specific, narrower range of listeners and viewers.
These are audience members who have a particular interest in the subjects upon which the narrowcasting podcasters and vodcasters choose to concentrate.
This means that when podcasters and vodcasters are seeking guests, they’re looking for people who have important and fascinating things to say to their specific audience.
Even though they’re narrowcasters, they still want to be increasing numbers, of the right kind of people, who make up their audience.
To achieve this, they could be looking for you and your colleagues to appear as a guest!
So if you agree to be a podcast/vodcast interviewee, ALWAYS make yourself familiar with whom that typical target individual listener and viewer is.
This means always having a pre-interview discussion with the presenter ahead of your appearance to build a picture in your mind of that target audience member.
Always check out previous episodes, so you get to know the style and preferences of the interviewer.
This helps you know what to say to hit that “What’s In It For Me” factor lurking within your audience members!
WHAT DOES A PODCASTER REALLY REALLY WANT?
To find out more, I spoke to podcaster Amy Rowlinson who works with clients to inspire and empower them to discover the life of which they dream.
So her podcast – “Focus on WHY” – is completely in line with the interests of those who she is coaching and others who are focused on self-improvement and who might one day become her clients.
When Amy Rowlinson is considering guests for her podcasts she’s looking for people “who understand the intention of the podcast”.
She’s seeking guests who can “serve podcast listeners with what they want, need and value with their unique content.”
And while interviewing her guests, Amy is particularly set on generating what she calls “memorable moments of podcast gold”.
These are interviewee responses that “engage the audience to subsequently reflect – and act with intention.”
CREATING GOOSE BUMPS FOR LISTENERS
Amy Rowlinson’s test for this is whether the connection between her and her guest creates goose bumps for her and listeners.
“If it creates goose bumps then I know I’m on a winner!” Amy declares.
So in line with the “Focus on WHY” title of her podcast, Amy wants guests who understand WHY her listeners are listening.
It’s fair to say that other podcasters and vodcasters are also keen on interviewing guests who are, similarly, able to give answers which are line with what their audiences need.
And for those who are interested in being a guest on podcasts and vodcasts – to raise your profile, boost your marketing and/or change the world in the direction you desire – here’s one more tip.
Amy says it’s vital that what her interviewees say will stand the test of time.
She reckons the shelf life of a podcast episode is about 5 to 7 years.
Like many podcasters, her back episodes are available on line for listeners whenever they want.
So her interview guests need to say things which will still be relevant well into the future.
This means carefully choosing the examples which you intend to give, so that they will still be helpful to listeners in years to come.
So there’s much to contemplate if you decide to go down the route of being a podcast and vodcast guest.
If you set your sites on it – with or without the help of a Public Relations company – you need to approach podcasters and vodcasters who are making programmes where you have something useful to contribute to their followers.
So you can seek to entice the interviewers by sending a “one-sheet” about what you can offer their specific audience if you’re selected to be a guest.
If you’d like to check out how one particular guest performed on Amy’s “Focus on WHY” podcast, you’re welcome to listen to some or all of the following.
This is an interview Amy conducted with someone who was trained by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to ask “blowtorch-on-the-belly questions” – and who now focuses on helping individuals and teams to be able to give great answers to them.
Amy has interviewed a multitude of people for “Focus on WHY” as you might gather from this image…
You can check out some of her other podcast interviews here:
https://www.amyrowlinson.com/podcast
INTERVIEW TRAINING SESSIONS FOR PODCASTS & VODCASTS
Michael Dodd Communications media interview response training sessions for podcasts and vodcasts are run along much the same lines as for mainstream media.
But the training sessions concentrate on getting you ready to deal with particular podcast and vodcast interviewing styles.
I can work with participants in advance of training sessions to pick out particular podcasts and vodcasts where you might be aiming to be a potential guest.
Near the start of the session we typically record a mock interview with you based on you being on one of your target programmes.
This is played back – giving you the joy of hearing and/or seeing yourself as others hear or see you!
Like some green vegetables, this may not necessarily taste wonderful.
But it’s really good for your development!!!
You get specific feedback on the content, structure and delivery style of your answers.
And you find out what makes for EVEN better answers in the future.
GETTING YOU READY FOR ALL KINDS OF QUESTIONS
Unlike most interviews on the mainstream media, in podcast/vodcast world you’re less likely to be asked supremely tough questions.
You won’t routinely get the kind of challenging questions asked on the BBC’s Today Programme, Newsnight or HARDtalk.
But it’s always possible that one or two such tough questions might be slipped in if the interviewer feels it’s necessary on behalf of their audience.
So as the training session continues we practise, playback and critique until you’re in the best possible place to deal with all kinds of potential podcast and vodcast questions.
After the training, you will typically feel sufficiently confident to actually seek out podcast and vodcast guesting opportunities.
The training sessions can, where required, include some guidance on how to go about seeking the invitations you would like.
There’s more on all forms of media interview response training at:
http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/media-master-classes/
If you have a specific interview challenge or aspiration you need to prepare for, feel free let me know on michael@michaeldoddcommunications.com and we can line up a call to discuss how to be best ready for it.
Giving great answers to podcast and vodcast questions – easy ones and harder ones – is a learnable skill.
When you’ve developed it, you become even more desirable to those podcasters and vodcasters who may just love to invite you onto their shows!!!