? 10 Top Podcasting Tips with a Four Year Podcasting Veteran

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This is the 200th episode of the Influencer Entrepreneurs’ Podcast and we are celebrating with my 10 top podcasting tips! 

IE 200: 10 Tops Podcasting Tips

10 Top Podcasting Tips with Jenny Melrose

Yes, you read that right, we are 200 episodes in. This podcast episode is a HUGE achievement for me! 

I debated what to do to celebrate 200 episodes, but decided that the best thing I could possibly do is share my top 10 podcasting tips. For 200 weeks in a row, I have put out a podcast episode. That is almost 4 years straight of creating and sharing content. 

We have gone through so much together in the past almost four years. So much of my life and your life has changed in that time. 

I really want to bring you my top podcasting tips that can help you, whether you are trying to decide if a podcast is right for your business or if you are already creating a podcast. 

These tips will help you stay consistent and be successful. 

Is Having a Podcast Worth It? 

I have had so many of you ask me if podcasting is worthwhile and if you can actually make money doing it. 

The answer is YES. 

Each week my audience is getting to hear my voice as I share my successes and failures. I am so honest and open about my life, and I have had so many people bring those things up to me when they met me at conferences. 

Being open and honest allows you to become part of my life, and then when you respond in the comments or send me a DM, it allows me to become part of your life as well. 

Having the podcast has sped up the process of many of you becoming clients of mine or students of my courses. It has also brought me many new friends. I recognize this when I meet you and you ask me about my girls or about my husband, Joe. 

Each and every one of you makes having this podcast so worthwhile and I cannot thank you enough for listening and sharing your life with me. 

Tip #1 – Choose a Name and a Topic 

The very first thing you need to think about when it comes to having a podcast is the topic and the name. 

You want to pick something that you are passionate about because that is what will make it stick with you. If you can think of a topic that you will continually want to talk about, it will make it so much easier to be consistent. 

Burnout can happen so easily. So choose something that, after you talk about it for 15 episodes, you aren’t tired of it. 

Think about what it is that you’re passionate about and what probably you can solve for your audience. Stick with that. You can always expand and pivot as your business grows. 

Tip #2 – Do Your Keyword Research 

Research your topic ideas with keyword research. Create questions that will fully answer that topic. 

You have to know what your audience needs and serve that need. You don’t want to be creating content that doesn’t speak to them. Make sure that if you are interviewing someone, they have the ability to solve a problem that your audience has. 

Do your keyword research on Google to know if your idea is a topic that people are interested in. Ty Kilgore did an amazing episode on keyword research with me. 

Don’t just come up with a cute name or idea and go with it. Think about what people are actually searching for and need help with. 

Use Google to help you answer questions. You can use Google Suggestion and SEMrush to really help you dive into the questions that will be asked. 

Tip #3 – Research Your Guests and Invite Them On the Show

My third tip is to make sure that you research your guests and ask them to be on your show. 

There are absolutely times that I have had people on the podcast because they have reached out to me and pitched themselves. Kate Crocco is a great example. She came onto IE because she pitched herself to me. 

Based on her pitch, I did my own research. I looked at her social media and checked to see if she was a good fit for the podcast. 

Find the people that you see as experts and ask them to come onto your podcast. 

Listen to your audience and clients when they tell you who they would like to hear on the show. Natasha Hemmingway did an amazing podcast interview with me recently and she was recommended to me as a great guest option. 

You want to know that your guest will be able to provide value to your audience. 

Tip #4 – Create A Process Prior to The Interview 

You want to set up an easy way for your guests to schedule an interview. You also want to create a process prior to the interview. 

Use a scheduling software that provides easy access to your calendar for your guest. This is so much simpler than going back and forth in emails trying to find a date that works for both of you. 

You want to make sure that you have a process in place. The guest needs to know whether they will be interviewed via Skype or Zoom and whether they will receive the questions ahead of time. 

I like to give my guests the questions 48 hours prior to the interview. I also include the link to the Zoom interview in that document. These questions serve as the outline and guide to the conversation. 

Tip #5 – Create a Blog Post for Each Episode 

You want to create a blog post for your podcast episodes, not a transcription. You want to link to that blog post in your audio software.

 I use Buzzsprout for my podcast hosting. When I put my audio into Buzzsprout, I include the link to the blog post. 

This blog post is the way that my guests will be able to access my opt-ins or any of the links from my guests. 

When you create that link to the blog post, it shouldn’t just be times that specific things were talked about. This won’t help you get discovered through Google. Make sure you have a full blog post with structure. 

You have to make sure that you are adding the link to the blog post with your audio. 

Tip #6 – Talk about Your Opt-Ins and Your Clients

You want to be talking about an opt-in or a freebie that you offer. That’s how many of you that are listening got onto my email list because I offered you a checklist or guide. 

These things should be linked in the blog post for the episode. Let your listeners know that if they get on your email list they will be the first to hear about your podcast episodes. 

When I first started emailing my list about my podcast episodes, I saw a 250% increase in downloads in a one month period. The people on your list are obviously interested in what you have to provide, so make sure that you share it with them. 

Talk about your clients. If you are someone that offers something service-based or product-based, make sure you give examples of your students and clients. This is how people will know what you offer. 

Tip #7 – Choose a Good Hosting Software 

Choose a good hosting software with informative stats and easy accessibility. 

There are all kinds of hosting software that you can use. I use Buzzsprout for this. It’s important to be able to use the stats to your advantage. Make sure your hosting company offers stats and makes it easy to upload the audio and your blog post link. Do you have an aff link to put here for Buzzsprout?

Technical difficulties can be what holds many of us back so you want to make sure that your hosting software is simple and easy to use.

Do your research and find out which software works best for you. 

Tip #8 – Create Social Media Content 

Create social media content based on your episodes with a branded image for Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. 

You do not have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to creating content. Cross-promote your content! I highly recommend having a branded image for each social media site. 

Use Canva to create these branded images. They make it super easy to drop your images into templates.

Tip #9 – Email Your Guests When The Episode Goes Live 

There needs to be a process for emailing your guests when your episodes are live. You want your guests to help promote the content that you created together. The information that the guest shared is invaluable. 

When it comes to your process, decide whether you will send them the blog post, provide them all the images, etc. Make it simple for them to share the content. 

Send them an email with a thank you for coming on the show and with the information they need to share the episode. 

There are plenty of email service providers out there, but I love Convertkit and have been with them for over five years.

Tip #10 – Share What You Are Passionate About 

My final tip for podcasting is to talk about things that your audience needs to hear but also things that you are passionate about. 

Be talking about content that is valuable but sometimes you need to get up on your soapbox and just talk about what is important to you. Even if it doesn’t quite fit into your keyword research, if it is valuable to your audience, you need to talk about it. 

Share examples from your personal life. These examples provide the opportunity for your listeners to understand exactly how what you’re saying applies to them. 

I hope that this episode has lots of value for you. Put these tips into place right now.  Listen, I know that there is a lot of information here. 

So, spend some time processing it and I can guarantee that if you’re ready to take your business to the next level, podcasting is the right way to go. 

To help me celebrate 200 episodes, I would love it if you shared this episode on social media. Tag me on Instagram and let me know when you started listening to the podcast. 

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