If you have a podcast where you interview guests, STOP.
When you decided to get into podcasting you thought, it would be a great way to build your authority, grow your visibility, and improve your conversions. Awesome. And then you looked at the other podcasts out there and you went straight to the typical format – interviewing guests. For the longest time, having a podcast meant that you had an interview show.
But, is it really serving you, your business, and your listener? Is it getting you closer to your goal? That’s what I cover in this episode.
Why Everyone Does Podcast Interviews
I get it. Interviews feel like the easy way to start a podcast. They are the go-to plan. And, in the beginning, this format can help grow your audience especially if you have people on who are willing to share your interview with their audience.
When I chat with podcasters in my free 15-minute coaching call about why they chose to go with an interview format, this is usually the reason. Some admit that they have an interview show because they wanted to have a reason to contact prospects and build a relationship – that’s a whole other strategy and one I respect for one reason and one reason only – at least they have a purpose and the purpose is being met. But, making the listener experience secondary isn’t something I can get behind.
But I digress.
Treat Your Podcast Like the Marketing Tool It Is
Let’s assume your podcast is a marketing tool for your business not a ruse to get into your prospects’ inbox. You want your podcast to showcase you as an expert. You want it to make you the go-to person for your area of expertise. To do that, you need to serve the listener, connect with the listener, and build a relationship with the listener so that they think of you (and only you) when it comes time to solve their problem.
Now ask yourself, can you do that when you’re spending the bulk of your episode blowing smoke up some other expert’s ass? When you’re putting someone else’s expertise in the spotlight? You become the stepping stone to the door a potential client goes through to solve their problem instead of being the door.
Let Your Podcast Serve Your Goals
Think about the business goal of your podcast. Are you more or less likely to achieve it if you continue to get there if you continue to have guests?
If the answer is ‘less likely’ then consider changing things up. You don’t have to do a complete pivot. You can mix it up – start doing a few solo shows and see how those resonate with your listeners.
Solo Shows for the Win
I recently had a client who, like many podcasters, created an interview-format show because that’s what she thought podcasts were all about.
After working with us through the Podcast Tune-Up, we encouraged her to start peppering in a few solo shows. It was a bit daunting at first but using our template she shook off the nerves of talking to the listener instead of her guest. We told her that the key is to keep each episode simple. Focus on one main point, use a story to illustrate it, and leave the listener with that one golden takeaway.
Once we boiled it down for her and made it easy, she discovered she really liked it.
Months later, we got an email out of the blue informing us that her solo shows garner far more downloads than her interview shows and, even better, generated more calls booked on her calendar. Boom.
Stop Treating Your Listeners Like Interlopers
This shift in focus from your listener being a fly on the wall during a conversation you’re having to the listener being the person you’re talking directly to makes a huge difference. When you’re talking to them instead of allowing them to listen in, they are far more likely to reach out to you and want to work with you.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you shouldn’t have guests on your show. I’m saying that you should consider mixing it up. Test out a few solo shows.
And when you do have guests, be intentional about who you have. In the interview, make sure you find that perfect balance of tapping into their expertise while still building your connection to the audience.
Top Tip for Interview Podcast Guests
Here’s the biggest tip for accomplishing this – be the conduit. Represent your listener in the conversation. Use your own expertise to ask the questions the audience wants and needs answers to. Show up with the intention of having a peer conversation that brings in the listener, the same way you would if you brought a friend to a party where they don’t know anyone.
Whether you have guests or you’re going to dabble (or pivot) into solo episodes, stay listener-centric. Your podcast is not about you, it’s for your listener.
Want some help introducing solo shows to your podcast mix?
Let’s do it with intention through The Podcast Tune-Up!
Step 1: Book a free call to see if working with me feels like a fit for you.
