There’s a reason that movies have teaser trailers. That TV shows have short “hits.” “Tonight, on a very special Blossom,” came from somewhere.
They are designed to create buzz, and entice viewers to go and watch the entire movie or episode when it comes out. And while they are a tried and true method for TV and movies, do they…or something analogous…work for podcasts?
I think it depends. At play here, in the headline of this very article, is a conflict:
I’m saying “can” instead of “do.” Anything can work, and some podcasters surely believe it does.
Betteridge’s Law of Headlines states that any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered with, “No.”
So maybe the better question is, “how can short form video work for your podcast?”
Experiments with Short Form Video
I’ve tried a couple of experiments with short form video over the past few years, My most recent attempt had me working with a video editor running similar experiments.
He’d take the full video of each episode and extract clips he thought were good, add some music and branding, and then post them on:
TikTok
YouTube Shorts
Instagram Reels
X/Twitter (herein, X)
Importantly, for TikTok and X, they were posted to my personal accounts. For Instagram and YouTube, they were posted to the podcast’s accounts.
So what were the results? Aggressively average.
We don’t need to talk about X. I may as well have not posted on there.
On TikTok, I got within 10% of the same videos for each video — mid-200s:
This proved to be most consistent platform, but I don’t think it was successful (I’ll get to why in a minute). Relatively speaking, the pinned videos remain my top performers. Plus, I don’t use TikTok much for a combination of reasons. This likely hurt me, as I’m not posting more “organic” content, nor am I engaging.
The most interesting results came from YouTube and Instagram. On average, the videos underperformed compared to TikTok. But there were two videos on each platformed that did 3-5x than TikTok’s 250ish average.
I think that’s more the goal I have with short form videos — take a bunch of shots, and see which one scores.
But that’s not the real goal for me, nor should it be for you.
How do Short Form Videos Convert?
Hopefully I’m stating the obvious here: I want short form videos to lead people to my podcast.
The easiest place for this to happen is YouTube. The shorts are posted to the same channel as the podcast audio — so discovery should be best there.
TikTok also lets you connect podcast episodes to videos — but it’s impossible to see how well that converts, as I couldn’t find the stats anywhere in TikTok, and the TikTok app doesn’t appear as a player in my analytics apps.
All of that is to say, if there was any conversion, it was not noticeable.
I will continue to experiment — perhaps there’s a better type of content to help promote the show than just straight clips from the episode — but I think there’s a better workflow.
“Listen to my Podcast” Isn’t the Right CTA.
I think about CTAs on social media that take users off the platform like this:
Imagine you’re swimming in the ocean, and someone comes up to you on a boat, with a bike, and says, “Hey I have this bike for you. You should ride it right now.”
Even if you want that bike, you’re not ready to ride it at that moment.
Telling someone to stop scrolling their timeline to listen to your podcast is kind of the same thing. They are in one specific context, and they’re not ready to change contexts.
Instead, I think the better play is to get them on your mailing list. THEN you can promote your podcast to the mailing list. This was super effective for my friend Yong-Soo Chung.
This isn’t a 20-60 minute commitment. They can do it quickly, and get back to what they were doing.
You’re gently reminding people who’ve already opted-in to what you have to say that you have a podcast. And you’re giving them the option to subscribe and listen when it’s convenient for them.
It’s like giving them the option to ride a bike or swim before they start — not interrupting what they’re doing to do something totally different.
What You Should do From Here
That really depends on your audience. You should:
Determine where your audience hangs out
Determine what kind of content they like to consume
Post on the appropriate social network regularly, and with purpose
Make sure to have your CTA clearly stated — you want people to come off that platform and join you where you live!
You can also use tools like Riverside or Descript to help you create clips. I think the AI route is best here while you’re still learning and experimenting. This is about number of shots you take — you don’t know what’s quality until you have quantity.
As for me, I’m going to try two things (aside from make my CTA join the mailing list):
For Podcast Workflows, release the full episodes on TikTok. They have a 10 minute limit, and the short episodes are less than 7.
For How I Built It and longer Podcast Workflows episodes, I’m going to borrow a strategy from our friends in the movie industry: create content during the episodes just for the teaser.
Maybe you’ve notice not all trailer footage appears in movies or TV shows? Studios will use interesting scenes from the cutting room floor, or in some cases, create scenes just for the trailer.
That sounds like a fun, low-effort things for me to try. What do you think?
Joe Casabona is a podcast and automation coach who helps coaches, course creators, and authors grow their podcasts into authority-building lead generators. He does that through expert-tested systems that come with 10 years experience podcasting, 15 years teaching, and over 20 years working the web.
I hope you don’t mind if, for this Friday before Christmas, you’ll allow me to wax poetic about How I Built It, as we’re in its 8th year of existence.
The next two days will look towards the ghosts of podcast present and future, so I thought today I’d explore the ghost of podcast past (well…at least one podcast).
The point of The Ghost of Christmas Past from A Christmas Carol was to show Ebenezer Scrooge how he got to where he is today. So let’s do the same thing for How I Built It.
When I set out to create How I Built It, I didn’t know much about podcasting. The lessons I learned were from a podcast of poor quality I started at the end of 2012, that ended toward the beginning of 2013.
Heck, my friend Jackie had to remind me that I couldn’t just host my audio files in my WordPress site.
But I still thought I had a great idea. Here’s how I positioned How I Built It back then:
Asking for help and learning from others is such a valuable and important aspect of our world. Sharing and telling stories is something I love to do. On How I Built It, I interview product owners and developers to see how they built specific products, from idea to execution.
The goal was a good one: tell good stories that didn’t often get told. Those of inception, failing, hard work, and eventually, success.
In 2016, a podcast with good audio quality that wasn’t about Apple was in-fact, a differentiator.
It hit 50,000 downloads in the first 9 months, and 100,000 shortly after. It was already generating 5 figures for me.
So at the 1 year anniversary, I started getting questions about what I was doing to be successful.
I wasn’t really sure — or at least I wasn’t making a conscious effort to grow the show. But after some reflection, here’s what I came up with:
Keep it around 30 minutes. Attention spans are short, so short and focused conversations go a long way.
Be consistent. I release every Tuesday at 3:00am ET. This schedule not only lets my listeners know when to expect new episodes, but it helps me normalize my stats. I know how each episode does because I have some anchor information to point to.
I’m obsessed with quality. There’s a bottom to audio quality. Anything above that is good, but I try to go the extra mile. I have good recording equipment and I asked my guests to record locally so that I can splice the 2 best-quality tracks together and not have to worry about interruptions or drops in internet service.
Good content! I prep myself and my guests prior to our interview, which is not live. This leads to better content overall. My guests are awesome too, of-course.
This advice aged surprisingly well. My episodes have creeped up to 45-50 minutes, but consistency, good quality, and good content go a long way in making your podcast stand out, even 7 years later. After all, around the same time, Seth Godin described podcasting as, “the generous act of showing up.”
I think the only thing I’d add today is to have a clear mission statement — know who you serve, and how you serve them.
When my listenership started to dip 3-4 years in, it’s because I lost my way. Much like Scrooge, I forgot what my podcast was really about, and why people listened to it.
Luckily, it didn’t take me the rest of my life to realize the error of my ways.
I course-corrected, and saw incredible growth. Now I get more downloads in a month than I got in those first 91.
So what can you learn from this? No matter what trends come and go — TikTok was just starting when I launched my podcast — a dedication to quality is timeless.
Tell great stories, produce quality audio, and serve an audience that needs service. Keep your content focused.
You may not see viral success, but you’ll have sustained growth with an engaged audience.
At least, that’s what my ghost of podcast past has taught me.
And while I don’t think downloads is the best metric for podcast success, it’s the one that gives me the best look from a historical standpoint. ↩
Have you ever wondered why something gets put on TV? I know I have.
That’s what makes Christina Nicholson’s show, Become a Media Maven, so interesting from a content standpoint.
From a process standpoint, the show has been around since 2018 and has evolved and adapted to the changing landscape. This has helped Christina keep the show relevant without adding a ton more work to her plate. It’s also what has allowed her to focus on lead generation.
Let’s take a look at what inspired the changes she made, how she produces her show today, and of-course, what you can steal from her workflow.
Christina is a former TV reporter and anchor turned PR agency owner. Today, she helps creators and small-medium sized businesses earn media. Her podcast, in Christina’s own words:
First, the mission statement of this podcast is perfect. She mentions who she helps, the problem she solves, and how she does it. We’re off to a fantastic start!
Since Christina has a ton of experience in this area, it makes sense that her solo show focuses on leveraging her expertise…but it wasn’t always a solo show.
Starting as an Interview Show
Like most podcasts that have been around for a while, Become a Media Maven started out primarily as an interview show, where Christina would bring on guest experts to talk about a topic. Some of those early guests included Lisa Simon Richards, Michelle Dempsey, and Pat Flynn.
However, she did set the tone right in the beginning, making her first episode just her, talking about her expertise.
Throughout the early years, she sprinkled in solo episodes between the interviews, and in 2020, even introduced a miniseries called “3 Things on Thursday.” I’m sure you can figure out what those episodes covered.
It wasn’t until 2023 that her show stopped having guests. Today, she focuses on creating shorter episodes that allow her to showcase her expertise, and she’s leveraging those episodes to build her audience.
This also makes her production process SUPER short.
Your Takeaway: It’s OK to change your format. In-fact, you should experiment with different formats to see what resonates with your listeners.
30 Minutes to Produce One Episode!
One of the questions I like to ask when doing research for these breakdowns is, “are there any gaps in your process?”
Christina answered with a definitive, “No.”
So, how does she do it? There are 3 important aspects to this super slim process:
She has a solo show, where she is the expert, with no guests.
Her recording process is spartan: just her iPhone and a decent mic.
She smartly streamlines the editing process by taking notes during the recording.
We’ll look at some tips Christina shares to speed up editing, but there’s no avoiding the fact that when you have guests, there’s more effort that needs to go into the edit. You need to align tracks, normalize audio volumes, and edit a conversation with 2 or more people. Add video, and it gets even more complex.
Modern tools like Descript and Riverside make it easier, but adding more people to a process like this often complicates things. So this process is invariably faster because it’s a solo show with no guests.
With a solo show, Christina can control her entirely environment.
She can also choose topics that make production easier.
Picking the Topics
Christina takes an interesting approach to creating podcast content: she’ll pick the title first…and do it based on what she thinks will encourage people to listen, based on some research.
So her topic is based on 2 things:
What is interesting to her listeners
What resource she can offer listeners to deliver even more value.
We’ll get to that second point later, but topic selection is SUPER important. It’s easy to pick topics you know well, or that are appealing to you, but your goal should be to help listeners.
When you keep that in mind, it’s easier to pick topics in the service of your audience.
Christina also knows that with a good topic and outline in hand, she doesn’t need super fancy equipment to record. The value is in the content.
Recording the Episode
When Become a Media Maven had guests, those interviews were recording via Zoom. Since the show started in 2018, this was slightly before the browser-based, remote recording revolution.
Today, I’d recommend you use a tool like Riverside or Squadcast to record with other people.
But since the show transitioned to solo/no guests, Christina has two tools for recording:
She also uses a green screen, which is something to consider if you’re going to release the video.
Using these tools, she can easily record in QuickTime, Descript, eCamm Live, or any other video recording software, making this process as easy as possible for her.
Then it’s time for what’s usually the most time-consuming process: the edit.
Doing the Edit
One of the great things about Christina’s show is that she’s super transparent about how she does things. In How I Edit My Podcast Episodes So Fast, she outlines her entire process. One of my favorite quotes from that episode:
She’s pointing out that editing out breathing, um, and ahh is unnecessary, and takes too much time.
In fact, she doesn’t even listen to the entire episode of her podcast when she does the edits.
For both guest episodes (when she had them), and solo shows, she’ll take notes during the recording on what and when to edit, by marking timestamps.
*As an aside, she uses Adobe Premiere Pro to edit because she also records video.
She also gives an important anecdote about TV media in the episode. Christina mentions that some people on TV would do super long interviews, even though the episode is less than 2 minutes, and they only really use 3 soundbites.
She would stop when she got what she needed.
Your Takeaway: Know what you need to get before you go into the interview or episode. You’ll be able to deliver value to your listener more quickly, and save yourself some time in the edit.
Hiring an Editor
Now, since starting her show, Christina has hired a video editor from Upwork. Here’s what she had to say about that:
This is a great move on her part because it frees up her time, and makes her production time basically as long as it takes to record.
While many podcasters are hesitant to hire an editor due to creative or financial constraints, it’s one of the best things you can do to free up your time.
And as you’ll see, Become a Media Maven doesn’t directly make money. But the investment is worth it to Christina because she’s not only saving time; she’s getting two assets:
A video for YouTube
The audio for her podcast feed
Publishing the Podcast
That’s right — Become a Media Maven recordings serve as both a YouTube video, and a podcast episode.
Since Christina is covering one, focused topic in 20ish minutes, she doesn’t need to rely on visuals, but can add them (as well as some sound effects) to keep her audience engaged, regardless of what platform they’re on.
Currently, she publishes the podcast herself, using the outline she created as a basis for the show notes. She uploads the same text and title to both YouTube, and her audio host, Buzzsprout.
There’s one more thing she adds to the show notes. Remember how she picks a topic based on a what resources she can provide?
She’ll also include that resource, which she mentions at the top of the show, in the show notes.
Using the Podcast for Lead Generation
While Become a Media Maven doesn’t make any direct income, it is directly related to Christina’s expertise, services, and products.
For that reason, she uses her show as lead generation for her business. She effectively picks topics that aligns with resources she has, to get people onto her mailing list.
In-fact, when I asked her what her call-to-action (CTA) is, she said this:
This is great because she knows if someone is listening to the episode, they’re definitely interested in the topic, and are more likely to trade their email address for a helpful resource.
From there, she can provide even more value, better nurture the relationship, and when the subscribers are ready, make the sale.
This is a tactic that was basically perfected by Amy Porterfield. The resource, and therefore the CTA, is directly related to the free content she’s creating.
This is why Christina can justify the cost of an editor. It’s a cost of doing business, and so much cheaper than doing paid ads!
Your Takeaway: If your podcast aligns with your business, you should absolutely use it for lead generation. Create a couple of freebies to get people to sign up for your mailing list.
By the way — that doesn’t mean she can’t make money with sponsorships or through other methods. In-fact, one of her goals for the next 12 months is to get sponsors and possibly join a network.
But right now, the content is worth doing not because it’s a direct line of income, but because it’s a great, authentic marketing tool for her business.
The Power of Video: Repurposing
One of the great things about Christina’s process for recording video is that she has LOTS of flexibility for repurposing. She even talked about this in a podcast episode earlier this year:
By going YouTube first, she can extract that audio (like we covered above), but she can also create multiple clips for social media like TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
In-fact, she ends up creating 8 different types of content for each episode. She lists them in a blog post from the above episode: YouTube, podcast, blog post, pin on Pinterest, multiple text, image, and video posts, and a LinkedIn carousels.
Christina also leans on her assistant for the creation of a lot of this stuff, and truth be told, this is the perfect task for a VA2.
She also talks about using a spreadsheet to track everything. Airtable would be another great option for this, and I think it’s a brilliant idea. You can:
See what needs to be created vs. what you’ve already created
Keep a publishing schedule
House the assets
Have a place for you to reference if you every want to republish something
If you’re thinking about repurposing, my recommendation would be to pick 1–2 types of content at first. Test and perfect that process, then expand.
Using Become a Media Maven to Improve Your Podcast Workflow
The process for producing Become a Media Maven has so many fantastic gems that it was hard for me to narrow it down to just a few takeaways.
However, my favorite part is Christina’s approach is both a master class in experimentation, and in making your content work for you.
She’s switched up some aspect of her show every year of its existence, from “3 Things on Thursday” episodes, to killing interviews, to being YouTube-first.
Throughout that whole time, however, she’s known her audience and who she serves. The show isn’t monetized directly, but it allows her to elevate her profile, build her authority, and understand a form of media she helps her agency clients access.
It’s an honest-to-goodness marketing tool for her, and it’s working super well.
So what can you learn from Christina’s podcast process?
Experiment with the Format of Your Podcast
It’s easy to get stuck in a routine and a format that you think is working for you. In fact, other platforms (like YouTube and TikTok) favor homogeny in content.
That’s not the case with podcasting. You’re not at the mercy of an algorithm, so you have the opportunity and flexibility to experiment.
If you always do interviews, try a few solo shows. Your audience might end up liking them better because they know, like, and trust you.
If you publish 4 times a month, try peppering in one of these different episodes as a bonus 5th episode.
Do something different from what you’re doing now, and see if it resonates. Christina is constantly experimenting, and it pays off. She’s routinely ranking in the top 200 marketing podcasts on Apple Podcasts3.
Know the Goal of Your Episodes Before You Record
It’s a lot easier to get someplace if you actually know where you’re going. Joe Rogan asks countless questions until he finds something he likes and wants to dig in on.
But he’s probably the only person who can do that, and his episodes are regularly 3+ hours.
For the rest of us, we want to deliver high value to our listeners in as little time as possible. Knowing what the listener is going to learn before you hit record lets you keep the conversation tight, hit the main points efficiently and effectively, and will make editing a lot easier too.
Your listeners will thank you.
Plus, knowing the goal beforehand lets you better prepare for the most important takeaway:
Use Your Podcast for Lead Generation
Like I said for the first takeaway: your audience knows, likes, and trusts you.
Leveraging your show to generate leads for your business doesn’t need to be in the form of smarmy, overly salesy tactics.
You can do what Christina does, and create a free resource that delivers even more value to your listeners. It shows you truly understand your listeners’ problems.
If you would rather not create a different resource for each episode4, have 2-3 different ones that you can recommend based on the topic you’re covering.
And if you can’t think of three, start with one! You could always add more later.
Mention these resources at the beginning and end of your episodes, and be sure to link them in the show notes.
Christina also adds the nice touch of creating a simple, speakable URL so that it’s easy for listeners to hear and remember how to access the resource.
I’ve been saying for a long time that if you have a podcast, you need a clear call to action (CTA), and it should be to join your mailing list.
But what I often don’t talk about is literally everything else. Where do you get a newsletter? How much should it cost? What do you send once people start signing up?
So I thought there was no better time than Podcast Advent to dive deeper into the topic of building your newsletter — specifically with ConvertKit — so that you can start building, and leveraging, your email list in 2024.
This is Part 1: Getting Started. Part 2 will be sending emails and automating. Part 3 will be growing your list and making money.
Why Have a Mailing List?
Let’s address the elephant in the room first: if you have a podcast and perhaps a social media presence, why do you even need a mailing list? The answer for most creators and small business owners is simple:
A mailing list is the only place where you truly own the access to your audience. If Facebook, X, TikTok, or Medium disappeared today, you’d immediately lose access to the people you were able to reach so easily a mere 24 hours ago.
For podcasters, it’s even more important than that. You don’t really have access to an audience at all. Sure, people subscribe or come across your show and listen — but there’s no platform to send them messages outside of their podcast app.
Further, they can’t interact with you at all. There’s no liking or commenting on individual episodes. And if someone rates your podcast on Apple Podcasts, you don’t get further access to them.
Podcasting without a mailing list can feel like a one-way street. But what you have a mailing list, you have direct access to people and you’re not just relegated to their podcast app.
Mailing List Options
Now, there are lots of options for creating a mailing list — ConvertKit isn’t the only game in town.
There’s Mailchimp, which has been around forever.
There’s the relative newcomer that’s gained a ton of popularity, Beehiiv.
There’s also ActiveCampaign, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)1, AWeber, MailerLite, and a bunch of other ones.
Outside of that, there are publishing platforms that double as mailing list services — most notably Substack, which also has its own ability to host a podcast.
I started on Mailchimp, but moved when I outgrew everything they had to offer. And honestly, if I were starting today, I’d give Beehiiv a closer look…but as you’ll see in Part 3, there are some features that put ConvertKit in its own class of Email Service Provider (ESP).
It really depends on what you’re looking to do. There are pros and cons to each, but here’s why I’ve stuck with ConvertKit.
Why I Recommend ConvertKit
ConvertKit is free for your first 1,000 subscribers — and honestly it gets pretty pricy after that. But there’s good reason for it. They have infrastructure in place to allow you to connect with your audience in ways other ESPs don’t.
You can tag and segment your list based on interest (or favorite episode), and send just those specific segments emails.
You also get rich automations to make sure your new subscribers feel welcomed as soon as they subscribe.
Their growth and monetizations tools are fantastic. They offer the Creator Network — which is a similar feature to Substack’s recommendations — and they allow you to sell digital products right from the platform2.
Finally, they know the industry and share their knowledge. Their podcast, Deliverability Defined, is a gold mine of information to help you keep a clear, healthy email list.
And of-course, you own your list. If you want to export it and go somewhere else, you can!
Provide your email address, create a password, and agree to ConvertKit’s terms and conditions.
Set Up Your Account
Select “I’m just starting out” and choose the free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers.
Specify that you are a podcaster when prompted to select your creator type.
Create the Opt-In
We’re going to create a landing page — that way you don’t need a place to embed the form, just in case you don’t have a website for you podcast.
Create a Landing Page
Click on “Landing Pages & Forms” under the “Grow” section.
Choose “Create New” and select “Landing Page.”
Select a template that best suits your podcast.
Customize the Landing Page
Edit the general styles, font, and background to match your podcast’s branding.
Replace the default artwork and add text or a testimonial to encourage sign-ups.
Set the color scheme and customize the call-to-action button.
Create a thank you page and customize the redirect settings.
Publish Your Landing Page
Save your settings and publish the landing page.
In the video I cover some other options worth checking out too…things like how you might want to set up a custom domain, what to do you do have a WordPress site, etc.
How to Connect Your RSS feed (📹)
Something you’re probably wondering is what you should send to your subscribers. I’ll cover that more in Part 2 of this series, but for now, you could automatically email them when a new episode is out. This video shows you how to do that:
You’re Ready!
All right — you’re all set to start building your mailing list. Now, it’s time to start promoting it on your podcast.
Keep a look out for Part 2, where we’ll go through your first set of emails (the welcome sequence), and some basic automations.
Disclosure: both Brevo AND ConvertKit have sponsored my podcast, How I Built It. ↩
I’ll touch on some drawbacks to their service in Part 3, but it’s still better, comparatively speaking, than other similar services. ↩
One of the most frustrating things to me when is calling support and getting the script. You know what I’m talking about — the set of things every support person has to say before they actually get to the part where they can help you.
To the customer, this is a weird form of gatekeeping that surely doesn’t serve any purpose besides annoying us. But to the support agent, it’s a way to screen and filter the possibly hundreds of calls they get each day.
To the organization, and likely some large number of customers, that script is crucial for the best overall experience.
I often get asked if podcasters should use a script for their episodes — especially solo shows. And the answer, unsurprisingly, is, “it depends.”
Here are a couple of things to consider when weighing the pros and cons of scripting your show.
Be comfortable in front of the mic
First, let me say that you should do what works for you, and if scripting helps, then script.
But the root of this question for many people is whether or not they feel comfortable in front of the mic. Scripting helps you make sure you cover all the bases but no matter what you need to be comfortable talking into a mic or you’ll sound unnatural.
I recommend getting your reps in and practicing a few times. The more you do something, the better you’ll get, and the more comfortable you’ll feel.
Are there times you definitely should or should not script?
I tend not to speak in absolutes1, but there are some times where a script can really help, or harm, a podcast episode.
If you’re doing an interview or a host/co-host show, it’s probably not best to script. It’s going to sound canned and fake, and it will not be enjoyable to listen to. If there are specific points you want to cover, you can always do another take with your guest, or really iron out the details in the pre-show interview.
On the other hand, if you have a fictional show, audio drama, or very clear story you want to tell, I’d say it absolutely needs to be scripted. Sure, there are some great unscripted moments in TV and movies, but the vast majority of the great moments have been planned out and set up for the correct emotional impact.
All that said, you still might be wondering if you should script your podcast.
Pros of Scripting
Let’s look at a good, old fashioned pros and cons list. First the pros. These are going to work best when you know exactly what you want to say.
You will control the entire story you’re telling, and will be less susceptible to ad-libbing or saying something you don’t want, or don’t mean, to say.
There’s a lot more planning, so your recording should require less editing (or at least, it will go more smoothly).
No need to pay for a transcript.
You will make all the points you want to make, in the order you want to make them.
Cons of Scripting
OK so that’s the good. What about the bad?
It’s more likely you’ll sound like you’re reading, which can feel unnatural (or at least, it takes a lot more work to sound natural).
If you want to read the script verbatim, there will be more “takes” to get it right.
It takes more time to do the episode – write the script, record it verbatim, then edit, publish, etc.
If you ad-lib, you’ll need to remember your spot, and depending on how true to audio you want the script, go back and modify it (or have the episode transcribed anyway).
So What Do You Do?
It depends on who you are and what you like. For How I Built It, I don’t script. I plan a lot, and I go over the story beats with my guest to make sure we’re still telling a good story. But I don’t think a script would be great for interviews, as I record them today.
What has changed for me in recent years is I do script my solo episodes. I want to make sure I’m telling a good story, and presenting the problem/solution in an easy to follow way. And since they’re usually pretty short episodes, I don’t want to ramble.
If you write the way you talk, you’re more likely to sound natural because it will be more natural!
Ultimately, you want to make great content. If writing everything out helps you do that, definitely script your show.
We’ve all experienced analysis paralysis. There are too many items on the menu at a restaurant and you’re not sure what to order. There are seemingly a million Apple Watch bands – which do you pick? What’s really the difference between the Toyota Sienna LE and XLE?!
What’s the balance between offering choice and getting people to take action? That really depends on the medium. For example, you may notice podcasts have a ton of calls to action (CTAs). Maybe you do. My podcast does at times. Is that really the right route?
I don’t think so. Here’s why.
Too Many Requests Result in Zero Action
My daughter is 6 years old and there are a few things we need to do for her to make her feel like she’s in some sort of control.
We need to tell her what’s happening next. This comes in the form of a daily schedule. She knows when she wakes up we get changed, brush teeth, eat breakfast, and clean the sun room. Then she can have iPad time.
I need to make sure I don’t tell her to do too many things at once because she’ll get overwhelmed and do none of them.
My son, who’s 3, needs the same treatment. Except when he’s overwhelmed, he gets upset because he doesn’t understand what’s going on. This is how toddlers act. They want to be in the know.
I also need to show them the positive results — the benefit — of them doing 3 things they’d rather not do. Experts call this a “preferred activity,” and it’s their reward for following the schedule.
Now, I’m not saying our podcast listeners are toddlers, but much like little kids, we don’t usually have their full attention. Podcasting, for many, is a multitasking activity. So we need to make our intentions and the benefits crystal clear.
You Should Have One Clear CTA
Because of that, you should have one clear CTA that you repeat throughout the show. You should mention it at the beginning, somewhere in the middle (related to the content) and you should mention it a few times at the end.
Remember: you have listeners who are half paying attention so repetition is important. You don’t want to overwhelm or confuse the listener as to what you want them to do most. So have one CTA.
Make Your CTA to Join Your Mailing List
You know what is a great place to promote multiple things? Your mailing list. You have a reader’s full attention there — especially if they open the email.
There you can promote your membership, products, or even ask for a review in Apple Podcasts.
Plus, while it might be easy to skip an episode, mailing list subscribers will at the very least see your name in their inbox weekly. They’re buying into more of your content!
So in your CTA, ask people to join your mailing list. Give them an incentive. Tell them all the great things they’ll get outside the podcast.
Highlight the benefits!
Podcaster and friend Matt Medieros recommends having a dedicated subscribe page with the email opt-in as well as podcast subscribe buttons, which I think is a great idea.
What About Show Notes?
Sometimes there’s a lot you want to mention. Maybe there are links you reference, a mailing list, rating and reviews, etc.
The way apps handle show notes/episode descriptions these days are pretty great. I recommend putting the crucial links there — anything referenced in the show, a link to your mailing list, etc.
But listeners will probably see those anyway. So you still need to ask them to do something — and I think “join my mailing list” should be that something.
Clarity and Repetition are Key
Clarity and repetition are key. You need to make sure your listener knows, beyond the shadow of a doubt, what you think their most important next step is.
So I’m thinking about joining a gym again. I’m hesitant because I don’t like paying for things I don’t use, and I’m worried I’m not going to make time to use it.
But there’s another, much bigger reason.
One of the most frustrating experiences here in the USA is cancelling a gym membership. It’s often maligned for its unreasonable difficulty. Here’s how to do it at Planet Fitness (emphasis mine):
For most locations, you can visit your home club in person to cancel your membership or send a written notification via mail to your home club requesting to cancel. Some members may also be eligible to cancel their membership online based on their membership type and the location of their home club.
Please note, to stop the billing of your monthly membership on the 17th, the club must receive written notice delivered by the 10th in person or through mail, as it may take up to 7 business days for billing changes to take effect. To stop the billing of the annual fee, cancellation must be completed by the 25th of the month prior to the annual fee date. Lastly, if your membership has a minimum term and is canceled prior to end of contract term, a $58 buyout fee is required.
So to recap:
Visit the club in person OR send a written notification via mail.
You need to do this a week in advance to ensure your request is honored.
You’ll likely incur a fee for cancelling.
This is a purposefully user-hostile hurdle too. See, you can sign up online, and upgrade your account online.
However, to cancel or downgrade, you have to go to the location. Oh, and this part:
Some members may also be eligible to cancel their membership online
I’ll take that to mean places where the club is required by law to make cancelling as easy as signing up.
I’m pointing this out because, since I’ve been hoodwinked by Planet Fitness before, I’ll never sign up for a Planet Fitness membership again. I’d rather pay more and know exactly how much I’m paying, and have the flexibility to cancel any time.
But this isn’t about gyms. This is about how we treat our listeners.
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