1. Have a clear goal for what you want to get out of the podcast and optimize for that.
For me, it’s not downloads or reach or audience growth – it’s that I want it to help me turn people who may be thinking about hiring me into clients.
That’s why my show is predominantly a showcase for my expertise.
2. Let guests know the questions in advance.
When people come on and ask me questions, I know what they’re going to ask in advance.
And when I have guests on I give them the questions I plan to ask in advance.
Some stuff still comes up on the fly, but for the most part this allows everyone to prepare and you get a much stronger product as a result.
3. If you’re going to pull highlight clips, plan them out in advance.
I know the answers I’m going to give to people’s questions before recording so I take a moment to think through how I want to frame them.
Then when I answer them during the show, I’ll almost introduce the bit I know is going to become a YouTube clip as if it was a standalone video.
So I’ll say something like “Here are the 5 quickest ways to grow your newsletter….” as opposed to just listing ways.
4. Think about the episode headline before creating the episode.
I don’t do this as much as I should.
If you know the headline you’re aiming for, you can direct the episode to live up to it and ensure you get something marketable.
BONUS BITS:
• Here’s a playlist full of advice about podcasts I’ve shared on my own. (So meta.)
• At the 23-minute mark of this video, Tim Ferriss reveals how he approaches the first 5 minutes of each podcast episode.
• Here are three questions to ask the next guest on your podcast.