What do you do if your podcast needs a personal touch?

Integrating listener stories and questions can further personalize your podcast, making your audience feel seen and valued. Encourage your listeners to share their experiences or questions related to your podcast's theme. This interaction not only deepens the connection but also provides fresh content ideas tailored to your audience's interests. Hosting live Q&A sessions or creating episodes based on listener submissions are great ways to incorporate this element. Remember, the goal is to foster a community around your podcast, where both you and your listeners contribute to a shared narrative.

Sharing stories is incredible advice. I think people mistakenly believe that they need to teach, educate, or inform in every podcast episode. This is not the case. I've published 250+ episodes of my current podcast (the "Financial Advisor Marketing" podcast), and I had another podcast before that. The story-based podcast episodes perform better than all the others. I've had people email me and message me while referencing personal anecdotes that I shared on my show years ago. Stories are powerful.

Adding a personal touch to your podcast is like inviting listeners into your living room for a chat. Sharing stories creates a connection that goes beyond just exchanging information. Listeners always appreciate authenticity. It's not about oversharing but about finding the right balance.

YOU are why listeners come back, so if you aren't getting your life and stories into your show, you aren't building your personal brand. Your guests should be storytellers as well; let them do that by having a conversation, NOT an interview.

While it's hard to get feedback on your podcast through podcast apps, you need to create a two-way street of communication for your podcast. You can engage listeners by asking for their questions to talk about on the podcast. This helps the audience stay engaged with your content and look forward to the next episode each week.

Leveraging polls, surveys, and interactive segments within your podcast platform or on social media can also amplify engagement. These tools give you insights into your audience's preferences and opinions, enabling you to tailor your content more effectively. For instance, you could run a poll to decide on topics for future episodes or ask for feedback on recent discussions. Additionally, hosting occasional meetups or live events, either virtually or in person, can strengthen the sense of community, allowing you to interact with your audience in real-time. Engaging with your listeners beyond the podcast creates a more immersive experience and encourages loyalty and active participation in your podcast's growth.

If your podcast needs a freshen-up, then you can always create a series on one specific topic. You can split the series into interviews and monologue episodes. This will allow you to go deep on that topic and keep the audience engaged for that series.

Incorporating mini-series or themed episodes can further diversify your content, allowing you to explore topics in depth over several episodes. This approach can provide a fresh perspective and keep your audience engaged over a longer period. Additionally, cross-promotion with other podcasters by featuring on each other’s shows or co-producing episodes can introduce your audience to new voices and ideas, enriching their listening experience. Always seek feedback from your listeners on these format changes. Their input can guide future adjustments, ensuring that your podcast continually evolves in ways that excite and retain your audience.

One of the ways I've been able to make my "Financial Advisor Marketing" podcast successful is by bucking a few trends... 1. I do mostly solo episodes. It's just me, talking directly to my audience. This helps me build an unreal bond with the financial advisors I serve. 2. My episodes are shorter, typically twenty minutes or so. This is common today, but it wasn't back in 2018 when I launched the show. 3. I tell stories, entertain, and share personal anecdotes. I am not a teacher, and my podcast is not meant to be an educational show. So many people launch podcasts and start teaching when listeners crave entertainment.

Add segments to your show and don't just do ANOTHER boring interview podcast. People will come for a guest, but they stay because they like you and the world you create in your show. Create a unique world that listeners will want to come back to, no matter who the guest is.

If you think about it, you see that it's impossible to be just like anybody else. You are unique, and it's good to recognize it and work on that base. Improvement of your voice has to be around your own voice. But you can interact with your audience in different tone depending of the topic, the moment and the people. There are times when it can be better get serious even if the general mood of the podcast is around humor, and there are times when it's just the opposite. As I say, you can be a doctor and ride a bicycle. That doesn't mean you are not a doctor any more and become a rider. So, you can set your voice in different ways depending on the events, but your own voice.

Staying true to your voice also means being honest about what you know and acknowledging what you don't. This transparency fosters a deeper connection with your audience, as they appreciate the humility and sincerity. Encouraging a culture of learning and curiosity within your podcast can make your show more inclusive and engaging. In addition, sharing the reasons behind starting your podcast, the challenges you've faced, and the milestones you've achieved can help listeners feel part of your journey. This level of authenticity not only distinguishes your podcast but also nurtures a dedicated community around it.

I see podcasters starting podcasts because they see that X genre is doing well. The best podcasters focus on the things that they are passionate about. Your passion is your juice when starting a show. Focus on what you know best and love talking about most when creating a show. That is authentic.

Yes. However, not every podcast cover art needs YOU on it. A lot of people create a personality-driven show and then want to slap a headshot onto the artwork. It can be effective but it's not the only way. Look at other podcasts in your category and notice how they handle the personal branding aspect of their artwork. Then decide. Also, you can always change things up!

Consistency across all platforms in how you communicate and present yourself reinforces your personal brand and makes your message more powerful. This doesn't mean you can't evolve or adapt, but the core values and personality traits that define your brand should remain steady. Engaging with your audience in a manner that reflects your personal brand, whether through direct communication, the types of stories you share, or the causes you champion, can deepen listener loyalty. Moreover, aligning your podcast topics and guests with your personal brand ensures that your content resonates with your target audience, attracting and retaining listeners who share or are interested in your values and perspectives.

Your brand is your story and that should be unique to you. I also think you need to be self aware as well. If you are not a popular personality already, don't lead with YOU, as much as your mission. The YOU will follow, but new listeners are more concerned with the what of your show when they first tune in.

In my experience, I find that too much preparation can stagnate the conversation. I do send questions in advance to my guests, but I make sure they're broad, general questions that speak to the direction I'd like to go in and the topics I'd like to discuss with them. Included in that advance email is a note that it will be a conversational interview and that questions will not be worded as they are written and additional questions might come up as a follow-up to their responses. This gives both me, the host, and my guest a template for the conversation to keep us on track, but also allows us to be candid and open. Overall, it makes for a more engaging discussion!