Making A Good Show Great with These Quick Tips from Alex Terranova of The DreamMason Podcast

In the podcasting industry, less than 1% of shows drive income. Not everyone can be the next Joe Rogan- but we can dream, right? While creating content that will last may seem a difficult feat, it certainly isn’t impossible.?Alex Terranova?of the?DreamMason Podcast?tackles this monster feat by creating good, strong content, then repurposing it across platforms. And always, always following up to make sure he is connecting with his listeners — and his words are too.

Change Is Inevitable, Use It

I see plenty of hosts who choose a path, settle in, and refuse to veer, in an attempt to avoid the inevitable change that is part of the podcasting process. Learning to get comfortable making shifts and using the information to get better and better is key. For Alex, he knew what his goals were, and he adopted change early on, to continue moving himself towards those outlined goals. This is a great way to reverse engineer your show and decide whether or not the pivot is right for you. Instead of trying to build a show from scratch, outline your goals and impact — and then every single time you are facing a decision or pivot — it will be much easier to ask yourself if that is going to serve your long-term focus.

“I used to live in New York City and I was on subways all the time and you could download podcasts, which really helped to combat the noise of the subways.?I?started listening to podcasts and the subtle distraction worked well for my brain. I fell in love with them that way. Eventually, I found myself cooking dinner, listening to podcasts, sharing podcasts, and it all clicked. When I was building my business, I knew I wanted to contribute also.”

Do It With Heart = Shorten the Client Cycle

Good, strong content is full of excitement, passion, and heart. A smart host starts, without the intention of making money, rather with the intention of making an impact. I would compare this to writing a book. Unless you’ve signed a multimillion-dollar book deal with a big publishing house, your book will make you more of an authority, not generationally wealthy. I mentioned earlier that only 1% of shows drive income — and while that is true — the other 99% have the potential to drive growth, authority, ROI, and overall sales.

“I’ve found when people are on the fence about hiring me or working together, I can refer them to my show to get to know me, to build credibility, and to hear firsthand what I’m capable of and the extent of my knowledge.”

Personal Growth Plus Professional Growth

It’s been a long time since I launched my first podcast and from then to now, I can tell you that I have grown as a person and as a host. I don’t want to sound uneducated or display a small vocabulary. I want my breathing to not interrupt the show and I want my voice, pauses, and tone to be consistent. These are all things I’ve worked on and the more professional and polished I sound, not in a fake way but in a prepared way, the more my listenership goes up.

Binge Factor Truth Bomb:?Prepped shows sound more put together and listeners notice.

• Practice telling stories to make them concise and short with impact.
• Practice speaking AND listening.
• Learn to set the tone and mood of your show.
• Employ rituals to relax or energize before you hit the record button.
• Put thought into your format.
• Listen to other shows to get an idea of what you like and dislike.

Reusing Content to Increase Listeners

When you put so much effort and prep time into your content, it makes the most sense to get the absolute most out of that content as possible.

Content Strengthening Advice: If you’re in the world of social media and are creating content, you have to repurpose your content. It’s so wasteful not to because some people that listen to your podcast don’t look at your Instagram.

Slow Down, Settle In

So many shows I listen to kick off right at the beginning with a bio, guest intro and then boom — onto the questions. It’s like there’s this anxiety to rush to it, instead of a buildup. Anticipation beats anxiety. Build up to an amazing guest, let your listeners feel that eagerness to hear what you’re about to deliver.

Strong Creation Comes from A Strong Creator

One final point I want to leave you with is something Alex and I talked about during our recent conversation. According to Alex,

“You need to start with the thing you want to create, “What do I want?” We’re talking about podcasting, “What’s the show that I want?” I talk a lot in terms when I talk about podcasting. I use TV shows because people know them more. Do you want to watch shows like Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm or a cartoon like The Simpsons? What’s the energy of the thing that you want? What’s the way the audience would watch that show? Have a clear vision of, “I want a podcast that would be like this.” Who do you have to be to create that show?”

You can watch Tracy Hazzard’s full on-air podcast coaching with Alex Terranova below or listen to?The Binge Factor?on your favorite podcast player.