Being a better podcast host by following 10 expert tips
Some Podcasting tips and tricks that are easy to follow and implement. This may be of help if you are a beginner or a Podcaster looking to improve your techniques.
Can anyone be a podcast host or record a podcast interview?
Yes, but that doesn't mean having a good idea, buying the best equipment and hitting record. Nor does being a good talker automatically make you a good podcast host.
Being a podcast host and conducting a podcast interview are specific skills that you will need to craft over time.
Some people are more natural at it than others, but no matter what stage you are at you should never stop learning.
Here are some actionable tips on podcasting and how to continuously improve your podcast interview and hosting skills.
Get close to your microphone
When it comes to tips on podcasting, this has to be number 1 and the one I see overlooked most often.
The most common mistakes I hear in podcast recordings relate to poor use of microphones, and more often than not, podcast presenters are too far away from their microphones.
A podcast microphone needs to be positioned properly.
Getting nice and close will give your voice a presence and warmth.
A podcast mic should be at mouth height and about the length of a finger away from your mouth. If you're not doing this, it will sound distant, roomy and very amateur. Show you set high standards from the outset.
If it's in an awkward position for you to get close, you have 2 options:
1. Buy a mic arm - they are cheap but make sure they are compatible with the mic you use.
2. Buy a headset mic - Using a headset mic is far better than using an expensive mic badly.
This short video will help explain how bad mic technique can damage a Podcast:
2. Use word economy
Word economy is using as few words as possible to deliver a message.
Word economy is vital with Podcast intros and outros. The listener should have to listen no longer than they need to.
A good practice is to draft your intro or outro as you would say them naturally. Then analyse it closely and see what words are redundant, cliche or unnecessary. You will now have a shorter and clearer message.
Word economy also a great skill to learn when it comes to the podcast interview.
It's more challenging to implement this into a casual chat. However, if you have specific questions, then you should practice word economy on them too.
3. Address the listener as an individual
"Hello, my friend" - the first thing I heard recently on Jay Clouse’s Podcast. I found those 3 words so refreshing because I felt like he was talking to me and it set the tone so well.
In a lot of Podcasts, the host speaks to the audience as a collective, I don’t think this is wrong per see but a podcast is not a conference or presentation.
It’s a golden rule of radio to only address individuals. You will never hear a professional radio presenter address a collective of people, try it next time you listen to the radio! If anything, this is even more relevant in Podcasting.
Podcasts are incredibly intimate and personal. Podcasts by their nature appeal to a person’s niche interests. People listen to podcasts, on their own and mostly on earphones. You actually can’t get a more personal medium
Think about this and ask yourself, does it make any sense to speak to a collective of people on a Podcast?
When doing a Podcast intro or interview, avoid words and phrases that refer to a collective, for example:
"listeners"
“the audience”
“folks”
“Ladies and gentlemen”
"everyone"
4. Speak to your guest casually and be yourself
The best podcast interviews are planned but delivered in a casual manner.
When conducting a podcast interview, it should be casual and not formal. The listener wants to be a fly on the wall of a real conversation. That's one of the things that make podcasts so popular and relatable.
People also relate to people who they feel are real and like them. When doing a podcast interview be sure to only use language that you would use day-to-day in your normal life. Don't try and be a talk show host.
Avoid cliche phrases that can make you sound pretentious when conducting a podcast interview:
"without further adieu"
“on the airwaves”
“Welcome to studio” - unless you have an actual studio, don’t pretend you do
5. Concentrate on 1-3 outcomes per episode
Less is more. With each episode, you need to ask yourself, what is the one key outcome that I want people to take away from this. Write down what they are before you start the interview. It will help you craft a more focused and purposeful conversation.
This doesn't mean you speak about one topic or get one specific answer. It’s fine for conversations to drift, but there should be an overall goal that provides value and is easy for the listener to digest.
Focusing on 1-3 key things will help you focus on the essential things that you need to deliver to the listener and will allow you to avoid unnecessary conversation.
6. Open the interview with an interesting question.
The vast majority of podcast interviews I hear have the same opening question; "tell me about yourself".
"Tell me about yourself" or any variation of it is a predictable question that typically has a boring answer. It’s also not a nice question to answer if you are a guest.
You should try and evoke something more impactful or exciting as the first question.
Give the listener value immediately, and they are much more likely to stick with the podcast. Check out a sample below of a good opening question.
7. Think why not what
Ever have a conversation with a kid who keeps asking “why?… and why??… and why?”. As humans we are naturally drawn to the “why”, as we get older this insinct becomes more subconcious but really, we all just want to know “why”.
Try to use more “why” questions. Subconsciously, people engage with "why" much more than they do "what", it also tends to provoke a much more interesting answer from a podcast guest. So when asking questions in an interview, you should always look for the "why".
Instead of asking, "what did you do?" you should ask, "why did you do that?"
Similar to many of these tips, this is a habit you can practice and improve as you go. Every time you ask a question or use a rough list of questions, always make sure to use more "why" questions than "what" questions.
8. Limit interruptions and make it about the guest
There's nothing more annoying for a podcast listener than a host who constantly interrupts the speaker. It's okay to interject/react from time to time to show a presence in the conversation but keep it to a minimum.
Gather your thoughts while you listen (scribble notes if you need to), and when the time is right, bring yourself back in, don't cut the speaker off mid-sentence without good reason.
If you do interrupt, then make sure you apologise for doing so. Apologising is not only good manners but will subconsciously help you stop doing it often in the future.
Try not to say "mm hhmm" or "yeah" too much when a guest is speaking. Now and again is fine, but too much can grate with a listener.
It might be your name on the Podcast but each episode should be about your guest. Give them the spotlight and make them feel special.
9. Remember, editing is your friend
I can tell you first hand, doing a live broadcast is terrifying!
As a Podcast host, you have a huge advantage in that they are not live. Editing can be used to make you sound better.
The fear of making a mistake is gone as it can be edited out, allow this to be your safety blanket.
If you feel a speaker is talking for too long, has gone off-topic or hasn't answered the actual question, stop them and explain and let the editor tidy it up later.
There is nothing wrong with stopping a conversation or taking breaks. Some guests can be nervous about doing interviews, so you should always make sure that they feel as comfortable as possible.
You can also edit out irrelevant or unnecessary content. I always say a podcast should be as short as possible. If that means editing out a lot of content so that the listener gets the critical message faster, then you should do it.
10. Show passion and never stop learning
I often hear from Podcast listeners that they enjoy it when a host has a clear passion. Make sure you let your passion and expertise on a chosen subject shine through.
Finally, never stop learning. The moment you think you know it all is the moment you will become unlikable to the listener. Nobody likes an ego.
By constantly trying to learn, you will improve your Podcast with every episode.
I hope the tips above go some way to helping you become a better Podcast host.
