September 24, 2020
How To Start and Grow a Podcast with David Perell, Jeff Umbro, and Sachit Gupta on Venture Stories with Erik Torenberg
Check out the Episode Page and Show Notes
Key Takeaways
- When starting a podcast, quality matters! Invest in good audio, especially a microphone
- Being a podcast host gives you access to people you wouldn’t otherwise have access to
- A good introduction email to a potential guest helps to make a connection
- “The art of podcasting is asking a specific question that doesn’t lead to a dead-end but creates momentum” – David Perell
- Cross-promotion and retail merchandising are some of the most effective ways to get your message out for a new podcast
- Two-thirds of the country still don’t listen to podcasts
- Three things that work to grow podcast listenership:
- 1. Be a guest on another podcast
- 2. Get newsletters to promote your podcast
- 3. Try paid media
- A podcast interview is not a conversation but rather an experience you make for the listener
Intro
David Perrell (t:david_perell) is the host of the North Star podcast, which explores the stories, strategies, and rituals that guide the world’s greatest minds.
Jeff Umbro (t: JeffUmbro) is the founder of Podglomerate, a company that produces, distributes, and monetizes podcasts.
Sachit Gupta (t: sachitgupta) is the host of the Conscious Creators podcast which offers intimate and insightful interviews with authors, actors, musicians, entrepreneurs and other podcasters.
Why Start a Podcast?
- Get access to people you wouldn’t otherwise have access to
- Meet people who wouldn’t normally make time in their schedule for you
- Learn about any topic and talk to experts
How to Launch a Podcast?
- Start small – maybe with just one season of ten episodes
- Send a good introduction email to potential interviewees:
- Make personal connections
- Go super-specific – talk about things your guest hasn’t talked about before
- Offer to send clips after the podcast that will help spread their “message”
- Focus on the other person
- Make connections with listeners
Biggest Bottlenecks to Starting a Podcast
- Some podcasters start with goals that are too big
- “Ask yourself why you want to start a podcast, what do you want to get out of it and work backwards from there” – Sachit Gupta
Basics of Getting Started
- Invest in good audio especially a microphone – quality matters!
- Now is a good time to start podcasting because you can record easily on Zoom
- Don’t forget the importance of post-production
- David outsources editing and uses a style guide
How to Choose a Niche For Your Podcast?
- Personality is more important than niche
- Find your voice
- Your personality builds over time so your niche develops over time
How to Master the Art of Asking Questions?
- “The art of podcasting is asking a specific question that doesn’t lead to a dead-end but creates momentum” – David Perell
- Ask super specific questions – it removes the taboo of talking about how great they are
- Allow for silence – a guest often has more to say- but not too much silence
- “The chess game of interviewing is knowing when to move and when not to move” – Sachit Gupta
- Try coming in from the edge of a topic
- Create contrast and conflict – it gets people talking
- Listen for tangents – there’s a reason your guest went there: go with it, then return to your conversation
What is the Best Way to Maximize Your Launch?
- Tell the story of what you’re trying to get out in the world
- Get your show listed as a “best of”
- Have other podcasters interview your staff
- Send out a pitch letter and/or a press release
- Create content to get your message out on social media
- Cross-promotion and retail merchandising are some of the most effective ways to get your message out
- Pay your way onto platforms if you can’t do it organically
How Do You Hack Over-All Podcast Growth?
- Two-thirds of the country still don’t listen to podcasts
- Cross-promotion is a big way to bring new listeners on board
- Billboards
- Swag bags
- Listening parties
- Newsletters that already have an audience
- Three things that work to grow podcast listenership:
- 1. Be a guest on another podcast
- 2. Get newsletters to promote your podcast
- 3. Try paid media on blogs, etc
How to Monetize a Podcast?
- Sponsorships help monetize a podcast
- Revenue can be generated directly through selling ads or indirectly through consulting work
- Paid premium content is another method of monetizing a podcast
- Recent trends show a move toward subscriptions
Lessons Learned from the Pros
- “Your podcast does not exist in isolation” – David Perrell
- Do your homework – “Listen to other podcasts that your guest has been on and add to the constellation of questions” –Sachit Gupta
- Have a pre-interview to find out what your guest has already talked about, then what they haven’t talked about, go to common friends and get questions they’d like asked = creates a different interview
- A podcast interview is not a conversation – you are making an experience for the listener, yet it should appear as just a conversation
How to Grow Your Podcast Over Time?
- Most audience growth happens slowly and organically
- Don’t try too many things – double down on what works
