Podcasting Q&A

How to Keep Your Podcast Interesting

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In this episode of Podcasting Q&A, Jordan and Krystal answer a question from Mel about how to keep your podcast interesting.

Special thanks to the Queen of Content, Krystal Proffitt, of the Proffitt Podcast and The Poddy Report for her amazing insight! You can also find her at www.krystalproffitt.com!

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Jordan:

is a fear all podcasters encounter at least once in their podcasting journey? What if my podcast becomes stale and uninteresting? I'm Jordan, host of Podcasting Q&A, where we answer your questions about how to start, grow and monetize a podcast. This week's question is from Mel.

Mel:

Hi, I'm the co host of the mama doula and more podcast. My question is, how do you keep your podcast interesting?

Jordan:

What an interesting question, Mel. Krystal, I chose you for this question. Because you have over 300 podcast episodes. You're the queen of content creation, and I knew you'd be perfect for this.

Krystal:

Well, I'm laughing because Jordan, I don't know if you know this, but so I do have two podcast in together. I actually have over 900 podcast episodes. Oh, like?

Jordan:

That's right. You have the Poddy Report!

Krystal:

Yes. Oh, yes. I would love to do this quiet. Like this just gets me so excited. Because I feel like there's endless ideas.

Jordan:

You you went from impressive to like mind blowing. I totally forgot about your other podcasts. Yeah. And that's crazy. Because I mean, I've listened to the Profitt podcast. And you know, there's only so many topics in podcasting, and you're able to just kind of, like, reconfigure them sometimes. And you still pull really interesting little nuggets. And there's so many things I can learn from every single episode, even if it's a topic you've already visited. We can start with where do you get your ideas for your episodes when you're doing the content planning? Yeah,

Krystal:

this is this is a really good one. And I think that the best way that we can break this down, we can put it into two categories. Because we've talked about Jordan, so many times how our podcasts are night and day, yeah, literally night and day. Because you have your dream full stories, you know, it's always like, okay, it's literally night and day. But what I do is, it has an educational aspect to it. So for anybody that's listening, just know that that is the spin that I have on my content, I am telling stories, I'm educating people, I'm sharing strategies and tips. And that may not apply to someone that just has a comedy podcast, or they're just sharing, pop culture trends and things of that sort. So I just want to kind of put it into those two categories. And so for me personally, whenever I think about content ideas, and like you said, you know, there's so many topics within podcasting, but I keep reinventing those because I put a fresh spin on them by adding new stories, adding a topic from a different perspective. So, for example, if we talk about from being a podcast host, and I'm like, Hey, let's talk about being a podcast guest or trying to get on podcast, or how you can, you know, the list goes on and on. There's a lot of different ways that you can approach it. But the thing that has allowed me to create so much content is one, I'm just super passionate about it. I mean, Jordan knows this, we have geeked out in so many conversations about podcasting. Like, we just have this passion for content creation. So that's one thing that keeps me going. But two, I would recommend to anybody that is feeling like I have five good ideas. And then that's it. I don't know where to go from there, dig a little deeper, like challenge yourself to say, well, if I were to put a fresh perspective on this, or if I were to talk about this subject with someone that's brand new, they don't even know the basics of what you're talking about. What are the stories that you could tell? Or what are the fun things that you could talk about?

Jordan:

Absolutely. And just hearing you say that it makes so much sense for somebody that is doing maybe like an informative podcast, like you mentioned, or an interview based podcast or like a coaching type thing. I'm wondering if you have any tips for podcasters? Like you said that do the comedy podcasts? Or, you know, maybe they do like the Dungeons and Dragons role playing podcasts, and things like that. And how do they keep that interesting is that idea of researching and finding new things to talk about really pertinent to those podcasts as well?

Krystal:

Yes, yes, this is great, because I think that no matter what kind of podcast you have the outline for doing your own research. I mean, it's going to look different from topic to topic, you know, category to category, but I think the baseline is start with what interests you, or the questions that you had about that topic whenever you first got started. I'm a podcast nerd, but I'm an even bigger marketing nerd. And so whenever I start getting questions like this, I turn it around on the person asking me it. And I say, Well, what do you do? Whenever you find a good podcast? Like, why are you drawn to listen to Jordan's Dreamful podcast? I know it's her voice, y'all. It's just it's everything. But I think it just goes back to look at what you do. And maybe you listen to some of your competitors podcast, or some people that are in your category. And you say, Well, why would I like it? Is it because they add in funky music is because they tell great stories, you know, and just start paying attention to some of those and then write down what you love about them and see if there's anything that you can replicate, duplicate, do something similar in your own content, but with your own spin, using your personality traits that make you different. For example, I'm super loud. And I'm like, I'm not apologetic about it. It's who I am. And I just show up as myself.

Jordan:

You touched on something earlier about? Well, I'm just passionate about it. And I think that that plays a really big role in keeping your podcast interesting, because there's something really infectious about when you're passionate about a topic. And listeners can tell if you don't care about something listeners can tell if you're not interested in your own episode topic.

Krystal:

Do you know I hear so much because I'm in the online like online business, digital marketing space, and there's so much of like, people throw around the phrase fake it till you make it. And I'm like, you really can't do that in podcasting. I mean, it's not like, if you're not passionate about it in episode one, you can be nervous. And you could maybe not be as confident in your voice or your strategy or how you're, you're fumbling with microphones, y'all, Jordan and I like we had a whole tech thing going on before we started recording. So it's, it's way past episode one, that you still have challenges with your equipment sometimes or the fact that there's a lot of service literally right outside my house at this moment. And it's like, because I'm so passionate about it, because I wanted to to have this conversation with Jordan today. I still made it happen. And it's not something that you can fake. And I think that if you are having those feelings of oh, I have to record my podcast or I don't like it's usually not podcasting in general. That's that they're struggling with. It's the type of podcasting. And a lot of people get into podcasting. And they compare what they want to do to other shows, I mean, three hour long shows or interviews with four or five people or in studios that like they have this kind of one track mind one frame of how podcasting should be based on the shows that they listen to. And I'm here to tell you all okay, here's, here's the true secret to podcasting. You can do whatever you want. It's so true. When people start getting frustrated with their podcast, it's usually not that they hate podcasting, or they're not a good podcaster. It's just that maybe they need to reevaluate the format that they've chosen, or the length of their podcasts. Like there's a lot of different factors that could come into play. Or also,

Jordan:

maybe you need to take a break. Pod fatigue is a real thing. Yeah. And it can be exhausting, especially for people that are doing the weekly podcast. Yeah, I mean, this is a weekly podcast. And for me, it's kind of a new thing. Because my podcast is bi weekly. I do it every other week, because I have boundaries with my podcast. Yes. And honestly, even then sometimes I get really tired. And I'm just like, oh, man, I don't want to edit this episode. I don't feel like it. I want to take a break. And you will feel so much better. If you just take like a little bit of time off, maybe do some content planning? Absolutely. We all need just a little bit of rest.

Krystal:

Exactly. And I think for those of you that maybe you've been podcasting for six months or a year, and you're like, I just you know, like, the whole question today is all about how do you keep coming up with new ideas. If you feel like you've hit a content wall, I think taking a break can actually revitalize and rejuvenate that relationship you have with your podcast. If you take a pause, like maybe you in the first season and you say I'm going to come back in a month in two months, like however long it is for you that you need to take a break. But you come back to it with fresh eyes and you're like, oh my gosh, I have so many fresh ideas or I have just a new perspective. And maybe that's when you make those changes because I do have people that will come to me and they say, Okay, I've been doing a solo show. I think I want to do interviews now. But how do I do that? Like they're scared. They think that their audience is gonna come after them with pitchforks and say what did you do like you You changed our Favorite thing now, you know, but it's usually not the case most audiences are pretty flexible. They just, they come to you for who you are and what you have to deliver. And yes, you may lose some people along the way. But at the end of the day, I think showing up and creating something that you are passionate about, and that brings you a lot of joy is what's going to sustain you and your podcasting journey for the long haul.

Jordan:

Another way to keep your podcasts interesting for your audience is to ask them what they want you to do episodes on running an audience survey is a great way I do that all the time for my bedtime podcast. And I asked them, What stories do you want to hear more of? And they will tell me I want more myths and legends? I want more fairy tales? Can you please do Pride and Prejudice. And honestly, those episodes where I've listened to the audience, those episodes do so well, because it's what the people want.

Krystal:

I love surveys, I love them. And I'm not the type of person that's walking around with a clipboard, like those kinds of surveys. But I will say that over time, I've tried many different things. I've tried just an Instagram story with like option A option B, I've tried full blown surveys that I've created in Google Forms, I have sent emails to my list and say, hey, you know, reply back, if you're interested in this thing, I have a Facebook group, there's a lot of different ways that you can create ways to engage with your audience. But if you're listening to this, and you feel a little overwhelmed, you're like, that's a lot of options go with where you have the biggest reach, or the highest amount of engagement with your audience. Because at the end of the day, feedback from two people is better than no feedback at all. It is so priceless, Jordan, I mean, is it just everything whenever you're like, Oh, thank God, I don't have to think of 20 new topics now, because they gave me exactly what they want.

Jordan:

That is so true. I did a survey through Typeform. And I also did a survey through Google Forms, which I actually really liked the Google Forms one better, it was just more simple and streamlined. And it auto populates into my Google Docs, which is great. So yes, I actually was doing a content planning session just last week. And it was so great, because I just went and opened up my form. And I was just scrolling through my survey answers and seeing what people were asking for seeing what types of stories people were asking for. And it just made the planning process so much easier, because I was able to be like, okay, like the Wizard of Oz has been asked for a million times like I have to do it now.

Krystal:

Yeah, and I think it's cool. If you're active on apps, like, you know, I love good pods. It's where I listen to a lot of podcasts. And even on there, I mean, because you can put up a post that says, this podcast episode is about this, like, there's a way for you to engage with your followers, there are your listeners on good pod. So that's another way like, I encourage everybody listening to think outside the box, because a lot of people will say I don't have a big following. I'm telling you, any feedback is better than no feedback. It really is. So I'm going to push you again, this is what I do. As a coach, I'm going to give you that tough love out of your comfort zone to ask your audience for feedback. Because even if the information they give you is it super helpful, maybe Jordan, they tell you a story over and over again. And you're like, I just can't do that. It's like within, it's not available for you to use because it's copy written, maybe it's a brand new book, and you're like I can't I get that all the time, actually. Yeah. But you can say, well, what's similar to that? Like, what genre specifically is that because maybe I could do something complementary. Or maybe they love these like specific kind of heroine tales. And I could find something that would work that's very adjacent to what they're actually asking for. And who knows, it could work really well. Or it could be a flop, but you're never going to know until you start getting that feedback and try new things. I think at the end of the day, you know, it doesn't have to be this groundbreaking. Every time you're blowing somebody's mind, especially for those of you that are in this information space of sharing things like don't think that it has to be only expert level knowledge that you're sharing. I mean, beginners, like there's there's information for beginners that I mean, if Jordan wanted to teach me something that I knew nothing about, especially when it comes to stories. I mean, I would just gobble it all up, because it's not something I know about because I'm not as entrenched in that world as she's in. So this is just a reminder to anybody. No matter where you are in your journey. I encourage you to sit down and look at your podcast with fresh eyes and say, What have I not talked about that I've always wanted to cover? But I've been Holding back for some reason, or somebody has been asking you to talk about it. And you're like, I just don't know if that's going to work. I encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and try new things and just test it out and see if it'll work.

Jordan:

That actually reminds me of a podcast that I love. It's called Potter lists. And I don't know if you've heard this podcast, Crystal, have you heard of this? Okay, I'm a huge Harry Potter fan. I don't hide this. But I was looking for Harry Potter podcast. And I saw that Potter list was just ranking like crazy. And it had great reviews. And the premise of this podcast is that a man in his 20s reads Harry Potter for the first time, and he recaps it basically like chapter by chapter, and it blew up. And while he was going through the Harry Potter series, he had on every episode, a guest that was also like an expert on Harry Potter. Oh my gosh, like people that run like Harry Potter conferences. He's had people like from the movies on his

Unknown:

podcast, oh, my God, yes.

Jordan:

And I think that's such a great example of going outside of your comfort zone, you don't have to be the expert, you can also be learning through your podcast. And I know that I have learned through my podcasts so much. So it's okay to not be the expert and to be the one listening and learning.

Krystal:

And I feel like that is the permission that all podcasters need. And no matter what stage you're in, even if you've been podcasting for a while, I'll hear well, I haven't been doing it long enough. Therefore, I don't have the clout, or I don't have the authority to invite these really big name people onto my show, or I feel like it's a way for them to hold themselves back. You know, whether it's impostor syndrome, or the lack of confidence, whatever it is, and Jordan and I are just here to remind you that you can do really incredible things with a podcast. Once you put yourself out of your comfort zone, like amazing things can happen. I know that you're hearing this from to marketing nerds, and you know, podcast nerds, but it's just like, we're living proof that incredible things can happen. If you just put yourself out there. I mean, Jordan, did you know 10 years ago that you would be sitting where you are today, doing what you're doing? No.

Jordan:

Not even three years ago? Yeah. Because I haven't even been podcasting for that long. I think that that is the way to keep your podcast interesting is to just have the confidence and the openness to learning and just feeling that enthusiasm about your topic.

Krystal:

And I mean, in you're hearing this from too literal opposite ends of everything in podcasting, I don't hardly edit anything. And Jordan will spend like hours and hours editing her show like we are, we couldn't be more opposite and what we do, but we also just understand how important it is to reach the people that are in our audience. And we each deliver something so special. And I think that anybody that's listening, you also have a super special message to share. And there's so much space in podcasting to continue to grow. And I mean, it's just such a baby industry. And it's it's an exciting time to be a podcaster. How cheesy is that? Can I say that?

Jordan:

Yeah, absolutely. I can say that. It is an exciting one. So it's a great time to be a podcaster. Well, thank you so much crystal for coming on and helping me answer this question.

Krystal:

Yes. Thank you so much for having me. I'm happy to come back anytime.

Jordan:

Oh, I will for sure have you on again. I hope this episode of Podcasting Q&A has been helpful to you. If you have a question you'd like us to answer on a future episode, go to podinbox.com/buzzsprout or click the link in the show notes to leave us an audio message. And as always, Keep podcasting