It has happened.
No, it’s not a shock that I appeared on another podcast, but it is quite the surprise that I appeared on The Podcast Digest (Episode 94).
This doesn’t go back that far, although I have reached out to Dan to guest on his show before. Most recently, I was told “not without a podcast of my own,” by Dan on The Diamond Dave Show, but with all of our Twitter sparring, this was a fun secret.
The episode I sidekicked on was one of Dan’s “Recommendation Shows” in which he has a guest come on to talk about a topic, followed by podcast recommendations from Dan and the guest.
When Dan first approached me, he said that I couldn’t recommend any shows I have involvement in, which makes sense, because most of those shows’ hosts have appeared on his show. So, it’s a good thing there are some other podcasts I listen to.
But that’s the setup. You’ll have to listen to the show to get our recommendations, but I wanted to expand upon our discussion topic: “Social Media and Podcasting.”
So, based on our discussion, which I urge you to listen to, there are a few points I’d like to reiterate and expand upon: Consistency, Balance, and Chemistry.
Consistency.
Determine what you do and where you will do it, and stick to that. If you only post new episodes on Facebook while limiting your interaction with listeners to Twitter, keep that up. Your followers on those networks will come to expect a one-way conversation on Facebook and two-way discussion on Twitter.
You can change as you want, but try to stay the same for a period of time and gradually change. The worst thing you can do is get a listener’s hopes up.
As a follow up to consistency, know your audience. Know what they expect, and know where they are. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, Snapchat, Google+ – it doesn’t matter. Be where they are, and be consistent.
Balance.
A lot of people throw the word balance around for many different reasons, but in this context it’s about content and personality.
As Dan said in the episode, “People will come for the content, but they stay for the personality.” And I agree. This doesn’t just apply to social media, but it also applies to podcasts, blogs, and basically anything else that you can create.
So be sure to balance a little of yourself while telling people to listen to your podcast. It can go a long way.
Chemistry.
Host chemistry is important. But the chemistry you establish through social media with your listeners is just as important, if not more important.
Your decisions on consistency and balance have a direct impact on the relationship and chemistry you have with your listeners. And not to tip your hand, but Dan and I both agree that any social media interaction you can have with your listeners is a better hook to keep them than anything you can say on air.
All said, podcasting is one of the most interactive and supportive communities in existence online. People are willing to help or at least talk things through and give you suggestions. Don’t take it for granted.
Lastly, I want to sincerely thank Dan from The Podcast Digest for having me on and calling me “one of the preeminent podcast presences.”
I am truly honored to have been invited and I thoroughly enjoyed my time on mic with Dan. I hope everyone gets the opportunity to take a listen and I hope the fun we had in recording comes through.