You have your plan, you have your equipment…what comes next? It’s time to find a host for your B2B podcast!
Your host (or hosts) is the literal voice of your show and is important to the success of the podcast. They help plan episodes, interview guests, and can become a reason people listen. The host is also responsible for making the show entertaining and engaging.
Bottom line, without a good host, your podcast will have a difficult time gaining traction.
Keep reading for Connversa’s tips on finding a quality host who will make your podcast a hit!
What NOT to Do
Before we get to what you should do to find the best host, first a quick word about what you shouldn’t do. Namely, don’t choose as host the first person who volunteers to do it (even if it’s your CEO!). Because although that person may be enthusiastic about being a podcast host, they may or may not be a good fit.
You don’t want to learn that the hard way, by choosing someone, recording a bunch of episodes, and only then realizing that they kinda suck at hosting. Because then you’ll be stuck in the uncomfortable position of having to explain that things aren’t working out. Awkward!
Instead, consider the following tips to make sure you choose someone who’s not just going to work out but who’s gonna be downright awesome!
What Makes a Good Host?
A good podcast host has to:
- be enthusiastic
- take pride in their work
- have time to devote to the podcast
- be a strong conversationalist
It’s hard to fake excitement over a topic, so find someone who has genuine interest in the theme of your show.
If your host is bored, your listeners will be bored.
A podcast host should also be a good interviewer and storyteller. Their voice should captivate an audience and demand attention. While prior speaking experience isn’t always necessary, it never hurts.
Your host should be friendly and like working with others, since podcasting is rarely a solo deal.
Establish Your Host as an Expert
With thought leadership as one of your podcast goals, the easiest way to do this is by establishing your host as an expert. They don’t have to be the expert, but they do need to know enough about the podcast theme and related topics–and be able and willing to learn more–to have substantive and engaging conversations with subject matter expert guests. The more familiar the host is with the topics the podcast covers, the better able they’ll be to dive deeper with your guests and ask better questions, making your podcast a cut above the rest!
It will help if your host not only understands and is competent in the podcast topic but also has real-world experience.
For example, if your podcast is about sales but your host has never sold anything or contacted a lead, he probably isn’t the best person to speak to your listeners. However, if your host has five years experience as a VP of Sales and their nickname is “The Closer”, you most likely have an awesome host on your team.
Where to Find Your Host
The easiest place to look for a potential host is within your business. Is there someone people are drawn to when they speak or engage others in conversation? Do they have a special interest or expertise in a topic you’d like to focus on? These are the types of people that make a good podcast host.
If there’s no one internally who fits the bill, it may be time to look outward to hire an external host. First, think about people directly outside of your business. Is there a go-to person you call when you need help? Someone in the same line of work, but maybe they’ve been in the business longer or their brain works a bit differently than yours? That person would be an excellent host for your podcast.
If you want to look for someone you’ve never met before, there are many people with voice and/or podcasting experience to be found on the internet. Hosting a podcast definitely takes practice, so a little bit of coaching, experience, or prior training can go a long way. Make sure you do your due diligence and investigate your potential host thoroughly before bringing them into the project. They’re going to be your partner, and you need to be able to work as a team.
Remember, we here at Connversa specialize in all things podcast. Need help finding that voice for your podcast? Call us – it’s what we do!