Wouter Monden. Once starting out as a stand-up comedian, he has been allowed to put the term "podcast maker" after his name for the past three years. His Elektra Podcast became an almost instant success. Meanwhile, his show attracts 100,000 listeners, if you count views on YouTube.
In the Elektra Podcast, Monden reminisces with fellow comedians and comedians about shows they would rather have forgotten. Think Guido Weijers, Claudia de Breij, Youp van 't Hek, Brigitte Kaandorp, Jochem Myjer, Karin Bloemen, the recently deceased Paul van Vliet and many others.
Six tips for podcasters
In the eighth episode from our podcast Masters Of Podcasting Monden talks at length about the origins of the Elektra Podcast and the rapid success of his show. He also gives six valuable tips to make your podcast a winner. Do you read along?
Tip #1 Put yourself in the spotlight
And Monden means that as literally as it gets. "There's a reason that the podcast logo says 'Wouter Monden' in big letters," the comedian explains. "And that my head is on the logo. I thought about that. I thought: 'if this is going to grow, my name will grow with it'.”
And indeed: the podcast has become better known, and with it, so has the name Wouter Monden. "It caused theatre doors to open now that might otherwise have remained closed. Theatres are really booking me earlier now because of the success of the podcast."
Accordingly, Monden's tip is: use a good photo of yourself and put your name in the logo. This creates recognition of you as a person, as a brand. And can therefore work to your advantage when it comes to your other work. And that's immediately a nice bridge to the next tip....
Tip #2 Build your skills
Making a podcast helps you tremendously in building other skills. For example, think about your voice use, presentation, conversation techniques, approaching guests and editing skills. First and foremost, of course, this is valuable for ensuring the quality of your podcast. When you work on these skills, your podcast gets better and better.
In addition, these skills are also very valuable for your work outside the podcast. Think, for example, of hosting an event, making important calls or, in Monden's case, voicing texts and presenting a (comedy) show. "The podcast has really taken my skills in this to the next level."
Tip #3 Deploy video to attract listeners
A podcast is first and foremost an audio experience, of course. But video is certainly an effective way to spotlight your podcast. There is a good reason why Spotify recently started allowing you to upload video podcasts. When you host your podcast with Springcast, you can Easily add video on Spotify.
Video is just a very effective way of communicating with your fans. Look at yourself. How often do you watch short clips on social media or YouTube? Or stream a vlog on TV? We humans are also visually inclined and enjoy watching video content. And... we just really want to know who's talking.
A video podcast fulfils this need and ensures that creators don't have to create completely new content. You produce an episode and then use it to serve two channels: audio and video. Adding video just makes your show even more exciting than it already is.
As you know, social media is a powerful medium to tap into new fans for your podcast. But... these are highly visual platforms. It can be difficult to engage people when they are watching an audio-only clip. Our tool Springs is a great solution for this. It lets you create short video snippets of your podcast, perfect for teasing your episode!
Adding a video to your podcast is yet another great way to satisfy the appetite for video content. When you make a video of your podcast, you can easily edit short snippets of it and then share them on channels like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. Just be sure to link to your full episode (video and audio), of course 😎
By sharing these short snippets, you make your potential listener curious about your podcast. Moreover, they see you talking to your guest and that makes your authority grow. Monden: "In my case, it has made people put me on the same level as my colleagues. My authority as a comedian has therefore grown and people take me more seriously."
Tip #4 Choose a format that suits you
Think carefully about the format of your podcast. Like Monden, do you want to have conversations with people in your field? Then choose a format that is not tied to topicality.
Monden: "With every new episode that comes online, I potentially tap into a new audience. Then when they listen to an episode by their favourite comedian or comedian, and they like it... there is a good chance they will then scroll through other episodes and listen to them."
The beauty of this is that your number of listeners keeps growing. It increases the eternal value of your podcast. It ensures that your podcast can keep growing.
Tip #5 Put a lot of time into your preparation
Perhaps the most important tip of all: put a lot of time into preparing your podcast. Did you know that the average podcaster quits after only seven episodes? If you want a successful podcast, the key is to keep going. How. Some tips:
- What is your story?
- What does your listener want to hear?
- What should your podcast sound like?
- Who are your guests?
And... work ahead. Publish your first episode only when you have already recorded several episodes. This ensures that you have a 'stockpile' for when you have holidays or are busy with your other duties, for example.
Tip #6 Dare to ask for money
Do you have a regular group of listeners? Ask for a voluntary contribution. Or ask them to become donors for a fixed amount per month. This can be as high and as low as they want. For example, you can offer your donors extra content in exchange for their contribution. This way, they feel appreciated and, in addition, they get something in return for their money.
There are seven different podcast formats. We explain all seven in our white paper '20 business ideas and formats'. The Elektra Podcast is a typical example of The Interview.
The Interview
The interview podcast is perhaps the most popular podcast kind. The format is simple. You have a host, possibly a co-host and a guest to be interviewed. This format descends from traditional radio and television programmes.
The big advantage of this type of podcast is that you not only reach your own followers, but also the followers of your guest. This may open up a new target group of potential followers for your podcast.
However, the form creates challenges, because you have to deal with technology and people. The energy of your guest and their ability to express themselves determines the quality. Do you do a remote interview, then technology can also be a challenge.
Read also our article About the best tips for podcast interviews.
About Masters Of Podcasting
Masters Of Podcasting is Springcast's brand new podcast. In this show, we engage with experts in the field of podcasting. These can be professionals who guide organisations through the podcasting process, as well as entrepreneurs and organisations who have started successful podcasts themselves in recent years.
The first season of Masters Of Podcasting is a series of ten episodes. A new episode will be published every Tuesday. You can watch these here find. Want to know more about this podcast? Then keep an eye on our socials or subscribe to the show in your favourite podcast app.
