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The Buzzcast podcast by Buzzsprout is a hub for podcasters and creators alike. The show offers deep insights into how to record a podcast and distribute it to the world.
Each episode, featured guests share insights into the world of podcasting. It could be giving marketing tips to podcasters looking to grow their audience. Or it may be a deep-dive into audio production tips.
The popularity of the show is no accident though. The production techniques the hosts use in the Buzzcast show help guarantee its listeners keep coming back.
Below, we’ve got 6 tips to help you make better podcasts of your own. From how they structure the show to the dynamic between the hosts, we hope these tips help you level up your own show. We analyzed Buzzcast episode 54 called "Create Premium Content in Apple Podcasts + Growing a Niche Audience." Listen to the full episode here.
There’s no beating around the bush with this episode. By hitting play, you’re jumping into the show mid-conversation without any context.
There isn’t any intro music or a long ad-read.
The show starts by making the listener think about what they’re hearing. Trying to understand what’s going on in the chaos is part of what makes it compelling.
Don’t be afraid to rip off the bandaid and let your show jump straight into the content. THe sooner a listener is engaged, the better.
Transitions are an underrated tool in podcasting. The popularity of shows like The Joe Rogan Experience leads many podcasters to publish unedited multi-hour conversations.
But for some topics, tasteful transitions can make an episode more compelling.
Buzzcast uses short audio snippets called stingers to separate sections in their show. They also space them out cleverly to give the show a sense of momentum.
In this example, you can hear transition music used right away in the episode. They waste no time introducing listeners to the familiar audio snippet. It gives a sense of familiarity to older listeners and gives cues to new listeners about what to expect from the format of the show.
Buzzcast uses audio transitions a few times throughout this episode. Each time its used, it separates major talking points and topics from each other.
Grab a small audio clip and use it as your brand. Edit your episodes down to the essentials and your listeners will thank you.
A brief overview in the beginning of an episode can do wonders. Take 30 seconds and explain what listeners are about to listen to and when.
Buzzcast doesn't waste time by sharing exactly what's to come in their show. They tell you about recent changes to the Apple podcast subscription model and how it affects podcasters. Then they highlight user questions that are coming later in the show about growing their podcast brands. This easily splits up the 50-minute show into bite-sized chunks. These sections are also highlighted in the show's notes on the Buzzsprout website.
You don’t even have to record it when you first start the show. Have a natural conversation and then record an overview afterwards.
Buzzcast cuts through the noise quickly. Their show covers news in the podcasting community. And in this episode, they threw in an audience Q&A as well.
Their show relies on experts sharing their thoughts on developments on podcasting tools and services. So they pick relevant news items each week to talk about on their show.
No matter your niche, there are likely news items you can include in your show to share with the community.
You can also talk to your audience about what THEY want to hear on your show. Don’t be afraid to ask!
Buzzcast’s audience features both new and veteran podcasters. When hosts are sharing advice or stories, they make a point to make it relatable to all skill levels.
In this episode, one of the hosts met a fan of the show who shared that she was getting thousands of downloads per month. When asked how long she’d been podcasting for, she said “just a few weeks.”
On Buzzcast, they then broke down this story into clear takeaways for different groups. For beginners, they told them not to worry if download numbers aren’t high yet. It could mean your niche is small or your format is different than successful shows.
Whatever your own show is about, know your audience! As you tell stories, try to give context for how it might be relevant to each of them.
Finally, the show makes great use of calls to action. These are mentions sprinkled throughout the show about other ways to engage with the community.
Buzzcast tells listeners to go to their social media community as well as follow along with an upcoming tutorial series.
Give your audience action items throughout the show. Tell them how they can support you. Don’t be afraid to ask for reviews or push people to other marketing channels you own.
All in all, Buzzcast is a phenomenal podcast that helps podcasters deliver better episodes. Watch our video to hear these tips in action.
What techniques do you use to keep your listeners engaged?
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