“I have no clue what to talk about”
That statement ” I have no clue what to talk about” is what I hear most when I tell someone to start a podcast. Streamers are usually the ones to hit me with that statement and it confuses me because they talk for hours each time they fire up their stream. Keep in mind that a podcast is nothing more than a stream that you record the audio for and send it out to the world. Choose your topics, take questions from chat, or use discord as a live call-in show. The possibilities are limitless.
Marketing Your Live Streams
Streaming has become so saturated as of late and clips are the only shareable content from your stream. A podcast puts you in front of an entirely new audience and has the potential to bring new people to your Twitch, Mixer, Facebook Gaming or YouTube stream. In the big scheme of things podcasts are the least saturated of all media marketing, so you need to be there. If you stream you have all the tools. You can sign up for free hosting Podbean.com and get a couple of episodes out each month. They offer a number of plans I use the unlimited one for both my shows. Once hosting is out of the way you create and upload and Podbean.com pushes it out to iTunes, GooglePlay, and any of the other services you’ve signed up with like Stitcher and Spotify. A podcast is now a tool that can add value to the listeners, inform them about you and your live streams and it’s easy for them to share growing your reach.
What Sets Podcasts Apart?
Podcasts are one of the few forms of media that people can consume while working, driving or exercising. I listen to podcasts while I’m on my feet working ten hours a day. Podcast help me get through each day which adds massive value to me and it’s why I’m a podcaster now. Adding value is the key to quality content.
Four Pillars of Podcasting
First Pillar: Entertaining someone adds value. Entertainment is not limited to being funny so if you’re not funny it’s ok. A conversation that is thought-provoking is entertaining. A conversation that involves your opinions on a certain topic can be entertaining. I hear from listeners all the time that they feel like they are part of the conversation or they couldn’t wait to tweet at me about a point they liked or didn’t like. Entertainment has the ability to help time move faster for those that wish they could be doing something different at that moment. That’s where the value lies, so grab a friend or fellow streamer and start recording your conversations.
Second Pillar: Information adds value. People are busy and for most, multitasking is a must. If your podcast can bring information to someone that saves them time from looking it up themselves that is value. On my podcast’s each week I cover news, sales, and future releases. News and future releases are covered on plenty of shows but no one was covering the sales on the Nintendo eshop. Most weeks there are 30-50 games on sale and I go through the entire list. Informing people of the sales without them having to look it up has been huge for some people. I get messages almost weekly thanking me for letting them know what’s on sale. What kind of information can you offer your listeners that will save them time?
Third Pillar: Teaching adds value. Before you try and tell me that you have nothing to teach I want you to understand something. You only need to be one step ahead of someone to be an expert in their eyes. If you have ever made a mistake on your journey or have failed along the way you have lessons to share. Lessons that can prevent your listeners from making the same mistakes you did, then you can add value to them. If you feel comfortable enough with a topic you can take questions or do a call in show using discord to bring on a guest and answer questions. As scary as they may sound keep in mind that you can edit the audio before it goes out if you’re not happy with a segment. Depending on the topic you may get questions from beginner to advanced so you can offer something for all levels. The beauty of this approach is the stress for choosing a topic is now chosen for you and it has the potential to add massive value.
Fourth Pillar: Connecting with your listeners by being genuine. Be real on your show it’s ok to let your listener see who you really are. Share your honest opinions on topics. If you don’t like something or game doesn’t resonate with you then share that. Avoid being the idea one who you wish you were and be yourself. I love meeting people that have listened to my shows and hearing that they feel like they know me because of the show. Finding your voice can take time. There is a strange phenomenon that takes place once the record button been pressed. For the longest time, I would transform into some stiff-necked news reporter that seemed to hate fun. I’m exaggerating, but I wasn’t myself. That fades in time so stick with it and eventually, you will be “you” on the mic. Podcasting is a craft and the more you do it the better you will get.
Time To Get To Work
At this point, you should be ready to get your show started. Make a list of topics and ideas and talk to a few friends about stating a show. Get your hosting with Podbean.com and get your content out. My podcast is the number one source of traffic to my Twitch channel, Youtube channel, and website. If you feel like you’ve stalled out with your viewer count or growth, in general, it’s time to start a podcast.
More resources.
I am launching an ebook The Beginners Guide to Gaming Content, on August 19th. At 6 pm PST and I’ll be doing live Q&A on Twitch.tv/N64Josh and I’ll be giving away a few copies of the book!
If you’re just getting started or have questions about the gear needed to get started to check out my Creation Tool’s page here.
If you have any other questions or comments let me know in the comments below.
Please note that some of the links on this page are affiliate links. If you click them and make a purchase N64Josh.com may receive a small percentage of the sale which helps support the site.
