Note: this transcript was generated automatically. It’s accuracy may vary.

[00:00:00] Are you thinking of starting a podcast and you’re wondering what format it should be? Should you have guests? Should you do it with a co-host? Should you have a panel of people? Should you interview guests? Maybe you’ve heard that podcasting is an official thing on YouTube now. Maybe you’ve heard that YouTube has launched podcasting and is supporting that, and you wanna jump on that while it’s hot for whatever reason.

[00:00:24] These are the things that you have to think about and if you wanna know, What the pros and cons are, you’re in the right place. [00:00:30] That’s what I’m discussing today. Stick around. Welcome to Magnetic Pod. If you are looking to attract your sole clients while doing the work you love, this show is for you, har.

[00:00:40] I’m Olivia Dusuza. I’m a podcast manager and content repurposing specialist. The Magnetic Pod show is about attracting your. Sole pot of clients through podcasting. It will also include things that can be applied to other areas of your marketing strategy too. He’d subscribe to join me in calling in the people.

[00:00:57] We are here to help. Let’s make a massive [00:01:00] impact. I am herem

[00:01:07] on every stage. I’m available for my destiny.

[00:01:17] Hi, I’m Olivia. I help entrepreneurs to create powerful podcasts that drive leads, feeds their social media, and saves them up to five hours, work every single week, and we all need more time, don’t we? [00:01:30] In this episode, we’ll be exploring the pros and cons of the various formats, and by the end of it, you’ll have a much clearer idea of what the right format is for you.

[00:01:39] Before we dive in, remember to hit the subscribe button so that you don’t miss any of their tips to thrive in life and in business. Okay, let’s start with solo podcasts. That is a bit like what you see right now, just me talking to you, just one person, getting in there and recording what they have to share for the world to hear and learn from.

[00:01:57] This option is great for setting you [00:02:00] up as an expert who can just share it and go deep and generously share their knowledge and insights every single week. To their audience. Some pros of this is that it’s much easier to manage in terms of time. You don’t have to negotiate with anyone else planned the podcast.

[00:02:17] You’re going to talk about the episodes that you’re going to to make. You can decide on the time of day, the day of the week, you can just get in there and get it done. So it’s much faster to create. You can do more in a [00:02:30] short space of time. It’s great for building a personal brand, and it’s also much easier as.

[00:02:34] Far as visuals go because it’s all you in the space that you set up with, the lighting that you organize, with the audio set up that you organize, you can set the standard of quality and control all the variables, some of the drawbacks you have to create all of the content ideas. You need to do all of the research and all of the promotion is up to you and all the costs.

[00:02:58] And the other thing is that you’ve [00:03:00] gotta bring all the energy all by yourself. And sometimes if you have imposter syndrome or if you just are feeling a bit down, sometimes bringing the energy and not having someone to feed off. Can be a bit more challenging. So for myself, I do a lot of solo podcasts. I find it easier to, like I said, get in there, get it done, organize it.

[00:03:18] I like to sit down and batch record, and I can just do that when I don’t have to negotiate the time with anybody else. That is one reason I like doing solo podcasts, and also because I can control the room. [00:03:30] The place. I control everything and I can talk about whatever I want to without having to negotiate with anyone about that.

[00:03:37] Now let’s talk about co-hosted podcasts. In this format, two or more people get together and discuss a common interest. This is great. For people who like listening to or having conversations, listening to banter. It’s great for sparking humor. People can bounce off each other and I think a very special relationship forms between the co-hosts that the listener can tune in on [00:04:00] and feel a part of a pro of this is that it brings in different perspectives.

[00:04:05] I have just finished listening to. Mama Mia out loud, for example. And they were discussing whether trigger warnings are a good thing to have, whether it means that you’re expecting the world to conform to whatever your triggers might be, or whether it’s a valid thing that should be done to be thoughtful for other people.

[00:04:24] And because it was a co-host situation, they could throw around ideas. And I love [00:04:30] listening to that, and it’s a popular podcast, so that’s one example of where it really works well. The other advantage is that you share the responsibilities and the workload. It’s not all on one person, and it can be great for entertainment and humor.

[00:04:45] The cons is that there’s more things to negotiate. For example, if you have a co-host, do you pay the co-host? Are you both doing it as a love project because you’ve got a common goal? Are you sharing costs? Is that clear? Another thing that is a bit more [00:05:00] difficult with. Bringing someone else in, like in a co-host situation is that it may not be as easy to set up as far as if you were aiming to have it on YouTube and you wanted to hack the algorithm and have it shown to lots of people, then you need to think about the visuals and if you do a bit of research and look on YouTube, if that’s where you are looking to put a podcast and look at the most successful ones, the majority.

[00:05:23] Look great, and the majority are filmed in person in a location that’s all set up. [00:05:30] So that means that the audio is on point at booth for every person that’s controlled. And that means, again, that the. Look, the staging, the lights, the set, the audio and the visual, all of it is an extra thing that you need to consider.

[00:05:46] Of course, you need to consider that with solo as well, but if it’s just you, it can sometimes be easier. And if you are bringing more people into it, that means a logistical situation where you all have to agree that we’re going to meet at such and such a place where, [00:06:00] whereas for me, for example, I do a solo podcast.

[00:06:02] I do have guests sometimes. But I can just go ahead and do it in my own place, so that’s super easy. Another issue is that you all have to be on the same page. Do you have the same level of commitment? Do you agree over how you might look at monetizing? Do you agree over who does the editing, or who pays for the editing?

[00:06:20] Or who pays for props? Whether you agree that certain things were actually required or not required. I think you just really have to meet that. You have to really find. People that you [00:06:30] gel with, that you work well together, so you have to find someone that you have the right chemistry with. Another great example of a co-hosted podcast that’s been running for years is super popular and just works really well, is Nourishing the Mother with Julie Tanner and Bridget.

[00:06:47] And it’s a much loved podcast. Their friendship that they have where they talk about motherhood issues, family relationships, they’ve really built a community around it. They are like soulmate friends. [00:07:00] So you really wanna find someone that you have that connection with. And again, if you’re going to co-host it, you all have to think about the logistics.

[00:07:08] Are you going for a beautiful, filmed in-person, both people or all people at the same place? Situation. Or are you going to do a remote over something like Riverside FM or Zoom or whatever it might be, and just do it that way. If you are, then you’ll have to consider about the setup, what level you’re going to go to, make it look [00:07:30] fantastic, if that’s a priority for you, which will be more of a thing if you are creating videos, if you’re putting it on YouTube, definitely think you should make videos if you’re doing podcasts now because.

[00:07:39] Videos are so hot and it just means that you are for the price of one. You are getting so much more bang for your buck. I recently did an episode, so go back and check the one about repurposing your content. Yeah. But just think about the look of it and what it might mean if you’re doing it remotely and how.

[00:07:56] You can make it look the best you can. The other style is interview style [00:08:00] podcasts. In this format, the host brings in guests who have interesting content or can teach, educate the listeners that have something relevant to bring to their audience. When I started podcasting, one of the main advantages I got at was that it is a way, an excuse to build relationships.

[00:08:19] And network with the people that you meet by inviting them onto your podcast. It’s very easy, and a lot of people are out there wanting to be podcast guests, but if you have [00:08:30] the podcast, then you have a bargaining chip to be able to get on other people’s podcasts because someone who has a podcast is putting in the effort, is putting in the commitment, is giving you their audience to get in front of.

[00:08:41] If you can reciprocate that, you are streaks ahead for the people that want to get on a podcast but can’t offer. The same back to that person. One way is that it helps you to get podcast guest bots yourself. And as I was saying, when I started podcasting, I did it for a stationary company. I [00:09:00] didn’t particularly want to talk about stationary.

[00:09:02] I. On the podcast, I wanted to talk about things that would interest the listeners, and so our target market was a business to business company. Anything that would be relevant to our target market business related topics is what the podcast was about. But in doing it, I did it at the same time as joining the local chamber of Commerce, and it was a way to.

[00:09:25] Maximize networking attempts because in the past I’ve [00:09:30] half-heartedly done a bit of networking. Every now and then you swap cards. May, may not keep in touch, but I went, okay, I’m going all in this time and I want to really form relationships and. The podcast was part of that strategy where I could reach out and instead of saying, Hey, do you want stationary?

[00:09:47] Whereas people are not necessarily at that stage of considering switching suppliers or whatever it may be, but if you can reach out to people because you. Have something to offer them, and there’s something in it for them. You are [00:10:00] building a relationship and whether they came on board, which is something that didn’t happen or whether they expose you to more people or you just extend your reach, and I got actually invited out of having that podcast and having that platform.

[00:10:14] I was invited. To run workshops and other opportunities came out of it by having guests on your podcast. It’s a networking tool, a whole different advantage that is in addition to serving your listeners and drawing people in that way, the [00:10:30] guests and that networking has a whole other advantage separate to how many downloads you’re getting and all those sort of things.

[00:10:36] The other thing is that guests will share your podcast because it’s publicity for them. You’ve gotta make it as easy as possible for them. Let them know when it’s being published for them, the links, the graphics, the audiograms, the reels focusing more on videos than audiograms these days. But whatever you’ve got, make it easy for them.

[00:10:56] Write a caption for them. If you do it on Instagram, you can invite them as a [00:11:00] collaborator. They’re not obliged to, but they may if they choose to. Share it on their platform. It’s a way to grow your podcast as well. Another advantage is that sometimes it can feel easier to have a guest on and just talk, rather than having to plan a podcast and think of all the things to say, you just bring someone in and just chat.

[00:11:17] Let them bring the content and let it serve your audience. I’d actually interviewed someone today, and at the end of it we discussed a few opportunities and that came naturally out of talking and having that conversation. [00:11:30] It really is relationship building. Some of the disadvantages is that you don’t get to call all the shots again.

[00:11:36] So it’s similar to what I said with co-hosting, that you have to negotiate with someone else what time you’re going to do the interview. With my solo podcast, it’s quicker. I sit down, I do usually four at a time in one day with the guests interviews. It’s gotta be when it suits them. So that’s not as controllable.

[00:11:54] You can try to make it as much as you can, but you do have to be flexible with what suits other people. The other thing to [00:12:00] consider is if you’re interviewing someone and they’re on the other side of the world, the times have to be flexible. That’s another point, but that’s the amazing thing, is that you can do it.

[00:12:07] So my podcast this morning was filmed at 5:00 AM. 8:00 PM UK Times. Again, if you’re doing it for YouTube, it is much harder. It’s not impossible, but it just means you’ve gotta be pretty clever with your editing to make it look as good. It won’t look as good as in person, generally. [00:12:30] Very hard to get to that level.

[00:12:31] There are some examples I’ve seen on YouTube where they do an interview and the person being interviewed as a guest has their own separate cameras. Set up on them. So they’re not doing it through their webcam, but they have a D S L R camera set up and they’re talking to someone that they can see on a television screen or on a computer, but they’ve done their best to make it look amazing.

[00:12:51] But that’s a harder thing to ask your guests to do for you. So that’s just putting a bar there that makes it hard for people to reach. It’s much [00:13:00] easier for people to just jump onto their webcam. Side note, I’m not using a webcam now cuz I’ve got an iPhone 14 pro, which has got a brilliant phone on it. So I have discovered I can use that as my webcam.

[00:13:11] That’s a little bonus tip. So those are the main different formats. Another possibility is that you don’t have to stick. To one. Okay. Some people alternate. They’ll say, I will do an interview one week, a solo episode, and they wanna make it a real pattern, but don’t agonize over that [00:13:30] stuff. For myself, I do mostly solo because it’s easier and I can get more done.

[00:13:35] I. Part of that also is that I am a mom, short on time. I’ve got that little window between school drop off and pickup, and it just seems to fly by and I can squeeze a lot more in if I do solo podcasts, so that’s another point. But those are the main things to consider. Consider your life, your lifestyle, your goals.

[00:13:52] While you’re doing it, are you doing it to network? In which case, guesting and doing guest interviews would be a great way to [00:14:00] go. Do you want someone to help bring the energy and laughter and those sort of aspects in that might be another reason to go guests or co-hosts. Do you know people that you can rely on that have the same goals as you?

[00:14:13] Do you wanna get in, get out, get it done? Those are the kind of things that you have to think about. Also the visuals and the audio quality and what you can control and can’t control if you bring other people in. So those are the main things. I’d love to hear what you think. You can contact me. I’ll put all the links [00:14:30] in the show notes, and you can ask me any questions.

[00:14:32] What do you wanna know about more for next time? Or if you’re watching on YouTube? Put it down there in the comments and for more tips, check out these videos. Thanks for joining me, and remember, hit subscribe so we can catch up. I’ll see you next time. Bye. So what were your key takeaways from today? Did it raise any questions?

[00:14:50] What would you like to know more about? Let me know. You can contact me via social media or email. I don’t care which way you use. Just reach out to me. I’d love to chat with you. [00:15:00] And remember, you can get access to lots of free podcast resources that’ll help you get started or help you improve your podcast, Libby music media.com/freebies.

[00:15:11] Hit subscribe cuz I wanna see you again for now. Go forth. Be the awesome person you are. Live the life you want to live and have fun. You’ve got this. See you next time. Show them unavoidable[00:15:30]

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[00:15:40] Rock.