Podcasts and presentations are inherently different. Podcasts, while often scripted, are quite free-form, and sometimes the magic is in the editing. Presentations, however, are generally given live, so there is little room for error. With the growing popularity of podcasts, and with the launch of Apple‘s new suite of podcast tools, many of our clients have been asking us if they are the right candidates for this new endeavor. We’ve taken a lot of time to understand presenters and how they connect with an audience. So, good news! If you’re wondering if podcasting is for you, you’ve come to the right place!
Know Thyself
Podcasts come alive due to the host. Just take one of the most popular podcasts of all time, Armchair Expert, for example. This is such a long-form podcast that one might think, “who has two hours to listen to an interview?”… and the answer is, 60.8k listeners who had time to write a review and rate it a 4.7 on average. This is madness, right? Well, we’d argue this is science. Dax and Monica are such different personalities, that their combination casts a wider net than if either of them were to be doing this on their own. In addition, they both have a really strong sense of who they are and constantly speak to that on their show. It’s our observation that because they are so in tune with what they bring to the table (or, well, armchair), people just can’t stay away.
Personality Types
As a company, Ethos3 has identified 16 unique presentation profiles. In fact, if you’re super curious, pick up this book written by our CEO. It goes in-depth into each profile, but we’re just going to highlight a few that we think have what it takes to get the “likes” and “subscribes” necessary for a successful show. Below are 5 of the BADGE profiles that seem to excel in this arena.
The Activator: A dominant personality with the gift of persuasion
The Advocator: A tenacious personality with a strong purpose that drives each word
The Befriender: A charming speaker who winds over the audience time and time again
The Liberator: An optimistic visionary who loves to inspire
The Soldier: A dedicated personality driven by single-minded, world-changing purpose
But How?
You may be wondering why certain personalities may be more suited to this format than others. The fact of the matter is, many different types of personalities can master creating a winning podcast due to the vast variety of shows. However, we’ve honed in on what makes these personalities especially successful.
-The activator’s gift of persuasion keeps listeners coming back because they continuously want to be “talked into” whatever shiny new discovery this podcaster has identified.
-An advocator’s sense of purpose keeps the show grounded in what the listener is coming to hear.
–Befrienders can make friends from anywhere, and podcasting is no different–they’re able to make listeners feel like friends in no time.
–Liberators fill the hearts and minds of listeners looking to better themselves and use their podcast as fuel to keep going.
–Soldiers understand the grit that goes into podcasting, and that dedication helps them plan and prepare for their intended audience time and time again.
Whether you’re looking for new revenue streams or feel like you have something to say that only a podcast could tackle, there seems to be room in the playing field… at least for now. Need some coaching? Our presentation coaches love talking about what makes you tick as a presenter, and highlighting your strengths while getting ahead of your areas of opportunity. We’d be happy to customize a training session that suits your needs–no matter how big or small. Reach out today and let us know where you’d like to start!
