Writing Engaging Content for Podcasts

In 2025, if your plan to put yourself out there more by taking on more podcasts, TV/radio interviews and speaking opportunities .. these tips are for you: Before the Interview 1. Ask for a question guide or topic outline beforehand Understanding the themes or questions allows you to prepare key points without sounding overly rehearsed. Do not memorise a script or read off a script. 2. Research the interviewer’s style Watch or listen to past interviews to gauge their tone, pace, and questioning style so you can align your delivery. 3. Prepare a “bridge statement” If the interviewer veers off track, a bridge statement like, “What’s also important to mention is…” can steer the conversation back to your key points. 4. Craft a three-part answer framework Structure your responses with: A clear headline (e.g., “The main issue is…”) Supporting details (a statistic, example, or anecdote) A concluding statement (e.g., “And that’s why this is so important.”). 5. Anticipate tricky questions and prepare “graceful pivots” Practice answers to challenging questions and learn to pivot to your strengths or key message if needed. During the Interview 6. Use the “pause and think” technique If you’re unsure of an answer, pause briefly to collect your thoughts instead of rushing into a response. It shows poise. 7. Engage the host with questions of your own Show curiosity by occasionally asking the interviewer’s perspective. It creates a conversational tone and can shift the dynamic. 8. Anchor your answers with a story or example Humans connect with stories. For every abstract idea you share, anchor it with a real-world example to make it memorable. 9. Be strategic with transitions Use phrases like, “That reminds me of…” or “To add to that…” to seamlessly transition to your key points. 10. Avoid filler words or hedging phrases Words like “just,” “kind of,” or “I think” dilute your authority. Instead, use confident language like “In my experience” or “What we know is…” After the Interview 11. Follow up with any additional insights If you didn’t get to fully explain a key point, follow up with the interviewer via email with concise additional thoughts. 12. Analyse your tone and pace from the recording Listening back can reveal areas to refine, like speaking too quickly or missing opportunities to pause for impact. 13. Thank the interviewer publicly A LinkedIn post or tweet acknowledging the interviewer and audience adds goodwill and extends the reach of the interview. 14. Prepare your own takeaways Write down 1-2 personal lessons learned from the interview process and refine your preparation strategy for the next one.

A client preparing for an important podcast confessed he's a bit "wordy." I complimented him for recognizing what could be a fatal flaw and said, "That's why you're going to keep your remarks to 2 minutes and answer every question with an EXAMPLE instead of an EXPLANATION. Explanations are INFObesity. Examples are INTRIGUING." He agreed but said, "I don't know HOW to tell a short story." I told him, "The key is to put us in the S.C.E.N.E. Here's how: S = SENSORY DETAIL: Start with WHERE to put us THERE. Think of a real-life situation that illustrates your point. What did it look like? Smell like? Feel like? Sound like? C = CHARACTERS: Describe the individual(s) involved so we know their MOOD. We don't need to know they have brown hair. The question is, are they sad, mad? Excited? Frustrated? E = EXPERIENCE IT: Re-enact what happened so we can SEE what you're SAYING. If YOU see and feel what you saw and felt then, WE will too. N =NARRATIVE: If you don't have dialogue, it’s not a story, it's a listicle of events. Use comma/quotes of exactly what was said so it's ALIVE and we feel part of the conversation. E = EPIPHANY: What is the lesson-learned, shift, or AHA where everything comes together and the point suddenly makes sense? If the podcaster asks, "WHY did you write this book?" don't TELL him why you wrote the book. Put us in the S.C.E.N.E. of when and where you realized people were getting outdated badvice, and decided to share your recent research and evolutionary results so they could thrive instead of suffer needlessly. And keep each response to under 2 minutes. If you do, this becomes a rock-and-roll interview from start to finish. You will be infinitely more interesting and people will be motivated to keep listening. #podcasts #storytelling #speaking #samhorn #presenting

The biggest flaw of podcasting is that there’s no built-in distribution, which means: 1. Podcasts only spread through word of mouth or by 2. Piggybacking off of trending formats (short-form video) on algorithmic platforms (LinkedIn, YouTube, Substack etc) Ultimately, the only way to maximize the k-factor of a podcast episode is to extract 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 — practical insights and polarizing opinions — from the guest. Whenever I’m interviewing guests, I try to shape my questions into narratives where I can make the listener feel like they want to stop what they’re doing and to take a note. I’m always trying to get someone to stop driving, pull their car over, and bookmark what the guest is saying. ___________ Here is my essential list of questions to get the best soundbites from a guest: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂? - In an ideal scenario, if a customer has finished listening to this, what would you want them to naturally do? - What’s the call to action? - What is the feeling you want to leave them with? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆’𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀? - What trends are BS or fads? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 / 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆? - In what specific contexts do they experience the pain? What are some specifics? - How are you / your peers / your customers solving this problem today? - What are the pros and cons of each alternative? - If competitors exist, what’s the difference between your company’s approach and theirs? Use this as an opportunity to counterposition your business. What makes you 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 versus better? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 / 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆’𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿? 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 [ 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 ] 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟬𝟭 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗻 [ 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 ] 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 [ 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 ] 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 [ 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 ] 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 [ 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 ] ___________ I’m Ira Ko CEO of Shapeshift. Since 2019, I’ve founded two podcast companies and have spent thousands of hours interviewing, producing, and coaching CEOs on how to podcast. Subscribe to my Substack for practical insights weekly.

Most podcast episodes die the moment you hit publish. Recording a great conversation is valuable, but most podcasters treat it like a one-time content event. Common problem. You publish the full episode, share it once across your channels, maybe send it to your email list. Then you move on to recording the next one. I watched a podcaster do this after a phenomenal guest interview. She published the 90-minute episode. Posted the link on LinkedIn and Instagram. Then nothing. A week later, that episode might as well not exist. Your episodes contain 10-15 pieces of high-performing content. You just need a system to extract them. We do this: → Pull 8-10 short clips from each episode targeting different audience segments and pain points. → Write carousels from the episode's biggest insights, then drive listeners back to the full show. → Turn your guest's strongest quotes into standalone graphics and schedule a 14-day content series around the same themes. → Turn one episode into 30 days of audience-building content that drives listens, builds authority, and attracts sponsors. If you're recording episodes but only posting them once, you're leaving 90% of your growth potential on the table. This is the distribution system we build for podcasters who want every episode to work harder. Which part of your podcast process feels most wasted right now - recording, editing, or distribution? Drop it in the comments and let’s unpack it.

Authenticity is a powerful tool, but timing matters. In today's digital world, there's a growing push to be 'real' and share openly. However, too often, I see people reveal too much, too soon—before they've had the chance to understand or process their experiences fully.   Perspective is what transforms pain into wisdom.   I see this mistake frequently as I listen to podcast interviews.   I cringed as I heard one guest share their panic over an SEO change that happened just that day. They frantically detailed all of the ways that it could destroy their business. By the time the episode aired, the landscape had shifted again, and their message of fear was outdated, comical instead of insightful. It surely didn't make them look like a leader or an expert.   Another guest opened up about their bitter ongoing divorce, speaking with raw emotion rather than measured reflection. While not our client, the host reached out to me for advice. The host ultimately decided not to air the episode, fearing potential legal implications for statements made about the other party. Instead of wisdom, the audience would have witnessed a live and very ugly car crash. It could have destroyed people and reflected poorly on the guest's credibility, maturity, and brand.   Before I share my story, I consider this framework: • Do I fully understand this, or am I just in it? • Have I pulled out lessons that are both timely and timeless? • Will this still be important six months from now? • Is this a key part of my story or am I just sharing my drama? If you’re unsure how to position your story for maximum impact and reach your goals with podcast appearances, it can help getting an outside perspective. The good news with podcast interviews is that 95% are pre-recorded. There is time to reflect between the recording and airing. I've found most hosts are willing to re-record interviews.   You can easily delete an embarrassing rant from your social media, but words spoken in pain on someone else’s platform are much harder to take back once aired.   Make sure you’re speaking from your scars—not from your wounds.   How do you decide how much and when to share?   #podcast #authenticity #pr #podcastbookers #podcastinterviewmarketing #PodcastInterviews

Your content can be your 24/7 sales team. But if you don’t have a clear source for that content, that team runs out of fuel FAST. Recently, I sat down with Jonathan Reid 🎙️ and he showed me exactly how podcasting powers the kind of content that builds trust and drives revenue. He uses a simple but powerful framework: “The Hub and Spoke Model” → Podcast = the hub → LinkedIn, newsletters, short-form, lead magnets = the spokes → Together they build a content system that’s consistent, efficient, and high-converting Here are 3 tips he shared that go beyond “just start recording”: 1. Build monetisation into your strategy before you press record Most people start a podcast to “build the brand.” But Jonathan flipped it. He’s big on designing your podcast around: → Who you want to work with → What problems you solve → What content leads back to your offer That way, the show becomes a business asset, not just a creative outlet. Guest selection, episode flow, and repurposing ALL support the end goal. 2. Design your podcast like a content product, not a conversation If you want to fuel multiple platforms, don’t hit record and hope for the best. Structure your podcast like a product your content team can pull from. That means: → Segments built around shareable insights → Reusable frameworks and positioning → Topics that speak directly to your audience’s pain points You’re not just creating content. You’re manufacturing trust, POV, and distribution assets in one take. 3. Optimise for “who’s over views” This was one of my favourite mindset shifts: “The right 100 listeners are more valuable than the wrong 10,000.” Podcasting isn’t about going viral, it’s about going deep with the right people. When done right, it gets you into rooms you didn’t pitch for, and builds trust before you’ve even had a sales call. -Bonus: Your podcast is the best door opener you’re not using Jonathan reminded me that a podcast isn’t just for content, it’s a reason to start a conversation. Want to connect with a dream client or industry leader? Invite them on the show. It flips the dynamic. You’re not pitching. You’re spotlighting. And that opens doors cold outreach never could. If podcasting is on your to do list for 2025 connect with Jonathan Reid 🎙️!

Here's how I used AI to make a podcast interview unique and highly relevant to my audience. A step by step walkthrough of my process. If your guest has been interviewed a hundred times before, how do you ask them something new? That was my challenge before interviewing Joe Pulizzi. I already speak to Joe from time to time. I've interviewed him before. I’ve heard his takes. We share audience and they hear him often. So I needed fresh questions—ones that matter to my podcast audience. Enter AI. This is how I used Perplexity AI to: ✅ Research what Joe has already been asked before ✅ Identify content gaps my audience would care about ✅ Generate original, thought-provoking questions But AI doesn’t replace the human touch. It just gives you a smarter starting point. I still refined the list, added my perspective, and removed any obvious questions - keeping only the most relevant and engaging ones. Now, my interview won’t be just another repeat—it’ll be a real conversation with new questions that you wouldn't have heard on another show. #contentmarketing #podcast

𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝑰 𝑩𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒕 𝑳𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑽𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 “Don’t bore people. Don’t worry too much about replicating someone else’s formula. Be original with the way you podcast.” That’s the mantra I follow while hosting my podcast on Living Viral Podcasting is not just about pressing record and speaking into a microphone. It’s about creating conversations that people connect with. When I started, I realized that many creators try to copy styles of successful podcasters. But copying only limits creativity. The best podcasts are the ones where authenticity shines through. For me, originality means two things: Speaking from my own experience – Instead of repeating what others have already said, I bring my perspective to the table. Connecting with real people - Guests are not just “content fillers”; they are voices with stories worth sharing. Listeners today don’t want perfect scripts. They want genuine voices, raw emotions, and conversations that sound real. A podcast should feel like a friend talking to you, not like a lecture. When you stay true to your own style, something amazing happens. Listeners stay longer, they share more, and they trust you. And that trust is the true currency of podcasting. On Living Viral, I keep experimenting with themes, formats, and tones. Some episodes are short, punchy monologues. Some are deep conversations. The common thread? Each episode carries originality. My advice to new podcasters - - Don’t chase trends too much. Instead, create conversations that you would want to listen to. - Don’t get trapped in the idea of perfection. Authentic mistakes make you human, and that’s relatable. - Don’t shy away from being different. Your uniqueness is your strength. If you’re thinking about starting a podcast, just begin. Let your voice carry your story. Be original, stay authentic, and people will connect. Podcasting is not about following a formula. It’s about creating your own. #podcasting #contentcreation #livingviral #creativity #originality #surendratiwari

Most founders want to get a podcast interview because they want to feel like Joe Rogan. They want the cool mic, the dark studio, and the "platform." That is an ego play. And most use it wastefully. If you are measuring a podcast by listeners or downloads, you’ve already lost. The real power of a 40-minute interview isn't just the "show." It’s the Raw Material. One hour of me talking is not one piece of content. If you’re smart, it’s fuel for your entire content machine for the next three weeks. Here is the Moburst math for one single 40-minute recording: 1. The Social Snippets You don’t share the full link and pray people watch. You chop that discussion into 10 high-impact vertical videos. 30 to 60 seconds each. Punchy, captioned, and straight to the point. That’s two weeks of daily social posts from one conversation, which would be shared over the coming quarter as great high-end video materials. 2. The SEO Engine We take the transcript and pipe it into an LLM. It doesn’t just "summarize." It extracts the unique data points, the spicy takes, and the original frameworks I mentioned. From that, we build two deep-dive blog posts. Not generic AI fluff but content based on my actual quotes and my actual thoughts. That helps you win with SEO and AEO (Answer Engine Optimization). 3. Thought Leadership on Autopilot That same transcript becomes 5 distinct LinkedIn posts. Different angles. Different hooks. One hour of recorded discussion fuels the "Thought Leader" presence that people think takes all day to manage. The logic is simple: Stop trying to create. Start Documenting. You spend one hour having a great conversation, and the AI handles the amplification. It hits your social pages, it fuels your SEO, and it keeps you top-of-mind across every platform while you’re busy actually running your company. Don't build a show. Build a Content Factory. #GrowthHacking #ContentStrategy #Podcasting #AI #ThoughtLeadership #Moburst #NoBS

Google AI Studio and Gemini are my go-to tools when it comes to transcribing podcast interviews and formatting them so they’re worthy of a blog post and newsletter. Here is my exact workflow, with the prompts I used for my most recent podcast. I upload the MP3 to Google AI Studio, which excels at handling audio files. My prompt: "The attached file is an interview for a podcast called A History of Marketing between Andrew Mitrak and Sergio Zyman, Chief Marketing Officer of Coca Cola. It is about the history of New Coke, the Cola Wars in the 1980s and early 1990s. Please generate a clean transcript and remove "um" and other filler words and accidentally repeated words but otherwise be as accurate as possible." Providing context in the prompt (names, topic) makes for much more accurate output. I review the transcript in Google Docs using its error-checking features. I then upload this version of the transcript to my YouTube video, which is a big improvement over its auto-subtitles. Next, I use the Gemini App. I attach a PDF of journalistic transcribing instructions and use this prompt followed by the full text of the transcript: "The following is an interview transcript. Please make edits to correct grammar and remove false starts, following the attached transcribing instructions. Please format this for a blog and add line breaks when speakers alternate. When there is a long answer, break it up as needed into separate paragraphs for readability. Put the names of speakers in front of their dialogue each time they speak and bold their names." This cleans up the text, adds formatting, and attributes dialogue. The output at this point looks a lot like a blog post! I export to Google Docs. A 30-minute interview will be about 10 pages. For SEO and scannability, I use this prompt: "Please suggest SEO-optimized headers to add to this blog. Make them descriptive of sections. Keep them short, but don't try to be cute. Make sure they improve scannability. Use H2 and H3 formats." This generates headers I insert into the blog. I rewrite and edit these, but AI saves a lot of time here with the first draft. Finally, I review the blog post while listening to the MP3. This lets me check both the transcript and the audio file for errors simultaneously. At 2X speed this process takes 15-30 minutes. This workflow with Google AI Studio and Gemini has streamlined my post-interview process. It's not just about saving time, it's about producing something I otherwise wouldn’t have made without the help of AI. I wouldn’t bother with transcripts if I had to do them manually, so now the interview is more accessible to audiences who prefer to read instead of listen or watch the interview. It’s also more discoverable, and a better overall experience for everybody. Hope this long-form, detailed post is useful to those learning to use AI tools. I'm continuing to make this process faster each time. Would appreciate any of your AI tips if you have them!