Writing Engaging Content for Podcasts

99% of people believe great content is about writing, formatting and hooks. From generating over 100M+ impressions for clients in 2025 and tens of millions in pipeline – it’s actually about an original & compelling idea. We run Structured Content Sessions with clients every 2 weeks or month – where in 1 hour we generate 12 high-quality custom posts. I was chatting with Tom Muller, who runs these sessions with clients, and here’s what gets the best ideas out: 1. Listen more than you question The best insights come from listening to how someone says something – not just what they say. The hesitation, the tone, what they almost skipped. When you pause, and let them open up, the magic happens. 2. Do worldview prep – not question prep We prep heavily before each session. Not just with questions, but what’s happening in their industry, their business, their life. So we can have a sophisticated conversation with nuance and specifics. When you understand their world, you can navigate naturally to the ideas worth pulling out – without it ever feeling forced. 3. Go one level deeper When something interesting surfaces, we ask follow-up questions. It’s the prompting and guiding of a client – that results in us going deep with ideas – meaning original, thought-provoking content that we know will generate results. "What do you mean by that?" "What was the impact?" "How did that make you feel?" “Tell us about a moment that revealed this?” 4. Treat it like a conversation, not an interrogation You need an outcome that you’re moving towards. For us, that's a blend of strategic LinkedIn content pieces that will drive audience growth & pipeline. But it should feel more like a relaxed podcast conversation than a Q&A. The real stories & value only surface when someone forgets they're being interviewed. -- The outcome: High-quality original LinkedIn-first content that captures Execs' tone, ideas and insights with just 1-hour of their time each month. Proven with 100M+ impressions across industries. A great Strategic Content Session is an art & science!

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

An undervalued strategy when hosting interview podcasts: writing a banger of an intro for your guest. Have you ever been in a boardroom style meeting and asked to introduce yourself? And to tell everyone a "fun fact" about yourself? (*shivers*). Asking a guest to explain who they are and what they do is unlikely to kick off your chat with the good vibes you need to get the best out of them. You're asking them to recall key headlines, promote themselves and be creative all before they've settled into being recorded. Unless they're briliantly media trained - this won't feel great for them. Instead, ask them to send you their bio or headlines prior. Check out their website, their LinkedIn, other interviews and pull together an opening that captures who they are and what they do. This not only profiles them effectively in the mind of the listener, it shows the guest you care enough about them to be well researched and present them positively. Your guests are the content, and they deserve all of your respect - a little extra work goes a long way. I have a 100% strike rate on good feels and feedback from the intro's I write for my guests - which I love - but the best part is they're then positioned to give an excellent interview, which is what the listeners deserve. Every part of your podcast is an opportunity for a considered strategy.

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.

If I was a VP of marketing at a B2B SaaS - here's exactly how I'd use a podcast to add $1M+ of pipeline by Q4 2025: I wouldn't view it as just another "marketing channel." I'd treat it as an pipeline machine that delivers qualified meetings, accelerates deals, and builds category authority all at once. Here's the exact playbook: 🎯 1. Build a show around your buyers' career evolution, not your product. Skip the generic "thought leadership" format that every B2B company under the sun is doing. Instead, create a show that helps your ICP look good to their boss, board, and peers: → If you sell to CISOs, host "The Security Evolution" featuring CISOs who've successfully navigated major transitions. → If you target RevOps leaders, create "Revenue Engine Architects" highlighting their strategic wins. → If you sell to CFOs, develop "Financial Transformation Leaders" showcasing their digital transformation stories. Your buyers become the heroes. You become their amplifier. 💰 2. Use episodes as account-based marketing weapons. Forget spray-and-pray content distribution. Each episode should open doors at 3-5 target accounts: → Research your top 100 target accounts. → Identify the rising stars and established leaders. → Craft personalized invitations highlighting why THEIR story matters. → Send episode clips to their entire buying committee post-recording. A $1K episode investment can unlock $250K+ in pipeline at enterprise accounts that were previously ice cold. (Make sure these target guests actually align with your podcast theme though) ⚡ 3. Transform interviews into lead-generating assets. One 45-min conversation should fuel 5+ conversion opportunities: → Package insights into (gated/un-gated) reports: "The [Industry] Leadership Playbook" requiring email capture. → Create assessment tools: Turn guest frameworks into "How do you compare?" self-assessments. → Host exclusive follow-ups: Private roundtables with your guest plus 5 target prospects. → Build implementation guides: Convert guest success stories into actionable playbooks. The podcast isn't the end product - it's raw material for your conversion strategy. Measure meetings booked, not views. 🔄 4. Use the show to accelerate deals already in your pipeline. Your podcast isn't just for new leads. It's a deal acceleration tool: → Share relevant episode clips with stalled deals. → Invite prospects who are "considering options" to be guests. → Create custom episode compilations for specific deals ("Here's how 3 leaders in your industry solved this problem"). → Develop ROI calculators based on guest outcomes. → Feature customers who switched from competitors your prospect is considering. Your sales team should be your biggest content distribution channel. --- 👇 Continue reading the full playbook in the comments (point #5, #6 & #7)

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

After hosting 500+ guests on Figuring Out Media & Education and Moment of Silence, here's the one thing 99% of guests, brands, and agencies still get wrong. More visibility is not the same as more value. When a guest records 4-5 podcasts in the same week, and they all go live together, everyone thinks they've won. The guest got reach. The podcasts got a big name. The PR team hit their numbers. But here's what actually happened: •⁠ ⁠The same person said the same things in the same way, five times over. •⁠ ⁠⁠By the third interview, the audience isn't discovering someone; they're just confirming what they already heard. •⁠ ⁠⁠The conversation stops being authentic. It starts feeling like a press tour. Here’s how you create an impact: We either get the guest exclusively, so we can go deep on things that have never been said in any conversation format before OR We wait 8-9 months until there are genuinely new talking points worth exploring. We'd rather not host someone than host them after they've already said everything worth saying somewhere else. The goal is not just hosting a guest for the sake of it but to create a conversation that didn't exist on the internet before. When that happens, → the guest wins because something genuinely new is now out there.  → the show wins because the audience felt something they hadn't heard before.  → the audience wins because they got real value, not a repackaged press tour. Timing matters. But authenticity is the real game. If you're a guest, a brand, or an agency planning a podcast run, ask yourself: what are you saying here that you haven't said anywhere else? If the answer is nothing, wait until there's something worth saying.

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