The Live Show Podcast Advantage: Dorien Morin-van Dam on Real-Time Podcasting
Why Going Live is a Game Changer for Podcasting: Dorien Morin-van Dam Explains
When it comes to having a podcast I’ve learned firsthand how easy it is to record an episode and then sit on it for weeks (or months – sorry guests) at a time without it ever seeing the light of day.
That’s what makes Dorien’s Live Podcasting strategy so perfect for anyone who wants a show but fears the time that goes into the post-production work that accompanies most shows before it goes live.
With this approach, you get to share the fun of doing the interview with your audience in real time! No worrying about editing or coming up with a catchy title and all of that. Just record amazing content….then do the rest as part of the repurposing of that content.
Dorien is open to sharing it all from why she chose this method of podcasting, how she finds great guests, how she get an authentic conversation, and the ROI the show has had. Its a deep dive into the strategies of successful live podcasting from someone with more than 100 episodes to date.
Why do a live show?
As a busy business owner having a live show is the least amount of time I can spend that will give me the biggest ROI on content creation.
It also holds me accountable for showing up weekly. I have stopped and started newsletters and email campaigns, but for the live show I have my life set around the routine of going live every Tuesday morning at 8am and it has made me stay consistent. And the ROI of that consistency has paid off.
How much time does your show take you?
I spend 45 minutes in the live show itself and an additional 30-minutes getting the bios, reading about the guests, preparing the intro, and crafting the questions.
After the show I had it off to my VA to turn it into a podcast and create the images. I will repurpose the video into shorts to be used on social media.
How do you prepare your guests to have authentic conversations with you?
I purposely don’t give out questions to my guests in advance. This is because I don’t want to overthink their responses or script something out that will make them stumble later.
I ask my guests to join me in the greenroom 15 minutes before the show and we chat and I warm them up so that we are already in conversation by the time we start.
If they are really nervous I will feed them the first question in advance but once they start talking I want to focus on them and maybe zero in on something they are saying and dive deeper into that.
What has been the ROI for your show?
One of the first things I needed to decide was – how was I going to measure ROI for the show. If I couldn’t decide on that then I wasn’t going to know what the impact was going to be.
For me I look at the opportunities the show has opened for me. My goal is not to have everyone watch the show live,, but instead for them to see the action of me going live every week with a guest.
I look at the visibility that the show is giving me to my audience. Every week this event is showing up in my audience’s feeds on Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn. It is a constant reminder to my network that I am here and this is what I do (without me having to try to sell every time). Not everyone in my network knows a digital marketer, so by showing up regularly I become top of mind when they are looking for someone or need some advice.
At first, it brought me in some leads, now I get a steady stream of clients all referencing the show in one way or another.
It is also opening up speaking opportunities for me. Both for main stage and for moderator roles because the event hosts can see and hear my style and know that the live show is unedited so they can see how I would show up on stage.
How do you continuously find great guests?
I have a couple of tips:
Tip 1: Leverage Your Intake Form
On my intake form, I ask all of my guests if they know someone they would recommend to be on the show. If I’m not connected with the person they recommend, I ask them for an introduction.
Tip 2: Leveraging In-Person Networking – Speaker to Speaker
If I’m a speaker at a conference I connect with other speakers 15 – 30 days before the event. And while we are at the event I make every attempt to meet them in person. And for those I’ve met with in person, I follow up and ask them if we can continue to conversation on the show.
Tip 3: Leveraging In-Person Networking – Conference Attendee
I like to sit in the sessions of the speakers I want on the show and I take pictures of them and post them on social media (tagging them of course) and saying brilliant things about them. If they engage with the post then I have a reason to reach out ask about the podcast.
Tip 4: Allow booking for the year
Some people only allow bookings out for 30 or 60 days. I have mine open for the year and I tell them to find the best spot for them. This way guests can line up their appearance with something happening in their business. It also prevents the “Not now” responses when they can pick a date a year in advance.
Tip 5 (from Sarah): Connect the guest to your audience
When reaching out to any potential guest – be sure to tell them who your audience is, why you think they would be a good fit for the show and what you would like them to discuss. If they can see a connection for them to your audience then it makes it easier for them to say yes.
Tip 6 (from Sarah): Find a unique angel for your guest to speak about
Look for opportunities for potential guests to speak about topics that they aren’t always asked to speak about. For example I talk with marketers about podcasting. Or I was asked to talk about branding as a founder. If you can get your guests to tell a different story, it will be more interesting for them (and they will be more likely to share it with their audience).
Tips for getting started with your live show
Tip 1: Invest in other people’s show first
Spend some time being a guest on other people’s shows. Learn how to pitch yourself. Ask questions to other live streamers and attend shows. Make a list of what you like and what you don’t like as you design your show.
Tip 2: Get your systems setup
As soon as a potential guest says yes, what are your next steps? How will they schedule with you, what will you send them, how will you collect information? How do you prepare them, how do you remind them and make sure they show up?
Tip3: Ask your friends first
Invite your best friends onto your first episodes. This will help get you comfortable as you test your processes and get feedback from a trusted source. It will also give you confidence to move on to people who you don’t know as well.
Tip 4: Batch!
If you are going live be sure you have the first 12ish weeks scheduled with guests before you get started. That puts you ahead of the curve and stops you from scrambling for the next guest.
Tools Mentioned in the Episode
Calendly – scheduling tool, great for automated follow-up and masking as you!
CapCut – Create captions and effects for short-form video
Streamyard – Live streaming (and recording) software
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