Maximize Your Content’s Impact: Solo or Collaborative Content. Which One Is Right For You?

Summary

Content Is Profit Podcast: Episode Summary Title: Maximize Your Content’s Impact: Solo or Collaborative Content. Which One Is Right For You? Host: BIZBROS Release Date: November 26, 2024

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Introduction

In the latest episode of the Content Is Profit podcast, hosted by BIZBROS, the conversation centers around a pivotal question many content creators grapple with: Should you focus on solo episodes or collaborative content to maximize your podcast’s impact? Drawing from extensive experience with renowned brands like Red Bull and Orangetheory Fitness, the hosts provide actionable insights to help podcasters align their content strategy with their business goals.

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Listener’s Dilemma: Solo vs. Interview Episodes

At the 00:48 mark, Louise introduces a question submitted by a member of their network:

Louise ([00:48]): "One of our amazing podcasters in the network had these questions... My solo podcast episodes get way more downloads than my interview, sometimes four times the downloads. I know that's totally normal, but my podcast is an interview podcast. The entire premise is me interviewing extraordinary business owners, which are the biggest business mistake. The solo episodes are supposed to be bonuses, but they're the most popular by far. I think I'm having an existential crisis. Do I need to rethink my entire podcast? Do I just up the number of solo episodes, or do I just need to work on who I'm inviting into the show?"

This question highlights a common challenge: balancing the original content format with what audiences prefer, especially when solo episodes outperform collaborative ones.

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Initial Analysis: Defining Podcast Goals

At 01:55, co-host A begins by probing the fundamental aspect of podcast strategy:

Co-host A ([01:55]): "Well, my first question would be, what's your goal? Like, what do you want to do with your podcast?"

Understanding the primary objective is crucial. Whether aiming for monetization through sponsorships, business growth, or audience engagement dictates the content approach. For example:

• Monetization through Sponsorships: Focus on increasing listener retention and demonstrating actionable engagement to attract sponsors.

  Co-host A ([02:30]): "She probably needs to increase the value of her listeners... prove that the people that listen to her first come back for more."

• Business Growth and Opportunities: Prioritize guest selection to foster meaningful connections that can lead to business opportunities.

  Co-host A ([04:09]): "If your goal is to make money through your business... the sole focus would be on, okay, who is the right guest."

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Balancing Enjoyment and Strategy in Content Creation

At 04:18, Louise emphasizes the importance of passion in content creation:

Louise ([04:18]): "And I personally relate a lot with this... we love your energy and your interactions and things."

Enjoying the content creation process ensures sustainability and authenticity, which resonates with the audience. The hosts share their experience of seeing increased popularity in solo episodes while recognizing the unique benefits of collaborative content.

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The Ladder of Influence: Building Relationships Strategically

A significant portion of the discussion, starting at 07:32, introduces the Ladder of Influence framework, which categorizes influencers into levels based on their reach and impact:

• Level A: Top influencers like Joe Rogan and Tony Robbins with massive audiences.
• Level B: Established influencers with substantial followings.
• Level C: Mid-tier influencers who are growing their audiences.
• Level D: Emerging influencers building their presence.

Co-host A ([09:00]): "Imagine a four-step ladder... Level A as well. Because those people get a lot of asks... It's easier to... build relationships with people one step in front of you on that ladder."

Key Insights:

• Target Approachable Influencers: Starting with Level C or B makes it easier to establish meaningful relationships and leverage their audiences.
• Progressive Relationship Building: Gradually moving up the ladder by building trust and influence increases the likelihood of successful collaborations.

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Practical Applications and Real-World Examples

At 12:55, Louise shares real-world applications of their strategies:

Louise ([12:55]): "We have one of our customers... they still need consistency and we still need to put the show out."

They discuss how even when shifting podcast themes or attempting to collaborate with high-level influencers, maintaining content consistency is vital. Creative approaches, such as reacting to clips from desired collaborators, can keep the audience engaged while pursuing high-level connections.

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Final Thoughts: Aligning Passion with Revenue Goals

As the episode concludes, the hosts reiterate the importance of aligning content strategy with both personal enjoyment and business objectives:

Co-host A ([15:26]): "At the end of the day, do something that you enjoy. Do something that has fun. Connect it with your revenue."

They encourage podcasters to focus on building genuine relationships and creating content that not only attracts listeners but also fosters opportunities for monetization and business growth.

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Conclusion

This episode of Content Is Profit offers a comprehensive guide for podcasters facing the solo vs. collaborative content dilemma. By defining clear goals, understanding the influence ladder, and prioritizing enjoyable content creation, podcasters can strategically enhance their show’s impact and profitability. The hosts' blend of practical advice and real-world examples provides listeners with actionable strategies to navigate their content journey effectively.

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Notable Quotes:

• Louise ([00:48]): "My solo podcast episodes get way more downloads than my interview... Do I need to rethink my entire podcast?"
• Co-host A ([01:55]): "What's your goal? Like, what do you want to do with your podcast?"
• Co-host A ([04:18]): "We love your energy and your interactions and things."
• Co-host A ([09:00]): "Imagine a four-step ladder... build relationships with people one step in front of you on that ladder."
• Louise ([12:55]): "They still need consistency and we still need to put the show out."
• Co-host A ([15:26]): "Do something that you enjoy. Do something that has fun. Connect it with your revenue."

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For more insights and episodes, follow Content Is Profit on your preferred podcast platform and connect with BIZBROS on social media.

Transcript

[A]

We've got some talent.

[B]

I'm Louise, and you're listening to the Content Is Profit podcast.

[A]

What up?

[B]

What up? What up, everybody? Welcome back to Content is Profit. We are here in studio again, back in the flow, and I have a surprising episode, not just for you, but for Funsy. He loves when I bring him interesting stuff, but I think this question was worth talking about. So, you know we have a. We have a network in our slack channels or we have a channel in our slack from our network. Is that correct? I need my coffee today. Yes. And one of the amazing.

[A]

I know which one you're going to pick, because yesterday I was reading that question and I was like, it'd be good to make a piece of content about this question. Let's go.

[B]

All right, so I'm going to read. One of our amazing podcasters in the network had these questions, and I think we often come across similar, Similar questions, right? So she says, hey, my solo podcast episodes get way more downloads than my interview, sometimes four times the downloads. I know that's totally normal, but my podcast is an interview podcast. The entire premise is me interviewing extraordinary business owners, which are the biggest business mistake. The solo episodes are supposed to be bonuses, but they're the most popular by far. I think I'm having an existential crisis. Do I need to rethink my entire podcast? Do I just up the number of solo episodes, or do I just need to work on who I'm inviting into the show? Which I've been feeling a little stuck recently, so this could be an actual issue.

[A]

So your reading is.

[B]

My reading was perfect. Okay. Besides my reading, do you. Do you read my answer at all or no? Like, what are your initial thoughts? Okay, good.

[A]

I have not read your answer.

[B]

Okay, what are your initial thoughts on her question?

[A]

Well, my first question would be, what's your goal? Like, what do you want to do with your podcast? Right. There's multiple different goals. I feel like the most common that most people think about first is, well, I want to make money with my podcast, and the first thing they think about is, I want to make money through sponsorships, you know, ads, all that stuff. Again, I don't know necessarily what is her goal, but if her goal is, let's assume, to make money through sponsorships first, she probably need to increase the value of her listeners. She would need to prove two things, because if she's in a. In a niche that doesn't have a huge addressable market, she needs to prove to the sponsors that the people that listens to her first come back for more. The repeated listeners they retain, she retains them through the entire episode. Right. Or at least majority of the episode. And also that they take action. Meaning, you know, if you offer a code for something, a percentage of those people go and redeem those codes when they're purchasing for those brands that are sponsoring you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Now, if she has a big addressable market. Right. More people, those things that I just mentioned are very important. But at the same time, I think she needs to definitely tap into bigger names. Right. Because those people are going to have bigger audiences that are going to overlap with yours, and now you have more people that you can, you know, target with your podcast. Now, let's say your goal is to make money through your business. Right. And your podcast is just a way for you to funnel and create opportunities and conversations, whether that is with the audience or the guests. Then I think the sole focus would be on, okay, what is who is the right guest. Right. Who is the right person that I want to bring to the podcast. And then I can move that conversation forward, whether that is for me to, you know, help them out with the service, or they can connect me with some other people, et cetera, just create conversations. Because conversations create opportunities.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So I think that's where my answer was going. As soon as I read that, that's the first thing that popped into mind. Right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So I would ask, obviously, what is your goal? I will start there.

[B]

Yeah. I think obviously we. I think we're fairly aligned in our sense, but, you know, we see it often, especially with, like, new content creators and new podcasters. The initial perception is, like, I'm going to make money through this content, because maybe that's the superficial level. Right. And then if you dive deep into the industry, you understand that there's more money to be made on the back end of the podcast and with an audience. Right. And you could have a very small, very loyal audience, but then the impact that you can do with them or the opportunities that might come from not just the audience, but the person that you bring and collaborate with on the show, it doesn't have to be an interview. It could be a collaboration. Right. It could be an episode together. I think it's so important. So, you know, on my side, like, highlights of the answer, I think comes down to the priority of the show. Like you mentioned, you know, guest connections, great conversations, partnerships, or sharing your own thoughts with your audience. Right. Whether you want to entertain or educate. Right. And I personally relate a lot with this. Right. Because we saw a similar spike in our solo episodes when we started doing them. And really good compliments for people that listen to the show. They're like, we love your energy and your interactions and things. Right. And I'm going to add like an ingredient of this. I think we also have to consider, why do you as a creator enjoy creating? Right. Because there's been opportunities where maybe I'm not such a big fan of the solo episodes. Maybe because there's, you know, we don't have a topic. Right. Or you specifically, if I bring you something random, you like to be prepared, you like to have that data. So maybe you enjoy that a little bit less, which is totally okay.

[A]

I mean, I just, me personally, I enjoy exploring people. Like, I think it's so much fun to talk to somebody, listen to their experience, learn the stories and draw lessons from what we're. That conversation we're having.

[B]

Exactly. So that was the second point to that is like, in the priority of like, what do we enjoy more with the show is that conversation is because we just love to get to know people and explore. And, you know, just like you the recent example with Dan. Right. And the guitar lessons and all this, just, we just get personally fulfilled. Just off of that, I will say.

[A]

To the conversations, for us, because of the model that we have, it's a better incentive as well. And there's more motivation to do those, not just for what I just mentioned, but because. Or business model. As we offer a service and those conversations with the people we're bringing in, those are the conversations that turn into opportunities. But when we do solo episodes, sure, we're creating opportunities with the audience that is listening, but it's a different type of opportunity. Right. It's more of a delayed. It's more of a lag indicator rather than. I have you right here, right now, we can have a conversation and move this thing forward right now.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

Something. So something I wanted to add before because I know I said, you know, the goal could be the sponsorship money or the service money, but it could also be. I'm going to add a third one just for context for people. If you don't sell a service, but you sell an info product, affiliate marketing, you know, some sort of things, a product per se, your target then will probably be a bigger audience. You want to reach more people, and then you want to bring them through the funnel, through your podcast. So again, that's another. Another goal that you can consider.

[B]

Yeah. And again, like, we're probably for the record, this works with any type of collaboration, not just podcasts. It could be like Instagram collaborations, YouTube collaborators. And I also think, I mean, there's a whole second and third part of this because let's say we're talking about this specific question, a lot of people are gonna, in our network might have the same question, then this can become an asset that we can share with them. It could be part of a sequence that we're solving problems for or answering questions. And it's content that gets viewed not only on the regular feeds, but under a different circumstance. Right. It could turn into an email, it could turn into an ad. Right. Uh, so there's second and third parts to this. If you look at the solo episode, that might get you a little bit more direct results for your data. Right. Like for whatever you're measuring. But like I say, as creating the episode, whether that's like collaboration, I think you have to consider the value of that relationship and that what that means for later. I mean, just yesterday we had a person here in the studio, they're in the real estate market and they wanted for the longest time to start a podcast. They came to us because they had no idea how to, how to get started, why, or you know, what the topic is. And she told me, I don't want this to be a real estate podcast. I want this to be different topics. I want, I have connections all over the world, I want to connect with them, I want to do this. I'm like, that's perfect. You know, imagine this Venn diagram and you have you as a personality, your guest as a personality, whatever topic you have in your, in your podcast, and then the opportunity and the collaboration, right? So whatever that meets in the middle, you know, you still build a relationship through your content. You can build your personal brand if that's what you need. But at the end of the day, you could just publish the audio platform episodes and still build that relationship and that person becomes opportunities for you. Whether that's like referral, maybe a customer, maybe an introduction to somebody else, maybe they bring you other opportunities and affiliate. Right. So ideally, I think we, sometimes we come into this space blind to that possibility. And I think that's so important. So you know, whether whatever you're doing, try to revisit what is the goal of that podcast and it's going to help you a ton to maybe detach a little bit from those numbers. At the end of the day and.

[A]

Regardless of the goals, like you got to come in with a thinking is going to be a long term type of deal. Right. I want to throw in a Bonus in here for those listening, especially those that might have a service and they're thinking, oh cool, I can connect with people and then I can sell them my services, right? Which is the wrong approach. The right approaches let me build a relationship with these people and then see what opportunities arise from there. But that being said, I want to talk about really briefly the ladder of influence, because we've talked about this before, actually one of our very first frameworks which we discovered, which is imagine a four step ladder, right? And you have at the very top is the A type influencers. These are going to be Joe Rogan, right? Tony Robbins. Big, big players that have huge audiences, huge influence, huge levels of trust, meaning they put something out in the market, people are going to say, I'm going to buy that thing. And then you have the very first step at the bottom, which is level, the influence, which, you know, somebody that might have a small audience, they have a little bit of trust, you know, but it takes a little bit, maybe more effort to get people to buy, right? Well, you are starting, if you're starting your own platform right now, you might be starting as a level D at the very bottom influencer and you can bring level 8 influencers into your platform. That is totally possible. We've done it, We've had some very huge, you know, players here in Content is profit. But I will say the opportunity building, right? If you think about you have to bounce, you know, you have to go up to three steps into that ladder. That is kind of like the effort it takes to build an opportunity with a level A as well. Because those people get a lot of asks, right? Like they get a lot of people asking them for things. So you coming in, they might say yes because you're providing a platform. But it's going to be more difficult for you to try to link up into some sort of opportunity or collaboration. So I always recommend people go for the level C, maybe even just the level B, but go for the level C so you can, you know, leverage. Their influence is still kind of close to yours at that moment. They have a slightly bigger audience of yours that you can tap into and you can borrow their trust. And then eventually you're going to move yourself up right until level C and then you can start talking to level B and eventually you move on to level B and hopefully eventually you make it to level A, right? And start with the, go with the big players. But that is a good thing to have because a lot of people think like, oh, well, I'm going to bring you know, Tony Robbins to the show and immediately I get to pitch him. I get the opportunity to talk to that guy has hundreds of thousands probably of opportunities like that, right? Like, why would he. I'm not saying you're not worth it, right? I'm sure you are worth it. Right? But why would he just say, yeah, sure, go me on the podcast so you can pitch me something. Right. Instead is easier, right. And probably faster to build relationships with people. One step in front of you and that in that ladder of influence. So if you want to learn more about that, just hit me up, send me a message at Fonsecreates or Louis that creates on Instagram, Facebook, and we can help you out with that.

[B]

Yeah, that's awesome. You know, as we close out this, I think at the end of the day it's like, are you enjoying the content creation process? Right. Is the team that's working with you enjoying the process? Because like we said, it's a long term thing, right? So things to consider is that I love the latter influence. I mean, here's a random example. We have one of our customers, we've been working with them for a couple of years. They want to pivot their show into more of a political show. They want to have. They want to co host with a senator. Senator. I think it could be like an interesting concept. And right now we're working on connecting the hosts with whoever is in the government or the center to see if there's an opportunity here. And we start brainstorming ideas and like, okay, we still need consistency and we still need to put the show out. We need. Still need to, you know, put content out there maybe a possibility instead of a level C politician. Right. It could be where there's clips of your desire, your dream collaborators, things that they say and then you react to those clips, for example. So I think there's different ways to bring your vision to life where it could be something like that. And online there's ways that you can leverage that level a influencer and maybe what they're saying and their opinions. And then you can also chime in in your platform because you can do that. So like Francis said, if you have any questions, just feel free to reach out. Our links are right below. And this was fun. I love the questions and I got pretty positive. I'm curious exactly what we just talked about. You want me to read it?

[A]

Yeah, read it.

[B]

Okay. Okay. What I said, hey, good problem to have. Ha ha ha. Okay. I think, I think it comes down to what is your priority of the show. Guest connections, great conversations, partnerships or sharing your own thoughts with your audience. We relate so much because we had. We had a similar problem when we looked at it and revisited the initial golf the show, which is building incredible relationships, relationships with our guests which brought us opportunities. We decided to make that a priority. We also enjoy the process of having conversations a lot more than producing our solo episodes. After that thought process based on our podcast goal first, wow. After that thought process later on our goal, then we consider kind of enjoying, you know, what do we actually enjoy to do consistently. We decided collaborations and conversations come first. So now we just get to get to inviting more people.

[A]

Because you've been listening to what happened.

[B]

I'm done. I'm done with my answer. That was my commentary.

[A]

Can't read what you wrote.

[B]

This was such a helpful answer. Thank you so much. You're totally right. The goal of my podcast is very much the same as yours, but I'm going to leave it at that. At the end of the day, do something that you enjoy. Do something that has fun. Connect it with your revenue. There's many creative ways that you can get cash from your publishing. And if you have any questions, I mean, just go Back to the 500 interviews. Every single guest that we brought has a very unique way to connect their content into profit. Anything else? Once.

[A]

Nope. Bye.

[B]

Hey guys. With that said, thank you so much for tuning to the contents Profit podcast. Go ahead and follow the show in your favorite podcasting platform and on social media at BizBrowsCo.

[A]

That is round of today's episode to help you move one step closer towards your goal. Please don't forget to share this episode. And of course, don't forget to leave a five star review. See you.

[B]

Bye, guys.