What personality is best suited to be a podcast host and interviewer? If your brand wants to build a show to connect to your audience, should you pick a “talker? The kind of person who can flap their jaw for hours without a breathe? Actually no. You need to find natural educators with a sense of curiosity.
Who makes a great podcast host?
Talking isn’t a podcast prerequisite. That “skill” — if we can call it that — isn’t helpful. We all have that relative who loves to talk but says nothing. It’s a conversation you want to escape from and the same principle rings true in podcasting. We want to attract not repel.
The “talking” aspect of a podcast is merely a delivery vehicle for new and fascinating information. Therefore, the best host is someone who can extract or present that kind of information. The ideal podcast host is naturally curious and has a desire to educate others. These people are fantastic listeners, which is most certainly a podcaster prerequisite even for monologue shows.
Monologue-style podcast hosts
It might make sense a monologue host should be a talker, but again a podcast requires a host who is a great listener and naturally curious. This kind of focus follows the data, asks good questions and listens to the questions and frustrations in the broader community. Then, they present critical new information their audience is seeking—that drives new listener relationships. “Talkers” are boring to listen to. They don’t care about others, they care about themselves and this attitude draw no one.
Interview-style podcast hosts
Interview-style podcast hosts must ride a difficult balance. They need to talk in order to ask questions, but because the guest is the focus they have to manage the conversation without dominating it. Those who are “talkers” often find it difficult to do interviews because they tend to talk over the guest. Natural educators who have a sense of curiosity push the guest to be the center of the conversation because they see the guest as a conduit to valuable information the audience wants.
Discussion-style podcast hosts
Discussion-style podcast hosts, or what you might call “co-hosted” shows require a natural sense of curiosity an a desire to educate as well, but these shows come with a hidden snare—hosts can often leave out audience. The conversation may be fun for them, but they can easily leave out the audience which is confusing and frustrating. Inside jokes, or missing context drive audiences crazy. Co-hosts can compliment each other and share the burden but they need to be cautious not to exclude their audience.
Final Thoughts: The best podcast host
What personality is best suited to be a podcast host and interviewer? Find the natural educators with a sense of curiosity. Find those who care deeply about the audience you’re seeking to expand into. Find the folks who, when you listen to them, tend to draw people in. Find the people who are always teaching others about what’s new and are excited about the future. Does anyone come to mind? That person might just be your next host.
