Podcast Hosts Use Q&A To Enhance Engagement With Listeners
Podcasting Is An Evolution To Other Forms Of Media But Utilize Similar Successful Practices
Podcasts are an evolution to other forms of media like talk-radio and talk shows. For decades on
radio and television having Q&A has been essential towards engagement surrounding the show. People
call in to the show, send emails, post to social media, ask questions in the crowd, and more to
enhance the occasion. With these radio and TV shows being the predecessors to podcasts, podcast
hosts improve their experience by doing the same.
Not all podcasters have caught on to how valuable Q&A with viewers is towards the success of their podcast. The podcasters who have figured this out are thriving from the perspective of increasing and maintaining viewership. Q&A has stimulated the growth of podcasts and provided incredible content for the audience.
Theo Von’s This Past Weekend
This Past Weekend is a podcast by comedian Theo Von released twice a week. Episodes are divided into two
different sections; Theo interviewing someone and then Theo discussing his past weekend/week alone.
The podcast focuses on self-improvement through vulnerable and honest discussion surrounding his life,
those he interviews lives, and what he calls the “dark arts”. Theo is one of the most hilarious and
hottest up and coming comedians currently touring. What is interesting is his success was achieved very
recently even though he has been on the scene for almost two decades. His recently found success can be
in large part attributed to the success he found over the past fourteen months with his podcast.
Recording 195 episodes, his podcast truly did not take off until episode eighty-four. A direct
contribution towards the boost in success with his podcast was focusing on building a community
and increasing engagement surrounding his podcast. This is done in various ways such as catchphrases
like “Gang Gang”, having the Anthrax Challenge where he opens gifts and products/services created by
fans, answering fan questions, and more. By far the most important addition towards the growth in
viewership and engagement is the Q&A done every episode.
Theo began fielding questions from listeners of his podcast. Towards the end of the podcast, Theo leaves time to answer some questions. His producer finds the questions he thinks would be most intriguing and shares them with Theo. When Theo has guests on, he even fields questions for them. The questions range from topics of various interest, asking about their lives, and asking advice for their own lives. This authenticity and connection has increased the popularity of This Past Weekend to notable heights.
Brendan Schaub’s Below The Belt
Another comedian who is also finding success in the world of podcasting and utilizing the power of Q&A
is Brendan Schaub. Brendan Schaub is an Ex-NFL player turned Ex-UFC fighter turned podcaster and
stand-up comedian. He is also a featured analyst for Showtime Boxing. Brendan hosts multiple
podcasts. His podcast once called The Big Brown Breakdown, now called Below The Belt took him to
new levels of success. The podcast changed names when it was picked up by Showtime. Along with that
came increases in revenue, improved quality of the studio, and more.
Below The Belt centers around Brendan analyzing MMA and Boxing. Some topics he will discuss include upcoming fights, fight rumors and news, recap recent fights, talk about his life. Something that propelled his podcast to being discovered and picked up by Showtime was the strength in engagement and community surrounding it. Q&A mainly drove this active community with high levels of engagement. A significant aspect of the Below The Belt episodes is Brendan taking fan questions that were asked before the recording and shared by his producer Chin. These questions typically surround MMA and Boxing. On top of the engagement, this provides quality content from his authentic insights.
King and the Sting
With both podcasts sharing commonalities such as finding high levels of success through Q&A and being
hosted by comedians who are friends along with being technically coworkers, it is only fitting they
started a podcast together. The podcast is called the King and the Sting. This podcast is truly unlike
most. Every episode is compiled of multiple segments which are all centered around Q&A between Theo
and Brendan and their fans.
These themed segments feature questions or submissions of various types. They include ‘Would You Rather’ scenarios, ‘Which of Two Options is Better’, and what Theo and Brendan think about a picture of someone. Together they provide their comedic insights which are driven solely off submissions from their crowd. This podcast is one of the fastest growing and most successful comedy podcasts, propelled by questions asked from the listeners.
Podcasting Is An Evolution To Other Forms Of Media But Utilize Similar Successful Practices
Q&A is something that can be quickly introduced and conducted during any podcast.
Answering questions from those who are interested is something that should absolutely be a
part of your podcast. It improves engagement, viewership, and provides an avenue to content
driven by those most vital to your podcast, your audience. While these podcasts are improving the
experience through Q&A through various outlets, CrowdUltra is the #1 platform for engaging with
your Crowd Members through Q&A The Right Way.
CrowdUltra is organized and customizable towards the exact type of engagement you are looking to field. It allows for you to provide plenty of information, resources, and links to give your audience more value. Questions are displayed in organized lists that are easy to interact with. Questions fielded focus on incentivizing quality engagement. Those asking questions can be given guidelines to understand what sorts of questions you are interested in fielding. Crowd Members have a limited number of questions they can ask per month across all events. This encourages them to ask questions that are thoughtful and pertinent. Participants can give questions a green thumbs-up to increase its interest ranking and cause the question to climb up the list. This makes it easier for the host to see which questions have the greatest interest for the audience. When another participant likes a question with the thumbs-up, the author of that question receives a question back towards the twenty that they can ask per month. What this does in the big picture is allow for questions to be ranked from highest overall interest to lowest interest from the crowd, incentivize the crowd to engage with others’ questions, and interact in a quality manner. Being able to ask questions, rank questions, and have the questions answered is the most impactful form of engagement.
CrowdUltra allows you to field questions for every episode of your podcast. CrowdUltra enables you to add host information including a profile picture, website link, and description. Podcast channels can display information that consists of an image, up to five links, and a description. Each episode has information including an image, location, date and time, a description, and more. The episode can be created in advance, shortly before, or even after it occurs. Questions are allowed optionally before, during, or after (or in any combination) the event enabling you to answer the questions as you prefer. All engagement is completed in an organized manner making it easier for the host, prolonging the engagement surrounding the occasion.
Each episode can include additional information. This includes up to an additional five episode links; a recap where you can discuss the occasion in great detail; sponsor links, info, and images; resource links, info, and images; up to five key points; and up to twenty time-stamps for points of interest. This information is displayed in a clear, long-form, and organized manner which enables improved and increased awareness going alongside quality engagement.
Using CrowdUltra enhances the engagement surrounding your podcast. The platform is much more organized compared with social media and other outlets used for Q&A for a podcast. The engagement between the host and those following the host is at the forefront of the platform design. Connections are built, and concepts are learned.
Riley Moore (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rileyrm4tech)
Riley Moore, the 24-year old CEO at RM4Tech, the one and only completely family-owned family-run software
company, has used his mix of technical and business influences to bring his creative vision to life.
With the development of RM4Tech’s first solution, DirectSuggest the Suggestion Box Reimagined, he has become a
fresh face in the world of engagement and innovation. RM4Tech has also just released CrowdUltra, Q& A The
Right Way. His passion to empower individuals to use their creativity and voice to make a difference in the
world is what drives him.
Riley's love for podcasting, mixed with his unrelenting drive to inspire
individuals to change the world through passion and hard-work, encouraged the creation of
The Moore You Know
Podcast. He hopes to impact the world through entrepreneurship and podcasting like those who inspired him.
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