Topics covered in this episode:​ Customizing Your Podcast with Social Media Engagement​ Audience-Driven Podcasting: Creating Maximum Engagement with Direct Guest Questions Take Your Podcast to the Next Level: Expert Tips for Hosting Engaging Guest Interview Guest participation is an excellent way to generate audience interest and interaction Inconsistent recording practices may lead to a lack of practice and skill development Past success or experience does not guarantee current ability Prioritizing Listeners Success is dependent on the match between the podcast topic, social media following, and listener interests.​ Episode Timestamps:​ [00:05:13] Compiling multiple takes to create one seamless performance.  [00:05:56] Studio engineer turns a bad session into something good [00:06:54] People underestimate the need for practice and training, which can lead to a decline in skill level, similar to how podcasters may become complacent and lose initial excitement. [00:07:36] Challenges in podcasting lead to inconsistent recording and dwindling audience engagement. [00:11:29] Improve your podcast with small changes. Join the jumpstart program and email your goal for a chance to be featured on this podcast [00:13:42] Want more downloads for your podcast? Promote your podcast beforehand and provide a recap afterward. Encourage subscribers to sign up for the mailing list or RSS feed. [00:15:55] What a gay metal singer has to do with your podcast. [00:16:33] Make your podcast about the listeners by giving them direct access to exclusive guests and answering their questions, regardless of the celebrity status of the guest. [00:18:30] Engage your audience by asking for topics/questions and hyping up episode with their contributions. [00:22:20] Manage emails without distractions. Newsletter available for more information and contact details. The Newsletter for Podcasters Big Podcast Insider - Podcasting Newsletter ​ This episode is brought to you by Riverside ...​ Riverside is online recording software that makes it easy for podcasters to record studio-quality interviews from anywhere. Try it free and, if you like it, get 15% off any membership plan when you use the code BIGPODCAST.​​ About This Episode of Build a Big Podcast:​ This is the audio companion to Issue 126 of Big Podcast Insider. If you're interested in more info on what I talk about on this episode and also links, that's where to go. On this episode, I dive into where the money is made in podcasting. how to get more reviews (and subscribers) for your podcast, podcast hosting, and more.   ​ Big Podcast Insider is a weekly newsletter on podcasting. If you like the content of this episode, you can subscribe here – it's free and you can unsubscribe at any time with a single click.​