Keeping listeners engaged can be a challenge when podcasting becomes repetitive, mundane, or stuck in a rut. Maybe your podcast’s audience has plateaued; the numbers aren’t going down…but they aren’t going up, either. You may be wondering whether your show is as compelling as it could be, but aren’t sure how to make it better.

The guests sounded unusually prepared. They didn’t seem to exhibit normal speaking behaviors we hear in interviews, such as hesitating, pausing to think, tripping over words, or stuttering — like nearly every guest does at some point when being interviewed.

Remember these three keys to being a great podcast talk show host: Value, Preparation, and Leadership. Focus on succeeding at these three tasks and you will sound more professional with each episode.

As a podcast host, you might want to blame your guest for a poor interview. But here’s the brutal truth: it’s your show and you are in control. Your interviewing skills need to be sharp or you run the risk of losing listeners. So how do you improve interviewing skills? It doesn’t require a masters degree in journalism. But it does take effort and practice that is necessary if you want to grow and maintain your listenership.

For many podcasts hosted by subject matter experts and those covering complex issues for niche audiences, we recommend experimenting with different formats and styles of episodes to keep things fresh and maintain listener interest. Adding new voices like younger staff members who provide short, two to three minute issue updates or news briefs, for example, can provide listeners with enough diversity to help hold their interest throughout an entire episode.

There is definitely an opportunity for podcasters to reach the 55+ market, but not every podcast. If your show can provide unique value to older listeners, you should be sure you’re marketing where they are and using language that’s meaningful to them.

Podcasting is becoming an increasingly common communication tool for public affairs and science policy organizations. You can make an excellent policy podcast your audience will love. The simple rules are to be entertaining and consistent. Always.

Fatima Zaidi, Founder and CEO of Quill/CoHost, “Just like your business had a phone number in the 1980s, a website in the 1990s, and social in the 2000s, the next 5-10 years is the way of audio.”

There is definitely an opportunity for podcasters to reach the 55+ market, but not every podcast. If your show can provide unique value to older listeners, you should be sure you’re marketing where they are and using language that’s meaningful to them.