Scott Aukerman emerged on the podcasting scene in 2009 with his podcast, Comedy Bang! Bang! when the market was going through a boom for the first time. The podcast was centered around a lot of folks in the market who were known to him quite well. Later, it became one of the first podcasts to be taken up for a TV series on IFC.
Most of the guests that Aukerman invites to his podcast even today include “eccentric and neurotic” characters who have also established comedians in their own domains and it goes without saying that this became the USP (Unique Selling Proposition) of the podcast.
Aukerman explains that oftentimes a show becomes interesting when the host willingly takes a backseat and allows the guest to dominate the show for long spells. This is just one of the many ways to innovate and there’s plenty of scope for more. Does that increase the reliability of the podcast in the perception of the audience? Yes, it is possible even though a podcast isn’t really embedded in the mind of the audience like a TV talk show or a radio show. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule and sections of the audience are known to be great fans of many a trending podcast.
People like regularity because it allows them to set a schedule. If a podcast has been able to create a good impression on listeners’ minds not just with good content but also by coming out at the specified time, it better continue that way. For Aukerman, it’s Monday when he posts his podcast which is now part of his listeners’ routine; so they know when to download the podcast. He’ll surely lose an incremental component of his audience base if he messes with their routine at regular intervals. The other point to keep in mind is whether your theme can be sustained. Here, it is equally important to remember that the host’s credentials should not be in question. If you’ve gotten hold of the right theme, and other things like your presentation and depth of coverage are what they should be, your podcast will not just survive but also thrive.