To Co-Host or Not to Co Host?
I started my first podcast on my own, mainly because I didn’t know anyone who wanted to co-host and also because it was an experiment. The podcast - The Engaging Brand - has gone from strength to strength and although I still do not have a co host I interview so therefore I am not on my own. The reason that I enjoy guests is that they offer different opinions, different outlooks and hopefully that expands my thinking and that of the listeners.
I enjoy the fact that I am in sole control of content and that I can invite whoever I want to the show, I like the fact that I can continue to experiment. However, I now do 2 shows ( The Podcast Sisters and Middle Age Shed) with co hosts and I love the fact that there are other people involved. I love the fact that there are other people to come up with ideas, people who keep me motivated, inspired and who share the workload.
Here are some questions that I would ask myself in the future before deciding whether to fly solo or to co host.
1) Are you someone that works better solo or with someone else?
2) Do you need other skills to bring to the show?
3) Is the show instructional or would it benefit from discussion?
4) Would a co host help spread the workload and prevent the risk of podfading?
5) Do you want total control? Do you have a colleague that you want to podcast with and that you trust will help you develop the show?
For the shows that I produce there are different goals. Middle Age Shed is a journey to lose weight, co hosting brings humour and increases the motivation to lose 56lbs. The Podcast Sisters is a discussion podcast and is much better for having different opinions and different backgrounds. The Engaging Brand is my own exploration of how to motivate, inspire and engage people at work, it is a personal journey of giving something back to the corporate world.
For you to make the right choice think about your time commitment, your motivation and your goals.
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