“How to Become the Center of Influence Through Candid Podcasting” with Arielle Lorre of The Blonde Files
As part of my series of interviews about “How to Become the Center of Influence Through Podcasting”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Arielle Lorre is a Los Angeles based influencer who is best known for her platform, The Blonde Files. What started as a fitness journey turned into a brand as her authentic voice, vulnerability, openness about her struggles and triumphs, and eye catching content attracted a large audience. Arielle talks candidly across her channels about her recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction, hormonal and gut health, nutrition, mental health, beauty tips, relationships and how to thrive.
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Can you tell us the “backstory” about why or how you got started as a podcaster?
After several years of building a community in the health and wellness space on social media, I really wanted a way to feature the amazing people I had encountered along the way, whether they were experts in their field, entrepreneurs or people who had really interesting personal stories. We live in an age where anybody can deem themselves an “expert” and we are encouraged to look for influence from strangers on the internet (myself included!) so it was important to me to deliver high quality information to my audience. Thus, the podcast was born!
Can you share a story about the most interesting thing that has happened to you since you started podcasting?
My podcast is still very new but I’ve been really surprised by the support among the podcast community. Podcasters want to network and go on and promote each other’s shows, whereas in the world of social media blogging and influencing, there isn’t necessarily always that encouragement.
Can you share a story about the biggest or funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I prepare questions before each interview but on the first few episodes I was just reading my questions Q&A style rather than using them as a guide for the conversation. Listeners may not notice it but to me it’s cringeworthy! In the short time I’ve been podcasting I’ve learned to use the prepared questions as prompts if I need them but to let the conversation flow. Although I’m sure I’ll look back in a year and critique what I’m doing now!
How long have you been podcasting and how many shows have you aired?
I have been podcasting for 3 months and have aired 11 episodes.
What are the main takeaways or lessons you want your listeners to walk away with?
I want my listeners to learn something new, be inspired, and feel empowered with new information. Ultimately, I want them to feel like they’re hanging out with the guest(s) and I on any given episode and look forward to that time.
Check out the full interview in Tracy Hazzard’s Authority Magazine article about Arielle Lorre!
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Podcaster Influencer, Arielle Lorre of The Blonde Files Podcast shares the best ways to:
1) Book Great Guests. In my experience booking great guests comes down to networking. Going to events and guesting on other shows — and talking to those hosts about their favorite guests — is a surefire way to land some quality talent.
2) Increase Listeners. I have found that having a large audience on social media doesn’t automatically translate to listens. Great graphics, audiograms with intriguing clips from the episode, and organically talking about different parts of the episode throughout the week on my social channels helps. Don’t underestimate the power of an Instagram story! Also, again, guesting on other shows is a great way to get traffic.
3) Produce in a Professional Way. Being in LA and NYC, there are countless options to rent studio time (and I’m sure given the popularity of podcasts they are popping up everywhere)! There are also sound engineers who can come to you or set up a recording area in your home or office one time. Sound is an area I would not skimp on, as you can lose listeners in the first minute if the quality is bad. As for graphics and marketing, if you don’t have the ability to do it there are countless services and graphic designers who can do it for you, even if they just supply you with templates to use!
4) Encourage Engagement: I share my weekly episode daily on my social media but in an organic way. I share audiograms on Instagram stories with swipe up links, and encourage my guests to do the same. I do Q&A sessions where I’ll incorporate something I’ve covered on a podcast episode and include a link to listen. I urge my audience to ask questions, to recommend guests, topics, send in questions for each guest, just get really interactive. That way they feel more invested in the podcast, even collaborative, and are excited about new episodes.
5) Monetize. The best way to monetize is to know your audience and stick to your values. Don’t advertise something that isn’t aligned with your message, business or brand. Don’t be afraid to say no. The right opportunity will come! It’s not worth losing listeners over; people are growing weary of inauthenticity anyway.
What makes your podcast binge-listenable? What do you think makes your podcast unique from the others in your category? What do you think is special about you as a host, your guests, or the content itself?
Check out the full interview in Tracy Hazzard’s Authority Magazine article about Arielle Lorre!
