“How to Become the Center of Influence Through Podcasting to Mama” with Ron Spreeuwenberg of The Preschool Podcast
As part of my series of interviews about “5 things you need to know to create a “binge-able” podcast”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ron Spreeuwenberg.
Ron is the Co-Founder & CEO of HiMama, an app that connects over 500,000 parents with their children in daycare, and is the host of The Preschool Podcast, with over 300,000 downloads. As an entrepreneur and engineer at heart, Ron is passionate about solving real problems and creating businesses with social purpose. His company is a certified B Corporation that empowers early childhood educators and improves development outcomes for children aged zero to five.
. . .
Can you tell us the “backstory” about why or how you got started as a podcaster?
I mostly started a podcast just because it was something I wanted to learn how to do. I signed up for a course on the weekend that was like a “Podcasts 101” course to learn all the basics on what tools to use, how to do your recordings, audio editing and publishing, as well as what are good and bad ideas for podcasts. Coming out of that, I felt pretty good about the viability of my concept for The Preschool Podcast.
Can you share a story about the most interesting thing that has happened to you since you started podcasting?
After every podcast interview recording I usually chit chat with the guest for a few minutes before ending the session. In one such chit chat, I was telling the guest about a vision I had for a product and so she introduced me to a large publishing company that ultimately enabled a partnership to create this first-of-its-kind product and bring it to market.
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 think the biggest mistake I made earlier on in the podcast was inviting guests primarily on their roles, titles or achievements. What I learned is that there is actually two great elements to a podcast, the first is the content to which the guest speaks to, but the second is how that content is presented. Sometimes having guests with less content knowledge, but that are passionate and engaging to speak with can be just as valuable and inspiring to an audience than someone who has deeper content knowledge.
How long have you been podcasting and how many shows have you aired?
I’ve been podcasting for three years and have aired over 150 episodes of The Preschool Podcast.
What are the main takeaways or lessons you want your listeners to walk away with?
With The Preschool Podcast my goal is to provide knowledge and inspiration to our listeners. Knowledge to help early childhood educators and parents in their roles developing and growing our youngest children. Inspiration to know that they’re not in it alone and that what they are doing is super difficult and super important to the children they love and serve.
Check out the full interview in Tracy Hazzard’s Authority Magazine article about Ron Spreeuwenberg!
. . .
Podcaster Influencer, Ron Spreeuwenberg of The Preschool Podcast shares the best ways to:
1) Book Great Guests. The best way to get started is to use your existing network for your first few guests. This way you can focus on the interviews and producing your first episodes without having to worry about whether you can find guests or not. My first episode was with a customer. From there, just ask every guest for one or two people they would recommend as a guest — you would be surprised how many great guests you can get by simply asking your guests for referrals.
2) Increase Listeners. The best way to attract listeners is to cover topics that your target audience would be interested in. Think of it the same as a blog article and what your target audience would be searching for on Google. Those are the subjects and topics that you want to be covering in your podcast episodes. For example, some of our higher download episodes are on the Reggio Emilia approach to early education and dealing with challenging behavior in young children, both subjects that many preschool educators are interested in learning more about. After that, make sure that you are genuine and authentic in your interviews and people will come back for more.
3) Produce in a Professional Way. The best way to produce a podcast in a professional way starts with tools and process. A decent quality microphone won’t break the bank and you can get some other affordable accessories as well. I purchased a quality microphone for under $150, a sound-proof shield for less under $60, a windscreen for less than $10, and a pop filter for less than $10. You will also want to make sure that you have a good setup and environment for your equipment and provide your guests with instructions in advance of the recording so they know what to expect and the do’s and don’ts.
4) Encourage Engagement. The best way to encourage engagement is to discuss with your guests why and how listeners can get in touch with them. Maybe your guests provide training, maybe they have free content, maybe they are open to providing free advice or consulting, or maybe they can be reached just to exchange ideas and experiences. Ask guests to leave their website, Twitter handle, email, or even phone number for guests to reach them. We have had numerous guests thank us for acquiring new leads and new business through our podcast that has resulted in a win-win for guests and listeners.
5) Monetize. The best way to monetize a podcast is not through advertising. Only a small percentage of the most downloaded podcasts are able to monetize through advertising in any meaningful way. Instead, try to monetize by tastefully reminding listeners and guests about your product or service that is not the podcast. My company provides software to preschools so naturally it is very relevant to our listeners of The Preschool Podcast. I don’t have to blatantly advertise our product because I organically talk to guests about my company and product in podcast shows.
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 Ron Spreeuwenberg!
