How to Build a Subscribe-Worthy Podcast With Olivia Perez, Host of Friend of a Friend
Photo: Courtesy of Olivia Perez
Podcasts are the hottest content medium of the moment. In 2021, people have already spent 15 billion hours listening to podcasts—and their popularity doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. By 2024, it’s estimated there will be 100 million podcast listeners in the United States.
With over 20% of people listening to podcasts on a weekly basis, podcasts pose a huge opportunity for content creators to reach a massive, highly engaged audience. Not to mention, a sizable revenue opportunity: In 2019, podcast advertising revenue reached over $708 million.
So, how do you build a podcast that attracts loyal listeners? How do you turn those 45-minute conversations into revenue streams? And how do you decide when to follow the metrics and when to follow your gut when curating guests and episode topics?
Thankfully, we had Olivia Perez—the host of the podcast “Friend of a Friend,” a weekly talk show where she interviews the next generation of luminaries like Maggie Rogers, Bella Hadid, and Symone Sanders—on the latest episode of WorkParty to help answer these questions.
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On building a supportive team…
“You can’t do it all yourself.”
“Building a team, investing in people, and outsourcing things I’m not good at, have been the most important thing that have helped me continue to grow.”
On not getting distracted by the competition…
“If I impact one person, I’m thrilled about that and I’m excited about that.”
“My mantra has always been, ‘Keep your blinders on.’”
“If you stay true to your authentic self, your brand, and your mission, that’s what’s going to propel you forward.”
On navigating interviews that don’t go as planned…
“Part of being an interviewer is being quick on your feet and not being precious about anything.”
On turning a podcast into a revenue stream…
“It took me about a year and a half to get a steady flow of advertisers in.”
On playing the long game…
“Podcasting is a long game. You’re not going to wake up one morning and have millions of downloads.”
“If you’re persistent and you’re ambitious about it and you’re ready to ride it out, it will reward you.”