Review: Down South Hunting Podcast
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Identified hosts?
Yup. Adam Cruz and Mike Higman
Explained what the show is about?
Yup. They did a damn good job of it. They explained what they were going to cover in this episode. Also followed up with what the show is about overall and what to expect in the future.
Explained “why”
Yes. They went over their backgrounds and what led them to create the podcast.
Once again, another damn good job.
New Podcaster tip: It’s always a great idea to explain WHY you started your podcast. This is one of your first chances to start building a bond with your listener. Mike and Adam (and even the guest Daryl) did a great job of this.
Time to topic
About 4 mins. Typically, as a new podcaster, you want to get to the topic ASAP (under a minute). However, if you use the time explaining who you are or talking about your WHY (as Adam and Mike did), this isn’t a problem. It’s only a problem if you spend the time rambling.
Ad(s)
Ads can be annoying, unless you figure out a unique way to present them to your listener. Mike and Adam did this by way of a funny little convo. I think it worked well.
Another important aspect is that they waited until AFTER they delivered some value before asking for something. I’m not a fan of placing ads at the top of a brand new podcast BEFORE you’ve given your listener a chance to decide if they like your content. That type of stuff typically comes from celebs that start podcasts, like Larry Wilmore. It’s because they’ve already given the listener a chance to sample their content by way of a different medium (TV, Radio, Print, etc).
Good chemistry among host(s)?
They didn’t talk over each other much, so good job here, but there were some lulls in conversation. Sometimes technology gets in the way because you can have a delay in sound when co-hosting with someone in a remote location. The hosts were not only in separate locations, but the guest was as well. That makes things even more complicated. Despite this setup, I think they still executed well. Btw, this gets better over time as hosts get practice speaking with each other.
Topic(s) discussed
White tail, Daryl’s background and why he chose Mexico to live and work his dream; turkey hunting in Tennessee; food plots; antler growth and more. For a better synopsis of the topics covered, see their show notes page (link below).
Audio quality
There was a lot of choppy audio due to (I’m guessing) a weak wifi signal.
Passion/personality
Adam’s and Mike’s passion was obvious from the beginning when they explained their WHY. Daryl’s passion was obvious as well. You get the sense that these guys would sit around and talk hunting all day if they could.
Pre Podcaster Tip: If you can’t stop thinking and talking about something, you should start a podcast because there are absolutely other people out there looking for conversation. They’re longing for community.
Mentioned socials/site(s)?
Yup. downsouthhunting.com
Mentioned schedule?
They didn’t.
New podcaster tip: Make sure to mention what day and how frequent your show will be published. Even if you don’t know what the schedule will be, say that. Say “we’re not sure what day we’ll release each episode right now, but follow us on social to be notified” or something of the sort.
Mentioned hashtag?
No hashtag mentioned. I’d suggest #DSHPod. It’s currently unused on Twitter.
New podcaster tip: When you mention your hashtag during the show, it gives users the opportunity to more effectively interact with you on social media. The tags are searchable as well.
Asked anything of the audience/call-to-action(CTA)?
Asked user to subscribe and rate AFTER they’d delivered value. Good job.
Show notes
EXCELLENT show notes. They gave a brief description of what’s in the episode, links to subscribe to their show, a “What You’ll Learn” section and a resources section that also highlighted the guest. Again…damn good job. These guys clearly did their homework. Reminds me of the Grind 2 Greatness first episode.
Summary
This was a damn good episode. They clearly knew what to do when prepping for their podcast. My philosophy is to level the playing field by practicing good technique. This gives your talent the best opportunity to shine. Mike and Adam did this almost flawlessly with this episode.
I am NOT at all interested in hunting…however, I feel significantly smarter after listening to this episode (even though I don’t focus on the content). I love smart people who can properly explain WHY we shouldn’t buy into popular beliefs. Daryl spent most of the time doing this during the interview.
Lastly, I can feel this show’s focus on the listener. This is most important because it’s what gets people to love and share it.
Good job by these guys!
Recommendation
Few things…
1 – I’d see what I can do about a stronger wifi signal or a better application to use for the interviews. There was a lot of Daryl’s voice cutting out.
2 – The episode was 1:07 minutes long. I typically recommend keeping a very first episode under an hour because it’s a lot to ask of a new listener to a new podcast. However, in this situation, I think it could go either way because the show has such a focused topic. What I mean is that someone who has an interest in Down South Hunting might not even care about the show length. They might just be so damn happy that someone is doing a show about something they care about or have an interest in.
3 – I would update the Down South Hunting Twitter profile with links to each host’s Twitter profile.
Link to episode
http://www.downsouthhunting.com/2017/05/16/down-south-hunting-podcast-episode-001-introduction-daryl-ratajczak-wildlife-biologist/ (click to see their well done show notes)
Link to socials
Down South Hunting Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Daryl Ratajczak Facebook
Mike Twitter
Adam Twitter
Other links
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