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 I spoke to Lisa along with Leo Laporte, the husband-and-wife team behind TWiT's podcasting empire on how you can build the kind of community that is so enthused by your business that they want to hear your commercials.

"When we first started TWiT we were aiming for only a small group of individuals who were tech enthusiasts; now it's like, 'Where isn't tech? !" smiles Lisa Laporte, chief executive officer of TWiT. "It's totally evolved." The social aspect of podcasting meant that the industry felt like a "logical continuation" of Chief TWiT's purpose in life. It was also the reason Lisa fell in love with the new medium.

The couple had built their podcasting empire for more than 16 years prior to the outbreak that came to the forefront in 2020. "Those two years of isolation were isolated," Lisa explains. "We were all stuck in tiny Zoom boxes. However, there is a tech audience that loves and wants community." TWiT needed to come up with a better means of connecting to its followers during this isolating time.

Lisa spoke to one of TWiT's sponsors, tech training platform ITPro.TV, about how to give something back to the fans. "Simply sufficient, ITPro.TV permitted its customers to come in and chat online for up to an about an hour after dark. They would sometimes play games, and sometimes simply chat" Lisa continues. "I kept thinking, 'That's what I want to accomplish.' I wanted for our customers to be able to have a space to hang out and have fun.

Lisa affirms that having the option to include a Discord server into the membership offerings officially was "a better experience" than just creating the first online community. "It was time to provide our community that little extra something; people had grown tired of locking themselves inside their home." Club TWiT was all set to launch.

From content to cruise: The launch of Club TWiT

Lisa says that she explains that TWiT group encourages members to be involved with the club in the most effective way. They seek feedback on their show as well as host regularly scheduled Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions, and they have a space where their supporters can just come in and meet up. This is particularly important for the internet during the pandemic but is translating well to real-world experiences.

"We have a photography show, so I think it'd be fun to say"Hey We'll take part in this event. Come join us for a photo stroll!'" continues Lisa. The team envisions doing numerous more events in person; indeed, TWiT is hosting a cruise for its 100 members. Leo and Lisa have agreed that, nearly oppositely, it's the in-person experiences such as this are the "fundamental element of what podcasting is all about" and is what sets it apart from traditional media.

Lisa and Leo as well use Club TWiT to premiere and try out new shows; once the show begins to get noticed, it may be added to the top Club TWiT offering or become an advertisement-supported series. If this occurs, Lisa will approach the host of the show and ask the host to begin practicing their ad reads, and add the show to their arsenal to get started with sponsors. Each ad must be read by the host of the show so that it appears as an organic and integrated component of the show.

Promoting your sponsors is more effective than what they do

Making sure that the advertising strategy will benefit sponsors as well as people who listen to it is crucial to its achievement: "Our advertising works because our audience trusts our brand. We are able to recommend items and services to them and they are willing to help us so they purchase them. We sign up advertisers when we do We thoroughly vet them as a company We also check their reviews," says Lisa.

She says: "We do such a excellent job with our ads-supported side that our Club members tell us"Hey, we need to drop in the advertisements. Actually, we have an entire Discord channel just for the ads we show on our programs!" She adds that viewers ask they share an ad at least once per month for each and every show since they are looking for information on where they can purchase the products advertised: "They trust us so they say, 'You need to share a feed with us to allow us to go out and listen to ads once in every once in a while.'"

As of now I need to confirm the information I'm getting. Lisa says that TWiT members do make entries into the shows for links to TWiT's adverts. "Isn't it hilarious? !" she smiles. She adds: "Our Club TWiT members get the shows for free However, they email us to say, 'Hey, we're not getting the ads, we'd like to hear the ads!' Therefore, we frequently include us courtesy ads for sponsors who are active or whenever we get a new partner. They're so compelling."

"Our sponsor says"Can you please send us a complimentary commercial with every ad read? Sales trainees are required to look at them since you've sold our brand better than half of our staff members who are junior!' I thought that was pretty cute."

It is important to start small

How do you build an organization that members are so fond of and trust that they request to hear the ads you put out? "Really have a look at what's out there and consider the way others are operating," Lisa suggests. "Look at those who's that are similar to yours and observe the things they're doing prior to you decide to jump in. Have conversations: call me or reach out to anyone who has been through this."

She recommends "just taking your time" to consider different approaches and different structures. "Don't take more than you can chew. If you plan to accomplish 50 things, you'll find it difficult to accomplish them. Start with a small amount, just as we did. "We began by introducing AMAs."

Leo and Lisa explain that the TWiT team is slowly but steadily figuring the issue out as they go further down the road. Once they're comfortable of the process and are beginning to add to their offering with bonus information. "I do not want to make promises that are too big but then not deliver," Lisa continues.

Lisa urges creators to examine all of the services they offer with their membership package. "See what makes sense specifically in the context of what you're trying accomplish and then shop around to find the right product: because we're both video and audio and video, we've got a few quirks that are unusual as a podcasting network."

Helping to support the community

"If you're interested in tech, check out our network. There's a show that's suitable for all!" she smiles. "We include shows that are accessible, such as the Tech Guy; we have iOS Today, which is entertaining if you've got an iPad or iPhone and would like to learn more about how to use the devices; and we also have some 'geek shows such as Security Now if you're into security. If you like the show, you can join Club TWiT and download the podcast! We must remember to support each other in this community."

The support of the community of podcasters and its wonderfully egalitarian nature is something that's always been important to the TWiT team "We continue to offer gratis content, however it's a nice opportunity to provide this additional benefit for those who are super fans. I like having both because anyone with an internet connection is able to download our podcasts, and don't need to purchase them. It's democratic." Lisa says. Lisa.

She concludes: "We have fans in third-world countries who've written in to say, 'I heard your podcast. I used to hang out at a local electronics store to listen to your podcast and get some skills. Then I got the opportunity to work in technology""

Perhaps Lisa, Leo, and the team at TWiT are not the only ones to witness technological advancements from an area just for enthusiasts to its ubiquitous status today. Perhaps they've been helping to propel the transformation.