MKBHD - Labelled the best tech YouTuber - by media outlets, by executives, and of course, by his fans, has defined the tech review genre on youtube.
So, how did his podcast - which launched in 2019 climb to the top of the crowded tech podcast genre in such a short span of time? What are some strategies we can learn from and try to replicate in our own podcast? Well, let’s break it down.
Why did MKBHD start a podcast?
If you look at the podcast launch video that Marques published on his youtube channel, you’ll feel like he’s given a “non-answer” to the question of why an MKBHD podcast. He’s spoken about what the podcast will be all about, instead of a real answer.
The most common tweets to MKBHD his followers constantly asking for his opinion on the breaking news of the tech industry. However, on his youtube channel, MKBH primarily puts out product reviews and occasionally talks about news or events. This left out a vacuum of tech news reactions from the most influential tech influencer on the planet.
I am a huge fan of the MKBHD channel and more often than not when an interesting piece of tech news would come out, I look for MKBHD’s reaction to it.
He started this podcast to take advantage of this huge audience looking forward to his opinion. His podcast for me was more of a “reaction” channel.
I have enjoyed doctors reacting to medical procedures in TV shows, or military men reacting to fight scenes in movies. The Wvfrm podcast for me is the ultimate tech influencer reacting to tech news.
Last to the market? Sort off…
MKBHD takes a conservative approach, he’s very strict with what he will and won’t allow on his channel and this is the same approach he took with his podcast.
Open the technology genre on any podcast app, and you’ll find 1000s of podcasts talking about the same news, the same companies and the same products. They’ve been around for a long time, and, well the point I am trying to make is MKBHD launched wvfrm in an already crowded space. In every way, he launched it almost - LAST to the market. I am confident that before launching his podcast, Marques put a lot of thought into figuring out the kinds of news to cover, how to present it, the production process, the best equipment, whether or not he should use a podcast network etc. After having figured out the best way to do every single step, did he decide to launch his own podcast, and within a few days of his launch, he’s been the top tech podcaster.
There is a lot to learn here, the typical approach to content is to put out a lot of content, and then figure out what needs to be done. This approach has worked for a lot of creators, however, it’s not the only approach. Let’s look at it this way, if your choice of topics is 5% better than your competitors, your production quality is 5% better, your delivery is 5% better and your editing is 5% better - all of this adds up to give your listeners a much better podcast experience. This is exactly what MKBHD has done with Wvfrm. Despite launching in a crowded space, by taking care of details, being late to the market is not necessarily a bad thing don’t you think?
Cross-promotion on launch
MKBHD has 16 Million Subscribers on youtube, 3.6 Million followers on Instagram, 5.8 Million followers on Twitter. On launch, to ramp up visibility for his podcast, he made sure there is a dedicated video on his main channel, his second channel - the studio and he teased it with multiple posts on Instagram and Twitter.
Why is this important? Well, I have come across a lot of people who want to leverage their audience to gain cross-channel visibility, this hesitation I believe comes from an insecurity that what they’ll put out on a different medium will NOT work. Don’t think this way. Your audience - when you ASK will translate across mediums. You’ve to ask the right way. It can be a large network of WhatsApp groups, email lists, or just phone contacts on your phone - wherever your audience lies, don’t worry about creating buzz.
One major difference between publishing podcasts vs any other format of content on social channels is you’ve to BRING your own audience. Only through recommendations and referrals will people find out about your podcast, and please take advantage of every opportunity you have to promote your podcast - and don’t hesitate to cross-promote. If you’re not confident about launching your podcast, I would suggest delaying the launch, and launching it when you are sure you can cross-promote it.
Deep understanding of the Technolgy Genre
When you get into long-form content formats, you really can’t “talk” yourself into sounding “smart”, well-read, or an expert. You need to be able to make connections, draw conclusions, build narratives and formulate viewpoints.
So how is this significant to WVFRM podcast? Well, Marques is a tech YouTuber for a very long time. He has had an opportunity to review products, work with companies, and have deep conversations with senior-level tech executives even BEFORE launching the podcast. So, when he does speak about technology, it comes from the point of view of someone who probably is in the 99th percentile of people who have a deep understanding of the tech space.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShCXdXQjJuM
An example of breaking down a nuanced strategy in a simple, easy-to-understand format.
MKBHD knows enough for example to head the communication function in major tech brands - however, he chooses to give away his nuanced understanding of the space for free as a podcast. Holding a conversation on the cutting edge of technology is hard, doing it in a long-form content format is even harder but because of his nuanced understanding of the technology genre, it almost feels effortless.
Pick topics, industries, and ideas for podcasts that you already have a deep understanding of, and it will feel like you’re having a conversation instead of serious production.
Authenticity in communication
Marques Ranting about the New YouTube Mobile Quality Selector
A characteristic trait of all MKBHD videos from day 1 is his honesty and authenticity in communication. Time and again in the process of reviewing products or talking about a trending topic, he has given his opinion - clearly. Taking a stance - no matter the consequences. An example is a clip above where although he’s criticizing the platform which has basically helped him build a career without holding back.
A mistake that a lot of podcasters do is to suppress their authenticity to appeal to a wider audience - don’t. As a format, it’s extremely difficult to stay “unauthentic” or “produced” in long-form content. When you’re talking for an hour, 2 hours, or even more sometimes, if you’re holding back - the audience will take note of it immediately. I truly believe that Humans have an ability to sniff out bullshit - from audio or video. You just can’t fake it anymore. Stay true to yourself, and figure out niches that work for your personality.
Signing up with a podcast network
Let me explain the business model of a podcast network. Essentially the way google is able to attract a lot of advertisers for marketing on youtube, giving creators the ability to focus on creating videos, a podcast network does the same for podcasts. When you break it down, podcast networks are similar to publishers, and writers are the creators of a podcast. A podcast network will find advertisers, negotiate with them, follow up for payments, and sell ads to a show. This is a tedious and time-consuming process, however, if you want your podcast to make business sense, it’s a critical step.
MKBHD partnered with the VOX podcast network - which is a subsidiary of VOX. VOX owns the verge, recode podcast, polygon, and various other digital properties. They have a network of advertisers, a system and process in place to sell advertisements, and provide any production help that a creator like MKBHD might need.
By partnering with VOX, Wvfrm gets a launching pad from DAY 1 and gives Marques a lot of freedom to focus on what he does well - create incredible content. He doesn’t have to deal with advertisers or worry about a fee. Of course, the VOX group will charge him a commission on sales, but the time tradeoff is worth it.
If you’re someone who has a following - in any channel or medium, consider working with established networks to give you an edge instead of starting everything yourself.
The same production quality as his videos
A common theme of MKBHD's youtube channel is his “overproduction” of videos. He records in 8K or 12K resolution even when youtube only supports 4K (it does support 8K, but that’s still a bit shaky).
He uses commercial robots and equipment which even some of the best ad companies don’t have. Check out a recent tour of his studio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz_qFyTrS8w
He gives away all this expensive to produce content for FREE.
Here’s the thing - this is one of the main reasons why I and countless others enjoy watching his channel. Apart from the tech he covers, it’s inspiring the way he covers it. He has bought the same attention to detail to his podcast production as well. From Episode 1 of the Wvfrm podcast, the production is ON POINT.
The audio is clear, with absolutely no distractions or disturbances. Edited in a crisp, clear manner and the equipment he uses, I am sure is also the best available in the market.
Using snippets carefully
One of the easiest ways a creator or a producer of a podcast can increase their reach is by repurposing their base podcast into various different formats of content. For example, say you record a video podcast the same podcast can be published in the following ways:
- Audio podcast
- Video snippets (specific parts of the videos which cover a topic or a talking point)
- Video shorts (30 to 60 seconds clips of an important segment in your video)
- Video carousel (this is just for Instagram)
- Blog
- Graphics
This is something that most creators do, however one specific way in which Wvfrm differs is even when they’re putting out clips or shorts, they carefully chose titles, create custom thumbnails, and try to gain maximum reach for the clip as well. Here’s an example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ7A1C_HzEE
I won’t be surprised if this video has a CTR of greater than 12%, just because of the fact that it’s well known in the tech community that Marques is a fan of the pixel series of phones, but he disapproves of the latest pixel.
Ensuring you take care of getting maximum reach on your clips, along with repurposing your content in all possible ways is the best way to increase reach and following - even outside the listeners of the main podcast.
Take care of the basics - reach will follow
As you read this article, you’ll come to feel that it’s nothing specific about which Wvfrm is doing incredible or exceptionally well. And that’s true. The Wvfrm podcast does every basic aspect of a podcast - content, production, distribution, delivery, and promotion - very well, and this overall creates an exceptional podcast.
These were some of the reasons why I believe the WVFRM podcast is a top podcast in a matter of 2 years.
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