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 I spoke to Lisa and Leo Laporte, the husband-and-wife team behind TWiT's podcasting empire, about how to build the kind of community that is so enthused by the brand they are eager to hear commercials from you.

"When we first started TWiT the company, we had a certain niche of real tech enthusiasts; now we're like, "Where's the tech? !" smiles Lisa Laporte the Chief Executive Officer of TWiT. "It's fully developed." The communal aspect of podcasting made it was an "logical extension" of the Chief TWiT Leo's life mission and was the main reason Lisa became a fan of emerging media.

The couple had built their empire of podcasts for the past more than 16 years prior to the outbreak that came to the forefront in 2020. "Those two years of isolation were very lonely," Lisa explains. "We were all in little Zoom boxes, but we've got a large technical fan base that loves and desires community." TWiT needed to find a new method of connecting to its followers during this time of solitude.

Lisa talked with one of the sponsors for TWiT, tech training platform ITPro.TV regarding ways to give something back to the TWiT's fans. "Simply sufficient, ITPro.TV allowed its members to stay in the building and hang out online for an hour at night. They would sometimes play games. Other times, they'd just chat," Lisa continues. "I thought, 'That's what I want to do. I was hoping to allow our fans to find a spot to go and relax.

Lisa affirms that having the option to include the Discord server into the membership offerings officially created "a more enjoyable experience" than just creating the first online club. "It was the right time to give our members that more; they were tired of being locked inside their home." Club TWiT was set to go live.

From content to cruising: The arrival of Club TWiT

Lisa says that she explains that TWiT team members are encouraged to be involved with the group whenever they can. They seek feedback on their show as well as host regularly scheduled Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions, and they have a space where their members can come to socialize. This was especially important in the online space in the midst of the epidemic, but it is translating well to real-world experiences.

"We have a photography show, so I think it'd be fun to say, 'Hey We'll be at this event. Come join us for a photo stroll!'" continues Lisa. The group is planning to do many more in-person experiences and, indeed, TWiT has recently hosted a cruise for its 100 members. Leo and Lisa are both of the opinion that, perhaps oppositely, it's the in-person experiences such as this are the "fundamental core of what the podcasting industry is about" and what distinguishes it from other media.

Lisa and Leo are also using Club TWiT to premiere and test new content; if shows begin getting noticed, it may be included in the premium Club TWiT offering or become an ad-supported show. In this case, Lisa will approach the host of the show and ask the host to begin practicing their ads, then add the show to their kit to start approaching advertisers. Every ad needs to be read by the show's host so that it appears as an integral and natural component of the program.

Your sponsors can sell you better than what they do

Creating an advertising approach that benefits both sponsors and people who listen to it is crucial to its growth: "Our advertising works because our community trusts our brand. We are able to recommend items and services to them and they are willing to help us so they will purchase these. When we sign advertisers to sign, we thoroughly review the company they represent, and we look over their reviews." Lisa says. Lisa.

The woman explains: "We do such a great job on our advertising-supported part that Club members tell us"Hey, I need you to add advertisements.' We actually have Discord for the ads on our shows! Discord channel exclusively for ads on our shows!" She adds that the audience requests they share an ad each month on every single show, because the listeners would like to know where to purchase the advertised items: "They trust us so they ask, 'You're required to provide us with a feed so we can go and watch ads every once in the course of time.'"

At this point I need to confirm my perception of what I'm hearing. Lisa affirms that the members write into the shows for the TWiT's advertisements to be linked. "Isn't it hilarious? !" she smiles. She continues: "Our Club TWiT members receive the shows without ads However, they email us to say, "Hey, we miss the ads - we'd love to hear these!' We often include us courtesy ads for sponsors who are active or whenever we get the pleasure of a new patron. They're so compelling."

"Our sponsor says"Can you please send us a complimentary commercial with each ad that is seen? Sales trainees are required to look at them since you've sold our company better than 50% of our junior staff I thought it was quite cute."

Start small is essential.

How do you build a business for membership that customers like and trust so much they request to hear your ads? "Really have a look at the competition and think about what everyone else is doing," Lisa suggests. "Look at those who's like you, and look at what they're up to before you leap into it. Engage in conversations with me or talk to someone that has done this."

She suggests "just taking your time" to think about different strategies and different structures. "Don't chew more than you can chew. If you decide to do 50 things, you'll find you can't do those effectively. Start with a small amount, just as we did. We started by introducing AMAs."

Leo and Lisa describe how they explain that TWiT team has slowly but surely figured how to solve the problem as they continue along the way. Once they're comfortable with it all and are beginning to add to their offerings with bonuses information. "I never want to over-promise to deliver only for them to disappoint," Lisa continues.

Lisa encourages podcasters to take a take a close look at the features they provide with their membership package. "See what makes sense specifically for what you're trying to accomplish and then shop around to find the right product: because we're both video and audio and video, we've got a few peculiarities that are not typical in a network of podcasts."

Helping to support the community

"If you're interested in the field of technology, check out our network. There's a show that's to suit everyone!" she smiles. "We include shows that are accessible, such as the Tech Guy; we have iOS Today, which is fun if you have either an iPad or iPhone and would like to learn more about using these devices. We also have geeky shows, like Security Now if you're into security. If you enjoy some show, sign up to Club TWiT and download the podcast! We must remember to support one another in this group."

Being a part of the community that supports podcasts and its wonderfully egalitarian nature is something that has always been important to the TWiT team "We remain committed to providing the content for free, but it's an excellent opportunity to provide this additional benefit to the fans who are super. I love having both options because anyone with an internet connection is able to download our podcasts, and there's no need to shell out money for these shows. This is very democratic." Lisa says. Lisa.

She ends: "We have fans in third world nations who have written to say, "I've heard of your podcast. I was a regular at a local electronics store and listen to your podcast and learn a few things. Then I got an opportunity in the field of technology!'"

Maybe Lisa, Leo, and the rest of the staff at TWiT are not the only ones to witness tech's evolution from a subject just for enthusiasts to the ubiquitous phenomenon it is today. Perhaps they've been helping to make the transition.