We're diving into the wild world of podcasting and pulling some podcasting wisdom from the legendary Saturday Night Live as it hits the big 5-0. Seriously, SNL didn’t just survive; it thrived, and we’re here to steal some of that magic for our own shows. From knowing your audience to embracing the weirdness, there’s a treasure trove of insights that can help us all level up our podcasting game. Forget about being boring—SNL took risks, and guess what? It paid off! So, buckle up and get ready to channel your inner SNL spirit, because we’re about to get creative and maybe a little absurd.
Make the Podcast You Want to Hear
I recently watched Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music on YouTube TV. In it, Lorne Michaels reflected on the show's origins, saying, “At one point, we decided to do the show we wanted to watch.” That’s a lesson for podcasters: create the show you’d be excited to listen to.
The challenge? Finding others who share your passion. But when you do, your podcast will resonate in a way it never could if you were chasing trends.
Content and Delivery Matter
The documentary kicked off with a rapid-fire montage of musicians spanning 50 years. They have a deep well of content to pull from, and the editing—directed by the brilliant Questlove—was captivating. It reminded me that great content alone isn’t enough; how you deliver it makes all the difference.
Don’t Be Afraid to Be Different
SNL didn’t have a clear roadmap when it started, and its New York City roots meant it reflected the city’s cultural shifts. When improv was big, they leaned into it. They brought on guests like Andy Kaufman—someone completely unique, someone small-town America had never seen before. Whether you loved or hated him, you talked about him.
SNL has also taken risks with hosts who had zero comedy chops—Steve Forbes, Elon Musk, Steven Seagal. Some of those choices flopped, but they got people talking.
As a podcaster, experimenting keeps your show fresh. Every 100 episodes, I shake things up. Some ideas worked (see Binky and the Whiz, episode 400). Some bombed (see Groundhog Day, episode 500). But staying creative prevents boredom—for me and my audience.
Seize Your Moment
Bill Hader recalled that when Adele rehearsed for her SNL performance, writers stopped in just to ask, “What is that?” She killed it on live TV. By the time she landed in Europe the next day, her album had jumped from #50 to the top 20.
Podcasting has that same potential. Your RSS feed gives you global reach. One great episode could be the one that gets people buzzing. Never say, “I only have 29 downloads.” That’s a full classroom of people choosing to listen to you.
Your Podcast Is Not a Zoom Meeting
After years of trial and error, Lorne Michaels realized musical performances on SNL needed visual appeal. Kanye West was the first to really elevate the production, setting the bar for how artists looked on the show.
This applies to video podcasts, too. You don’t have to do video—Ashley Carman reported that of the top 50 podcasts, only 79% use video, and even those often stick to YouTube or Spotify. If you do video, make it visually engaging. Nobody’s telling their friends, “You have to check out this amazing Zoom call.”
Keep People Wondering What’s Next
SNL is live. If someone messes up (cough Ashlee Simpson), people notice. If a cast member cracks up mid-sketch, it often becomes the most memorable part. Just look up Heidi Gardner losing it during the Beavis and Butt-Head skit—viewers loved it.
When big news breaks, SNL fans immediately wonder how they’ll tackle it on Weekend Update. As podcasters, we can tap into that same curiosity by responding quickly to current events—or just by being refreshingly honest.
Sometimes, being “dangerous” is simply being real. Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance flew over my head, so I turned on captions and rewatched. Even YouTube’s captions struggled to keep up. That’s a shame—this guy won a Pulitzer. I wanted to understand. And that’s the thing: being real means admitting when you don’t know something and being open to learning.
Don’t Forget Tom Green
Tom Green made a career out of being weird. He strapped raw meat to his head, sucked milk straight from a cow’s udder, and humped a dead moose. Love it or hate it, people talked about it.
In 2007, Tom set up a live-streaming TV studio in his living room and broadcast to YouTube before anyone was doing that. One of his guests? Joe Rogan. Without Tom Green, would we have Joe Rogan’s empire today? Maybe not.
When Tom stepped away from TV to battle cancer, MTV replaced him with Jackass. His influence is undeniable. The lesson? Thinking outside the box gets you noticed.
Not Every Show is Being Mentioned 50 Years Ago
SNL has endured for 50 years because it takes risks, embraces creativity, and stays in tune with cultural shifts. As podcasters, we can do the same. Keep your content fresh. Experiment. Don’t be afraid to be different. And most importantly—make the podcast you want to hear.
Takeaways:
- SNL stands the test of time, and so should your podcast; don’t be boring!
- Know your audience, but also create content you want to see; it's a balance!
- Embrace weirdness in your podcast; it keeps things fresh and fun for everyone!
- Experimentation is key; SNL’s success came from trying new things, so should you!
- If you get bored, so will your listeners; keep it exciting or risk losing them!
- Word of mouth matters; promote your podcast like SNL promotes its guests!
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