Building a successful podcast is more than just buying the right ads or lining up the right sponsorships. Your audience has the power to make your show fade away quickly, or stand the test of time. The key is to creatively engage your listeners, and make them want to stick around for the long haul. Welcome to Should I Start A Podcast,  where each week Ronsley Vaz, with the help of a star-studded entrepreneurial guest lineup, explores why you should start a podcast; build an audience, and how to keep them hungry for more. If you’re thinking about starting a podcast or simply looking for a better way to get your message out to your audience, then this is the podcast for you. Kristen Meinzer knows what she’s talking about. And she talks about it often. So much so that she was named “one of the 22 most influential women in podcasting” by Washington Post contributor Alex Laughlin. Kristen is a culture critic, a podcasting consultant, a reporter, an author, a speaker and an award-winning podcast host of several different shows, including By The Book, with co-host Jolenta Greenberg and Movie Therapy with co-host Rafer Guzman. Kristen is passionate about giving people the confidence to share their stories through podcasting. She sees diversity in the podcast world as it’s biggest asset and loves that her listeners see her as a role model. One of Kristen’s most relatable qualities is her authenticity, and with that comes an ability to connect with her audience. In this episode, Ronsley and Kristen focus on how to build your podcast audience by active engagement. Kristen gives Ronsley some amazing examples of how she’s creatively engaged listeners in the past with genius ideas like Royal Bingo cards. Tune in to learn how to get those creative juices flowing to bring continual interest to your show.   Also in this episode: The diversity of podcasting vs. mainstream media How Kristen views responsibility and ethics in journalism Why it’s so important to ask for permission for everything you use in your show The two questions every would-be podcaster should ask themselves Why podcasting isn’t just about a mic and a good editing program Why you should focus on listenership before ads Behind the scenes details of By the Book Why you should always involve your listeners   Links: Kristen on LinkedIn Kristen on Twitter Kristen on Instagram Kristen’s Website By The Book Podcast Movie Therapy Podcast So You Want to Start a Podcast: Finding Your Voice, Telling Your Story, and Building a Community That Will Listen How to Be Fine: What We Learned From Living by the Rules of 50 Self-Help Books