Audience

On this episode of the Audience podcast, Matt talks with Arielle Nissenblatt about building a community around your podcast. There are so many great takeaways from this episode, from community engagement to building an audience, podcasting habits to monetization. Arielle lends her expertise in answering Matt’s questions about podcasting and Twitter. Arielle is a podcast expert in every sense of the word. She founded the EarBuds Podcast Collective in 2017, a podcast recommendation engine which sends a themed newsletter (including five podcast episodes centered around that theme) each week. She has also been the emcee for the Outlier Podcast Festival, attended the Salt Institute in Portland, ME for documentary studies, and has worked with podcast industry leaders to establish the Podcast Taxonomy system. The Podcast Taxonomy system aims to systematize roles for audio and podcast production. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at castos.com/subscribe. Today you’ll learn about: Mental investments to building community Where to house your community Questions to ask to establish what your audience and peers want Beta testers as community members Where is your audience most active? Getting through the overhead of customers that know nothing about podcasting Engaging and gripping content Monetization and independent creators Arielle’s podcasting and Twitter habits Resources/Links: Arielle Nissenblatt on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arithisandthat?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Arielle Nissenblatt’s website: https://www.ariellenissenblatt.com/ Castos Academy: https://academy.castos.com/ Castos, private podcast: https://academy.castos.com/private/ Castos, website: Castos.com/ <...

On this episode of the Audience podcast, Matt talks with podcast veteran Nathan Gathright about his latest venture: Steno.FM. The podcast 2.0 movement is bringing a lot of great things to podcasters and listeners. This also means transcripts. Descript is great for podcasters who need to work on their own podcasts, but what about listeners? There are a limited number of podcasting apps that have transcript features. Enter: Steno.FM. But we’ll let Nathan talk about that. Matt and Nathan also talk about the future of podcasting, the latest in podcasting news, what’s going on with Apple, and Nathan’s tips for new podcasters. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at castos.com/subscribe. Today you’ll learn about: The story behind and development of Steno.FM Where is the podcasting industry going? Apple’s bumbling of podcasts The “Twitter Tips” feature and getting paid Apple’s ruling and in-app purchases Steno.FM and podcast transcripts Why transcripts are so important to Nathan and why they should be important to podcasters How Steno.FM works Resources/Links: Nathan’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathanG The Lightning Network: https://lightning.network/ Steno.FM: https://www.steno.fm/ “Apple must allow other forms of in-app purchase, rules judge in Epic v. Apple”: https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/10/22662320/epic-apple-ruling-injunction-judge-court-app-store Twitter Tips: https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/product/2021/bringing-tips-to-everyone Audience’s new home: https://castos.com/audience/ Castos...

In this episode Craig takes you behind the scenes with 3 Castos team members as we describe the process of the brand redesign we're launching today. Recreating a brand, even after just a few years, is a major undertaking, but one that every brand (and yes, your podcast is a "brand") should consider. Taking the time to properly align your mission, vision, and goals with the actual visual elements that you put out into the world goes a long way towards conveying brand consistency and trust with your fans. Resources Mentioned In This Episode: 3 Hour Brand Sprint Castos' Tempo Style Guide Castos Originals

There aren't many more well-understood growth channels for a brand's audience than social media. But like a lot of things when it comes to growing your brand, it's often not complicated, but it's hard. Twitter in particular is a favorite for brands (and let's face it, your podcast is a 'brand' whether you've admitted it to yourself or not) to grow their reach and drive traffic back to a website. Today Craig sits down with Bridget Willard, social media management pro, and someone who has been helping the Castos team manage their Twitter presence for the last few months. The Castos team decided to invest in a dedicated person to help with social media management, and Twitter in particular, because they know that it's vital to meet your audience members wherever they want to engage with you. When it comes to podcasting we know this as listing in directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Google Podcasts. But the conversation often goes on beyond just the episode, and for a lot of podcasters the social media platform of choice is Twitter. In this episode Craig and Bridget talk through: How Bridget approaches organically and genuinely growing a brand's audience Particular tools and frameworks that you can use to grow your own social media following Why Twitter in particular is such a great platform for bringing traffic back to your website Why connection and a sense of belonging drive everything that we do when it comes to marketing our podcasts What the end goal of engagement on social media should be for us all Hope you enjoy this conversation with Bridget. To find out more about her please check her out on BridgetWillard.com

On this episode of the Audience podcast, Stuart talks about a different type of podcast. While most of the Audience podcast episodes focus on podcasts and podcasters who want to glean financial value and brand awareness from their work, other podcasts originate from a group of friends hanging out. Today, Stuart focuses on a few podcasts which have started off that way. Renee from the ConspiraTea Podcast and Gavin from the What Kind of Monster Are You Podcast share their formula for success and how their podcasts have helped their friendships evolve. This begs the question, do you and your friends have a podcast in you? If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at castos.com/subscribe. Today you’ll learn about: The effectiveness and challenge of gleaning value from podcasts The different approaches to podcasting ConspiraTea: Starting a podcast...that already existed outside of podcasts ConspiraTea’s research process and how to create a podcast that feels like a conversation How improv and podcasting with friends are similar What Kind of Monster Are You: Turning conversations into podcasts How the podcast has helped their friendship My Brother, My Brother and Me The Fantasy Footballer’s Podcast Resources/Links: ConspiraTea Podcast: https://linktr.ee/conspirateapod What Kind of Monster Are You: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/what-kind-of-monster-are-you-what-kind-of-AqIwdmX9YKU/ My Brother, My Brother and Me: https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/my-brother-my-brother-and-me/ The Fantasy Footballer’s Podcast: https://www.thefantasyfootballers.com/ Castos Academy:

On this week’s episode of the Creator’s Spotlight series, Sam talks with Chris Desmond about how to start a conversation and engage with your podcasting community. Chris’ healthcare background easily transferred into a podcasting hobby. It has since morphed even more, changing from a hobby, to a mental health tool, to a resource for the healthcare community. Sam and Chris share their advice about how to create these communities as well as tips for interviewing, making the editing process smoother and faster, and the advantages of setting up a recording schedule. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at castos.com/subscribe. Today you’ll learn about: Grounding yourself and setting up a recording schedule Chris’ tips for interviewing guests Chris’ background in healthcare and how it led to podcasting Burnout and how healthcare practitioners take care of themselves Tips for new podcasters Tips for a faster podcasting process Batching podcasting duties Balancing your time between podcasting and your personal life Tools for editing Why Chris decided to develop memberships for his podcast Advice for podcasters who have a professional community Resources/Links: The Art of Healthcare Podcast: https://the-art-of-healthcare.castos.com/ The Art of Healthcare: https://artofhealthcare.nz/ Uncomfortable is OK Podcast: https://uncomfortableisok.libsyn.com/ Mighty Networks: https://www.mightynetworks.com/ Descript: https://www.descript.com/ Audacity: https://www.audacityteam.org/

Today’s episode is all about saving time as a podcaster, especially a solo podcaster. Running a podcast resembles running a small business more than you might have guessed...or hoped. As small business owners, you’re responsible for wearing many hats. If you’ve ever launched a business, you quickly found out that not only are you the owner but you’re also the: Head sales person Customer support lead Accountant Janitor Food runner And the president! If you’re a solo podcaster, you’re responsible for: Producing the content Creating the content Wrangling logistics like guests and recording time Audio engineer Marketer and promoter Coffee addict (sorry, that’s just me) Lots there right? Here’s the good news...many of us who are solo podcasters are also small business owners...yay. Wait, I said good news didn’t I? That means with everything else we have going on how the heck are we going to produce a successful podcast with the limited time that we have? I’ll reveal some of the helpful tools, apps, and theories I’ve leveraged over my career as a podcaster. By the end of this episode, hopefully you can take a few nuggets of this wisdom away with you. Hey, by the way, if you’re looking for a great place to start your podcast or maybe you’re bored with your old podcast host -- look no further than Castos.com! That’s us, that’s who makes this podcast. We’re building a platform for the podcaster like you, who desire something clean, fast, and powerful for all of your podcast needs. Want to start a podcast network? Check! How about connecting up to your WordPress marketing website? Done! Sell private podcasts or members-only content? You bet! Learn more about Castos at castos.com or drop us an email [email protected], tell them you heard it here, on the Audience podcast. Start with the mindset Please don’t skip past this section, I know you might have rolled your eyes a bit, but I think this is important -- especially if you’re a new podcaster. Getting in the right mindset sets the foundation to managing your time as a busy podcaster. Tip #1: What’s your goal? We need something to measure, something that gives you feedback that reassures you’re headed down the right path. I don’t care what it is. It could be downloads, retweets, email subscribers, ad revenue -- give yourself something to aim for, which will help you build processes in the future to save time and become more efficient. P.s. if you’re brand brand brand new, with no goals, I always love to point to growing an email list first. Jump on something like Mailchimp.com to make that process easy. Tip #2: Develop the plan I’m a terrible planner. Maybe like you, my super power is just diving into a creative project and...creating. Starting something new is exhilarating and a chance to show the world something new you’re capable of. Until 3 months from the starting line you’re just clicking the dozens of open tabs in your browser thinking of something new to do. Have some structure heading into the show like: Define a solid show premise to keep you on track Outline guests or topics ahead of time What’s your go-to market strategy When will you measure and reflect on the goals you set Plans can be complete plans like outlining seasons OR having plans for each episode. I built a career on podcasting not having plans for shows and guests, and while I could fly by the seat of my pants for a while, it catches up to you, I promise. Even having 3 - 4 bullet points readily available for your show recording will save you from the pitfalls of creating lackluster content. Tip #3: It’s your sh...

Today’s episode is all about new podcast apps + podcast 2.0. It’s a big topic, and a bleeding edge one for most of us, suffice to say this one episode wouldn’t do the whole of it justice. However, if there’s one thing I leave you with, it’s that you’re encouraged, as podcast creators, to go out and explore. If you’ve been hearing more and more about this from other shows you listen to but are still left scratching your head, well, allow me to illustrate it for you. To do that, lets start with a quote from friend of the show Evo Terra: “Apple Podcasts has been fumbling the ball since April of 2021. Treat their non-stop stumbling as a gift. Anchor/Spotify is now making RSS feeds optional for all new podcasters that join their platform. Again, take that as a gift. They’re distracted. They’re doing their own things which may not align with the larger podcasting ecosystem. It’s up to you, to me, and to and the companies we pay to host our podcasting content to take advantage of these gifts and push podcasting to the next level. Podcasting 2.0, even. As I’ve said for years on this program, please spread this idea with other podcasters and get them as excited about the future as you are. “ The podcast industry’s perfect storm “Treat their (Apple’s) non-stop stumbling as a gift.” That’s a thing I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Let’s face it, Apple’s backing of podcasting in the early days helped make podcasting more mainstream. Lots of us wouldn’t have jobs if _Steve Jobs_ didn’t take the stage showcasing the pod fathers first show. Watch Steve Jobs demo podcasting in iTunes for the first time But the Trillion dollar brand has meandered along the last decade barely giving us a working portal to submit our shows, let alone advance the industry. A feeling which has compounded during their updates to the platform earlier in the year where podcasters were left scratching their heads: “Where is my show?” “Why are my episodes disappearing?” “Why can’t I submit a new podcast?” Questions which still don’t have answers. I know this because I see our support desk at Castos, and Apple’s lack of effort with transparency costs us time, money, and in some cases customers. Suddenly, “we” all start looking around and begin to question…“does apple even care?” As the all too familiar feeling of “Oh God, another major platform failing creators”starts to set in, out on the horizon, a ray of hope appears in the form of an open-source movement called Podcast 2.0. I talked about this on previous episodes of Audience, if you follow me on YouTube.com/castos you’ve seen me demo and explain some of the features. Features which Castos will be adopting in the very near-future. If you’re seeking out who the real innovators are, aside from podcast hosting companies, look no further than the podcast 2.0 movement + enhancements to the RSS namespace. If that sounds too technical for you, well, it kinda is and that’s a topic for a different episode. Just know that Podcast 2.0 efforts work to keep podcasting open, where the stark contrast of Spotify shutting down popular RSS feeds is the complete opposite. The fact of the matter is that, when you combine the efforts of the Podcast 2.0 movement along with new podcast listening apps, you start to unlock the _real_ innovation happening in our space. But, we can’t have one without the other!...

In the last episode we talked about Tom Webster's approach to using YouTube for growing your podcast. A quick recap of that is: Use Youtube because it's a powerful search tool for topic heavy podcast episodes. Make your show more shareable; leverage something other than audio to do that. After shipping that episode, I felt like, while it was great I said we should be considering video -- I didn't really get into how you could that for your show. More specifically, if you're already neck deep in producing your weekly audio show, how the heck are you going to find time to do video. I think for a lot of us, and I'm guilty for encouraging this, the "just ship it" method is great. Grab your phone, grab your earbuds, start recording and get your content out there. Once you can start to measure your shows success, that's when many us start investing in better audio tools. Wether that's an upgrade to your microphone or spending $300+ on Hindenburg or a Descript subscription. Both tools, by the way, I cover on our YouTube channel, youtube.com/castos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U_g8a9aNFA Where am I going with this? The novice audio creator, you and me, find ourselves tasked with creating better audio and better shows as time marches on and suddenly Edison research data says…hey, do video too! It's a big lift. So what can we do, the solo creator, do to help make this whole video thing easier and why? Back to the Why for a second… Aside form the quick key points mentioned earlier, I think it's healthy to make your why all about the audience. Why do we want to augment audio with video? To make the experience better for the listener, give them content in a different context, and build a deeper connection. The second why is to give your podcast the opportunity to punch into the best moments of each show and get that out into the world -- in video. If you ran up to someone on the sidewalk and said "hey listen to this 45 minute long audio episode" they'd probably laugh at you. That's what it's like dumping your episode on to social media. But a 30 second video or audiogram clip? Much better chances. So what type of video is the best for podcasters, at least in the year 2021. Audiograms Audiograms are probably the most commonly used video clip you can produce for your podcast. You've seen them before, they generally display your show's cover art and an animated waveform as the video plays. There are a lot of tools available to create audiograms, a very popular tool called Headliner will make your job easy. Bonus for Castos customers, if you're on our Pro plan and above, you have access to this for free. Descript another one of Castos integration partners also creates audiograms in their software. Video clips with subtitles If you're looking for more full-length synergy between your podcast and YouTube channel, i.e. everything in your video is engaging to share, adding subtitles to your video clips works great too. Lots of tools can help you generate an SRT file -- a file that houses a timestamped closed caption -- and add it to your video clip export. I'll recommend Descript again because it kills two birds with one stone: the transcript and the video edit. Combine the best of both worlds If you spend any time in the marketing or business world, chances are you've come across Gary Vaynerchuck before. I can feel you gripping your chair now like, "God Matt, what are you going to recommend from his universe?!" Well, the clips he shares on...

Matt is back from vacation. On this episode of the Audience podcast, he tackles the subject of growing an audience in the most tactful way possible. Matt offers tips and advice based on statistics, his own expertise on podcasting, and through the lens of his unique perspective from being in the industry for so long. Even after the biggest year in podcasting, the classic word-of-mouth marketing techniques are still best. Listen in to find out how to utilize it best in 2021, for your podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at castos.com/subscribe. Today you’ll learn about: Word of mouth is still best Places to find podcasts: Podcast Index Podchaser Give people a reason to listen to the show How to tactfully and effectively ask people to share your show The importance of and how to build a community How to build an email list Are QR codes the key? How to use YouTube to your advantage Resources/Links: Podcast Index: https://podcastindex.org/ Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/ Tom Webster’s Keynote: https://www.insideradio.com/podcastnewsdaily/to-be-discovered-edison-s-tom-webster-says-podcasters-need-to-reach-into-new-places/article\_c8b7e27a-f60c-11eb-8ed0-7fab7c703dd4.html Castos Academy: https://academy.castos.com/ Castos, private podcast: https://academy.castos.com/private/ Castos, website:

On this episode of the Audience podcast, Stuart talks about creating podcasts and episodes with narratives. Narrative podcasts have their own format and their own style but are not limiting within the narrative format. Stuart explains what makes a narrative podcast different from an interview podcasts and how to craft one well. He also goes over best practices, the pros and cons, and how a narrative podcast can make you stand out in the sea of podcasts out on the internet right now. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at castos.com/subscribe. Today you’ll learn about: The art of creating a narrative Interview versus narratives The pros of narratives versus interview formats How to craft a narrative Examples of podcasts with great narrative formats Understanding your topic Cold opening versus a welcome section Creating a limited series versus a biweekly or monthly schedule Series outlines The Bow and Arrow analogy Resources/Links: ObscureBall Descript: https://www.descript.com/ Castos Academy: https://academy.castos.com/ Castos, private podcast: https://academy.castos.com/private/ Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/castos Clubhouse video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8729ZpWpmIw

On this episode of the Audience podcast, Sam Chlebowski, the host of The Creator Spotlight Series, talks with Anya Smith of the Matters of Belief podcast. The top two topics we generally avoid when making pleasant conversation are politics and religion. Today Anya shares why religion should not be on that list. It is obvious by her curiosity, expertise, and enthusiasm about the topic, why people feel so comfortable talking with her about spirituality and religion. In addition to these topics, Sam and Anya also talk about how she first got started in podcasting, her tips for newbies, and her goals for the future of the Matters of Belief podcast and website. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at castos.com/subscribe. Today you’ll learn about: General background on Anya’s podcast, Matters of Belief The beginning of the Matters of Belief blog and podcast The public’s aversion to talking about religion (and politics) Spreading messages and helping others Putting hope in technology Learning the basics of podcasting Tips for interviewing, recording, and starting a new podcast The future of the Matters of Belief website and podcast Resources/Links: Matters of Belief: https://mattersofbelief.com/ Matters of Belief on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/matters-of-belief/id1565719966 Matters of Belief on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/34PNDTOGw9HuCzpes0nH5j Castos Academy: https://academy.castos.com/ Castos, private podcast: https://academy.castos.com/private/ Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/castos

On this episode of the Audience podcast, Craig talks with Tony Merkel from the Confessionals podcast. Tony was able to live the dream: quit his job and become a full-time podcaster. Today on Audience, Tony talks about creating a community, suggestions for new podcasters, and lessons that he has learned about audience growth. Tony shares his bootstrap knowledge to help new podcasters but he also shares an inspirational message about being passionate about the things you love, and not being afraid to dream. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at castos.com/subscribe. Today you’ll learn about: His own origins: driving truck, building a family, the start of Confessionals Tony’s first steps into podcasting Juggling different players, hosting sites, and apps Lessons learned about audience growth The evolution to monetization Being honest about how you see and treat your podcast Understanding social media What Tony does to create an inviting and engaging website and community Resources/Links: Tony email: [email protected] The Confessionals podcast: https://www.theconfessionalspodcast.com/ The Confessionals podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconfessionalspodcast/ Hammer Lane Legends podcast: https://www.hammerlanelegends.com/ Castos Academy: https://academy.castos.com/ Castos, private podcast: https://academy.castos.com/private/ Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com...

On this episode of the Audience podcast, Sam Chlebowski is joined by Eric Stauffer from the Proper Cents podcast. Eric talks about everything from his background and journey into podcasting to his workflow and process for coming up with content for his podcast and website. Proper Cents is a wealth of information about financial news and advice. He also gives his advice for new podcasters in terms of content creation, growing your podcast, and the process of podcasting. He even chimes in on the 15-year mortgage versus a 30-year mortgage. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at castos.com/subscribe. Today you’ll learn about: Eric’s background and journey into podcasting The idea of “if you build it, they will come” in podcasting The process of podcasting Eric’s advice for new podcasters The story of Proper Cents The 15-year mortgage or 30-year mortgage debate Eric’s plans for the future of the Proper Cents podcast Eric’s workflow and process/system for creating episodes The importance of evergreen content How Eric grows his podcast Resources/Links: The Proper Cents Podcast: https://www.propercents.com/ Castos Academy: https://academy.castos.com/ Castos, private podcast: https://academy.castos.com/private/ Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/castos Clubhouse video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8729ZpWpmIw

Content emergency fund with Sam Today's guest is none other than our very own Head of Growth, Sam Chlebowski. Over the last two months, Sam has been helping our team iron out some of the creases in-between the marketing & sales teams here at Castos. His background in the web services industry and managing expectations of small business owners navigate uncertain waters is a huge boon to our podcasters. Sam and Matt help define what the "Head of Growth" role means along with his day to day responsibilities. They will unpack the lessons learned to help apply some of the same tactics to podcast creators looking to grow their audience. The duo eventually came across the idea of investing in a "Content Emergency Fund" illustrating how podcast content can easily feed into your "banked" content. Content Emergency Fund A successful podcast which continues to increase downloads and broaden its reach doesn't stop at the audio file streamed to an app. It requires you to invest in other areas of content marketing, like blogging and/or email marketing. The bad news? It takes more time to create more content. The good news? Repurposing old podcast episodes to feed new areas of content, even if it's years old, is an affordable route to take. Sam refers to it as the Content Emergency Fund! Wether you're stuck or crunched for time, you can lean on old episodes to draw new ideas from. - Write up a new blog post about the book a guest mentioned- Post audiograms from your top episodes- Email out a series of mini-courses quoting the best lessons from your back catalog Keep the content flowing; keep repurposing your old episodes!

In this episode Matt and Craig talk through the fundraising round that Castos has recently completed. Castos, a leader in podcast hosting and analytics, has successfully closed an investment round of $756,000. With investments by Automattic, Joost de Valk of Yoast SEO, and individual investors, Castos will use this additional capital to fuel its advance into the Private Podcasting market. With podcasting, and audio content in general, showing no signs of slowing now that the worst of the pandemic seems to be behind us, Castos believes that the future of podcasting is in tools that allow creators to own their own content and distribution channels through Private Podcasting. Castos’ roots in the open source community through their Seriously Simple Podcasting plugin for WordPress along with the investment from Automattic (the company behind WordPress.com) further strengthens the ability for WordPress users to own their content, the platform that it’s built on, and the control they have over how it is distributed. WordPress with Seriously Simple Podcasting and Castos as the hosting engine means that podcasters can own their content and data, and the ability to manage Private Podcasts right from WordPress just enhances that ability. Castos’ founder and CEO, Craig Hewitt, recounted “We have seen a significant increase in interest from customers with online courses, membership sites, and digital communities wanting to provide exclusive podcast content to those members, as well as companies wanting to provide private podcast content for their employees. We see this as an area of the podcasting market that’s at a tipping point, starting to explode in popularity.” With Castos’ existing Zapier integration, REST API, and direct integrations with tools like Elementor, Descript, MemberSpace, AdBarker, and Alitu, the company will continue to give podcasters the tools and extensibility they need to harness the power of audio to grow their brand...whether that’s externally with customers, or internally with their teams. Hewitt said that “We hear from companies over and over again that they’re looking for the ‘Step Away Experience' where employees can engage with their internal content without having to be glued to a screen. Something that is remote first, asynchronous, audio-based, on demand….and of course, hyper secure. Private podcasting fits the bill perfectly for these companies, and that’s what we’re delivering to brands across the globe.” Castos has been, to this point, a mostly self-funded company, taking only a small investment when joining the TinySeed startup accelerator in 2019. Today they are a team of 13 located in 4 continents, serving thousands of passionate podcasters all across the world. “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to put this investment to work in furthering our product offering, continuing to build out our team, and provide podcasters with the solutions they need to better connect with their audiences.” Hewitt said. The majority of the funds will be used to build out their sales and marketing teams, and on designers and developers to accelerate work on their suite of products.

On this episode of the Audience podcast, Matt talks about what the step away experience is at Castos. In a world that was changed by the events that happened in 2020, employers and work expectations must also change. Employees and team members no longer commuted to work or walked into boardrooms for meetings. Instead all of that was replaced with virtual meetings after virtual meetings. “Zoom fatigue” became widely experienced. Today Matt talks about how to utilize private podcasting in new ways and how to help achieve and maintain that work-life balance in our new normal. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at castos.com/subscribe. Talking points: Zoom fatigue in 2020 New opportunities for employers and employees The importance of communication What is the Step Away Experience? New ways to utilize private podcasting Focusing on the audio Creative ways to encourage staff to consume content Resources/Links: Castos Academy: https://academy.castos.com/ Castos, private podcast: https://academy.castos.com/private/ Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/castos Clubhouse video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8729ZpWpmIw

In today's episode of Audience, Matt explores the boundaries of being called a "Creator" and how it relates to the creator economy. This is episode 1 in a series that will explore what a creator means in the larger context of podcasting. There are a few challenges for you ahead: Ask yourself what "Creator" means to you Learn from other creatives outside of the podcasting space Find a deeper connection in your content Matt shares a clip from an interview with actor Ethan Hawke titled, Give yourself permission to be creative. This is a crucial step for you to start thinking beyond just producing shows for marketing or a simple goal. Find deeper connection with yourself (as the creator) and your audience. If you enjoy today's episode, please share it on your social media! Give yourself permission to be creative | Ethan Hawke https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRS9Gek4V5Q

Today's episode is a must-listen re-run from our other show, 3 Clips . It's presented by Andrea, one of our producers for 3 Clips, in place of Jay while he's out on parental leave. We hope you enjoy today's episode and give 3 Clips a follow in your favorite podcasting apps.

On this episode of the Audience podcast, Matt talks with fellow podcaster, Bob Dunn from the Do the Woo Podcast. Bob specializes in a specific niche within WordPress, which is what his podcast focuses on as well. That begs the question, “How do you niche down in podcasting?” Today, Bob and Matt talk about niche podcasting and sponsorships, how to get started with sponsorships (when you’re new and scared), and different types of ad-rolls. How important is creativity in an ad-roll? How do you own a segment? How flexible do you have to be with sponsors? Bob and Matt answer all of these questions and more in today’s episode of the Audience podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at castos.com/subscribe. Today you’ll learn about: Bob’s journey into podcasting and the story behind Do the Woo Niching down in podcasting The importance of branding in niche podcasting “Owning a segment” Advice for how new podcasters can approach possible sponsors Branding through the lens of small creators Transparency with sponsors and listeners How flexibility and sponsorships go hand-in-hand Different types of ad-rolls Long-term commitments and lengths of sponsorships Equipment opinions and tips Resources/Links: Bob Dunn, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobwp/ Bob Dunn, official website: https://bobwp.com/ Do the Woo Podcast: https://dothewoo.io/woocommerce-podcast/ Castos Academy: https://academy.castos.com/ Castos, private podcast: https://academy.castos.com/private/

On this episode of the Audience podcast, Matt talks with Harry Duran from Podcast Junkies and his podcast production company (Fullcast). From mobile app developer to his ah-ha moment at New Media Expo, he talks about his journey into podcasting as well as his thought experiment which led to the Vertical Farming Podcast. Harry shares his expertise in the industry as the discussion moves from hyperfocusing on niches and the importance of building partnerships with sponsors. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at castos.com/subscribe. Today you’ll learn about: Vertical Farming Podcast and hyperfocusing in different niches Knowing what you want from day one How can creativity bridge your show with the sponsors’ expectations Sponsors “experimenting” with podcasts vs traditional sponsorships Give-and-take relationships Bringing sponsors onto your show for their expertise Podcast Junkies Origin story and how it led to Fullcast Lessons learned Private podcasting The future of the podcasting industry The twist in the Spotify subscription model (vs. Apple) Facebook allowing embedded players Breez and Podfriend Resources/Links: Podcast Junkies: https://podcastjunkies.com/ Fullcast: https://fullcast.co/ Notion landing page for listeners: https://fullcast.co/castos Vertical Farming Podcast: https://verticalfarmingpodcast.com/ Podnews: https://podnews.net/ Podcast2.0:

The Audience podcast is back with exciting news: Castos has acquired Podiant podcast hosting! Matt & Craig sit down to discuss the acquisition and what it means for the Castos family. We'll learn that it goes beyond acquiring more customers and injecting them into the Castos brand, but that customers from both sides will benefit. Along with new Podiant customers remaining on the same billing plan, they will also get all of the great unlimited features of Castos podcast hosting, too! Castos customers get something out of the deal too -- we'll soon have native integration to Descript through the infrastructure already in place at Podiant. Matt is very excited about this. Learn more about Descript on our YouTube channel. Enjoy today's episode and please feel free to contact us with any questions about the acquisition. Important links: https://castos.com/welcoming-podiant-to-castos/ https://podiant.co/blog/castos/ https://castos.com/audience https://youtube.com/castos

The Castos Creator's series is happy to share today's story of Tim McKenna, podcast host of the Signal337 (three-thirty-seven) Podcast, a show for the innately curious and creative. Since September of 2019, Tim has been sharing his thoughts on design, business, and leadership with his audience. Though, we'll learn today that he tried to start the show with some co-hosts, things didn't pan out the way he had hoped. Like many of us, Tim didn't set out to do a solo podcast reserved for only his opinions -- he wanted to share the spotlight with his friends! Podcasting is great, who wouldn't want to spend hours recording every week talking about the intersection of design & business?! Tim couldn't sell the idea to a his would-be co-hosts. Look, I know first hand that finding a great co-host for a podcast isn't easy. It's like that old poker saying, "If you’re playing a poker game and you look around the table and can’t tell who the sucker is, it’s you." That's sorta like being a podcaster. If you can't convince other people to get on board with you, chances are, you're the only one crazy enough to do a podcast. We're excited Tim chose Castos to publish his podcast and in today's episode, we're going to explore his path as a creator and what's kept him going since episode one. Links from the show: Tim on Twitter Signal337 on Twitter Signal337 Podcast website Castos Academy

On this episode of the Audience podcast, Craig and Matt do a deep dive into the Apple and Spotify announcements about private podcasts, and discuss how it might affect the industry and the podcast creator economy. How will it affect creators? Would you rather “rent land” or “own your own property”? What does this mean for the future of podcasting? What are the pros and cons to monetization with a big company like Apple or Spotify? If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. If you have any comments or questions about private podcasting and the recent news in the podcasting community, shoot us a message at [email protected] or Matt directly at [email protected]. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at castos.com/subscribe. Today you’ll learn about: Platform risk with podcasting The importance of having control over your content The announcements from Apple and Spotify What this means for podcasters The “easy button” to podcasting and monetization The caveat to the Apple and Spotify private podcasts “Renting land” versus “Owning your own property” What is a content entrepreneur? What podcasters should be wary of when they sign contracts with Apple or Spotify How Craig and Matt would approach private podcasts and premium content for subscribers Where you and your audience are located, and why it matters The future of podcasting: private podcasts Resources/Links: 3 Clips Podcast: https://3clipspodcast.com/ 3 Clips Episode, “Content Inc: Inside a Short-Form Monologue Podcast”: https://3clipspodcast.com/content-inc-inside-a-short-form-monologue-podcast/ Castos Academy: https://academy.castos.com/

On this episode of the Audience podcast, we’re featuring a new podcast acquired by Castos: The 3 Clips podcast. Castos owner Craig Hewitt and 3 Clips host Jay Acunzo talk about the acquisition process along with a few tips on the fundamentals of podcasting. They also share their thoughts on what makes a show great and how smaller shows can achieve that. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at castos.com/subscribe. Today you’ll learn about: What does “enough” look like? The acquisition process What is Castos and what does Castos do? What did Castos find appealing about 3 Clips The creative process and the importance of great storytelling The fundamentals of a good interview How to craft a better narrative A breakdown of some most well-regarded shows/hosts, and how they are so successful Resources/Links: 3 Clips Podcast: https://3clipspodcast.com/ Castos Academy: https://academy.castos.com/ Castos, private podcast: https://academy.castos.com/private/ Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/castos Clubhouse video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8729ZpWpmIw

On this episode of the Audience podcast, Matt is talking with Espree Devora about creating and cultivating energy, positivity, and motivation with your art. Do you consider podcasting to be an artform? What is your purpose for podcasting? Why do you show up? These are the types of questions that Matt and Espree talk about on today’s episode. Espree Devora is an amazing personality and a bright light in podcasting. From her Women in AI podcast to the We are LA Tech podcast, she endeavors to showcase otherwise hidden talents, and motivate people to believe in themselves. Listen in to hear all about Espree’s philosophy about podcasting, artwork, and how she creates an engaging and connective experience for her listeners. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by following us at castos.com/subscribe. Today you’ll learn about: Creating podcasts and the “if I build it, they will come” mentality What is your purpose for podcasting? Why are you showing up to your podcast? Podcasting as a great medium for someone to use as a platform for their art Hitting your stride with podcasting Creating a great experience for your listeners A stamp or signature you can put on your shows How do you architect your life to produce the results you want? How to utilize social audio effectively and the importance of setting boundaries Podcasting as an artform Resources/Links: Espree Devora, email: [email protected] Women in Tech podcast: https://podcast.womenintechshow.com/ We Are LA Tech podcast: https://wearelatech.com/ Espree Devora, Twitter: https://twitter.com/espreedevora?lang=en Espree Devora, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/espree/...

On this episode of the Audience podcast, Matt is talking with Evo Terra from Podcast Pontifications. Evo is the author of Podcasting For Dummies and Expert Podcasting Practices for Dummies. He has also launched and run one of the first large podcast networks, and built a successful strategic podcast consultancy. From public speaking to podcasting, Evo has an amazing way with words and he shares a few of his pontifications and advice with us today. Today, Matt and Evo talk about livestreaming, to social audio, to Evos’ advice about effective and efficient CTAs. He shares his knowledge and aptitude about the industry and his visions of what the future of podcasting holds for us. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at castos.com/subscribe. Today you’ll learn about: Dystopian ideas that keep Evo awake at night Advertising in podcasting versus on YouTube What if podcasting companies buy advertising platforms? What are the unintended consequences for the industry? Livestreaming podcast episodes The eternal question: “How do I make my show better?” Evo’s 90/10 Rule of Online Video Growing your audience with content Content creators who don’t consume other creators’ content How small creators can rally so they won’t be ignored Evo’s thoughts on social audio Evo’s favorite CTAs and his CTA advice Resources/Links: Evo Terra Official Website: https://www.evoterra.com/ Twitter: @evoterra Simpler Media Productions: https://podcastlaunch.pro/ Podcast Pontifications: https://podcastpontifications.com/ “Will The Race For Podcasting's Profits Drive Our Dystopia?”:

Anyone can start a podcast, but not anyone can make it successful... Stuart Barefoot is an expert in podcast production - so his voice is a legitimate one to listen to for anyone thinking about starting a podcast - even more so if you have an existing podcast and are looking to take your show to the next level. Stuart has years of experience coaching people to find and create content that is relevant now - and for the foreseeable future - evergreen content as they call it… This kind of content is the golden egg for any podcast and will ensure a continuous influx of new listeners and the ability to repurpose content as well as marketing resources. Stuart shares helpful tips on choosing a podcast genre that makes sense, getting more traction on an existing podcast, and how to ensure you don’t over-commit yourself when it comes to regular publishing. Discussion Points: How covid impacted the podcast landscape Getting started with a new podcast Taking breaks to avoid “burnout” and make bad content Avoid pressure to push out content Don’t compare yourself to existing successful podcasts Tips to get your podcast out there (Marketing) Repurposing content How to make your podcast better Advice on how to choose the genre that’s right for you Resources: Subscribe to Audience Castos Academy Castos YouTube Channel Stuart Barefoot Instagram Stuart Barefoot Twitter Stuart Barefoot LinkedIn Obscureball Podcast

Today’s guest is the lovely and bubbly Michelle Frechette. Michelle does a little bit of everything: coaching, public speaking, website evaluation, writing, podcasting, and she is a WordPress expert. Her mission is to help people and she accomplishes this by working with non-profits around the world. In this episode, Matt talks with Michelle about the importance of building a community. They share stories and tips, including the launch and journey of Michelle’s podcast (“WP Coffee Talk”), different types of community engagement, and how to best use that engagement for the benefit of your listeners as well as yourself. They also talk about the role that James Lipton and Inside the Actors Studio played in Michelle’s podcast and how podcasting isn’t like Field of Dreams. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at castos.com/subscribe. Today you’ll learn about: Michelle’s journey and background The importance of community in the podcasting world How new podcasters can break into the podcasting and a niche topic community The format for Michelle’s podcast and the story behind it How Michelle approaches community-building with various brands Community as a “tool to solve communication issues” Being a part of a community without actively engaging Accountability and keeping community members on track How Michelle built her community Resources/Links: WPCoffeeTalk: https://wpcoffeetalk.com/ Big Orange Heart: https://www.bigorangeheart.org/ Michelle’s Website: https://worksbymichelle.com/ Asana: https://asana.com/ Trello: https://trello.com/en-US ToDoist: https://todoist.com/ Castos Academy: https://academy.castos.com/ Castos, private podcast: https://academy.castos.com/private/ Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/castos Clubhouse video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8729ZpWpmIw

What is a private podcast? How is it different from a public one? How is it different from social audio? What’s the point of having a private podcast? In today’s episode of the Audience podcast, Matt and Craig talk about, that’s right, private podcasting. What it is, the future of private podcasting, and how it impacts the industry. If you’re utilizing private podcasting, tell us about it. Write us an email or record a message, drop it in Dropbox or Google Drive, then send us the link so we can hear how you’re being creative with private podcasting. We’d love to hear how you’re using private podcasting to benefit your community, business, or brand. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at castos.com/subscribe. Today you’ll learn about: What is private podcasting? Group audio, “Members Only”, company podcasting, and other nicknames Creating content for specific groups of people in your world Social audio versus private podcasting Different types of dialogue and interaction Private podcasting goals The difference in creating content for a public podcast versus a private podcast The built in comfort-level and niche of having a private podcast Monetizing in private podcasting Castos’ private podcast and private podcasting services Using podcasting platforms for analyzing data and for different types of audio content Castos’ mobile app Resources/Links: Castos Academy: https://academy.castos.com/ Castos, private podcast: https://academy.castos.com/private/ Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/castos Clubhouse video: https://www.youtube.c...

2020 brought explosive growth to podcasting, but how can you stand out OR at the very least, build a structure around marketing your show? Recording & publishing a podcast is merely the first step. It is all the things you do around the show which will help it achieve its potential. Today’s episode is almost like a mini crash course in podcasting and marketing. No matter if you’re new to podcasting or if you’ve been around the block a few times, sometimes it is important to be reminded of the fundamentals. Matt talks about everything from changing your mindset, to the fundamental parts of marketing your podcast, to making the back-end operations easier using tools and streamlining your process. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at castos.com/subscribe. Today you’ll learn about: Chapter 1: The explosive growth of podcasting Chapter 2: Changing your mindset: Consistency plus audience Evolve your premise over time Choose a goal Chapter 3: The fundamental parts to marketing podcast Website or a landing page Build an email list and subscribe list Attaching a blog to your website Chapter 4: Working toward additional content Uploading to YouTube with audio-only or unique videos Building a community around your podcast Discord server Facebook group Live-streaming and social audio to push interaction with your listeners Chapter 5: Promotional pieces Highlight clips or audiograms Changing headlines in LinkedIn Guest appearing on other shows Chapter 6: Back-of-the-house operations Software that handles repetitive operations Booking guests (Savvy Cal)

We’re excited to have Kim McCaffery join Castos as our Customer Experience Manager. Matt and Kim join the podcast to talk about her role in servicing Castos podcast hosting customers, leading them to publish successful shows. Kim has a deep passion for supporting users needing to use software to reach their goals. As much as we like to say that podcasting is easy, the team at Castos knows there are a lot of challenges for creators coming into this space for the very first time. From creating the actual podcast, and including everything else the creator needs to make the podcast successful. Kim’s team is there to help you onboard to Castos, plus offer a helping hand to ensure your podcast is found on all major distribution platforms. Kim has embraced the strong following Castos has in the WordPress world through the Seriously Simple Podcasting plugin, while keeping an ear to the ground in order to improve user experience. She’s uncovering new ways to improve the onboarding, help docs, and support for our beloved WordPress community of podcasters. We hope you enjoy today’s episode, if you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to the team — we’re here to help! Start your podcast at https://castos.com/Enroll in our FREE academy at https://academy.castos.com/

In this creator’s spotlight episode, Matt talks with Chip Klose of the Restaurant Strategy podcast. Today’s topics are all about audience and monetization. Matt and Chip talk about Chip’s incredible achievement at creating over a hundred episodes and the lessons he has learned from that success. Chip also goes over what it means to be a content creator, how to monetize a podcast in the midst of a pandemic, and the most important thing to remember while you create content and make decisions about your podcast. Chip Klose is passionate about giving his audience value, being consistent, and about building trust. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Today you’ll learn about: Lessons on consistency after a hundred episodes Setting goals for yourself Chip’s words of advice for new podcasters What it means to be a “content creator” Understanding the value of the audience Chip’s ABCDs of marketing Building an audience within and outside of a niche Content that Chip looks up to Passive income streams and giving audiences value How Restaurant Strategy is helping restaurant owners during the pandemic Sponsorships and building trust with your audience Resources/Links: Restaurant Strategy Podcast: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/ Chip Klose’s website: https://www.chipklose.com/ Castos Academy: https://academy.castos.com/ Castos, private podcast: https://academy.castos.com/private/ Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/castos Clubhouse video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8729ZpWpmIw

In this episode, Matt and Craig talk about using audio on different platforms. With the introduction of Clubhouse (an invite-only platform where users are able to have casual, drop-in audio only conversations with one another), social audio is on the rise. But what is social audio? Will it replace podcasting? Will your podcast have to compete with it? Today, Matt and Craig talk about the pros and cons of social audio, the different platforms, how you can use it to supplement your podcast, and why “owning your audio” is so important. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Today you’ll learn about: What is social audio? Will it replace podcasting or is it competition to podcasting? What is Clubhouse? What is Twitter Spaces? Moments in time versus episodes you can download and listen to when you have time Advantages of social audio How to use social audio as a supplement to your podcast Standing out in Clubhouse Using Clubhouse to build your personal brand Facebook Groups versus Twitter Spaces Possible monetization using social audio The importance of owning your audio Resources/Links: Clubhouse Twitter Spaces (About) YouTube video, “Clubhouse vs Twitter Spaces Alternatives” Castos Academy: https://academy.castos.com/ Castos, private podcast: https://academy.castos.com/private/ Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/castos Clubhouse video:

In this episode, Matt talks with talk show host Kerry Gorgone. Seasoned podcasters and newbie podcasters can learn a lot from our conversation which spans topics that range from Clowns Without Borders to avoiding podcast burnout. Today, Kerry lets us in on a plethora of lessons she has learned from the podcasting industry. She also talks about what it means to be a talk show host, and how to get over perfectionist tendencies. Kerry is the cohost of The Backpack Show (with Chris Brogan), The Punch Out Podcast (alongside Katie Robbert), and hosts The Marketing Profs Podcast: three shows with vastly different topics and audiences. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Today you’ll learn about: How different intros can affect the tone, feel, and atmosphere for your podcast What does the title “talk show host” mean? Kerry Gorgone’s background in podcasting and the story behind her new podcast Lessons that Kerry has learned about podcasting The importance of having separate audio tracks Taking out “ums” and swears Editing other background noises Building rapport with guests Pre-interview or prep calls The Punch Out Podcast, The Marketing Profs Podcast, and The Backpack Show The key to having a great podcast What you can learn when you consume content as well as produce it Burnout as a creator and as a podcaster Burning out to realize what you can do to not burn out Daily, weekly, monthly, versus seasons Focusing on your passion The perks of recording live and what it means to make mistakes Resources/Links: How to make an intro for your podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5oG8LHQI2Y Kerry Gorgone website: https://www.kerrygorgone.com/ Marketing Profs Podcast:

In this episode, Matt talks about whether or not you should utilize the YouTube platform for your podcast. He lists and explains a number of reasons why YouTube is great for interaction with your current listeners, and will help attract new listeners. He also covers a couple of reasons why some people prefer not to use YouTube and his thoughts on those as well. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Today you’ll learn about: Success of your podcast is determined by the things you do outside the podcast Introducing a new medium for listeners to engage with YouTube is the second largest search engine The livestreaming component is a great way to interact with listeners Is there any reason not to publish to YouTube? Comments and negativity Commitment Optimization Resources/Links: Castos Academy: https://academy.castos.com/ Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/castos Clubhouse video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8729ZpWpmIw

In this episode, Matt talks with Ed and Ashley from Crimes Against Folk. The wonderful episode has a ton of takeaways including finding and publishing your passion to the world, focusing on what’s really important first, and even finding sponsorship. In addition to a great conversation, today’s edition of Castos Creator’s Spotlight talks with Ed and Ashley about the evolution of their podcast because of 2020, and marathon livestreaming sessions. They also talk about the importance of discussing your happiness as a podcaster and balancing that with guest/listener tendencies. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. If you have a quick moment in this busy holiday season, please leave us a review on iTunes. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Today you’ll learn about: Passion to fuel your podcast Hindsight is/in 2020 Livestreaming and marathon podcast days Patreon and extras The format change of Crimes Against Folk Sponsorship and monetization Media Kits Reaching out to brands Staying in control of your podcast What Ed and Ashley love about podcasting Resources/Links: Crimes Against Folk, website: https://crimesagainstfolk.com/ Crimes Against Folk, Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/crimesagainstfolk Matt’s conversation with Theresa Abram: https://castos.com/creator-spotlight-a-most-unusual-t-party/ Castos Academy: https://academy.castos.com/ Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/castos

In this episode, Craig talks with Ed Freyfogle about his live event (Geomob) and the podcast that goes with it. With fifty episodes under his belt, Ed has a lot of great information to share about how he organizes interviews, records episodes, tips for new podcasters, and on the topic of podcasting as a business-related hobby. Ed also talks about how the podcast has been a great compliment to their live event and the perks of having both. Ed Freyfogle is the co-founder of OpenCage (which provides a geocoding API) and organized Geomob (the live event and the virtual events). His podcast, the Geomob podcast, is a space where he and his cohosts can talk about the geo community, provide updates on their projects as well as interview prominent figures in the industry. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. If you have a quick moment in this busy holiday season, please leave us a review on iTunes. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Today you’ll learn about: What is Geomob? How Ed splits up podcasting duties How a podcast and an event can work together Building relationships through a podcast How Ed organizes interviews guests and records episodes The podcasting duties Ed automates and delegates The perks to keeping it simple The future of the Geomob Podcast Podcasting as a business-related hobby Resources/Links: Ed Freyfogle: https://freyfogle.com/ Ed on twitter: https://twitter.com/freyfogle Geomob Podcast: https://thegeomob.com/podcast/ Savvy Cal: https://savvycal.com/ Calendly: https://calendly.com/ Acuity: https://acuityscheduling.com/ Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: <...

In this episode, Craig talks with Bryan Barletta from Sounds Profitable about advertising in podcasting. Sounds Profitable is a free, weekly newsletter about adtech in podcasting. Advertising can be such an intimidating process. Where do you start? Who do you talk to? Where do you go? What connections and relationships should you be building? Bryan answers these questions in today’s episode. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. If you have a quick moment in this busy holiday season, please leave us a review on iTunes. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Today you’ll learn about: Anchor’s ad process versus podcasters who want to curate their own ad revenue Questions you need to ask yourself before you look for ads/sponsorship: What type of money do you want to get out of it? Why are you doing what you’re doing? Different types of monetization Podcasting as a hobby versus podcasting as a career The benefits of dynamic ads and dynamic content insertion Dynamic ads, like cryptocurrency Ad opportunities and making ad calls accessible Programmatic versus dynamic ad insertion Tips on best practices The right mindset in order to be successful The future of Sounds Profitable and Bryan’s mission statement Resources/Links: Sounds Profitable, website: https://soundsprofitable.com/ Podnews.net, website: https://podnews.net/ Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/castos

Today on Audience, Matt is talking with live-streaming expert Ross Brand. Ross is a former radio personality, reporter and also a show host. With his deep love for broadcasting in mind, he created the @livestreamuni Twitter account before finally created the website: LivestreamUniverse.com. Through this platform he’s able to highlight brands that produce high quality content as well as broadcasters. He is one of the most noteworthy names and experts in live-streaming because of his passion, expertise, and because he’s so prolific. In this episode, Matt and Ross talk about what he has learned about broadcasting through the different formats he has used in his life. Ross goes over some lessons he learned and would like to pass along to new podcasters and live-streamers including tips on equipment, what to prepare before your first broadcast, and how to appear in-control during a livestream. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. If you have a quick moment in this busy holiday season, please leave us a review on iTunes. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Today you’ll learn about: The brand of (Ross) Brand and his history in radio The purpose of podcasting and where video fits in with that How COVID has changed the medium and community Tips for first time podcasters and livestreamers The importance of resetting during a livestream Having control during a livestream How to appear in-control Why this is so important Controlling introductions during roundtable discussions Visual cues during a livestream “What’s in it for the audience?” Timing for livestreams: algorithms versus your schedule Balancing energy to avoid burnout Landing page or link tree for your work Resources/Links: New courses on Castos Academy: https://academy.castos.com/ Streamyard: https://streamyard.com/ Livestream Universe: https://livestreamuniverse.com/ Podcasthackers.com:

Today on Audience, Craig talks with Chris Coyier of the Shoptalk Show, which has produced over four hundred episodes. Craig talks to Chris about what it’s like being an online creator (podcaster, blogger, software and web designer, etc.). Chris talks about the lessons he has learned and what it’s like to have a weekly podcast for ten years. They also talk about podcasting trends in terms of marketing, topics, and the future outlook of the industry. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. If you have a quick moment in this busy holiday season, please leave us a review on iTunes. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Today you’ll learn about: The Shoptalk Show, Chris’ podcast about web design How it was born from Tech-TV and CarTalk on NPR (RIP) The importance of consistency and dedication with a podcast How Chris organizes his web content on different platforms The cavalier relationship podcasters have with stats Optimizing versus creating good content Burnout Energy levels for online content Avoiding the online hive of anger The staying power of the industry Audio versus video versus both Advertising and marketing trends Affiliate links or no affiliate links? Website conversion What The Shoptalk Show (and podcasting in general) looks like in 2021 The Codepen Podcast Podcasts are an evolution Resources/Links: The Shoptalk Show: https://shoptalkshow.com/ Chris Coyier website: https://chriscoyier.net/ CSS-Tricks: https://css-tricks.com/ Codepen.io: https://codepen.io/ The Codepen Podcast:

In this episode, Matt is talking to Brendan Hufford about ROI and marketing. He also goes over his background in teaching and marketing and how that led to his SEO course titled, “SEO for the Rest of Us.” Today Brendan brings his high energy, enthusiasm, and expertise about SEO, his YouTube channel, and marketing for podcasts. He also talks about community: what it means to be a community member, how to create and cultivate a good community, and the whys of building a community around your brand and podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. If you have a quick moment in this busy holiday season, please leave us a review on iTunes. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Today you’ll learn about: Brendan’s background in teaching and marketing What is “SEO for the Rest of Us”? Where to go to learn SEO Guest interviews and building the community The importance of looking at first day downloads The statistics to look at, to see if listeners are getting value from the show Thumbnails and cover art for a podcast Raising awareness for your podcast The importance of resilience, showing up every day, and the creator’s spirit Resources/Links: SEO for the Rest of Us, website: https://seofortherestofus.org/ SEO for the Rest of Us, podcast: https://seofortherestofus.org/podcast-listen/ SEO for the Rest of Us, twitter: https://twitter.com/seo4therestofus SEO for the Rest of Us, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMvS-nX0_SZHL7BmACVRgQA/featured Brendan Hufford, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/lpflyer88 Jay Acunzo’s workshop: https://marketingshowrunners.podia.com/ Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: ht...

In this episode, both Craig and Matt are talking about live podcasting, livestreaming, and video podcasts. They’re talking about trends in the industry, what livestreaming does for accountability, future live streams, and the pros and cons of the medium. Whether you’re just starting in podcasting or if you’re a veteran podcaster, livestreaming is something you should familiarize yourself with. Today, Craig and Matt help introduce you to this new format. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. If you have a quick moment in this busy holiday season, please leave us a review on iTunes. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Today you’ll learn about: Live podcasting or live streaming: pros and cons Promotional and marketing benefits: interaction How to get people to participate Holding you accountable to your obligations The risk of live streaming Teleprompters, scripting, and being performative Videogame streamers Matt’s shortlist of gear for live streaming Video on social media The importance of promotion Resources/Links: Streamyard: https://streamyard.com/ Castos’ Podcast Grader: https://castos.com/podcastgrader/ Matt’s email: [email protected] Podcasthackers.com: https://podcasthackers.com/ Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/castos

Today Matt is talking with Eric Johnson from Bumblecast.FM. From winning the 2019 Podcast of the Year award to helping make original podcasts, Eric is a well-known and prominent podcast editor in the industry. His newest venture is Bumblecast.FM which is a business in the business of helping you with your podcast. They can either help you start a podcast of your own or can help your existing podcast. Eric has been in the digital media and podcasting field for over ten years. He’s worked at WTOP-FM, AllTHingsD, Mental Floss, and Vox Media. He produced Recode Decode with Kara Swisher which was named Podcast of the Year in 2019. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. If you have a quick moment in this busy holiday season, please leave us a review on iTunes. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Today you’ll learn about: What does Eric’s average production look like? Quality of content versus quality of audio Best practices for audio quality The podcast ideas Eric hears the most The True Crime ...trend? Advice for new hobbyists “The Long Game” and “Short Term Experiments” Twelve week pilot season Bumblecast.FM’s vision Originality, diversity, and passion Keep podcasting weird Joe Rogan’s success and mainstreaming podcasts on Spotify Private or premium podcasting versus public podcasts The ownership of content Resources/Links: Bumblecast.FM: https://bumblecast.fm/ Eric’s Twitter: @heyheyesj Podcasthackers.com: https://podcasthackers.com/ Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/castos

Today Matt talks with Kim Doyal (from Content Creators Planner and the Kim Doyal Show) about focusing on quality content and putting your energy where it is most needed instead of spreading yourself out too thin. They also touch on the podcasting and marketing aspects that Kim loves to do and why those things are so important when you’re creating content. Kim shares her experience with taking a break from podcasting and why that can be a good thing. They also go over what the Content Creators Planner and Content Marketing Accelerator LIVE can do for you and your podcast. Kim is an entrepreneur, coach, podcaster, and content creator. She has built her lifestyle business over the last 10 years using WordPress, content marketing, and through growing her community. She lives by her commitment to #JustShowUP. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. Thank you so much! Today you’ll learn about: What is the Content Creators Planner (a paper and digital tool)? What is #FtheHustle and how did it come about? Where new and veteran podcasters should focus their energy Why Kim started podcasting Creating a sustainable podcast How to take a break and reset Powerful and effective marketing techniques Content Marketing Accelerator LIVE (January 8-9) from ContentCreatorsPlanner.com What’s next for Content Creator’s Planner? Resources/Links: Kim Doyal’s official website: https://kimdoyal.com/ Kim Doyal’s podcast landing page : https://kimdoyal.com/show/ Kim Doyal’s Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/theKimDoyal/ Content Creators Planner website: https://contentcreatorsplanner.com/ Content Marketing Accelerator LIVE: https://contentcreatorsplanner.com/CMA/ Podcasthackers.com: https://podcasthackers.com/

On today’s episode, Craig talks with Ben Pines, the Head of Content and Product Evangelist of Elementor. Ben is a marketing expert that has developed several successful online ventures in the past few years, one of which is Elementor, the most popular website builder for Wordpress. Both Elementor and Castos help enable creators to make and share content with their audience. We are going to focus on debunking the myths around how easy it is to be a content creator and run a successful online business. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. Thank you so much! Today you’ll learn about: What does it really mean to be a content creator? The current trends in the industry Why people become content creators The importance of credentials Mistakes that new content creators make Starting out without a plan Not thinking of it as a business The transparency of the industry Inspiration and mentors in the space Being a brand in the industry and the risk involved Making a stance as a company The difficulty to succeed in the email marketing space Ben’s interactions with customers and their practices behind the scenes of Elementor Audible and podcasting habits What we can learn from classic literature and other content creators Resources/Links: Elementor, website: https://elementor.com/ Elementor, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt9kG_EDX8zwGSC1-ycJJVA Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/castos

On today’s episode, I’m talking about five videos on the Castos YouTube page, which will help streamline the podcasting process. It doesn’t matter if you’re a podcasting veteran or if you’re new to the podcasting world, there’s information in there for everyone. I hope you find these five videos helpful. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to Castos.com/podcast. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. Thank you so much! Today you’ll learn about: Five YouTube videos that will help new podcasters: Creating a podcast checklist using Notion templates The ins-and-outs of Auphonic A 2020 guide to podcast equipment How you can use Canva to edit a podcast brief Elementor Templates using Seriously Simple Podcasting WordPress Plugin Resources/Links: Castos, website: Castos.com/ Castos, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/castos Design a podcast brief using Canva: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpvO7EWEgJI Canva: https://www.canva.com/ Podcast Equipment Guide 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFTwXIZbVAY Elementor Templates using Seriously Simple Podcasting Plugin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUvlSOxyIu8 Use Auphonic to make your podcast sound better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV6NiCtGUAQ Podcast Checklist using Notion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FY0b5RdWmg

In this episode Matt and Craig look back at the first iteration of Castos' podcast. Questions that we (and you if you've ever 'podfaded') are asking ourselves are: Why did the podcast not stick the first time? What are we doing differently this time around? The new Audience podcast is resonating with our listeners a lot...why is that? Are there system or process things we can do to make running the podcast easier and more sustainable for the long run? Once you have solid answers to these questions a few patterns typically start to emerge about why some podcasts are successful and we stick with them, and why others start, stop, and ultimately fail. Having the two podcasts that we've run here at Castos to compare and contrast is a good case study in what to do, and what not to do, for us all.

This episode is about realigning your podcasting expectations. Why you need to serve your listeners, no matter how many there are, and get clarity on what you want to achieve.

In this episode Craig sits down for a chat with Steve Pratt from Pacific Content.