Streamlined Podcaster: Tips to Help Solo Podcasters Save Time and Create Great Content

One of my favorite scenes from Scrubs happens in Season 3, Episode 1. Sarah Chalke’s character, Dr. Elliot Reid, is sitting on her bed, reflecting on the fact that she gets walked all over at work — and she decides to do something about it. With Tom Petty’s American Girl playing, she wrecks her room. She changes her look. She goes back to the hospital much more confident and as a result, she’s much more respected.The confidence in her appearance matched the confidence she wanted to convey to her colleagues and patients.I hate my podcast artwork.I think a lot has changed in the space since my show launched —so I decided to explore what makes good podcast artwork in 2024. Read the full article here Join the mailing listBecome a member ★ Support this podcast ★

A family walks into a talent agency, and says, “Have we got the act for you…”If you’re familiar with this opening to a joke, you may have had a visceral reaction to it — either you think it’s hysterically funny, shamefully disgusting, or both. It’s the opening to the joke, The Aristocrats, and if you have a weak stomach, I don’t suggest you look it up.See, the point of this joke isn’t actually the punchline, which is right in the title. The point is to see how long you can improv a shocking, disgusting, offensive story.You can think about it as a secret handshake among comedians, that became not so secret after a 2005 documentary came out about it.It going me thinking about the importance of telling a story.This week, I got to speak to my friend Nick Benson’s college classes about Digital Storytelling.Don’t worry, I didn’t tell The Aristocrats.Instead, I spoke to them about why storytelling is so important in any content you create, especially podcasting.Read the article here: https://podcastworkflows.com/podcast-storytelling/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Spotify has made a couple of big announcements this month. First, their second-biggest show, Call Her Daddy, ended exclusively rights. While the show will still be a Spotify show, it will be widely distributed (though video will still be exclusive to Spotify).Then, the following weekend, the same thing is happened with The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE). It will soon be available on other platforms, after being completely exclusive to Spotify for the past 3+ years.JRE’s renewal was also apparently a massive deal monetarily. It’s got me thinking a lot about podcasting and what’s in store for us. ★ Support this podcast ★

As I write this, I feel stuck between two idioms. The first is, “Shoot for the moon, and you’ll land among the stars.”The second is, “he’s always swinging for the fences.”The former has a positive connotation. If you aim high, even if you fall short, you’ll still do something great. The latter can be negative. You’re constantly trying to hit a home run (and striking out) when a single will do.Last year I was pretty set on doing a daily podcast. I loved the idea of combining that with a mini podcast to create a fantastic back catalog of podcasting tips for anyone at any stage of podcasting.It also allowed me to experiment and really understand what goes into creating a daily show.The short: it’s a lot of work. I’m going to share everything I learned with you. Then you can decide if I was shooting for the moon to land among the stars, or swinging for the fences and striking out.Read the full article here ★ Support this podcast ★

Back when I started my podcast, if I wanted clear, uncompressed audio that didn’t have that random robot voice you’d get from an unstable connection, I’d need to do a few things:Use Skype + eCamm Recorder (RIP) to record my audio cleanly.Send my guest clear instructions on how to record their audio with either Quicktime on the Mac, or Voice Recorder on Windows.Walk through the process with my guest to make sure they’re getting clean audio (that is, audio with no echo).Still record a backup, just in case.Give my guests a place where they could upload the audio.Painstakingly sync the audio when I combined them in GarageBand or Audacity.Things are different now. Now, we have Riverside.Check out the full article here. ★ Support this podcast ★

At the beginning of 2023, it seemed that the maxim “repurpose your content” reached a fever pitch. More agencies are offering repurpose services, and we see lots more people posting the same content across multiple platforms. More people (myself included) are keeping video on for their podcasts to create clips from podcasts. With AI tools, that became easy. Feed one format into an AI and it spits out a different format. ★ Support this podcast ★

On my wedding day, I was standing inside the church, in front of the altar, welcoming the 200+ guests we had invited as they came in and found their seats.My friend Alex came up to me at some point at said, “Joey — you look so calm and comfortable. On my wedding day, I was a nervous mess.”It’s true. I was feeling great on my wedding day; I didn’t feel those nerves because I was used to being in front of people, and unlike some talks I gave, this was a friendly audience, ready to help us celebrate.That experience reminds me of a question I got while speaking at a conference back in 2019: “How do you get more comfortable speaking into the microphone.” I loved it because while I often focus on the technical aspects of creating a podcast, there can be a real issue with getting comfortable recording, especially if you’re doing a solo show. So my answer: get your reps in.Read the full story here: https://podcastworkflows.com/how-to-get-more-comfortable-behind-the-mic/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Upgrade is one of my favorite podcasts to listen to for Apple and tech industry news. I think they have some of the most measured takes and don’t fall victim to hyperbole.One interesting thing about Upgrade and many (if not all) of the shows on that podcast network, Relay.fm, is that the hosts don’t see each other. They keep the video off, even for them.Read the full story here: https://podcastworkflows.com/upgrades-short-form-strategy-is-worth-trying/ ★ Support this podcast ★

One thing that’s as sure as the sunrise during the Christmas season is that kids and adults alike will look at the gifts under their tree and wonder what’s inside. They’ll stare at the box, hoping to find the answer without opening it.Before the gifts are open, they can be anything. It’s left up to our imagination.Podcast stats can feel a lot like that sometimes. That’s why today’s helpful podcaster tool is Voxalyze. I like to call it the Google Analytics of Podcasting.Read the full story here: https://podcastworkflows.com/voxalyze/ ★ Support this podcast ★

There’s a reason that movies have teaser trailers. That TV shows have short “hits.” “Tonight, on a very special Blossom,” came from somewhere.They are designed to create buzz, and entice viewers to go and watch the entire movie or episode when it comes out. And while they are a tried and true method for TV and movies, do they…or something analogous…work for podcasts?Read the Entire Article HereSubscribe to Podcast Advent ★ Support this podcast ★

Anyone can make a podcast, right? Just pull up a microphone, hit record, then publish it out to the world. While it can be that easy, it’s not always that straightforward, particularly if you’re looking to use your podcast as a source of revenue. If you’re not considering who you want to reach and what would actually help them, you’re just a person on a mic shouting into the void. With just a little attention to your intentions, you won’t just have a tuned-in, active audience, but you’ll also have an easy pitch for sponsors and affiliates.Read the full article hereSign up for Podcast Advent ★ Support this podcast ★

A recent favorite podcast of mine is American History Tellers from Wondery. After finding History Daily back in April, I followed host Lindsay Graham’s work more closely — I was already a fan of him from American Elections: Wicked Game and 1865. One of the great things History Daily does is a “Saturday Matinee” episode, where they publish a full episode of another podcast. And in October of this year, he used that slot to promote the latest American History Tellers series on the Salem Witch Trials.But while I strongly recommend podcast swaps, that’s not the workflow recommendation I have.Read the full article hereSign up for Podcast Advent ★ Support this podcast ★

Batman’s utility belt. The Doctor’s Screwdriver from Doctor Who. Tommy Pickles’ toy Screwdriver1. These things could get our heroes out of whatever pinch they found themselves in.They were a tool for any occasion. And that’s what Descript is for Podcasters.Read the full article hereSign up for Podcast Advent ★ Support this podcast ★

I am one of the unholy people who commits the seasonal crime of listening to Christmas music too early. I get the itch around early November, but exercise restraint until a week before Thanksgiving.Every year, I set aside some time to review and update both of my lists: the family-friendly one, and my personal list — a combination of classics and slightly more vulgar songs from my youth. This year, I came to a realization…Read the full article here*Sign up to have Podcast Advent delivered to your inbox* ★ Support this podcast ★

I actually think there are two misconceptions here. The first is we have shorter attention spans. TikTok increased its video length to 10 minutes, and the sweet spot for YouTube appears to be 12-20 minutes. People’s attention spans are short when they don’t care about the content. But when it’s good content, we can capture their attention.And Podcasters can absolutely leverage short-form content, with just a little extra effort. They can keep the camera on while they record their podcast, and with some planning, make clear, succinct points to the camera…then repurpose those clips on social. OR after they record an episode, they can recap it in short form video OR audio.Plus, episodes can be less than 5 minutes — and daily short podcasts are increasing in popularity. ★ Support this podcast ★

I had a rough weekend a while back, my friends. One Thursday I started to feel sick with the plague my children brought home from school. And I thought I had successfully avoided it.Still, I was feeling well enough to write scripts for one of my solo episodes before resting up. I figured I'd record it on Saturday...after I did rest.And I did. But it was a disaster. I was rambling, coughing, getting winded, and stopping...a lot. It was not quality content.I could have just released that, knowing I had an arbitrary deadline of Monday at 2am ET. But episodes like this —long, no single focus, hard to find a clear story — needed to be tight and helpful. This was not.So I decided to take Sunday and rest some more, hoping Monday would see me with more energy and stamina.Which it did! I re-recorded the entire episode and released it later than usual...but in much better shape.You don’t always need to hit your arbitrary deadlines. And while most of this show is dedicated to helping you build a system to not be in the same position I was…well, sometimes it doesn’t work out.When that happens, it’s better to take a moment and prioritize quality content over a deadline most people won’t notice you missed. ★ Support this podcast ★

One of my least favorite things in the whole world is traffic. Mostly because traffic without a big causal event (like an accident, or road work) has always been super confusion to me. It seems like there no traffic, then traffic for NO reason, then all of a sudden it's gone. But the truth is, traffic is usually not due to one big event. It's a bunch of little things that add up to one big bottleneck. Your podcast process can be similar. Here's how to prevent the bottleneck. ★ Support this podcast ★

I'm a huge Friends fan. Like...watch the whole series multiple times per year. Did you know they did something in Season 1 to grow their viewership 25%? Season 1, Episode 16 was called, “The One with Two Parts, Part 1,” it was the first of a crossover event with two other NBC shows.Before landing the role of Phoebe on Friends, Lisa Kudrow was a waitress named Ursula on NBC’s hit show Mad About You, also set in NYC. The show wrote them as twin sisters, and Ursula was introduced to the Friends audience in Episode 16 when Joey started dating her. Helen Hunt and Leila Kenzle, who played the main characters on Mad About You, also make an appearance, mistaking Phoebe for Ursula at Central Perk, a common hangout in Friends.But it doesn’t stop there. At the end of Episode 16, Rachel falls and hurts her ankle. Episode 17 opens with her and Monica at the Hospital, where they meet two young doctors, played by George Clooney and Noah Wyle, the stars of ER. The results of that cross-over event? The most-viewed episode before that arc had 26M views and guest-starred Morgan Fairchild as Chandler’s mom. After that, the average viewership was 29.8M per episode. What can podcasters learn from this? Get in front of other people’s audiences. The Friends team knew that pulling in Mad About You and ER cast would bring the fans. After all – they were similar shows (daily lives of young people in big cities), at similar times, on the same network. You can replicate this strategy 2 ways:Going on other people's podcasts as a guestDoing podcast swaps, where you and another podcast plug each other shows I did each of these and grew my own show from 33,000 monthly downloads to 72,000 monthly downloads in 10 months. Not bad, right? Now it's your turn. Write back and let me know: what are 2-3 podcasts you can work with on a podcast swap? ★ Support this podcast ★

I want you to think about the times you make introductions to people. Maybe you’re introducing a coworker to your spouse, or a friend from one area of your life to a friend in another area of your life. You likely say something like, “Bob, this is Jean. Jean, Bob. Bob is one of the best copywriters I know! And Jean is fantastic at graphic design.”What you don’t do is say, “Bob, Jean. Jean. Bob. Now tell each other what you do,” because they’d both be caught off-guard. If you ask me, “What is the worst question podcasters commonly ask their guests,” you’ll get one, unequivocal answer from me:So tell us who you are and what you do.And while I’ve spoken about [why podcasters shouldn’t ask that question], if you go on podcasts, chances are you’re getting it.So how, as a podcast guest, do you turn that into a way to stand out?Let’s start with what not to do first. Perhaps the worst answer you can give is a rehash of your bio. It’s likely that the host already told people who you are, reading a provided bio or recording an intro after your interview. Plus, people can just read your bio. Instead, what you want to do is deliver value right out of the gate. What I try to do is tell a story that clearly illustrates how I help people — which means I need to know the topic and audience ahead of time. If we’re talking about podcast sponsorship, I’m telling people about how podcasting saved my business. If we’re talking about workflows, I’m telling people how I knew something needed to change when I completely burned out in 2020. This does a couple of things:It helps people learn a little bit more about me without me just rereading my bio.It makes people emotionally invested in my story. The people I help can empathize with stories I tell.It illustrates the kind of transformation I can do for them. So how can you do this? The answer is tell a story. I write [all about digital storytelling here]. Your goal is to tell a story of transformation, make the listener the hero, and position yourself as the guide. You want to communicate to the listener that:I see youI’ve been where you wereI know the way outI can help you Why does this matter? Because a great podcast interview can do a lot of things for you. It can grow your authority. It can get people onto your mailing list and reach new clients. It can be a gold mine for creating your own content. But a bad one is basically just wasted time. It won’t be good for the podcast, and it won’t be good for you. But if you start strong, win over the audience early, and steer the conversation in the direction you need it to go in, it can be a huge boon for you in both the short- and long term. ★ Support this podcast ★

Let’s talk about memberships….specifically the platforms. In the last few years, setting up a membership has gone from “hire a developer to build a custom site” to “I barely need a dedicated website anymore.” So let’s look at a few options that are good for podcast memberships. Memberful. They are really trying to corner the market on podcast memberships, and they’re doing a good job. Rich features, lots of integrations, and is free to start. The only drawback in my eyes is the price: $0 + 10% transaction fee or $25/mo + 4.9% transaction fee. Both transaction fees are higher than you should pay. Patreon, on the other hand, pretty much only charges you if you make money. They are also the first major membership platform for creators and have added lots of great features, including private podcast feeds. LemonSqueezy + Transistor.fm : This one takes a little bit of duct tape to work perfectly, but since you can sell subscriptions (and a members-only newsletter) with LemonSqueezy, you can use a tool like Zapier or Make to connect those purchases to a podcast host that supports private podcasts, like Transistor. When someone purchases via LemonSqueezy, you can have Zapier create a private subscriber. ConvertKit has ConvertKit Commerce, but if you're considering this route, be aware: it's only really good for a premium newsletter. One of the many WordPress membership plugins. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention WordPress…but to be honest, I wouldn’t recommend starting with it. If you’d like to see an in-depth comparison, my friend Chris did one. ★ Support this podcast ★

Membership…that is, charging a listener monthly for bonus content…is a great way to make money with your podcast. But you need to be cautious. It’s tempting to offer a TON of bonuses to make the membership seem more valuable.But what if no one…or even worse…ONE person…signed up. If one person signs up, you’re on the hook for all of those extras.Instead, take this approach:First, test the waters. Ask your mailing list or listeners what they want to see more of. Don’t ask them if they would pay (most people will say yes to theoretical spending). Just ask what they want to see more of. Guage response. If no one responds, focus on building your audience first. But if a good number of people respond, it’s time to start thinking about your perks.Start with low-hanging fruit. I like to call those things low effort, high reward. In my membership, it’s an extra 10-minute conversation with my guests that’s for members only. It’s removing ads. It’s an extra video or episode. These are raw, but they are behind-the-scenes looks that only they get. Come up with 2-3 of these perks that won’t take you a TON of time. Then email the people who responded with a special price. If you want to price it at $6/mo, offer it to them at $5/mo for a limited time. Tell them you’ll even extend it to friends and coworkers. See how many people buy in. Then announce it to the world — your mailing list, on your podcast, on social media. And make sure you deliver. Low effort and high reward perks make it easier for you to do that. ★ Support this podcast ★

“You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” Aaron Eckhart’s version of Harvey Dent said that in Christopher Nolan’s penultimate Batman film, The Dark Knight.Since its release in 2008, that quote has been referenced and misappropriated to fit situations because, let’s be honest, it’s a cool quote.Well, you can add another reference to the pile because it’s the first quote that came to mind when I thought about prolific podcaster Matt Medeiros: “You either podfade or you podcast long enough to try every format.”Matt has certainly been around the block. He had perhaps the first popular WordPress business podcast, The Matt Report. He has a short-form news podcast called The WP Minute. Finally, he has a locally focused podcast, We Are Here, celebrating businesses from South Coast, MA.And now he hosts Breakdown, a podcast by the popular forms plugin, Gravity Forms, for Gravity Forms users and web builders.Even though podcasting has been around for a while, most brands are just now coming around to their importance as part of a greater content strategy.I wanted to capture Breakdown’s story as it’s starting. It’s easy to say after it’s worked that it was the right decision. We’re still at the point where Matt and the Gravity Forms team are experimenting. And that’s a great thing for brands and podcasters alike to see.IN THIS EPISODENo matter how many downloads your podcast gets, it can be an integral part of your overall content strategy.Create case studies from interviews you publish on your podcast — whether you’re a brand or a solopreneur.Be open to experiments. You never know what will resonate with your audience.Read the full article here: https://podcastworkflows.com/branded-podcast-case-study/ ★ Support this podcast ★

I’ve decided – with a push from my new video editor, Zach – to create short-form videos for episodes. This required me to do a couple of things.The first is actually recording video. I’ve toyed with this in the past, and with other podcasts, but I’ve never done it consistently for How I Built It.Part of it was that I never thought straight interviews were compelling videos. But the other part was I didn’t think the effort for short form was worth it.It still might not be. But now I’m willing to try. More on that in a minute.The other thing I needed to do was update my guest notes. I made it pretty clear in the notes that it was an audio-only podcast – so I updated that to say “Video will be recorded, but only for social media.”This wasn’t crucial, but courteous, as some folks want to make sure they’re camera-ready.So what’s my strategy?Right now, I’m mostly testing. I’ll post 3-4 videos per week on TikTok, X (neé Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube Shorts and see what happens.I also made a discovery about TikTok as it relates to podcasting. I’ve added a new video for members of the Foundry and will be more open about my experiments there.For now, I’d love to know if you have a short-form video strategy. If so, respond to this email and let me know! ★ Support this podcast ★

Earlier this year, I had 2 conversations that really shaped how I view making content moving forwardThe first was Tim Stoddart of Copyblogger. He’s a prolific writer, a fantastic business owner, and super down-to-earth.He told me he doesn’t like the term “build in public.” He prefers to say, “Share your journey.”I love this because you’re not giving people a blueprint to follow (despite what the Thread Bois says).You’re telling people what you’re doing, and what’s working for YOU.Then I did a deep dive on Justin Jackson and John Buda’s Build in Public podcast.They shared their own journey of building a SaaS in a crowded market in 2018. And the podcast took off.I’m definitely focusing on long-form content more. But when I’m stuck, especially when I want to deliver for my members, I’m going to share my journey.Do something. Tell people you did it. Tell people how you did it.Rinse.Repeat.Unless you’re literally doing nothing, you’ll always have something to share. ★ Support this podcast ★

Here are 5 things you can do to grow your podcast:1. Get a Decent Mic. You don’t need to spend $400, but you should use a decent USB mic. I recommend the ATR-2100x2. Don’t just record and release. Too many people just record a Zoom call and release it as a podcast. Listeners expect more than that these days.3. Do a little research. Don’t go in cold. If you’re interviewing someone, do some background work on them and don’t have them introduce themselves — get right to the heart of the interview. If it’s a solo show, fact-check yourself and have an outline.4. Make it easy to share episodes. Have an easy-to-remember URL, and have the share buttons on the episodes page! Help people help you!5. Make helpful social media posts. Don’t just point a link to the episode. Create useful content on the platform, then link to the episode for more context.Each of these shows your listeners that you've decided to go the extra mile and put a little more effort into your show for them. ★ Support this podcast ★

Today I want to talk to you about DAI, or Dynamic Ad Insertion. DAI is a way for you to automatically insert ads (or any audio clip) into your already produced podcast episodes. There are lots of services that allow this, like Transistor and Buzzsprout, which makes it super easy. The way it works is this:You upload your episodesYou upload the audio clip you want dynamically insertedYou mark whether it’s a pre-roll, post-roll, or mid-roll ad You can also (based on the service) set an expiration date, or manually turn it on or off. This allows you to do a few things, but the two I’m using it for are:Selling a limited run ad-campaign (so a 30 day mid-roll on specific episodes)Dynamically changing my call to action depending on the time of year. I got the latter idea from my guest Sam Munoz . Most of the year, I’m promoting my newsletter (this very newsletter, in-fact). But when there's some time-based event or special, I’ll be promoting that instead, without have to re-edit every episode. What do you think of DAI? Can you see it being useful for your podcast? ★ Support this podcast ★

There’s a myth that if you do something for 21 days, it becomes a habit. I say it’s a myth because it’s been debunked. Several times.The truth is, no matter how long a habit takes you to form, the more complicated it is, the more easily broken it is.So producing a podcast is likely not a habit you’re forming. It’s work you’re doing, as efficiently as possible, without sacrificing content. But listening to a podcast, that can be a habit.It’s why I often tell my clients and students that you don’t need a weekly show, but a monthly show can be a tough sell if you want to be part of someone’s routine.So as I work on the next deep dive, I thought I’d share what I’ve learned about how to produce a daily podcast, and where I can improve.👉 IN THIS EPISODEA daily podcast can be an incredible authority-building asset for youPick a format and topic that lends itself to your business goalsBatching content is a super important aspect of a daily podcastRead the full article here: https://podcastworkflows.com/daily-podcast-process/ ★ Support this podcast ★

In an episode of the now-retired show Podcast Pontifications, Evo Terra drops a truth bomb for all the “record to tape” or “record and release” podcasters:But if you look at the larger universe of podcasting, which is now millions of podcasts strong, you’ll see that podcast listeners are voting for the kinds of shows that take more time and care than can be put into a linear record and release style of podcast.He was talking about people who record a show and then release it as is (known as record and release, or record to tape). But from that ailment comes another symptom: people using Zoom to record.You need to stop using Zoom.Similar to Evo’s point above, listeners today more than ever expect quality. They want you to sound like you’re in the room with your guest.And that’s easier than ever with great tools like Riverside.fm, which records everyone’s audio locally, and separately. No weird robot video from bad internet connections here.This is important because bad audio can erode trust, which could stifle your podcast’s growth, and your ability to establish expertise.One of the reasons I feel my show grew quickly is because I’ve added a commitment to the best possible audio quality from the very beginning.If you’re not sure where to start, I strongly recommend Riverside.fm. It’s affordable, well-made, and the most reliable of the tools I’ve used. ★ Support this podcast ★

Does anyone know you so well, they can describe you in a single sentence?When I was at Craft + Commerce, Mike Pacchione gave some great advice for when you tell stories:When describing someone, use a single sentence that instantly tells the listener who they are. Here’s an example:My dad always told people, “Joe would argue with Jesus Christ if he came off the cross.”You probably think I’m…opinionated, to put it nicely.You should do the same thing with your podcast, and episodes.What would that look like?If I’m describing my show How I Built It , I might say, “You get free coaching sessions from the best creators.”I can then extend that out to specific episodes. “You get one coaching session from Mike on Public Speaking,” for example.For this show, I can say, "Bite-sized tips to help you improve your podcast process."As you figure out the best one-liner for your podcast, keep your show’s mission in mind.The one-liner can be based on the mission, or even define it. ★ Support this podcast ★

One way to grow your podcast audience is to leverage the audience you have on other platforms. Short-form video can be a particularly effective medium here because many of those platforms, like TikTik, prioritize discovery over followers. So here's what you do: 1) Record a short-form video (vertical, 60 seconds long) taking about one thing from a recent podcast interview or episode. I try to do this right after I record the episode so it's fresh in my mind. 2) Upload it to TikTok, Instagram Reels (which can also post to your Stories and Facebook), and YouTube Shorts. 3) Include a CTA and link to subscribe to your podcast or newsletter so they don't miss the episode. This will add 5-10 minutes per episode, but if it doesn't right, can funnel people to your show and create new fans. ★ Support this podcast ★

One low barrier for entry these days is asking for donations from listeners. It likely won’t be a huge money maker at first, but it’s an easier sell than a membership. When a listener really enjoys your content, they can send you a few bucks.So what are some platforms that make it as easy as possible for listeners to donate? Here are three: Buy Me a Coffee : Popular among podcasters, Buy Me A Coffee allows you to create a profile, connect a Stripe account, and start accepting donations (usually in $5 intervals) super fast. ConverKit: ConvertKit is the ESP for creators, as evidenced by the fact that they have a ton of features to help creators. That includes a “tip jar” on a custom domain for people to send you money – on the free plan GiveWP : If you use WordPress for your website, GiveWP is a fantastic option. It’s free, you can set your own donation levels, and everything neatly integrates with your WordPress site.Once you select your donation platform, you can add it to your show notes (a big benefit of GiveWP is embedding the form on the show notes page), make it your CTA, or include it in your newsletter. ★ Support this podcast ★

The #1 question potential listeners will ask when they find your podcast is, "What's in it for me."Optimize for that question and that experience and you will get more listeners.This was the crux of what we covered when Hollie Arnett hired me for a podcast audit of her show, Brand Your Podcast. In this episode we'll cover the Top 8 takeaways from that audit, as well as what Hollie should do next. If you want to get your own Podcast Growth Audit, you can do so here: https://podcastliftoff.com/auditAnd if you want to watch the entire, unedited audit, check out this video. ★ Support this podcast ★

Something that many new podcasters are resistant to is transcripts, and it’s perfectly understandable why. The free/cheap AI-generated ends up taking more work because they aren’t super accurate, and human-written ones cost a lot of money that many podcasters feel they don’t have.But if you want to grow your podcast, you need transcripts. And let's be honest: the AI-generated transcripts are WAY more accurate today than even 6 months ago.Not only do they make your show accessible to those who physically cannot listen, but they also provide more text and content for Google (and even podcast apps) to search.Luckily, there are some helpful tools when it comes to transcripts. If you’re interested, I wrote all about it here: Why Your Podcast Needs Transcripts ★ Support this podcast ★

We’ve all had the experience of an over-eager salesperson. The moment they see you, you're marked as a potential sale and you’re immediately asked if you want to buy whatever they’re selling. And even if you walked into the store, expressing some level of interest, it still feels icky.That's kind of what it feels like when you open your podcast with a CTA. ★ Support this podcast ★

People love bonus content. They love a look behind the scenes. And they love exclusivity.For these reasons, and plenty more, private podcasting is a great way to make money. But what is a private podcast?Put in the clearest terms, a private podcast is one that only certain people can access. Maybe they are students in a class, employees at a company, or members of club.Use CasesWith a private podcast, you can charge for access and give people a private link to your feed. This works super great for memberships where you want to offer bonus episodes or ad-free episodes.But if you’re a coach or consultant, you can include a private podcast as part of your fee. Maybe you send regular affirmations, or even supplementary advice based on your last call.If you teach a course, you can release bonus or additional lessons in a private podcast, or answer student questions in a way that’s easily consumable for them.Where to StartThere are several ways to offer private podcasts, including built-in support through Apple and Spotify. Other more accessible options: Transistor Hello Audio Memberful Patreon Are you interested in starting a private podcast? Let me know, and send along any questions you might have! ★ Support this podcast ★

A few emails ago I told you to stop putting episode numbers in titles because it doesn't entice listeners. It doesn't give them any information about the episode. The same thing goes with starting your descriptions with, "In this episode..." I understand why you'd want to use it, but people looking at podcasts will already know this is an episode. "In this episode" takes up precious space in search engines that could be used for something better...something that is more pertinent to the listener. ★ Support this podcast ★

It feels fitting that Justin Jackson and Jon Buda referenced 37signals in their very first episode of Build Your SaaS because they were “eating their own dog food,” or “dogfooding” their product.They were launching a podcast about building a podcast hosting company, which they were using to host their podcast.What does this have to do with 37signals? They are perhaps the best example of dogfooding in the modern era1.But the podcast became more than just a way for them to dog food their product. It became a chronicle of how they created a new company — a new SaaS. And one in a crowded field to boot.And since building in public is hugely popular, the podcast has benefitted them in a ton of other ways too.Build Your SaaS is really a testament to how beneficial a branded podcast can be to a company.Let’s take a look at why, and what lessons you can take from them.IN THIS EPISODEBuild in public. You never know who’s going to extract value from your story.Cut down on research by picking a topic you already know, or are actively learning.Consider lesser-known, niche-specific promotional channels for your show.Read the article here: https://podcastworkflows.com/transistor-brand-podcast/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Don't you love a good peek behind the curtain?I do. It helps me get a concrete look at how to do things, and by extension, how I can do things. That's why you should do a Behind the Scenes episode.Show your listeners how you built a product, service, or process. Be detailed about it! It will prove that you think through your problems to find good solutions. This is another trust-builder.Bonus idea: Use these episodes to build your list. Maybe do a 2-parter, where listeners get the second part exclusively by joining your email list! Your turn: what's something interesting you've done that would make for a good BTS episode. It can be anything from a blog post you wrote, to a site you launched, or even how you make your podcast! ★ Support this podcast ★

Imagine being told you need to get your wedding, and that’s it. No time. No date. No location. Just, “You need to get to your wedding.”You’d feel kind of stuck, right? Surely there are people who know that information. You’d think it would be part and parcel with, “You need to get to your wedding.”That’s kind of how it feels when someone tells you, “You need to automate.”What should you automate? How should you automate it? How do you know if you can automate it?Well, there are a number of questions you can ask yourself to figure our what you don’t have to do, but the are also categories of tasks to help you figure out if a task is worth automating.Read more here: https://soloautomator.com/how-to-determine-what-to-automate-c4ff99e9413f ★ Support this podcast ★

Some people don’t like talking about themselves all the time. And that’s perfectly fine. A great way to get content without making it self-centered is by highlighting someone else’s success. That’s why today’s episode is client/customer spotlights.Listeners love content they can relate to. If you can pick a customer or client and highlight how they’ve been able to improve using your product or service, that will be great content for you.Be sure to make the episode about the client, and the audience, and not about you. This can be in the form of a narrated case study, or it can be an interview you do with the client.Check out my more in-depth look at customer spotlights over on the GoWP blog.Your task: think about a client or customer you really delivered for, and why. Then turn it into an episode! ★ Support this podcast ★

When it comes to Podcast sponsorship outreach, you likely will think you need a few weeks lead time. But you probably need a month or more. So today’s tip: Start way before you think you need to.Most brands/sponsors aren’t ready to drop money as soon as you email them, or even within the same week. And bigger brands might have a NET-30 or NET-60 payment schedule for invoices, meaning that money won’t even come in for a while.So don’t start when you see you need sponsors for upcoming episodes. You should have a sort of sales funnel for regular outreach — I’ve had brands decline, then come back in 6-12 months.Oh and a bonus tip: most organizations are setting budgets at the end of the year. I reach out to all previous and potential sponsors in early October to lock up sponsorship for the upcoming year. Put that one on your calendar. ★ Support this podcast ★

Imagine creating not one, not two, but THREE versions of every podcast episode you produce.That’s what Jay Clouse does with Creator Science. See, last year he made the decision to make his podcast “YouTube-first,” which means focusing on video production, then mastering it for audio.If you produce a podcast, you already know that it’s time-consuming. While Christina Nicholson showed us it doesn’t have to take a lot of time for you personally, there’s still a lot that goes into an episode.And Jay is creating a YouTube version, an audio version, and a separate Spotify video version. This is complicated by the fact that Jay’s revenue model varies depending on the platform.But this work isn’t for nothing! As we’ll see, he’s making a few long-term bets about the future of podcast content.👉 IN THIS EPISODEWhy building a relationship with your listeners is crucialHow leveraging new technology can make you tell better storiesThinking outside the box for monetization modelsLeveraging the network effect to grow your podcastRead the article here: https://podcastworkflows.com/podcast-video-storytelling/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Quite often, I see podcasters sharing their podcast episodes and they've titled something like: Episode 12: Jim RodgersWould you click on this if you came across it on social media? Probably not. This doesn't tell you anything about what you'll learn in the episode. Even worse, this does nothing for SEO...most people aren't randomly Googling episode numbers.Stop putting the episode number in your title. Your episodes should be treated as any other searchable content. That means a title that entices people to click through and listen. ★ Support this podcast ★

Something that turns lots of people away from podcasting (both before and after starting) is how much time and work it takes. But you don't need long interview shows. In fact, there's a new type of podcast that's gaining popular: the mini podcast. Here's why starting a mini-podcast (or pivoting your current show that way) might be a good idea: They are usually less than 20 minutesThey're generally solo shows (no coordinating guests)They allow you to showcase your expertiseThey are easier to batchInterested? I cover them more on my own mini-podcast here. ★ Support this podcast ★

I know it’s tempting. You fire up Zoom, hit record, and just release the combined audio into your podcast feed.That’s called record and release. Lots of podcasters do it. It even works for some people. But it won’t work for you.Here’s why.The podcasters doing this have likely already accumulated a big audience. Back when the best way to record a podcast was Skype and eCamm Call Recorder. Back when it was a lot harder to launch a podcast, so just the act of publishing one at all showed you were putting in an effort.But two things have changed since then:The tools got better. It’s a lot easier to just record and publish a podcast.The audience is getting savvier. And as a result, their expectations are higher.An early critically acclaimed movie, Grand Hotel, came out in 1932. It basically takes place in a couple of rooms in a hotel.It’s still considered a culturally significant movie. But it would bomb at the box office today.Movies have come so much further than what was accomplished in 1932. Special effects, storytelling, multi-threaded plots, color…nearly everything.Moviegoers have a higher bar than they did in 1932.The same thing goes for podcasting. Publishing isn’t enough.You need to do more than just talk into a mic. Plan your show. Outline or script it. And add some post-production to make it sound better. Add music.Give the listeners something besides halfway decent audio.You will see more downloads. ★ Support this podcast ★

When you launched your podcast, you likely knew to submit to Apple Podcasts. And that covers a good number of bases. Most small directories pull from Apple. But not all of them. Spotify, for example, does not. You need to submit to them separately. The same goes for Amazon.Plus there are lots of other niche directories you want to be in: Podcaster, GoodPods, and more. BuzzSprout has a good list here.But you also want to be on YouTube. YouTube is driving growth for podcasting, and they are doubling down. Secure your spot by creating a channel for show...even if it's just audio. I created a video to teach you how to do that:Why do this? Because you want your show to be as accessible as possible, everywhere. Meet your potential audience where they are. That's how you drive growth.Oh...and if you want to make sure you're best positioned for growth, check out my Podcast Growth Audit .Freebie: https://podcastworkflows.com/audit (Notion Template) ★ Support this podcast ★

Have you ever wondered why something gets put on TV? I know I have.That’s what makes Christina Nicholson’s show, Become a Media Maven, so interesting from a content standpoint.From a process standpoint, the show has been around since 2018 and has evolved and adapted to the changing landscape. This has helped Christina keep the show relevant without adding a ton more work to her plate. It’s also what has allowed her to focus on lead generation.Let’s take a look at what inspired the changes she made, how she produces her show today, and of course, what you can steal from her workflow.In this EpisodeExperiment with the format of your podcast.Know the goal of your episodes before you record.Use your podcast for lead generation.Read the full article here: https://podcastworkflows.com/lead-generation-christina-nicholson/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Have you ever thought, "I don't have time to podcast," ?When I ask people what’s stopping them from launching or continuing their show, this is the number one concern I'm told.Podcasting is definitely time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to take up all your time! There are a few things you can do to clear time on your calendar:Start small. You don’t need a 2-hour podcast to start. One of the longest-running, most popular podcasts, Stuff You Should Know, started with 6-minute episodes.You don’t need to coordinate guests for every episode. Mix in some solo episodes. Those are easier to schedule and easier to edit.Block time. If you have “podcasting” on your calendar at the same time every week, it will be easier to keep that schedule.Batch. Set time aside to make more than one episode per week. Then you have some margin, can take a break, and choose to podcast because you want to, not because you feel you have to.These are small, measurable steps you can make on the way to podcast consistency. And remember - consistency isn't every day or every week. It's predictability! ★ Support this podcast ★

Do you want to know how I got my podcasts sponsored before launching? How I get big-name guests? How I get my show off the ground in the first place?It was my network. It was the relationships I formed by being a professional, trustworthy person. I suspect you have one too. It's important to leverage in, especially in the beginning.That's also why it's important to clearly define your show and who it targets. But that's a tip for another day. So for today, I want you to think about who's in your network, and how you can work with them to make the most successful podcast possible. ★ Support this podcast ★

Podcasting, as you likely know by this point, is a TON of work. You need to launch, which is one project. But then you need to keep the show going. For every episode, you need to research, write/outline, record, edit, publish and promote. It's a TON of work, especially if you do it weekly. But what if you didn't have to do everything?I'm a big fan of automating and delegating work, which is why I want to share two resources with you today. The first is a few ideas for automating tasks you might be doing manually . Scheduling, recording, and even repurposing can be done by websites and services! Then there's the article I wrote called What Mowing the Lawn has to do with Your Podcast Losing Money .It's all about spending your time wisely so you can focus on doing the things that grow your podcast and help you make money. If that means paying someone to edit, the cost is small compared to the amount of time you save.I'd love to hear your thoughts. And let me know: what's your least favorite task when producing an episode? ★ Support this podcast ★