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Podcast

Use Events To Grow Your Audience – PTC 349

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Events are a great way to grow your audience. However, you need a strategy.

Many of us go to great events and collect a lot of great information and meet a lot of great people. We then return home to our to do lists and do nothing.

The notes and names go in a drawer in the desk and we take no action. We have good intentions. We just have other priorities.

In order to get the most out of your events, have a plan.

To help, grab my Building Relationships At Events worksheet at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/events. This will give you the full strategy to use events to grow your audience.

STRATEGY

When developing your strategy, you need to consider your actions before, during and after the event. Your actions need to be focused and deliberate.

Before the event, you need to plan your attack. Lay out your goals and tools.

During the gathering, you have limited time. Use every minute you have in ways that help you grow.

After the event, tie up the loose ends. This is where the real work takes place.

Let’s look at each of these phases.

BEFORE EVENTS

Before events, it is all about planning. You need to have a goal and purpose.

Do your research. Research the attendees that fit your goal before the event. Find the individuals you’re hoping to meet (and impress).

Dress to impress. As the saying goes, you only have one chance to make a first impression. Don’t blow it.

DURING EVENTS

When you arrive, use your time wisely. Make the most of every opportunity.

Have questions ready for every session you attend for the open Q&A at the end.

Don’t spread yourself too thin. Don’t work the room. Focus on quality vs. quantity. Join in the conversation.

When you meet people, consider their network. Can you help each other make connections? Be a connector. How can you help them?

Listen first, then speak. Ask a lot of questions.

  • “Who are you?”
  • “What do you podcast about?”
  • “How did you get into that?”
  • “If someone wanted to get into that niche, where would they begin?”
  • “I’ve enjoyed our conversation. How can we stay in touch?”

Swap business cards to stay in touch. Be sure you don’t use your business cards as spam by giving a card to every person you meet. Give them with a purpose.

Take notes about each meeting. Write on their business card.

AFTER EVENTS

The real results come from your actions after events. This is where the real work takes place.

Follow up is critical. Reach out to each person you’ve met while you are on the trip home. Don’t let this valuable time slip away. Make an impression.

Have a purpose to reach out. Focus on helping them. This is not a time to sell.

Use this sample script: “I enjoyed our conversation at ____. Your story about _____ was fascinating/intriguing/hilarious. Would you be willing to discuss ____/be on my podcast to promote your _____/tell me more about ______.”

LIVE VS. VIRTUAL

Many live events are coming back. Pick and choose the right gatherings and conferences that will help you meet the right people.

Find people who are already talking to the audience you want to attract.

While live events return, continue to work the online events. Many online events will continue to operate, because they are convenient and come with lower costs. Again, find the events that will make the biggest impact in your growth.

WORKSHEET

To help you grow and develop your strategy, grab my Building Relationships At Events worksheet at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/events. This worksheet lays out the entire strategy you can use events to grow your audience.

If you don’t have a mentor who can take your hand and walk you every step of the way, go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/apply, click the button and apply to have a chat with me. We will develop your plan and see how I can help and support you to achieve your podcast goals.

Podcast

Your Step-By-Step Audience Growth Strategy – PTC 348

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Whether you are brand new, or you’ve been publishing for years, we are all looking for audience growth. Unfortunately, few of us have a strategy. We are just trying random things and gaining no traction.

CLEANING

I was cleaning the basement the other day. After hours of work, it looked like I had done nothing.

We collect everything down there. The basement is where everything goes when we don’t have a place to put it.

We have a pool table down there that doubles as a ping pong table. The table came from some friends that just wanted it out of their basement. I quickly learned why.

The table has now become the place where my son does his school work … and sorts his baseball cards … and leaves his spare hockey gear.

My office space is down there. We have book shelves and storage shelves and a couch where we go when tornado warnings fire up.

One day, I decided to clean the basement. I started putting a stack of books on the book shelves. That’s when I realized some of my hockey coaching material was on one of the shelves. That belonged in binders in my office space.

While I was putting the hockey stuff away, I noticed I had some podcast notes in a stack on my desk. I started getting that squared away. On my desk was a shoebox I was using when I was recording a video.

I took the shoebox over to the baseball cards where it belonged. Next thing I know, I am arranging the baseball cards on the pool table. My son had a few jerseys on the table that got taken to the laundry room.

This went on for hours. When I finally stepped back to admire my work, it didn’t even look like I had been there. There was no change.

Why? I had no plan. My work wasn’t focused. I needed to work on one area until it was done.

INTENTIONAL AUDIENCE GROWTH

Be intentional to grow your audience and get people to listen.

Create a plan and stick to it. What activities will bring in new listeners if you do those activities on a consistent, regular basis?

About a year ago, I joined JV Insider Circle and my podcast took off.

JVIC connects you with people who run podcasts, radio shows, tele-summits and live events. Members of this community have large lists in your target market.

You can find details on JVIC at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/JVIC.

By attending the bi-weekly calls and various virtual events they hold, I met a variety of influencers who were talking to my potential audience. I started participating on their summits and in their giveaways. They had me on their podcasts and you’ve heard a few of them here.

Next thing I know, my audience was growing by leaps and bounds. I simply focused on this strategy and took regular action.

Instead of trying everything, find two or three things that you enjoy doing, will get you in front of new listeners and you can and will do on a regular basis.

Then, focus on those actions for a month. See where it takes you.

CONTENT

Before you invite people to your party, make sure you’ve cleaned the house.

The first thing you need to do is make sure your content is solid and entertaining. Ask yourself if you would listen to your show if it wasn’t your show.

Oscar spent the first year of his podcast interviewing other people. His show wasn’t growing or driving his business. He came to me for some help.

We restructured his show to highlight his expertise. The show still included other experts. However, we created space specifically for Oscar to talk about what he did and the service he provide.

After we got the show working, we started inviting people to the party. That’s when his audience began to grow.

Tighten up your content before you bring more listeners to the show. You only get one shot at a great first impression.

NEW AUDIENCE

Once your content it tight, go get in front of new people. You can’t grow your audience until you find people who are not yet aware of you and your show.

As we discussed, JVs are a great way to find new listeners. You can also be present in social groups. You can appear on podcast interviews. People can discover you on summits.

There are many ways you can get in front of people. Find the activities you love and will commit to doing consistently.

Again, you can check out www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/jvic to learn about finding joint venture partners.

INVITATION

Once you get in front of a new pool of potential listeners, invite them to listen.

So many people get interviewed or get on a stage in front of an audience and forget to tell people to listen.

If your goal is audience growth, ask people to listen to your show. Tell them where to find you and why they will love the show.

REASONS

Telling people to listen isn’t enough. You need to give them a specific reason to listen. Why will they love it?

When you ask people to listen, give them a specific episode that they will love. If you have interviewed someone special or taugh something really cool, send them to that episode.

Asking people to check out a generic show will give you a few listeners, but not great growth. Telling them why they will love your episode that was downloaded more than any other episode will bring people in.

Remember, they are asking, “What’s in it for me?” Give them a reason.

REMIND THEM

Getting them to listen isn’t enough for audience growth. You need to bring them back episode after episode.

Remind your listeners to come back using your e-mail list and social media.

Stay top of mind so the new listeners add to your current listeners. If your current listeners are leaving, you do not achieve audience growth. You maintain. New listeners are just replacing old listeners.

Give your current listeners a reason to come back next week by teasing effectively. Create some fear of missing out.

YOUR AUDIENCE GROWTH PLAN

This week, get to working on your audience growth plan. Start small with a plan that you can stick with. Do the work consistently and watch your audience grow.

Next week, we will talk about ways to use events to create audience growth. Events are coming back. Let’s be strategic to use these events in the best way. You’ll get a bunch of ideas for your plan next week.

If you don’t have a mentor who can take your hand and walk you every step of the way, go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/apply, click the button and apply to have a chat with me. We will develop your plan and see how I can help and support you to achieve your podcast goals.

Podcast

Grow Your Podcast Downloads – PTC 342

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There are three important steps to growing your podcast downloads. The three steps are awareness, attraction and retention. I like to call it promotion, programming and personality. Today, I want to help you grow your downloads by focusing on promotion.

TRAINING

I will be holding a free training called “How To Make Money With A Free Podcast … Without Ads and Sponsorships.” This is the exact step-by-step process to grow your audience, attract your ideal customers and clients, and make money with your podcast.

You can join us for free. Register at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/growth.

On this free training you are going to discover:

  • How to create a successful podcast using your personality
  • Why some podcasts don’t make money and how to avoid those pitfalls
  • How to attract your ideal clients with your podcast
  • How to keep listeners coming back episode after episode
  • And more!

Register for free at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/growth.

DOWNLOADS

Before you can make money with your podcast, you need to grow your podcast downloads. You don’t necessarily need a big audience. To drive your business, you need the right audience.

Less than 7% of all podcasts have an audience large enough to attract big sponsors and advertisers. There are much better ways to monetize your podcast.

Many people believe sponsorships and advertising are the only ways to make money with a podcast. Untrue.

In fact, you shouldn’t clutter up your show with ads. Instead, use your podcast as a powerful marketing tool for your business.

Podcasting is huge. You have incredible power in front of you. Let me show you some numbers.

There are just under 2 million podcasts today. On the other hand, there are over 600 Million blogs and more than 1.3 billion YouTube videos. Where do you want to compete?

Podcast search engine Listen Notes reports there were 246,782 podcast debuts in 2019 alone. Today, more than 90 million people in the U.S.— approximately 32% of the U.S. population over the age of 12 — have listened to a podcast in the past month according to Edison Research.

According to The Nielsen Company, the total podcast audience is growing at a compound average growth rate of 20%. And that could mean the overall audience for the medium could double within the next five years. Now is the time to stake your claim in your niche. Get noticed and build your audience.

Let’s talk about why many podcasts don’t make money. There are a 6 reasons podcasts don’t make money or attract clients. Let me give you the big two.

You already know that ads and sponsorships are a tough sell, especially if you are not in the top 7%. If you are part of the other 93%, how can you make money?

It’s all about the right audience.

WHAT ARE YOU SELLING?

The first issue most podcasters face is you don’t have anything to sell.

When podcasters contact me for coaching, our first step is a podcast strategy session. During that call, we define goals and the strategy to achieve those goals.

Though the questions vary, one seems to consistently come up. “How can I make money with my podcast?” I ask, “What are you selling?”

Can your listeners currently give you money for anything?

As coaches and content creators, you probably have something to sell. You just need more people to buy it.

ARE YOU ASKING?

The second problem is you are not asking for the sale

Podcasters say, “Yeah, Erik. I have a course for sale. Nobody is buying it.”

Have you told anyone about it?

One of my buddies has a great course available. I had known him for six months before I knew anything about it.

Once you build your rapport through your podcast, the “yes” should become a formality if you actually ask for the sale and help your listener succeed.

THE RIGHT PODCAST DOWNLOADS

The big challenge is the audience. You need to find an audience full of your ideal clients.

When I started building my e-mail list, I developed multiple lead magnets that would help my podcast audience. I then offered those on my show.

My list grew nicely. My podcast downloads grew as well.

Before too long, I had about 500 people on my e-mail list. My show was getting about 200 downloads an episode.

Then it happened. I hit that plateau. Has that happened to you?

My podcast downloads stopped growing.

What I discovered was what worked yesterday doesn’t necessarily work today. That doesn’t mean you need to chase the next big thing. It simply means you need multiple streams of traffic.

That’s when I discovered my ability to diversify my traffic.

I participated in a few gift giveaways. My list doubled. My podcast downloads grew as well.

Then I gave a few presentations on summits and did a few podcast interviews. My downloads ended up doubling in a few months.

If you want to grow your downloads, find ways to get in front of your ideal audience.

MULTIPLE STREAMS

You should not try everything at once. Pick 3 that you enjoy and can do well.

My former coach Marc Mawhinney calls this his three pillars. What three traffic sources are you going to use to reach your ideal clients and potential listeners?

You could use stages. By stages I don’t only mean physical stages. The term stage refers to any platform where you can speak in front of a group of people.

Stages could include real stages. It also includes podcasts, radio shows, summits, webinars, Facebook lives and other speaking opportunities.

You could also use social media as a strategy. Be active in groups.

Gift giveaways are a great way to reach new people. This is where a group of similar experts team up to provide a bunch of valuable free gifts to their e-mail lists.

In a gift giveaway, each expert contributes a gift. All experts typically e-mail their list a few times and post on social media inviting people to get the gifts. When people opt in for your gift, they are added to your e-mail list.

Gift giveaways are a great way to build your list and reach a new audience.

YOUR LIST

Building your e-mail list is a great way to start the relationship with your listener. By e-mailing your list with valuable resources and information, you build your credibility and trust.

You need to serve when you e-mail. Send information your listeners can use.

When I send my daily e-mail, it always contains a tip or piece of information my listeners can use. This varies from content to growth to monetization. Every e-mail begins with something my listeners can use.

The tip is typically followed by an opportunity to go deeper and get even more help. Sometimes this is from me. Other times it is from one of my partners.

My e-mails are rarely 100% focused on sales. There is always value. If I only send sales e-mail or only send when I have a pitch, people stop opening my e-mails.

I understand your inbox is valuable. Therefore, I deliver value.

MONETIZATION

If you want to monetize your podcast, it all begins with building the right audience.

You need to find ways to promote yourself to new listeners. Continuing to market to the same pool will not help you grow. Find new fans.

Once you find listeners, find ways to help them. Then, keep them coming back again and again.

Those are the three steps to grow your podcast downloads. Promotion, programming and personality.

JOIN US

Come join my on my new training called “How To Make Money With A Free Podcast … Without Ads and Sponsorships.” This is the exact step-by-step process to grow your audience, attract your ideal customers and clients, and make money with your podcast.

This is the process I use. I will teach it to you in this training. You can join us for free. Register at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/growth.

On this training you are going to discover:

  • How to create a successful podcast using your personality
  • Why some podcasts don’t make money and how to avoid those pitfalls
  • How to attract your ideal clients with your podcast
  • How to keep listeners coming back episode after episode
  • And more!

Register for free at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/growth.

If you don’t have a mentor who can take your hand and walk you every step of the way, go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/apply, click the button and apply to have a chat with me. We will develop your plan and see how I can help and support you to achieve your podcast goals.

Podcast

Overcoming 3 Podcast Growth Challenges – PTC 332

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Podcast growth isn’t some secret, but it comes with challenges. I realize many podcast gurus tell you they have the magic formula. It isn’t magic. Growth is a method.

There are two ways to grow your downloads. Get more people to listen. Or, get people to listen more.

There are three challenges podcasters face when developing podcast growth. Today, I want to help you overcome those challenges.

MAKE IT EASY

The first of the challenges most podcasters face is making podcast growth too complicated. The process is simple to understand. It is difficult to implement.

Let’s reverse engineer this process by starting with our goal of podcast growth.

To grow your podcast, you need to get more people to listen to your podcast. That is pretty obvious. More people to listen is the easy part to understand.

In order to get more people to listen, we need to get in front of potential listeners and invite them to the party. We need to tell them why our show is exactly what they are looking for and give them a real benefit to listening.

If we want to get in front of those potential listeners, we need to figure out where they are. Who is talking to your ideal listener right now. Which experts already have your ideal listeners in their audience? Let’s partner with those people.

Where do we find those experts? We need to define our ideal listener first. Once we know everything there is to know about our ideal listener, we can then figure out who they follow, trust and admire. Those will be our partners.

We start by defining our ideal target listener and follow the path.

On the other side of the coin, we need to keep our current listeners coming back for more. Entertain your listeners. Give them a real reason to come back next week for the next episode by creating a powerful tease. Generate a real sense of intrigue. 

STRATEGY

The next of the three challenges podcasters face is a lack of a solid growth strategy to follow.

We just talked about the process. Now we need to develop the strategy to execute.

After we develop our ideal target listener and determine who they follow, we can begin creating partnerships. Those partnerships will help us grow.

Reach out to those influencers and ask for a conversation. Tell them you would like to discuss how you can help each other grow. Partners help each other.

When you get on the call with your potential partners, start with them. Ask them what they are working on and how you might support those efforts. Find ways to help them. This should take about twenty minutes.

Next, explain what you are trying to accomplish. Let them offer ways they might support you. In this step, you are simply looking for ways to invite people to your show.

You are looking for stages to speak on. This could be podcast interviews, summit appearances, presentation opportunities or a variety of other stages.

Once you develop your strategy, work on it everyday. Find one influencer each day and make a connection. Not every connection will become a partner. However, your network will definitely grow in a big way.

MENTOR

The final and most important of the challenges podcasters have is not having a mentor. They are not learning from someone who has done it.

When you find someone who can show you the way, you can ease so much pain. The time you spend trying to figure it out will be cut way back. You will have fewer headaches and a lot more fun.

A mentor who is ahead of you on the path can give you the map. Rather than trying to figure out the next step, you can instead enjoy the journey. You can also get to your goal much quicker.

Have you ever got tired of trying to figure out something and finally asked for help. Someone shows you how to do it and you say, “Ugh, why didn’t I think of that!?!”

There are times when you don’t know what you don’t know and that’s ok. Let someone show you and move to the next step. Progress over pride. If you want to fast-track your success, find someone to teach you. You will be happy that you did.

LASER COACHING

If you’re looking to grow your podcast audience, I’ve got a 3-step system that will help you overcome the challenges and get you there:

Step One: Define your ideal target listener so you can …

Step Two: determine which experts already speak to them in order to …

Take Step Three: create partnerships and get in front of those potential listeners which allows you to …

Grow your audience and drive your business.

This system works really well, and if you’d like some help growing your podcast audience, I’ve got great news!

You see, normally I charge $997 per month to coach clients to get these results. We typically meet for one to two hours per week which can take a lot of your time … and mine.

And you know, those marathon coaching sessions take a lot out of me.

So I’m opening up an opportunity for you.

You can now get UNLIMITED Podcast Growth Laser Coaching!

This is a coaching model that is ideal for growing your audience with my 3-step system. I ran a beta opportunity for four podcasters a few months ago, and it is going very well. So, I’ve opened 6 more spots for this opportunity.

For less than 84 bucks a month, you can get a full year of UNLIMITED 15-Minute Laser Coaching sessions with me.

Yep. Unlimited. You can have as many coaching sessions with me as you like for a full year for less than 84 bucks a month.

HOW IT WORKS

Here’s how it works:

1. Go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/apply and apply to have a chat with me to see if you are a good fit for Podcast Growth Laser Coaching. Remember, there are only 6 spots available. I need to pace myself to ensure each client gets the attention they deserve.

2. If this makes sense, you’ll get an email from me with a link to my calendar so we can have our first coaching session.

3. Your first call is 30 minutes to make sure the coaching is perfect for you and we come up with a custom plan to help you grow your audience.

4. At the end of our call, and each call thereafter, we’ll agree on “homework” that will move you forward and keep you accountable.

5. After each call, I’ll send you a recording of the call, confirmation of your homework, and a link to schedule your next call.

6. Once your homework is complete, you can schedule your next 15-minute call.

For example, you have your coaching session on a Wednesday, do your homework right after the call, and you can schedule your next call that very same day. It is truly Unlimited Coaching!

And don’t worry, if you get stuck on the homework or need support between calls, I’m just an email away.

APPLY NOW

Go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/apply and apply to have a chat with me to see if you are a good fit for Podcast Growth Laser Coaching. I’ll select six to participate and get the coaching, and I’d love for you to be one of them.

There is a guarantee. We both need to be comfortable with each other for this to work and get your results. If, during our first 30-minute call, either of us feels like this is not a perfect solution to help you grow your audience, I’ll refund your money immediately. No Risk!

If you would like to be one of the six, go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/apply and apply. You and I can have a chat to see if you are a good fit for Podcast Growth Laser Coaching. 

Let’s make it less complicated, develop your strategy to grow, and see how I can take your hand, show you the way, and help and support you to achieve your podcast goals.

Podcast

How A Meathead Podcast Makes Money – PTC 328

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Podcasters often think you need to be a business coach or teach people how to make money online in order to make money with your podcast. That isn’t the case. To make money with your podcast, you simply need a passionate, thirsty audience.

Then, you need to be willing to take some smart chances until you find what works.

Today, I want to show you a podcast that is less than a year old and well on their way to generating income with their podcast. Grab a pen and paper. You’ll definitely want to take notes.

FREE TRAINING

Before we jump into it. Let me give you a great resource to help you make money with your podcast.

If you don’t have a mentor who can take your hand and walk you every step of the way to grow your audience and make money with your podcast, please go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/growth and join us for a free training to see if we can help you get some clarity, build a plan and reach your goals.

Come join us as I present “6 Ways To Use Your Content To Attract Your Ideal Clients”.

On this free training you are going to discover:

  • How to develop your personality to attract your ideal clients
  • Why sponsorships and ads are NOT the ideal way to generate revenue
  • How to grow your network with your podcast
  • And more!

It happens on Saturday, March 27th at 11a ET, 8a PT. Sign up for free at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/growth.

If you are looking for a mentor who can help you shortcut the process of making money with your podcast and avoid all of the pain of trial and error, this free training is for you. Let’s grow your community and start making money with your show.

MEATHEADS

Let me give a case study today of how this works. Sadie took my training, followed my program and launched her podcast with her cohost Sausha.

Their podcast is called Meathead Test Kitchen. The world of fitness and nutrition can be intimidating, but they are here to help make it a whole lot less scary. That’s what the podcast is all about.

They launched Meathead Test Kitchen in August. Their first episode was released on August 16th.

BE UNIQUE

The first thing you will notice about Meathead Test Kitchen is that it isn’t your middle-of-the-road podcast. These two have a definite style, swagger and personality. This isn’t your mom’s fitness and nutrition podcast.

If you want to stand out and get noticed, develop a brand and stand for something. You don’t have to be brash or in your face. You do need to pick a side and defend it. If you try to please everyone, you will please no one.

The reviews of Meathead Test Kitchen shows how they cut through. Here are some of their reviews.

“Dieting and fitness doesn’t have to be boring or tedious. Sadie and Sausha are here to prove it! Fun hosts and honest, easy to understand advice.”

“These ladies don’t beat around the bush, they are honest and easy to relate to. If swear words offend you, find another podcast.”

Pick a side and get noticed.

CONNECTION

Next, make powerful connections. If you want to grow and make money with your show, you need to connect with the right people.

Sadie and Sausha are growing their audience by connecting with the right influencers.

They are 31 episodes in. Just over six months of episodes and they have interviewed local business owners, a Titan games athlete and current Mrs. America contestant. They have interviewed a Bellator MMA fighter, CrossFit Games competitors, coaches, and a world record holding power lifter.

Sadie and Sausha use these guests to help get their show noticed. When influencers talk about your show, people take notice. Give them a reason to talk by interviewing them on your podcast.

If you want to make money with your podcast, you need to have the right people listening. These people should be your ideal clients. Interview guests who are already talking to this audience.

THIRSTY AUDIENCE

Gaining an audience isn’t enough. It needs to be the right audience.

The one thing you need to make money with your show is a thirsty audience. If you were selling water in the desert, you wouldn’t need much of a pitch to sell it at a great price. You just need a thirsty audience.

Don’t try to sell something without asking your ideal listener what they need. I know you feel like you already know. Believe me, you don’t. I thought I knew as well until I built 4 different offers that nobody wanted.

When I finally started doing market research before I built the course, people started buying before the course was even complete. Do your homework. If you want to know how to do that, let’s connect.

BE WHERE THEY ARE

Once you know who your ideal listers are, go play where they are already playing.

Sadie and Sausha recently started releasing the podcast with a full video component on their YouTube channel. They discovered their listeners were also big consumers of exercise videos.

They also have their podcast distributed through all major streaming platforms. Give your listeners plenty of options.

GIVE ‘EM WHAT THEY WANT

Now that they have built the audience, they can start offering the listeners solutions to their problems to make money with their show. They can also begin building a tribe of raving fans.

Sadie and Sausha recently started selling Meathead Test Kitchen merchandise, and have partnered with a local athleisure company to boost both brands. Again, leveraging more powerful influencers.

FIND OPTIONS

Sadie and Sausha will be releasing the first of many cookbook projects in the next few months. On their website you will find a “Shop” page with Amazon affiliate links to things their audience is already purchasing along with things the two mention on the show.

It is all about multiple streams of income selling things your listeners want to buy. They also have some other cool stuff up their sleeves for when the pandemic is over.

THE MAKE MONEY PLAN

Here is your plan. Build your brand. Stand for something. Find a thirsty audience. Figure out what they want. Build it and sell it to them. Then, build solutions to their other problems for multiple streams of income.

Everyone wins. Your listeners solve their problems. You make money with your show. Don’t overcomplicate it.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

Are you really serious about building your audience and making money with your show? Have you been talking about it long enough and really ready to take action?

A hope and a wish isn’t going to make it happen. You need to get serious and take action. Take that first step.

If you don’t have a mentor who can take your hand and walk you every step of the way to grow your audience and make money with your podcast, please go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/growth and join us for a free training to see if we can help you get some clarity, build a plan and reach your goals.

Come join us as I present “6 Ways To Use Your Content To Attract Your Ideal Clients”.

On this free training you are going to discover:

  • How to develop your personality to attract your ideal clients
  • Why sponsorships and ads are NOT the ideal way to generate revenue
  • How to grow your network with your podcast
  • And more!

It happens on Saturday, March 27th at 11a ET, 8a PT. Sign up for free at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/growth.

If you are looking for a mentor who can help you shortcut the process of making money with your podcast and avoid all of the pain of trial and error, this free training is for you. Let’s grow your community and start making money with your show.

Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

The Difference In Your Next 12 Months With Lisa Sasso – PTC 323

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Where do you want to go in the next 12 months? If we are a year from today and we are looking back over the past year, what would need to happen for you to be happy with your results? This is where your goals begin.

CREATE SPECIFIC GOALS

Be specific as you set your goals. How many downloads would be a success? If you have a goal to make money with your podcast, how much? What is the timeframe?

When you are specific with your goals, you are able to visualize that victory.

What are you selling? Do the math. How much do you need to sell to reach your specific goal?

As the old saying goes, when you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there. Let’s not wander through the next year. Set specific goals. Then, take specific action to reach those goals.

Let’s say you have a goal to lose weight. At the end of the year, your weight has gone from 234 pounds to 232 pounds, did you reach your goal? You lost two pounds. You lost weight. Is that a success? Possibly. But probably not quite what you were expecting.

Without a specific goal, you will not be able to make a big difference in your journey.

CRUNCH THE NUMBERS

Do you want to grow your downloads? What is that number? What does growth look like?

Do you want to make money with your podcast? How much? How will you do that?

You need to crunch the numbers to define your actions. If you haven’t clearly defined your goal, you can’t make the numbers work. You haven’t determined the sum of the actions yet.

If you want to grow your listeners, pick a number. Let’s suppose you want to grow your downloads by an average of 50 downloads per episode. How many subscribers do you need to attract to your podcast each week? About 12. 50 downloads divided by 4 weeks is a touch over 12. About two a day.

Now that we have worked the numbers, we can figure out the actions that will help us attract two subscribers a day.

How much money do you want to make with your podcast? Do the math and figure out what that would equal per week. Then, find something to sell that could bring in that income. Just crunch the numbers. Break it down.

Once you break it down, determine the steps you need to take to help you reach those goals.

FREE TRAINING

I can help you put all of this together. Join me for a free training on Tuesday called “6 Ways To Make Money With Your Podcast”. In this workshop, I will walk you through the process of creating your strategy. And, it’s free.

Sign up at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/growth.

If you haven’t set your goals, you will get the same thing in 2021 that you’ve been getting for the last few years. No specific results. Very little progress toward your dreams. More frustration.

Spend an hour with me and let me help you lay it out. Sign up at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/growth.

GOALS WITH LISA SASSO

Today, I’ve invited Lisa Sasso to join us to help us clarify our goals. She is a goal-setting expert.

Lisa Sasso has an MBA from Bentley University and is a Certified Executive Coach. She is a Certified Professional Coactive Coach, certified by the Coaches Training Institute. She is also a Professional Certified Coach from the International Coach Federation.

Lisa empowers professionals to achieve their personal and professional goals with accountability, balance and gratitude to reach their greatest potential.

Find Lisa at www.LisaSasso.com.

Start setting your goals today. As Lisa suggests, use SMART ART goals to be specific and visualize your destination.

If you want the same as you’ve always been getting, keep doing the same thing. If you want different results, take action. Define your goals. Develop your strategy. Then, take action.

Your journey starts today. Enjoy the ride.

Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

Attract Clients With Your Podcast [Part 2] – PTC 321

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Roger Killen and the Vancouver Business Network recently invited me to present to their group. I taught them how to attract clients with a podcast.

Over the course of an hour, these entrepreneurs learned how to grow a podcast audience and attract their ideal clients with their content. I thought you might benefit from the content as well.

This presentation was an hour long. Rather than doubling the length of my typical episode, I’ve divided it into two episodes.

This is the is the second half of that presentation. You can hear part on in episode 320.

TRAINING

I have a few great resources for you this week.

I am doing another free workshop for you. It is called “6 Ways To Make Money With Your Podcast”. If you want to make money with your podcast, this will help you develop your strategy.

This workshop will go deeper than the training I’ve given you on these two episodes. We will actually develop ideas for your show. You will receive a workbook to give you a clear focus for your strategy.

Do you want to leverage your audience and authority in your niche to monetize your show?

Do you want to grow your audience to consistently produce and promote your content in just a few minutes a day?

On this training, you will discover …

  • How to transform your show into a successful podcast using your personality
  • Why some podcasts don’t make money and how to avoid these pitfalls
  • How to attract your ideal clients with your podcast
  • How to keep listeners coming back episode after episode to grow your audience
  • And much more

Get registered at www.podcasttalentcoach.com/growth.

LIBSYN

If you need a host for your audio, be careful of the free services. Companies that offer their service for free often have a difficult time making money. If they aren’t making money, they can’t stay in business very long.

If your hosting company closes their doors and goes away, your audio goes away as well. All of your work is down the drain. Find a solid company and pay for great service.

I am now an affiliate of Libsyn. My show has been hosted on Libsyn since it began back in 2013. They also have fantastic support to help you set up your feed and move your show if you need it.

You can get your first month free using the coupon code PTC at Libsyn.com.

PODCAST EDITING

If you are spending too much time editing and posting your podcast and not enough time trying to attract listeners or building a business around your show, I now have a team ready to takeover your editing.

There are three packages available. You can start with the basic service that includes simple editing, mixing and mastering. Or you can go all in with the premium service that handles YouTube video, promoting, SEO, timestamps, show notes, and more.

You can find all of the packages at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/editing.

TRAINING

In this second half of the training I did for the Vancouver Business Network, I will show you the 3 big challenges most podcasters face when growing their audience and how you can overcome those challenges.

The 6 reasons podcasts don’t make money are laid out in this episode.

Many people make podcasting more difficult than it needs to be. I will show you how to make it much easier.

You also will learn the three Ps necessary for successful content. These are secrets most podcast gurus don’t teach you.

LAUNCH HELP

If you haven’t launched your podcast yet, I offer a free mini-course in this presentation as well. You can find it at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/launch.

I also mention 7 ways to attract your ideal clients using a podcast. You can find that free training atwww.PodcastTalentCoach.com/attract.

Again, you can catch up with the first part of this presentation on in episode 320.

Enjoy the session.

Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

Grow Your Audience With Networking – PTC318

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In this interview on networking, we discuss:

  • The biggest benefit of networking
  • How podcasters can use networking to grow their show
  • The biggest challenges of networking
  • How to network without the awkwardness
  • Much more

Connect with Basile Lemba here:

HOW WE THINK OF NETWORKING

When you think of networking, you probably imagine walking into a room filled with salespeople all trying to jam their business card into your hand and sell you something. Why else would you network?

The purpose of networking is to grow your network. It is not to make a sale to one person.

One year at New Media Expo, I bought a ticket to Cliff Ravenscraft’s networking event. I thought it would be a great way to introduce my show to a ton of other podcasters who could benefit from my information.

Unfortunately, I didn’t know how to network properly.

When I walked into the room of about 100 people, nobody noticed. I got a drink and few snacks from the table. Still, nobody cared.

I finally made my way over to one of those stand-up cocktail tables and joined a couple other podcasters. They were talking about their shows.

I introduced myself and they asked about my show. After I told them a bit about this show, we talked about their shows.

The conversation came to that awkward end where we have nothing left to say. One of made an excuse to go get another drink or something.

It continued like that for the next 30 minutes. I finally faded out of the room unnoticed just like I arrived.

Looking back on that day, I realized I was doing it all wrong. People don’t want to know about me and my show. They want to talk about themselves. If you want to be interesting, be interested.

NETWORKING TO GROW

As you connect with others, find out as much as you can about that person. If it would make sense to partner and help each other grow, get their contact info. Agree to follow up to see how you might help each other reach your goals.

Networking is intended to find partners, not push your stuff on people.

If you create a partnership with a person who can introduce you or your stuff to 100 other people, you’ve leveraged the opportunity to make as many as 100 new listeners or better yet … clients. If you sell only to the person you’ve met at the event, you’ve only created one new client.

To grow your podcast, we need to find people who can introduce your show to groups of people. If you tell one person about your show, you get one new listener. If that person can put you in front of a new group of people, or simply tell their audience about you, your show can find hundreds or thousands of listeners.

A PODCAST EXAMPLE

I was on a coaching strategy call the other night with a producer of a real estate podcast. Just like most of my clients, he is trying to grow the audience.

The podcast helps people buy and sell their home. They give tips to sell the house quickly, get the best deal and mistakes to avoid.

He told me they promote the show on Facebook and through e-mail when new episodes are released. Unfortunately, those people already know about the show. Those activities are doing nothing to gain new listeners.

We brainstormed ideas to get in front of new listeners. I suggested they partner with complimentary services in the real estate industry to market the show. They could get mortgage lenders, closing agents and staging consultants to tell their clients about the show.

If these agents could promote the podcast to their audiences, the podcast could make mention of the services. Everybody wins.

The key to growing your audience is finding new potential listeners in big groups. Find partners who are already talking to your target listener.

This is why developing your ideal target listener is so important. When you know what your listener is all about, you can determine who is already speaking into their lives. Partner and grow.

You can use networking to grow your show if you use it in the right way.

BASILE LEMBA

Today, we talk to Basile Lemba. He teaches people how to network properly.

Basile was born in Cameroon in West Africa. He moved to France, then Florida. He now lives in Virginia. Each time he moved, Basile was forced to rebuild his connections and network.

As he attended various events, he realized most people lacked the specific know-how to properly connect with each other. That is how he founded BL Networking. Over the past 14 years, Basile has been teaching people how to properly network with each other to get results and grow their business.

We are lucky to have Basile here today to share some tips that will help us grow our podcast audience and connect with powerful partners.

Basile Lemba has over 30 years of experience in Networking.

He is the creator of “PROFITABLE NETWORKING BLUEPRINT” and the Founder of the NETWORKING INSTITUTE.

He has helped over 30,000 businesses acquire the right clients and dramatically increase their revenues. These companies range from “Mom and Pop” to MICROSOFT.

He has an upcoming book on Networking titled: “Everything you think you know about Networking is Wrong!”

Find Basile’s program at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/network.

Do you need help with your podcast? Check out www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching. Let’s see what we can do.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

5 Steps To Podcast Engagement – PTC 309

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On a coaching call the other day, I was asked about my most effective way to grow my audience. You can get more podcast engagement in 5 easy steps.

DOUBLE DOWNLOADS

Over the last four months, I have been able to use this system to double my downloads and increase my e-mail list by 60%.

When I look back at some of the greatest personal and business successes in my life, I have to admit that I didn’t achieve the majority of them alone. If you look at your own successes, I’m sure you will come to the same conclusion.

My audience doubled and my e-mail grew by doing one thing. I partnered with others. Two minds are better than one.

Over the past four months, I have appeared on summits, on podcasts and in giveaways. I have leveraged the audience of others to grow incredibly fast.

I have always believed that my ability to develop long-lasting relationships and build mutually beneficial partnerships with others is my secret superpower.

Strategic partnerships are the most powerful way to scale any venture.

Find people who can help you double your results. Connect and collaborate.

COLLABORATE

If you want to join an amazing event that will help you follow this path, check out www.podcasttalentcoach.com/Collaborate.

At the upcoming, highly anticipated live virtual event COLLABORATE November 13 – 15, you will have opportunities to build these powerful alliances and find your ideal joint venture partners.

You will be among hundreds of top leaders and experts that have already signed up to attend. Don’t worry … there are plenty of people just getting started as well.

If you have been going it alone, or need to scale your results to an even higher level by bringing in more joint venture partners, this event is a must-attend for you.

See full details and register at www.podcasttalentcoach.com/Collaborate.

This will be my third time attending Collaborate. It happens on Zoom and it is a lot of fun, even if networking makes you uncomfortable.

PARTNERS

At the beginning of event, you will learn how to refine your collaborating pitch. You learn how to tell others what you do and how to explain what makes a great partner for you.

Then over the weekend, you will take part in about 20 small networking circles. These are groups of about 8 people. Everyone gets 2 minutes to explain what they do and how they can partner. If someone sounds like a great partner for you, the two of you agree to exchange info and connect at a later date.

The first time I attended, I met 40 people that made sense as partners for me. This is how I’ve been part of summits, giveaways and podcasts. It was great.

At the next event, I decided to be much more selective on my partner selections. I still found 20 people as potential partners.

What could 20 partners help you accomplish in the next year? If you had 20 people promoting your podcast and programs to their audience, how could your audience and engagement grow?

Here is your chance to make those connections. Visit www.podcasttalentcoach.com/collaborate.

ENGAGEMENT

Let’s talk about the five steps to create engagement with your audience.

These steps are going to sound easy. The concepts are easy to understand. You simply need to be diligent and consistent about implementing each.

ASK

First, ask for engagement. If you want engagement, you must ask.

Your audience won’t engage with your show unless you ask them to do so. If you want them to e-mail you, ask. If you want them to share the show with others, tell them how.

People don’t know what you want unless you tell them. Be specific.

SHOW AND TELL

That bring up the second step. Offer an example. Show them what engagement looks like.

Many podcasters say, “Find the details in the show notes.” I listened to podcasts for about 3 years before I figured out where I could find the show notes.

Don’t assume people know how to subscribe to your show. Your listeners may not know where to find your show notes. If you want them to e-mail their questions, show them an example of a great question.

EASY

The third step is the ease of engagement. Make it easy for your listeners to engage.

Nobody wants to jump through 3 hoops to help you. “Visit the website. Click about. Scroll down a third of the page. Look on the right and find the green button. Click that and visit that webform. Fill out the form and click submit. Check your e-mail for the link you’ll get. Click that link and submit your question.”

You lost me at scroll down. If it isn’t easy, you won’t get action.

Easy also means FEWER options. Many people think more options are better. That is false.

If I suggest you e-mail me, text me or visit the website to submit your question, you now have to decide which is better for you. This is just more work.

More decisions mean your listener needs to evaluate the options, decide which is best for them, and then take action. Too much work.

If you have multiple options, rotate them through different episodes. Offer the e-mail this week and the texting next week.

LOCATION

The fourth step is engagement location. Engage where they are.

If you listeners love chatting on Facebook, don’t try to get them to comment on your YouTube channel. When your listeners are comfortable e-mailing you, stick with it. Don’t waste your time trying to get them to text you if that isn’t their preferred method of communication.

You need to get out of your comfort zone and go play where your listeners play. If they are in Facebook groups, be seen in Facebook groups. If there is another podcast they love, find ways to partner with that podcast. Be where your listeners are.

BENEFIT

Finally, include a benefit to engagement. This is the fifth step.

A benefit could be a lead magnet or other piece of value they receive for engaging. Maybe everyone who e-mails you receives your checklist or cheat sheet.

Benefit could also simply be highlighting them on the show or answering their question. When you answer their question, give them love. Direct people to them.

When engagement benefits the listeners, they are more likely to engage.

8 IDEAS

If you would like a ton of engagement ideas, I have created a resource for you. It is 75 Ways To Drive Engagement With Your Podcast. You can get it at www.podcasttalentcoach.com/engage.

The ideas are separated into half a dozen different categories. Here are 8 of those ideas.

  • Run for office by meeting as many people as possible. People vote for those they have met.
  • Ask great questions.
  • Have listeners submit questions for question of the week. They get attention.
  • Create a crowdsourced episode.
  • Include a link to engage in your e-mail signature.
  • Ask your listeners to share.
  • Create community. Highlight members.
  • Create partnerships to promote each other.

Get more on the idea list at www.podcasttalentcoach.com/engage.

Come join me at Collaborate. It will be the best 3 days you could spend to make the next year larger and more successful that you can imagine. Get all the details at www.podcasttalentcoach.com/collaborate. I can’t wait to see what you accomplish.

 

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

Increase Podcast Downloads With One Strategy Change – PTC 296

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How do you increase your podcast downloads? That is the magic question. It seems everyone is asking. It also seems everyone has the magic answer. Unfortunately, many podcasts are trying to increase downloads with a flawed plan.

Today, I want to help you adjust your strategy in a way that will help you amplify your download growth in a big way.

LET ME INTERVIEW YOU

First, I’d like to interview you. Would you be interested in having me introduce you to the audience of this show?

I’m looking to interview you if you have used your podcast to attract your ideal clients and grow your business. I want to help you learn by bringing you real life examples of using your podcast as part of your business plan.

If you are interested, send me an e-mail at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. I cannot interview everyone. So, tell me what would make you a great interview and we can talk about it to see if it makes sense.

Let’s talk about the growth of your podcast downloads.

BE REALISTIC

First, be realistic. The number of podcast downloads isn’t huge for many podcasts.

Let’s go back to math class. Do you remember the difference between median and mean?

Mean is the average. Add up all points and divide the total number of points.

Median is the middle. Stack them up smallest to largest. The median is the one right in the middle. There are 50% higher than the median and 50% lower.

I like median much better. The number isn’t as easily skewed by outliers. If you have 5 shows that have downloads of 50, 100, 250, 400 and 2,000, your mean or average would be 560. Add them up and get 2,800. Divide by 5 and get 560.

Now, 560 isn’t quite representative of those podcast downloads of 50, 100, 250, 400 and 2,000. 4 of those 5 podcasters would feel like they aren’t as good as everyone else.

The median is the middle number. When you put them in order of 50, 100, 250, 400 and 2,000, your median or middle number is 250. That is a more realistic representation of those downloads. 4 of those podcasts are much closer to 250 than 560.

Bunch of numbers, but let’s compare apples to apples. Don’t let a few big podcasts make you feel inferior.

THE REAL DATA

Rob Walch at Libsyn releases real download data from all podcasts hosted by Libsyn. This data will give you a realistic view of how your podcast compares to all other podcasts on Libsyn.

On Episode 172 of Libsyn’s The Feed podcast, Rob presented his monthly report for May 2020.

This data is based on episodes on Libsyn released in the month of May 2020. Podcast downloads are measured from the time of release in May to the end of June 2020. The average time each episode had been available was 45 days.

The median podcast downloads for each episode in this sample is 120. That was down from April 2020 mark of 123 downloads per episode.

This means if at the end of June your May episode had 120 downloads, you were better than half of the pool. Half of the podcasts also had more downloads than your show.

120 is the number. Not 7,000. Not 4,500. In fact, if you had 1,000 downloads per episode, you were better than 80% of the podcasts available on Libsyn.

This number has been declining over the years. There are a lot of new podcasts. Therefore, the median continues to decline as the new shows try to find an audience.

PATIENCE

The second thing I want you to do is be patient. Your downloads will not grow overnight. This takes time.

I know we live in an instant gratification society. We want to microwave everything and have it now.

Weight loss doesn’t work this way. Podcast download growth doesn’t work this way either. It takes time.

You should keep your head down and work for about a year on growing your podcast downloads before you start checking the stats.

I was talking with a client this week and he was getting frustrated with his slow growth. His numbers weren’t growing.

He has been doing the show less than 6 months. He has just over 20 episodes. And, he checks his download every day or two.

This is like stepping on the scale to check your weight everyday. The scale isn’t moving. You won’t see big jumps.

This is like watching your tomato plants grow. If you check on them every hour, nothing happens. If you check on them once a week, you see some change.

Give you podcast downloads time to grow before you start checking the stats. Just keep your head down and do the work. Trust that it is working.

If you can’t wait a year, make it 6 months. Just don’t check it all the time expecting the needle to show big growth. Grow slowly and be comfortable with that.

FIND YOUR PODCAST DOWNLOADS

So, how do you find those downloads?

I was on a podcast strategy call with a podcaster the other day. These strategy calls are free for you. I help you design a podcast strategy for the next year. If you would like to sign up, go to PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching.

So, I was on a call with this guy and we were talking about his goals. My first questions is always, “Where do you want to be a year from now?”

His goal was to grow his downloads. We determined where he is now and where he wants to be in 12 months.

Then, we talked about the activities he is trying right now. He told me he was posting it on his social media and sending out an e-mail to his list every time he published an episode.

And there lies the problem. Those people already know about him and his podcast. He is preaching to the choir. Those 2 activities are not going to attract new listeners to his show.

Here is the strategy for you. If you want to grow your downloads, get in front of people who are not aware of you or your show, yet want what you have to offer.

THE FORMULA

The Podcast Talent Coach Formula for building a successful podcast consists of 3 stages: Promotion, Programming and Personality.

There are three legs to the stool for your audience growth plan. Those three legs are personality, programming and promotion. Without one of the legs, your stool won’t stand up.

The promotion of your show creates the awareness.

Your programming creates great content that attracts people to the show.

When you add your personality to the information, the content becomes unique and keeps people coming back. It is not enough to simply bring people to the show. You need to keep them listening. In Episode 286, we discussed Personality.

Let’s talk about promotion. How can you get in front of people who love what you love, but are not aware of you or your show?

Get on “stages” to get in front of new audiences. This is how you get exposure.

Don’t get scared of “stages”. I don’t mean only actual live stages giving speeches in front of a live audience. That is only one piece of it.

By “stages”, I mean any time you can speak to an audience.

STAGES

Here are five different types of stages that can help you get in front of a new crowd and increase your downloads.

The first makes most sense for you. That is podcasts. Find ways you can get on other podcasts in your niche.

Look for podcasts in the niche that do something complimentary to you. If you have a weight loss podcast and focus on healthy eating, find a podcast on exercises. If you have a business podcast that focuses on courses, find a podcast that is centered around product launches.

The next is newsletters. If you are sending out a newsletter, highlight someone in your niche in exchange for them highlighting you in their newsletter. Help each other grow.

EVENTS

Summits are a great way to demonstrate your authority in front of a new audience. Summits are like online conferences. There are usually a group of speakers that present over a number of days.

When you present on a summit, you can teach and help people grow. You can often tell them how to find you and your show. Replays are also often available for those who sign up for the summit.

The fourth ways is a to crowdsource an episode. Get a few experts to share ideas on your episode. Then, get those experts to share the episode. Rather than an interview, all experts answer the same questions or teach a solution to the same problem.

The final way to get in front of new listeners is virtual events. These could be networking events, conferences, presentations and other events like these.

Look for many of these online. Just do a search with your niche. For example, I would search for podcast summit, coaching conference and online business networking. There are many ways to find these.

For the podcasts, newsletters and crowdsourcing, you simply need to connect with podcasters in your niche. Reach out and ask, “Can we have a chat to see how we might help each other?”

CONNECT FOR PODCAST DOWNLOADS

Remember to connect when you get in front of this new audience. You want them to come back to your material.

If your goal is to grow your downloads, get them to listen to your show. Ideally, you would capture their e-mail address. Then ask them to listen with a nurture sequence where they get to know you.

Offer something for free with an opt-in. Use that opportunity to grow the relationship.

Remember to also show them your personality. This is what makes you unique.

This promotion will make them aware of you. Your programming makes them say, “That sounds like something that would benefit me – I’ll check it out.”

Your personality grows your relationship and keeps them coming back.

Let’s get on a call and work out your strategy to grow your downloads. Apply at PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching. No charge. We’ll just see what we can develop for you and your show.

Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

An Inch-Wide Engagement – PTC 282

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What is the one thing you struggle with most with your podcast? If you are like 90% of the people who come to me for coaching, it is growing your engagement.

That might mean growing your downloads. It might be getting more feedback from your listeners. Engagement might mean attracting more clients.

Connecting with our listeners is an important part of what we do. You need to ask yourself what you’re doing to create engagement.

YOUR PLAN

Have you created an engagement plan? Are you taking consistent action?

You can get my list of 75 free engagement tips. Find it at PodcastTalentCoach.com/engage.

These tips will help you engage your audience with your content. There are ideas to increase your podcast downloads. You also get a few ways to encourage the audience to visit your website.

Before each coaching call, I get a form that talks about your goals and current situation. Then, I listen to the show to determine what needs to happen to accomplish those goals.

Get coaching details at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching.

I was on a coaching call the other night. The form listed the struggle as growing downloads and increasing engagement.

As I listened to the show, the host did a great job interviewing his guests. The content was great. The production value was solid.

However, the show was missing any element that encouraged engagement. The only call-to-action was “subscribe and review the show”.

THE BENEFIT

Simply asking your listeners to subscribe isn’t going to move the needle. There needs to be a benefit. What’s in it for me?

Start the relationship with your listener. Provide value. Serve. Then, ask for the subscribe. Give them a real reason. “In every episode, we deliver … If you want to continue to get this, subscribe.”

Be sure to get my list of 75 free engagement tips. Find it at PodcastTalentCoach.com/engage.

IDEAS

Here are four of those ideas.

– In your show notes, add a link with an upgrade/resource with each episode.

– Ask questions on other podcasts to get in front of other audiences.

– Offer a bonus for people who share your podcast.

– Create a contest or giveaway

– Don’t blow your first impression.

Ready to get your 75 FREE engagement tips? Learn to engage your audience with your content, increase your podcast downloads, and encourage the audience to visit your website.

Download the list at PodcastTalentCoach.com/engage.

Next week we will dive into your first impression. You can’t catch up to a slow start. We will create your intro next week.

 

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

More Podcast Audience Growth – PTC270

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We are all looking to grow our audience. Who doesn’t want more podcast audience growth? You need a strategy and multiple ideas.

MULTIPLE STREAMS

Multiple streams of income help grow your revenue. Those streams also protect you from any one source going away. If all of your revenue comes from one source, you are at risk of losing most of your revenue if that source disappears.

The same is true with your audience growth. If all of your new listeners are coming from the same source, your growth dries up if that source goes away.

I have a free resource for you. If you would like 75 ways to drive engagement with your podcast, visit PodcastTalentCoach.com/increasedownloads.

Finding ways to get in front of new audiences is a great way to grow your show. A podcast with a similar audience is ripe for collaboration.

LARRY THE CABLE GUY

I was on a free strategy call the other night with a podcaster. We were discussing how she could use a podcast to promote her books and speaking opportunities.

A podcast is a great way to promote your services and demonstrate your authority.

We talked about her concept, and we realized she didn’t really want to do all of the work to create a podcast from scratch. She really wanted to get a jump start by partnering with an established brand.

That brought to mind Larry the Cable Guy. Back in the early 90s, Dan Whitney was getting his start in stand up before he became better known as Larry the Cable Guy.

If you check out YouTube, you can find stand up routines by Dan. His career was just like every struggling comedian until he found his unique bit and partners to help him grow it.

One of my radio buddies was friends with Dan. Chris and Dan were both coming up through the comedy circuit as Chris was getting into radio.

Dan would call into Chris’ radio show and do his “Larry the Cable Guy” bit. It was commentary on society and hilarious.

This turned into Larry doing the same bit on stations across the country. By being featured on many radio shows, Larry’s comedy career took off.

Larry didn’t need to create his own radio show. He just found established partners who could help him jump start his career.

FIND A PARTNER

As I was talking to this podcaster, and we realized she didn’t want to start from scratch, I told her the story of Larry the Cable Guy. She has a friend who would let her do a feature on his show each week. This is a perfect way to get started.

When Cliff Ravenscraft was doing the Podcast Answerman Podcast, Erik Fisher would do a technology segment on the show each week. Erik now has BeyondTheToDoList.com. Finding a podcast partner is a great way to create audience growth.

BENEFITS

There are a few benefits of using a partner for audience growth.

  • Somebody else creates the bulk of the content
  • No need to edit. You can just show up, record and be done
  • It is a jumpstart. You start a few rungs up the ladder
  • You get in front of a whole new audience

DRAWBACKS

There are also a few drawbacks of this strategy

  • You don’t control the entire content of the show
  • Somebody else’s platform gets the benefit from promotion
  • You don’t control the promotion of the show
  • You don’t control the brand and image of the show

AUDIENCE GROWTH STEPS

If you want to try this approach, three steps.

  • Find someone with an audience you’d like to attract
  • Determine how the main host will benefit from your feature
  • Create a simple agreement in writing, including how often, how long, when you record, compensation (plug your site, etc), how the agreement ends, what happens if one party doesn’t live up to the agreement.

 

FREE RESOURCE

If you would like 75 ways to drive engagement with your podcast, visit PodcastTalentCoach.com/increasedownloads. These ideas will help you create audience growth for your podcast.

 

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

Podcast Interviewer or Interviewee? – Episode 267

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A podcast interview is powerful for the growth of your podcast. This is true when you are the interviewer on your own podcast. It is also true when you are the interviewee being interviewed on another podcast. There are benefits to both of the interview.

Before we get into the episode this week, I want to talk about you. I want to interview you on the Podcast Talent Coach podcast. If you use your podcast to drive your business, let’s talk. Visit PodcastTalentCoach.com/guest.

Interviewer

Benefits

  • Adds content to your show.
  • Your guests are content experts beyond your level of knowledge.
  • Lessens the amount of show prep you need to complete.
  • Adds authority by association.
  • Adds another level of depth to your content.

Negatives

  • Need to schedule time.
  • Not as much control over the content.
  • Requires work to find great guests.
  • A little extra technology required.
  • Some guests like to control the conversation.

Interviewee

Benefits

  • You get in front of a different audience.
  • Adds authority by association.
  • Conduct the interview and you’re done – no editing.

Negatives

  • Tough to get on the good shows.
  • You do not control the final output.

Tips

Create a speaker sheet. Find someone to help on Fiverr or a similar service. See my sheet at PodcastTalentCoach.com/guest.

Find complimentary podcasts and do interview swaps. You each interview the other on your show.

I am looking to interview podcasters who use their podcast to grow their business.

As a guest, I can talk about the power of podcasting, how a podcast can demonstrate your authority in your space and how to make money with a podcast. Those topics are on my speaker sheet.

If you are interested, visit PodcastTalentCoach.com/guest. Let’s see if it makes sense to swap interviews.

 

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

7 Ways To Grow Your Audience This Weekend – PTC263

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There are things you can do this weekend that can grow your audience. Some tactics will have immediate effect. Others will grow your audience over time. Each tactic incorporates one powerful ingredient.

Word-of-mouth.

Word-of-mouth has worked for me time and again. You can start using it this weekend.

RADIO AUDIENCE

It was the spring of 1999. The company I worked for had just purchased a few more radio stations in town. Our general manager was going to let me program one of those stations as a Top 40.

Now, the biggest station in town was a Top 40 that had been around for about 20 years. They were the big dog. Everyone listened to that station. Getting people to change would not be easy. In fact, it had been my favorite station as I was growing up.

The station couldn’t just be better. We had to do something different.

We signed on the station playing Top 40 music that leaned a little rhythmic. Along with the biggest hits on the chart, we were playing the rap and hip hop that wasn’t being played anywhere on the radio in town. It got high school and college kids talking.

Our on-air team consisted of me in the afternoon and a 20-something kid at night. The rest of the day was nothing but music. We had a promotions director who helped a ton, but wasn’t on air. The 3 of us had to take down Goliath.

Since there was only 2 of us on the air, we started using our listeners as the voice of the station. Our listeners introduced new music. High school kids hosted our Top 9 at 9 countdown. Listeners were on the air all the time requesting songs and giving a shout out to their friends.

The week after we signed on our station, they big heritage station was having their annual outdoor concert. We set up shop along the only road in and out of the amphitheater. We were shaking hands and thanking people for listening all day long.

By campaigning along that road, we upset the big station. So much so that they came down to run us out. That was no problem. We had hired an airplane to pull a banner and fly over the event. The banner said, “Channel 977 – Move To It”. More importantly, the other station stood on stage and told the crowd to NOT look at the plane. More word-of-mouth.

Whenever we were on the streets for events that summer, we were recording more listeners to put on the air. Our entire goal was to make listeners feel like they controlled the station and really had input in what we were doing. They talked about it all the time.

One year later, we were the number one radio station in town. A few years later, that heritage station changed their name and their musical focus. Our listeners did it all.

PODCAST AUDIENCE

I took that experience and used it when I was launching my podcast.

As the podcast was taking off, I was networking with other great podcasters in the industry. Not only was I getting my listeners to talk about my show, other podcasters who came before me were helping.

That’s the difference between radio and podcasting. You have to choose between two stations. Radio is 24-hours a day. If you are listening to one, you are not listening to the other.

With podcasting, you can always listen to two podcasts … or three or four. Podcasts are only a few hours a week at most. There is still plenty of time to consume others. Podcasters are always much more willing to help each other.

When I ask people how they discovered me and my show, many tell me they heard someone else mention it. It may have been on a podcast, on social media or during a conversation.

Word-of-mouth is powerful. Use it to your advantage.

GROW YOUR AUDIENCE THIS WEEKEND

Here are seven things you can do this weekend to start growing your audience.

1. Deliver quality content in your newsletter that could be used and shared.

Ask listeners to bring along a friend & spread the word.

Deputize your audience.

2. Network with as many influential people in your niche as possible.

When others in your niche talk about you, it can give you instant credibility. This doesn’t necessarily need to be a podcast. This can be a website, publication, or any other well-known individual in your niche.

3. Create a flashback segment from an old episode on your current episode.

There are two ways to increase downloads. One is getting more listeners. The other is to get currently listeners to listen more. By getting current listeners to check out past episodes, this is a great way to increase overall downloads.

4. Do Facebook Live “ask me anything” sessions.

Demonstrate your expertise.

5. Get media to talk about you.

Become an available expert in your field. Send them a note about something newsworthy in your industry. Then, tell them you are available if they need an expert to expound on the details in the news story. Make it easy for them.

6. Create a survey for your super-fans to determine what they desire

7. Partner with another podcast.

Just like I did when I launched my show, reach out to other shows in your niche. Especially those that compliment your show. Trade resources with another podcast. Guest host for another show.

GET STARTED

Some of these can have an immediate effect on your downloads. If another podcaster or a news outlet mentions your show, your downloads can jump quickly. Creating content that can be shared and doing Facebook live sessions will take a little longer, but will create a solid brand for your show.

If you want to create revenue with your podcast, you need to first build an audience. This is where you start. Take action this weekend on two or three of these. See what is possible.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

From Podcast To Profit – Episode 257

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If you want to create a business around your podcast and generate revenue and profit, you need to have a plan and process. Move your listener from casual interest to buying fan.

You cannot start with making money. Start with you and your superpower. Then, you need to figure you what your audience needs. Where those two intersect is the solution to your business.

There are 4 Steps in the process of moving from podcast to profit.

1. Define your superpower.

Flush out your super power. What do you do better than most? When people seek advice from you, what are they asking? What topic do you love and can you talk about for hours?

2. Shape your content into entertainment.

Begin building your audience. Grow your engagement by adding value and helping.

3. Figure out the business profit proposition.

What does your audience need to solve their problems? Maybe they are looking for a job. They might need to learn what you know. Maybe they need to know how to negotiate.

There are three levels of teaching. Each comes with a different price. What to do, how to do, and do it for you.

“What to do” is typically free. This is usually your podcast and blog content, your lead magnet and free webinars.

“How to do it” is typically the entry product and a reasonable price. This could be a course, book or membership.

The “do it for you” level is typically the highest level. Your offering could either be a full-service offer or one-on-one coaching. This level is individualized.

4. Begin the funnel.

Now that you know your subject and have defined your business, it is time to begin moving your listeners through the funnel.

Attract your audience to your podcast.

Offer them a lead magnet to help them solve one problem quickly. This will start the relationship. Let the lead magnet be the start of the “how to do it” entry level product you have to offer. Many times the lead magnet is one resource from that course.

After they consume the lead magnet, offer your listener an low ticket item. This could be a $7 quick video course. It should be something a little stronger than the lead magnet, but inexpensive with huge value that will be a no-brainer purchase. Sometimes this is one module from your full course.

From the low ticket item, offer bigger help with your full course.

Get a few of your full course customers to purchase your complete “do it for you” level.

It is called a funnel, because fewer people make it to each level of the funnel. Many will consume your free podcast. A percentage of listeners will request your lead magnet. Only a fraction of those lead magnet consumers will buy your low ticket item. A portion of your low ticket buyers will pay for the full course. Just a few of those people will want the “do it for you” level.

Naturally, each time the price increases, the number of prospects that choose to participate decreases. The key is to get as many people in the top of the funnel to increase the number of people at the bottom of the funnel.

Start With Engagement

It all starts with engagement with your listener and building your audience. There is a resource available for you that will help you grow your podcast.

You can download my “75 Ways to Drive Engagement”. Go to PodcastTalentCoach.com/IncreaseDownloads.

 

Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

7 Ways To Grow Your Podcast And Business – Episode 256

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GROW YOUR PODCAST

As Thanksgiving approaches in the U.S., Black Friday and Cyber Monday are coming. Along with it come big sales and great deals. It is a great opportunity to grow your show.

But does it really need to be a special day like Black Friday or Cyber Monday in order to grow your business and podcast?

On this episode, you will get 7 ways to build relationships, grow your audience and build your business.

When you are done with the episode and you are ready to take action and build your plan, sign up for your FREE podcast strategy call with me at PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching.

Thanksgiving in the United States is a day of the year when we pause to give thanks to those treasures in our lives. Whether you are celebrating in America or just working another day somewhere else in the world, I would like to thank you for all you have done for me by simply being part of this community. Thank you.

GROW

This week, I would like to share with you 7 Thanksgiving concepts to drive your podcast and business any day of the year.

1. New Relationships

Take a few minutes today to plant the seeds of new relationships. Reach out to five people you do not know, and thank them for what you have learned from them.

2. Old Relationships

Next, take a few minutes to strengthen the relationships you have already built. Reach out to five people you know, and thank them for enriching your life.

3. What Gets Scheduled Gets Done

Use a day off to plan the next 12 months. Thanksgiving is a great time to look forward.

4. Great Offers

Black Friday and Cyber Monday bring great deals. This is especially true in the online world. It seems everyone has a great deal.

Just as with goals, the calendar shouldn’t dictate your strategy. It doesn’t need to be the day after Thanksgiving in order to make a great offer to your tribe.

5. Fill Your Heart

Take pause and ponder all of the things in your life for which you are thankful. Fill your heart. Be grateful.

6. Walk Away Wednesday

We need to take time away from the “to do” list and devote it to a bit of housekeeping. This is a concept I learned from radio great Mike McVay.

Mike created “Walk Away Wednesday” for radio program directors. It was a day to get away from the radio station and just listen. We would listen to everything to ensure it had a purpose. The goal was to review the radio station from top to bottom.

7. Give

Pretty simple. Help someone. As Zig Ziglar always said, “You can have anything you want as long as you help enough other people get what they want.”

It is true. Giving does something to us. Giving makes us more attractive as a person. Serve people.

THANKS

Take time this week to put a few of these concepts to use with your podcast and business. You never know what good things might come your way in the next year.

Thank you for being part of this community. I truly value the time you give me every week. My hope is that you find value and some useful nugget in the content I provide in each episode.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

Creating Anticipation – Episode 254

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ANTICIPATION

When you want your listeners to stick around and listen to what you have to say, you need to give them a compelling reason. Your listener needs to anticipate what is to come later in the show. You need to excite them. You need to tease them. Create anticipation.

Dave Jackson of School of Podcasting and I were coaching a podcaster on an episode of the Podcast Review Show the other night. At the end of the episode we were reviewing, the host said, “In the next few weeks, we will be interviewing great guests like A, B and C.”

I told him it was great that he was enticing people to come back to future episodes. However, he wasn’t really creating any excitement about those shows. Do any of those guests give a piece of content you cannot get anywhere else? Let’s tease that.

MORE THAN PROMOTING

If I say, “Next week, we will be interviewing Dave Jackson”, I do very little to create any anticipation for you. It is just another interview.

If I say, “Next week when we talk to Dave Jackson of School of Podcasting, he is going to give you the one trick he uses to land the really big interviews for his show and it works 92% of the time”, that creates some anticipation for the episode. A true tease creates intrigue and a little excitement. It makes your listener ask, “I wonder what it is.”

Anticipation is a key feature to storytelling. Your story should build just like a good plot builds in a movie. You need to make your audience anticipate the content that is on the way.

Your story is similar to a vacation you are planning to take. The fantastic anticipation for the trip is almost as pleasurable as the trip itself. You can’t wait for the trip to arrive. You want your listener to feel the same way about your story.

When your listener can’t wait for the story to arrive, you have created some great content with an powerful tease. Your listeners will get more enjoyment from your show when they get the tease payoff more often. The pleasure of the “oh wow” factor will be increased. The joy of anticipation will keep your audience coming back for more.

EFFECTIVE TEASE

There are three steps to creating an effective tease.

#1 – Intrigue me.

When you promote content that is coming up later in the show, you must give your audience an intriguing reason to stick around. It isn’t enough to simply say, “A great story about this weekend is coming up.” Few will stick around for the payoff. The tease lacks stickiness. It doesn’t hook the listener.

A creative tease produces anticipation. Instead, use something like, “You’re never gonna believe what I found in the attic this past weekend. My world is about to take a wild turn.” With that statement, your imagination begins to work.

What could it be? A wasp nest? An antique? A structural problem with the house? Imagination is the magic of a creative tease. Stir the imagination of your audience to truly engage them with your content.

When possible, intrigue by incorporating the listeners world. “This weekend, I discovered a way to save $100 a month on my grocery bill by changing one thing in the way we shop. I’ll tell you how you can do it too.” It answers “what’s in it for me” for your listener.

#2 – Give them 80%.

To create an effective tease, give your listener 80% of the story while leaving out the most important 20%. It is similar to giving the setup for a joke without providing the punch line. Lead your listener right up to the line, but make them wait to step over.

The key to an effective tease is to withhold the most important 20%. Let’s use our previous example of the attic weekend. I could say, “You’re not gonna believe it, but I found a $25,000 antique painting in the attic this weekend. I’ll tell you what’s on it coming up.”

This is a perfect example of withholding the wrong 20%. Who cares who is on it. If it’s worth $25,000, it could be a painting of the sky. It wouldn’t matter to me. I’d only be asking where I could sell it.

$25,000 is the most exciting piece of information in the entire story. That is the piece that I need to withhold to create some excitement. To properly tease, I need to say, “In the attic this weekend, I found an antique painting of Napoleon. You’re never gonna believe how much it is worth.” You are more likely to stick around to see if I can retire on my winnings when I set it up in this fashion.

Make it impossible to search online.

You want your listener to keep listening for the payoff to your set up. If I can simply search on Google for the answer to your tease, there is no reason to keep listening. I can just look it up and be done with it.

#3 – You need to get creative to make your tease unsearchable.

Let’s say I have a story about Joe Celebrity getting drunk at High Profile Bar in Las Vegas over the weekend where he got arrested for assault. I could say, “Another movie star got arrested this weekend after he got in a fight with a customer at High Profile Bar in Las Vegas. I’ll tell you who it is coming up.”

Celebrity name is part of the correct 20% I’m withholding. However, I can look this story up on Google in a heartbeat. If I search “Arrest High Profile Bar Las Vegas”, the chances are good that I will find the story in the first few search results. The tease isn’t effective. It is too easy to search.

To make the tease more powerful, make it impossible to search. “Another bar fight over the weekend landed another celebrity in jail. The story is coming up.” This tease makes it much more difficult to search. If you entered “celebrity bar fight weekend” in Google, 70 million results show up. It will be much easier to wait for my payoff than to begin searching 70 million Google entries.

RELATIONSHIPS

The three steps to powerful teases will help you begin to engage your audience on the way to building powerful relationships. Use the three steps in your show recap to entice people to listen to the episode. Then, use them again during the introduction of the show to get listeners to enjoy the entire recording.

You’ve worked hard to create your content. A lot of effort has been exerted on your part while writing and recording your show. Make your content intriguing by using these three steps in the art of the tease.

When you use the art of the tease, your listeners will spend more time with your show. The increased frequency of the tease payoffs will help your audience enjoy your content more. When your show is more entertaining, it becomes more engaging. When you truly engage your audience with your content, you can begin building powerful relationships. That’s where trust and influence with your listener begins.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

Streamlining Your Podcast Process – Episode 253

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Does it feel like your podcast process eats up your entire week? Many podcasters get in that situation. You feel like you finish one episode only to begin the next.

SCHEDULE & PLAN

When it comes to your podcast process, we need to develop a schedule and plan that fits into your life. When you have a well-defined process, even when life happens, there can still be time to produce the show. We just need to ensure the process doesn’t eat up your entire week.

A process will allow you to budget your time properly. There is no right or wrong answer to when it happens or how long it takes. You get to decide that. Just like a budget for money, you get to tell your time where it goes.

I was on a coaching call earlier this week, and we were talking about my client’s struggles for the week. He said his podcast isn’t growing. The downloads don’t seem to be getting bigger.

When we started talking about where he was spending his time all week, most of it was spent producing the show. I asked him how often he was on social media growing his brand and how often he was e-mailing his list. He told me he didn’t have time to do that stuff.

This is where a time budget comes in play. If you want your show to grow, make sure you are allocating time to market the podcast. The growth will be incredibly slow if you are only hoping people find you naturally or by accident.

Let’s talk about six ways your can make your podcast process more efficient.

PODCAST PROCESS

  1. Find a show style that you love

This could be an interview, a solo show, magazine style, or something else. Be unique to stand out from other shows.

If it isn’t something you love, you will find it challenging to produce your show on a regular basis. This is where the “lack of time” tends to creep in. Find your passion.

  1. Develop a show clock and format

A format allows you to almost plug and play. You just need to color within the lines.

I realize the structure of a format sounds like it may take away your creativity. It actually has the opposite effect. When you don’t have to worry about what the format looks like, you have the bandwidth to be creative within the structure.

A format and show clock lets your audience know what to expect from your show. We call it benchmarks in radio. These are things that happen at the same time every day.

  1. Stray from the format when it makes sense

Just because you have a format, that doesn’t mean you are handcuffed. You can stray away from the format when it makes sense.

If you typically do a solo show, but suddenly have the opportunity to interview the biggest name in your niche, by all means take the interview.

  1. Develop a schedule and budget your time

Just like you budget your money, you need to budget your time. If you don’t tell your money where to go, it will disappear. The same is true with your time.

If it feels like your podcast is eating your entire week, you probably aren’t budgeting your time well. How long does it take to create your outline? What time are you spending to set up the studio? How long does it take to record? When you create show notes, how long does it take?

If you do not know these times, you haven’t taken inventory of your time. You only get 168 hours a week. Make sure you are spending them efficiently by using a budget.

  1. Break it up into parts

When you try to do everything at once, it can feel overwhelming. Create your podcast a little at a time.

Set aside a day to brainstorm show ideas and create outlines.

Use another day to just record episodes.

Find another time to do your editing and show notes.

When you break it into parts, you will find it easier to get the job done. It won’t feel so large. You won’t hear the voice in your head saying, “I don’t have enough time to get it done, so I won’t start.”

  1. Producing is 20%. Marketing is 80%.

If you want your show to grow, you need to remember that producing the podcast is only 20% of the work. Marketing your show should take up 80% of your time.

You need to spend dedicated time marketing your show. Make people aware that it exists. Get people to download your show. Be active and be visible.

 

Do you need help with your podcast? You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

Engagement Tips – Increase Downloads – Episode 251

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Are you like most podcasters? Are you trying to find ways to increase downloads of your show?

I am building something that will help you increase your downloads, build your engagement and create some revenue with your podcast. I’m putting the finishing touches on it. It should be ready for you soon.

Part of this project will help you develop ideas. You can use these ideas every day to increase your downloads.

In the meantime, get my full list of 75 Ways To Drive Engagement With Your Podcast.

www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/increasedownloads

INCREASE DOWNLOADS

  1. Tease upcoming topics on future episodes. This will help listeners find other episodes that might be of interest.
  2. Ask for reviews and make it benefit your listener. Listeners don’t do much for you. However, reviews teach your audience to respond and engage. Recognize them on the show.
  3. Everything interesting is about people. Find the angle for your content. Tell stories about others that relate to the content.
  4. Ask listeners what you should ask your next interview guest. This will get your audience invested in the show. Acknowledge who submitted the questions.
  5. Highlight a new resource each week. Then tell the resource creator about it. This helps listeners. You also may get some free publicity if the creator acknowledges your mention to her audience.
  6. Promote your website with a benefit. Create instant gratification. “Sign up for my newsletter” is no real benefit. “Get a tip each week” is a benefit. If you are promoting your website, make sure you promote the benefit as well.
  7. Have listeners submit a tip of the week. This gets listeners invested in the show. When you acknowledge their idea, tip or submission, they feel rewarded. They may also tell others.

Get the full list of 75 Ways To Drive Engagement With Your Podcast.

www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/increasedownloads

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

Podcast Visibility – Episode 249

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Cindy J. Holbrook is “The Visibility Wiz”. She is uniquely gifted at guiding entrepreneurs to thrive as they go up the ladder from being the best-kept secret to becoming a trusted and in-demand online authority. Clients benefit from her empowering systems and strategies that enable them to honor their own integrity and attract their ideal clients while building a fun and profitable online business.

VISIBILITY JOURNEY

In her business journey, Cindy transitioned from being a divorce coach to being the visibility wiz. She is now the host of the “Biz Success In 15” podcast. On her show, she features top experts that share HOT 15-minute strategies you can implement in 15 minutes or less to build your business. The show is designed to help you get seen, get known and get clients.

She has been featured on Huffington Post Live, Women’s Speaker Association TV, eHarmony, Prevention Magazine, AOL, MSN, Fox and a guest on numerous online summits, podcasts, and radio shows. Her mission is to guide entrepreneurs to have the confidence and the know-how so that they can succeed.

Today, we talk to Cindy about making the transition from divorce coach to visibility wiz. We discuss how she started over from scratch. She also tells us how she uses her podcast to grow her visibility and drive her business.

VISIBILITY NOTES

There are plenty of nuggets here to help you grow your downloads and engagement. Get ready to take some notes.

Here is a link to Cindy’s podcast.

http://cindyjholbrook.com/biz_success_in_15_podcast/

It was such a great discussion with Cindy J.

Don’t let starting at zero hold you back. Cindy had a huge list and business, but wanted to follow her passion. That required starting over.

She used what she learned building her first business to help others grow their visibility. Find ways to use her journey to inspire and build your podcast.

VISIBILITY CHECKLIST

Get her visibility checklist to help you along. Download it at www.VisibilityChecklist.com.

In the checklist, you will …

  • get a 7 step checklist to radically up-level your visibility online
  • find your fastest path to be known as a trusted and in-demand expert
  • receive help to identify your ideal clients, where to find them and what language to use
  • discover how to make real connections with your ideal clients

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

The Best of Podcast Talent Coach Over The Years – Episode 246

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I published episode 1 of Podcast Talent Coach on June 5, 2013. Now we are 245 episodes and 6 years into the show. Let’s take a look back at the top 10 episodes so far.

 

10. My tools to make money with a podcast – Episode 184

How do I make money with my podcast? I get asked this quite a bit. Many podcasters want to make money to at least pay for the expense of podcasting.

I thought you could get some great help if we reviewed the tools I use with my podcasting and in my business. This includes the tools I use to create my podcast, website and newsletter. We will also review the resources I use to learn, create products and generate revenue.

This list includes affiliate links. Please understand I would never recommend anything I didn’t already use and love. I have been using most of these resources for years. That is why I feel confident recommending them to you. You can find affiliate links to and discounts for most of these in the resource section online at PodcastTalentCoach.com.

I want to give you a quick overview of my gear. Then, we will get into making money with your show.

 

9. Behind the scenes of a coaching session – 204

A few months back, Dave Jackson and I reviewed the Jeep Talk Show on the Podcast Review Show. Tony Muckleroy, one of the hosts of the show, reached out to me for a follow up review. Today, I want to take you behind the scenes of that coaching session to show you how things work. It is my hope there are a few things in this session that might help you improve your show.

Tony hosts the Jeep Talk Show with his two co-hosts Josh and Tammy. They started the podcast about 8 years ago.

The primary reason Tony reached out for coaching is audience growth. Their show has plateaued around 1,700 downloads a month. Tony is hoping to discover how they might increase their audience and grow the show.

During our coaching session, Tony and I discuss the points Dave Jackson and I made on the Podcast Review Show, the progress the hosts have made toward those points and where they might go from here.

Jeep Talk Show has some passionate followers. The team posted our coaching session as an episode of their podcast. It is Tony’s hope that sharing the session with his audience might get listeners to provide the show with additional feedback.

This episode features the coaching session with Tony and his show.

 

8. How to increase your podcast downloads – Episode 209

Most of us want to grow our audience, increase downloads and become more influential in our niche. I recently conducted a survey asking about your biggest challenges with regard to your podcast. The most frequent response revolved around ways to increase podcast downloads.

If you were to list your top three struggles with your show, would one hurdle you list be getting more listeners and engagement?

A few weeks ago, I created a download challenge for a small group of people. For the few that took action, the results were impressive.

When podcasters reach out to me for their free strategy session, I ask them how I might help with their podcast. Promoting the show, gaining listeners and increasing podcast downloads is most always part of the answer.

You are not alone. We all want a bigger audience. Whether you have 100 listeners or 10,000 listeners, I’m sure you would like a few more.

 

7. 4 Essential Elements of Powerful Storytelling – PTC Episode 090

Why should you use storytelling in your podcast?

Have you noticed a lot of the business interview podcasts sound the same? We are hearing the same guests answer the same questions time and time again. How do you become unique in this sea of sameness?

Use stories.

Storytelling can transform your podcast.

The power of storytelling can help listeners get to know, like and trust you. Through that knowledge, true friendships are formed. Stories help define you and your character and personality. Great storytellers create fans.

Don’t fit in, stand out.

In this episode, we discussed great storytellers in various genres, such as country singer/songwriter Lee Brice, pop singer/songwriter Jason Mraz, Walt Disney and Zig Ziglar. All are great storytellers in their own right.

In podcasting, you cannot afford to be boring. Interest in your story never remains constant. Your information can only become entertainment when interest is rising. A great story continues to develop the plot and raise the interest.

 

6. How To Organize Your Podcast Content – Episode 135

When you organize your content, you allow yourself to be more creative during recording. You actually allow for more spontaneity and creativity.

Many podcasters believe that planning all of their content removes the opportunity for things to happen. Does planning remove the fun from your show?

Not at all.

When you spend less time trying to think of the next piece of content, you can spend more time thinking about how to make the next piece of content amazing.

Organizing your content is the key to allowing your content to become entertainment.

THE CLOCK

The one tool most radio hosts use to organize their show is a show clock. This is basically a schedule of what is to happen on the show and when those pieces of content occur.

The show clock becomes even more important when you have a co-host. The clock puts all members of the show on the same page. Each host knows exactly what is coming up and when it is supposed to happen.

 

5. Podcast Interview Terms You Should Know – Episode 140

This episode is all about podcast interview terms you should know.

Host – Interviewer

Guest – Interviewee

Prep – Show preparation

Prep Sheet – Preparation info for both host and guest

Advance The Interview – Coordinating the info in advance of the session

Outline – The guide for the host

Target Audience – The specific person who will listen and benefit from the show

 

4. Create Your Podcast Brand – Episode 017

In this episode, we discuss how to turn you and your content into a solid brand.

There are four essential elements of your podcast brand.

  1. Be confident
  2. Assume your listeners are new
  3. Develop your style
  4. Be yourself

BE CONFIDENT

Own your category. Great brands own their category by consistently communicating one focused message.

Think of the best-known brands in America. The best-known soda in the world is defined by “the real thing”. Who serves more hamburgers than anyone in the world? Save 15% on your car insurance. You’re a great athlete … just do it!

Coca Cola, McDonalds, Geico, and Nike all deliver focused and consistent messages and thereby become solid brands.

If you study the great brands, you will notice they stand for one specific thing. McDonald’s isn’t simply “food”. It isn’t even “fast food”. McDonalds is hamburgers. Sure, they have other items on their menu. However, they are not known for their apple pies or chocolate milk. McDonald’s is known as a hamburger joint.

When you begin to define your brand and strategy, be specific. What is the one thing for which you will be known? What is the one thing that will make you stand out and be remembered? You can ask yourself, “When people think of my brand, they think of _____.”

It will be very difficult to become a memorable brand if you fill in that blank with some generic term like computers or cars or health.

Be specific, be focused, be consistent and own your brand.

 

3. 2 Steps To Powerful Interviews – Episode 093

Last week, we discussed the #1 priority of your interviews. That episode was part one of a series on interviewing.

This week, I would like to share with you the two steps to take in order to create powerful interviews.

Over the 25 years I have been on the radio and coaching radio talent, I have had the opportunity to interview many, many people. More importantly, I have had the chance to discuss the art of interviewing with celebrities, managers, coaches, consultants, radio talent and many others in the industry.

Time and time again, I hear the same thing. There are two elements that create successful interviews. Now, you can use these two steps to create great interviews on your podcast.

 

2. How To Create Podcast Interviews When Your Guest Won’t Drop The Script – Episode 144

Over the past few weeks, we have been discussing how to create powerful podcast interviews. Thank you for the amazing questions and feedback. This week, we continue to answer those questions.

My goal is to eventually help you with a podcast interview course that will walk you through the entire process of creating powerful interviews. Your questions are helping me shape that course. Thank you for the amazing help.

If you have questions about interviews, you can e-mail me anytime at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

 

1. Learn podcasting from the pros – a critique – Episode 182

We often talk abut coaching and receiving feedback about your show from somebody other than your mother. Today, I want to share with you that process and help you learn podcasting from the pros.

I do a show with Dave Jackson from School of Podcasting called “The Podcast Review Show”.

Dave has 20+ years of experience teaching people technical things. He has also been podcasting since 2005.

I have been coaching radio hosts since 1995 and podcasters for the past 4 years.

Podcasters pay us to review their show so they can improve. We cover all aspects of the show including content, show structure, style, website and business process.

Once Dave and I have listened to the show and reviewed the website, the podcaster appears on an episode with us to discuss the review and promote the show. This is a great opportunity to expose the show to a new audience while getting feedback from two experienced podcast coaches.

This week, I want you to get an inside look at a coaching session. This episode will show you the benefit of one-on-one coaching and how those sessions work.

On a recent episode of “The Podcast Review Show”, Harry Duran of “The Podcast Junkies” joined us to get his show reviewed.

You get a chance to hear that episode this week.

If you would like to be in Harry’s seat and have your show reviewed, check out PodcastReviewShow.com.

Enjoy the episode with Harry.

BEST OF

Those are 10 episodes which have been downloaded most over the first 6 years of Podcast Talent Coach. Download and listen to the shows that can help you most.

Do you need help with your podcast? Take advantage of my free podcast strategy session at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

60% of Your Listeners Are Here – Episode 244

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Podcast Movement 2019 is in the books. Thousands of podcasters hit Orlando, Florida for another great year of learning, connecting and sharing. The sessions were full of podcast stats.

One of my favorite sessions each year at PM is the State of Podcasting presented by Rob Walch, VP of Podcaster Relations at Libsyn. “Yes, that marketing advice for your podcast is BS – 2019.”

Rob always offers great podcasting statistics. This year, many other sessions provided podcast stats of their own.

SHOW LENGTH

A few podcast stats provided by Rob:

84% of shows with over 100,000 downloads are over 51 minutes long.

Of the top 100 podcasts, the average length is 67 minutes and the median is 55.

People love to dive deep with your content. Just make sure you stay engaging. Don’t make your show long just for the sake of being long.

APPLE PODCASTS

Rob said 59% of podcasts are downloaded via Apple Podcasts.

Tim Street “Growing Your Audience”. VP of Influence and Production for Authentic. Tim said Apple dominates the podcast market. Apple Podcasts account for 62% of podcast listening.

Let’s say roughly 60% of all podcasts are downloaded via Apple Podcasts. 3 out of every 5 podcasts are downloaded here. If you are not on Apple Podcasts, you are missing half of your potential audience.

On the other hand, Apple Podcasts cannot be your only home. Be sure you are available to android users.

Ensure you are not only on Apple Podcasts, but people can find you.

STAND OUT

There are over 700,000 podcasts. Make your brand stand out in every way possible.

Create great cover art. Make sure the show description is engaging and communicates a clear benefit. Most of all, write your headlines to attract new listeners.

Gregg Clunis “How to double your downloads using behavioral psychology”. He is a writer, entrepreneur, and content creator. He is the host and author of “Tiny Leaps, Big Changes”, a podcast, book and community dedicated towards bridging the gap between the knowledge of what to do, and the act of doing it.

DOWNLOADS

Of the podcast stats that Gregg provided, one stood out. He said the median number of downloads for a podcast is 129 per episode. Only 20% have more than 1,000 downloads per episode.

Realize there are many things that factor into your download numbers and podcast stats. Podcasts in the big 3 topics will get more downloads than shows in the small niches. Money, relationships and weight loss typically have larger audiences than small niches like gun collecting, gardening and chemistry. The larger topics are just more mass appeal.

 

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

Rainbows And Passion For My Podcast Niche – Episode 236

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Is your podcast your passion? Do you love your podcast niche?

Father’s Day helped me rediscover the reason I coach and create this podcast. The day reminded me of my passion.

DAD AND BASEBALL

It was a tough Father’s Day for me this year. We buried my dad five days earlier. He had a brief battle with cancer that he unfortunately lost. Luckily, he didn’t suffer.

Every Father’s Day weekend, the College World Seriescomes to town. It is some of the best baseball you’ll ever see.

Dad and I had been attending the CWS together for as long as I could remember. We started sitting in general admission when I was too little to remember. Over the years, we moved up. For the past few decades, we have been sitting in prime seats right up from first base. This is my favorite time of year.

This year was the first year I can remember not attending the College World Series with my dad. We have been going so long, I can’t remember not going.

On Father’s Day, I took my wife and son to the first game of the day. After that game, Simon and I jumped in the car to drive 9 hours to Colorado Springs for a roller hockey tournament.

Dad loved hockey. He was the president of the association for a few years. He couldn’t skate, but took us to the rink for games and practices even after we started driving.

Simon and I are on the drive to Colorado Springs. My brother lives in Colorado, which make this even better.

We are about 15 minutes from the Colorado border and can see rain on the horizon. We are still dry. But we can see it coming.

About 5 minutes later, it starts raining. It is a pretty good little summer shower.

The rain only lasts a few minutes. We cross the state line and drive right out of the rain.

Now it is a little cloudy, but the sun is coming out. Right then, this amazing rainbow shows up right outside of my window. I mean, it is right there on the other side of the hill.

Not only is it a rainbow, it is a full 180 degree rainbow. It goes horizon to horizon.

It is so bright, it looks like it is glowing where it hits the ground.

And not only is it one of the brightest rainbows I’ve ever seen, it is a double rainbow. Right outside my window. On Father’s Day. As I’m crossing into Colorado where my brother lives.

Rainbows and Passion
This rainbow helped me remember why I love my podcast niche.

Your podcast niche
A wide shot of the double rainbow

MY PASSION

The boys went on to win the tournament. Every team we played was from Colorado. It was tough being an outside team.

Simon won the goalie skills competition and was named Most Valuable Goalie for the tournament. His teammate won the skater skills competition and was also named Most Valuable Player for the tournament. I was very proud of all of them. Coaching them was a thrill.

While we were there in Colorado and I was spending some amazing time with my son doing what he loves, I was still able to work on my podcast and coaching business. Everything was still moving forward and getting done.

That is why I do what I do. I love coaching people. And I love having the flexibility to do it wherever I am allowing me to spend time with my wife and kids. I can travel with the kids for any of their activities and still coach, podcast and run my business around my passion.

Dad helped me remember that on Father’s Day. What a year.

Are you talking about your passion on your podcast? That is key to success.

YOUR PASSION

I was on a free podcast strategy call the other day with a podcaster. He had a successful comedy podcast that he had to discontinue due to political pressure from his employer.

This podcast had a sizable audience. He was talking about a topic that he loved. He was interviewing people that truly interested him. Unfortunately, the show had to go away.

He still wanted to podcast. So, he launched a second show.

The new show has nearly 100 episodes published. However, it isn’t growing. He feels stuck in relative obscurity. He feels like the show is stagnant.

Downloads for the show have been a struggle. The podcast is “getting out there”, but numbers don’t show it. Over the past couple weeks, the download numbers actually fell off by 75%.

Prior to our call, I listened to his latest episode. It was ok. Just not great.

When we had our discussion, the reason became very clear. It isn’t his passion.

He told me he doesn’t enjoy it as much as the last one. He could let loose on the other show. There are certain aspects of the new show he enjoys. He just feels like he got stale.

As I listened to the show before we even spoke, it felt like he had lost his passion for it. It felt like he does the interviews and promotes the show because he has to. Not because he wants to.

It doesn’t feel like he is really excited to bring me the interview each week. I don’t hear the excitement coming out of the speaker. I could hear that even before we spoke. After our discussion, the reason was clear. The other show was his passion. This show was just another podcast.

The solution is to find his true passion and create a show around that topic. This may require a relaunch, which would be painful after 100 episodes.

However, since it would focus on his passion, he would probably be right back to the same point in no time. He would be having much more fun. He would enjoy talking about it on social media. He would be excited to share it with his friends.

Passion makes it so much easier to grow your podcast. It also makes it much easier to develop revenue opportunities around that passion.

HELP TO FIND YOUR PASSION

Would you like help defining your passion and creating a business around your podcast? Get details on my FREE podcast strategy session online at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

Are You Really Doing The Work To Be Successful?

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I saw a post on Facebook the other day. “Everybody *wishes* they were successful – who wouldn’t want that? But how many are really doing everything they can to achieve it?”

Former Indiana basketball coach Bobby Knight said it a little differently. He said, “Most have the will to win, few have the will to prepare to win.”

Preparation is key. Have the will to put in the work.

Doing what others are unwilling to do is what will separate you from the crowd. Take consistent action and you will be much closer to your goals than others.

SIX STEPS

There are six steps to reach your goals.

1. Determine your goal.

2. Find someone who has been there and done that.

3. Define the steps to get there.

4. Break the steps into bite-sized chunks.

5. Take consistent action.

6. If you need help, find an accountability partner.

 

CHALLENGE

To help you take consistent action, I have created a Podcast Download Challenge. In the group, we help each other take consistent action in order to grow downloads for our podcasts.

Are you interested in growing your downloads? Join the challenge and reach your goals. Join here: https://www.podcasttalentcoach.com/challenge.

 

Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Podcast

Your Download Problem Isn’t Your Mic – Episode 232

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“Oh, if only I had better sound quality, my downloads would surely go up.”

Wrong.

It isn’t your mic or sound quality holding you back. It is your content, personality and originality.

It seems the conversations about the “right” mic have increased quite a bit lately.

Should you use a dynamic, condenser or ribbon mic? Is a USB mic or XLR mic best?

When spending money on a mic, is it smartest to get an ATR2100, EV RE20 or the Heil PR40? Why do so many dislike the Blue Yeti?

The truth … it doesn’t really matter. The only people who care what mic you are using are podcasters and audiophiles. Your audience doesn’t know the difference between an ATR and a VCR.

If your content is great, people will listen to average audio.

Russell Brunson will occasionally record his podcast in his car on the way to the office. His show “The Marketing Secrets Podcast” was formerly called “Marketing In Your Car.” His listeners don’t complain about the audio quality, because the content is great.

Gary Vaynerchuk records video in the backseat of an Uber. He posts those videos to social media. Then, he uses the audio for his podcast. Are people upset about the sound of passing cars or that he is using the built-in mic on his phone? Nope. The content is great.

If you want more downloads and better engagement, focus on creating better content, a stronger personality and more originality.

Here are six ways you can do just that.

1. Stand for something – Have an opinion

2. Stand against something else

3. Have a personality

4. Don’t be “on fire” – Cut your own path

5. Connect

6. Lead

If you would like help shaping your show, improving your content, defining your personality and being more original, we should chat. Take me up on my offer of a FREE podcast strategy session.

Find details at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching.

Let’s transform your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

Why Your Podcast Promotion Does Not Work

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Have you ever struggled balancing content creation and podcast promotion? We all want to grow our audience. How do we increase those downloads? Focus.

I was working with a client the other day. He spends a lot of his time during the week creating his podcast and working with clients. However, his goal is to grow his show.

When you’re creating a business around your podcast, even if it is a side hustle, it feels like there is an endless amount of stuff to do.

When you don’t have structured time to do something, it expands to the allotted amount of time. That is where your flexible hours create an issue.

There needs to be time when you work “on” your business.

Michael Gerber’s “The E-Myth Revisited” lays this out perfectly.

First, determine the activities that actually drive downloads. This could include online activity in social media, marketing to your list or other activities that get you noticed.

Then, determine the actions that drive your business. Who are your ideal clients? What type of clients make up the top 20% that drive 80% of your business? It is the Pareto Principle. Figure out how to reach those people.

Now that you know the activities that attract listeners, and you know the activities that grow your business, find a day you can dedicate to those activities.

Dedicate time for driving business.

Define the time. Then fill it. You can’t budget your money until you know how much money is there. It is the same with your time. You cannot budget your time until you know how much time you have to work with.

 

Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

 

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

6 Reasons Your Podcast Engagement Fails – Episode 218

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Engagement audit
Why podcast engagement fails

Everybody wants more downloads. We all want our listeners to engage with our content. So, why isn’t it happening? No matter what we try, it seems our effort to create engagement fails.

[DOWNLOAD: 75 Ways To Create Engagement]

The gurus make it sound so easy. Build your audience and you’re all set. Oh, if it were only that easy.

What is the difference between the podcasts with huge audiences and the podcasts with 100 listeners? Actually, it is a fine line.

There are six areas of your podcast you can examine to give you a better chance at engagement. These are six primary reasons your podcast engagement fails.

 

1. Does your podcast content entertain? (Use stories)

I’m not simply talking about your integrity. By character, I mean all of the attributes that create you, as in character in a play.

The purpose of your show is to attract an audience. Whether you want to monetize that relationship, encourage a call-to-action, or simply create an audience for your ideas, creating the audience is where you begin.

The stories you choose to tell reveal how open you are to others. Your openness is a sign of trust. Trust is a big piece of a relationship. Reveal things about yourself through your stories and you’ll begin to build trust with your listener.

The details you include tell your listener what you value. If the listener feels you value things they too value, you solidify the relationship. People like to hang out with similar people.

If your values are opposite of your listener, you may also attract them. This would be like a love/hate relationship. They may dislike it, but they continue to listen. This often happens when talking politics.

What you find entertaining will be evident by the stories you tell. Since people like other people who have similar tastes, revealing those things you find entertaining will also build the relationship.

Stories also have the power to demonstrate your vulnerability. Stories can show that you are a real person. Your listener will see you as approachable. They also may begin to see you as a friend. That is when true relationships begin to form.

Next time you watch a late night talk show, notice how the great, memorable interviews contain great stories. Interviews that focus on facts and information rarely cut through. Those guests come off more as a lecturer than as a friend.

The late night guests that tell stories appear more personal, warm and friendly. Their stories reveal things and help you feel like you know them personally. Take note next time you watch.

Foster a relationship with your listener by revealing things about yourself through stories. Stories will define your character.

 

2. Do you make them forget they are listening to a podcast?

When your audience is listening to your podcast, make them forget they are listening to a recording. Take them to another place. Make your storytelling so strong that their imaginations put your listener in another time and place. That’s what great storytelling is all about. That’s what great relationships are all about.

People seek entertainment to escape from reality. They want entertainment like movies, concerts, television, radio and podcasts to make them forget about all of their problems. Entertainment that succeeds will take the audience member to some other place and time.

When you record your podcast, you need to create that wonderful theater of the mind. It doesn’t matter if you’re reading fiction or talking about gardening, put your audience in the moment. Make your listener forget they are listening to a recording.

 

3. Are you creating intrigue & suspense?

What will happen next?

Anticipation is a key feature to storytelling. Your story should build just like a good plot builds in a movie. You need to make your audience anticipate the content that is on the way. It is like a vacation you are planning to take.

The fantastic anticipation for the trip is almost as pleasurable as the trip itself. You can’t wait for the trip to arrive. You want your listener to feel the same way about your content. When they can’t wait for the story to arrive, you have created some great content.

Teasing is the art of creating anticipation for your audience to entice them to stick around for the payoff to your setup. It is a critical element of your show. Teasing helps create momentum for your podcast.

When you promote parts of the show that are coming up, you must creatively tease your audience. You must give them a reason to stick around. It isn’t enough to simply say, “A great story about this weekend is coming up.” Few will stick around for the payoff. Tease. Create anticipation. Instead, use something like, “You’re never gonna believe what I found in the attic this past weekend.”

The evening news does a wonderful job at teasing. Create anticipation. Tease me.

 

4. Do you ask them to engage?

How do you expect them to know you want them to be part of your show if you don’t ask?

Be sure to make your request specific. Tell your listener exactly what you want her to do.

 

5. Do you make it easy to engage?

You may use social media, your website, an e-mail address, voicemail, or a number of other methods to reach you. Simplify it. Create one contact page on your website containing the info to avoid the need for a laundry list during your show. Then, always provide that one contact source. By using that one source, you also prevent your listener from getting caught in the decision paradox.

Make the questions specific, so they don’t have to think. Give your listener a question to answer or specific piece of information to provide. If he isn’t forced to be creative and “work” to create content for your show, you will have more success creating engagement.

 

6. Do you focus on helping others?

Zig Ziglar had many great quotes. One of my favorites is, “You can have anything you want in life just as long as you help enough other people get what they want in life.” How true that is.

As you turn your information into engaging entertainment with your podcast, keep in mind that helping people is part of the foundation of a strong relationship. If you take, take, take, your relationship won’t last long. If you are there to give and help, you will develop friends for life.

Ziglar is a great example of helping people. His speeches always offer great tips to improve your life, sales or attitude. He also has great books, CDs and other products he sells. However, most of his time is spent on helping others. There is a lot of free Ziglar information available. He helps others and eventually sales come his way.

Get what you want out of life. Focus on helping others.

If you want people to engage, there has to be something in it for them. Make them care. Help them and thank them.

 

Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

The Top 3 Episodes of 2018 – Episode 213

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The Top 3 Episodes of 2018 – Episode 213

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The 3 most downloaded episodes of 2018

As we bring 2018 to a close, let’s look back over the year at the 3 Podcast Talent Coach top episodes that received the most downloads this year.

 

#3 – INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

The number 3 episode of 2018 was based on my list of 17 of the Most Powerful Interview Questions Ever. This episode showed you how to use these quesstions to create unique content and make your podcast stand out from the crowd.

 

Episode 189 – 7 Of The Most Powerful Interview Questions Ever

How do you make your podcast unique when every interview asks the same questions and sounds the same? Use storytelling.

Storytelling can transform your podcast.

People do business with those they know, like and trust. Stories let people get to know you through the things you reveal in your stories. Listeners learn what you like, value and believe. Your stories help develop that likability and trust.

Stories help you connect, motivate and inspire.

They do the same for your guests. If you would like to get unique answers from your guests and create powerful podcast interviews, download my 17 Ultimate Podcast Interview questions. They are free for you at PodcastTalentCoach.com.

There are a few questions you should avoid.

“Tell me a little bit about yourself.” This questions is a time waster. It also tells the audience and your guest you didn’t do your homework. You should know your guest and provide the important background information necessary for this episode.

“Did you enjoy (blank)?” Yes/no questions receive yes/no answers. Find ways to turn yes/no questions into open-ended questions.

“Was it A or B?” Questions that require one word answers do the same as yes/no questions. There is nowhere for the guest to go with the answer.

Here are 7 of the Most Powerful Interview Questions ever from that list. Use these to generate fantastic stories.

 

This process was developed over my 30 years of radio. It also complimented my free download of my 17 of the Most Powerful Interview Questions Ever. They are free for you at PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Whether you are brand new to podcasting or have been creating podcast interviews for years, this worksheet will help you develop more powerful podcast interviews.

You will learn how to create amazing content using powerful podcast interviews.

This isn’t just theory. I have been in radio for 30 years and teaching broadcasters and podcasters for over 20 years. I have interviewed some of the biggest artists in music, including Lady Gaga, Blake Shelton, Natalie Merchant, Sarah McLachlan, Eric Church, Mariah Carey, the Samples, Big & Rich, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Dave Mustane of Megadeth, Nelly and others.

Stations I have programmed have dominated the market. My own show has been top of the ratings for years straight. Podcasters I have coached have used my training to drive their shows to new heights.

Grab the list of questions a get rolling this week.

 

#2 – BEHIND THE SCENES

The second most downloaded episode this year was Behind The Scenes Of A Podcast Coaching Session – Episode 204.

Dave Jackson and I do a show together called The Podcast Review Show. We invite podcasters on the show to have their content reviewed. It is getting two podcast coaches for less than the price of one. We do this in order to create great content and help a ton of podcasters.

I also coach podcasters one-on-one. In 2019, my goal is to help 1,000 podcasters. This will happen through coaching, speaking and interviews.

Tony Muckleroy of the Jeep Talk Show podcastwas a guest on the Podcast Review Show with Dave and me. Then, Tony worked with me to coach him on his show. He used that coaching session as an episode of Jeep Talk Show. I also used the coaching session for episode 204. It came in at number two in 2018.

 

Behind The Scenes Of A Podcast Coaching Session – Episode 204

A few months back, Dave Jackson and I reviewed the Jeep Talk Showon the Podcast Review Show. Tony Muckleroy, one of the hosts of the show, reached out to me for a follow up review. Today, I want to take you behind the scenes of that coaching session to show you how things work. It is my hope there are a few things in this session that might help you improve your show.

Tony hosts the Jeep Talk Show with his two co-hosts Josh and Tammy. They started the podcast about 8 years ago.

The primary reason Tony reached out for coaching is audience growth. Their show has plateaued around 1,700 downloads a month. Tony is hoping to discover how they might increase their audience and grow the show.

During our coaching session, Tony and I discuss the points Dave Jackson and I made on the Podcast Review Show, the progress the hosts have made toward those points and where they might go from here.

Jeep Talk Show has some passionate followers. The team posted our coaching session as an episode of their podcast. It is Tony’s hope that sharing the session with his audience might get listeners to provide the show with additional feedback.

This episode features the coaching session with Tony and his show.

If you would like details on a free strategy session with me just like this one, get the details at PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching. I’d love to help you.

 

I want to help 1,000 podcasters in 2019. Will you be one of them? Let’s create a strategy and plan for you in 2019. Take me up on your FREE podcast strategy session. Get the details at PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching.

 

#1 – MONEY MAKING TOOLS

The episode with the most downloads covers my money making tools. This is really no surprise to me. “How to make money” is what most podcasters come to me seeking.

This episode was created to show you what tools I use to create my podcast and business. The info is still all good. However, the affiliate links are dead due to issues with Amazon. You can still find the tools. It will just take a bit of searching. I still use all of it.

 

My Tools To Make Money With My Podcast – Episode 184

(These tools can be found on the resource page atPodcastTalentCoach.com. Most links on that page are affiliate links. I may receive a variable commission for any purchase made using those links.)

How do I make money with my podcast? I get asked this quite a bit. Many podcasters want to make money to at least pay for the expense of podcasting.

I thought you could get some great help if we reviewed the tools I use with my podcasting and in my business. This includes the tools I use to create my podcast, website and newsletter. We will also review the resources I use to learn, create products and generate revenue.

This list includes affiliate links. Please understand I would never recommend anything I didn’t already use and love. I have been using most of these resources for years. That is why I feel confident recommending them to you. You can find affiliate links to and discounts for most of these in the resource section online at PodcastTalentCoach.com.

I want to give you a quick overview of my gear. Then, we will get into making money with your show.

If you would like some great, FREE tools to get your revenue started, I have an amazing, FREE online training course for you online at PodcastTalentCoach.com. Plus, you get two of my best two of my best resource guides, “16 ways to make money with a free podcast” and “75 ways to drive engagement with your podcast“. Get them now online at PodcastTalentCoach.com.

 

If you have any questions about any of the tools in this episode, shoot me an e-mail. I’ll help you through it.

Before you seek to make money, you need a strategy. You need a plan. You need to build an audience. Then, you can leverage the attention.

 

Again, I want to help 1,000 podcasters in 2019. Let’s create a strategy and plan for you in 2019. Take me up on your FREE podcast strategy session. Get the details at PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching.

 

Thanks for the great support in 2018. I’m looking forward to helping you even more in 2019 by transforming your information into entertainment. It is the beginning of turning your podcast into powerful, profitable relationships.

Catch up with these 3 episodes. These are the 3 top episodes with the most downloads of 2018.

Next week, we are digging in with one of my coaching clients to see how he landed on Apple’s list of Best Podcasts of 2018.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

How To Increase Your Podcast Downloads – Episode 209

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How To Increase Your Podcast Downloads – Episode 209

Get more podcast downloads
Increase Your Podcast Downloads

Most of us want to grow our audience, increase podcast downloads and become more influential in our niche. I recently conducted a survey asking about your biggest challenges with regard to your podcast. The most frequent response revolved around ways to increase podcast downloads.

If you were to list your top three struggles with your show, would one hurdle you list be getting more listeners and engagement?

A few weeks ago, I created a download challenge for a small group of people. For the few that took action, the results were impressive.

When podcasters reach out to me for their free strategy session, I ask them how I might help with their podcast. Promoting the show, gaining listeners and increasing podcast downloads is most always part of the answer.

You are not alone. We all want a bigger audience. Whether you have 100 listeners or 10,000 listeners, I’m sure you would like a few more.

Before we jump into the ideas and a couple case studies, I’d like to invite you to take me up on my offer to you of a free podcast strategy session. It is my goal to directly help 1,000 podcasters reach their goals in 2019.

You and I will get on the phone and discuss your podcast, your challenges and your goals. Let’s create a clear plan of action to help you get where you want to go in 2019 with your podcast and business. It’s free. What do you have to lose?

Find the details at PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching.

This isn’t a big sales pitch in disguise. I’ll help you create a plan. At the end of the call, if you want information on how I might help you with that plan, we can discuss it then. If not, no problem.

Will you be one of my 1,000 over the next year? Go watch the video at PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching. I’d love to talk with you.

 

THE TRUTH

Let’s start with a few truths.

First, you are not alone. Growing your audience to increase podcast downloads is usually somewhere in our goals regardless of the length of time we have been podcasting. We are all in this together.

Next, it will not happen overnight. Your podcast growth will take time. If you take consistent action over time, the number grows. Keep your head down and do the work required.

You also need to realize that the average podcast episode gets about 214 downloads per episode. That is the median number according to Rob Walch over at Libsyn. Only 20% of all podcast get over 2,000 downloads after they have been out for a month. Therefore, don’t sweat your numbers. Most people are lying to you.

Finally, it is simple, but not easy. As you will see, the concepts are simple to understand. Being disciplined enough to do the work is not as easy as it sounds. We’ll help.

 

CONSISTENCY

In the episode where I introduced the download challenge, we talked about creating habits. It takes consistent action to build an audience.

In 1960, Dr. Maxwell Maltz said it takes patients “a minimum of about 21 days for an old image to dissolve and a new one to jell.” Dr. Maltz published that theory and his thoughts on behavior change in a book called Psycho-Cybernetics.

As with many quotes, over the years it was taken out of context. The stat was eventually quoted as, “It takes 21 days to form a new habit,” leaving out the important “minimum”.

A new studyby colleagues at University College London and published in the European Journal of Social Psychology says it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit.

That is why consistency and accountability are important. If you want people to remember your brand, it takes frequency to the target.

 

6 STEPS

In our download challenge, our goal was to hold each other accountable and take daily action. Let’s run down the six steps we used to increase podcast downloads.

 

1. ENGAGE

As we went through the month, we wanted to reach out and engage in our niche on a daily basis. We saw results. Spend 15 minutes a day being active and present online. Leave feedback for other shows. Everybody loves attention.

The best way to grow your network is by making contact with others. Start by commenting on podcasts, blogs and discussions of influencers.

Don’t simply be a lurker, reading all the other posts. Get involved. Take action. A small “congratulations” or other acknowledgement is just fine.

You want to be seen as someone who gets things done. By taking action and engaging with others, you send the message that you are active.

 

2. NETWORK

Next, network with other shows in the same genre. Help each other. Other influencers in your niche probably have similar goals.

Find people in your niche who compliment what you do. Team up to help each other grow. Look for ways to share each other’s content.

 

3. HELP OTHERS

Help other people. This help is intended for your listeners. Be seen as someone with the answers, or at least someone who knows where to get the answers.

Do Facebook Live “ask me anything” sessions. Prove that you are willing to help them achieve their goals. Give them direction.

If you become the go-to resource who knows where to find the answers, you become the authority in your space.

 

4. BE SOCIAL

Use social media to spread your message. Be active on Facebook & Twitter. Don’t simply lurk around. Post positive comments and be helpful.

Consistently interact with others on social media. Avoid always asking and taking. Offer to help. Don’t simply look around. Get involved. Be active.

 

5. FIND GROUPS

Get involved in online groups. Find people who are interested in your niche and start getting involved.

Groups are a great place to find like-minded people. If you want to create brand awareness, these groups are a great place to start.

Again, be active. It does you very little good to be a member of a group if you are not going to actually participate. Members won’t know you are there unless you speak up.

 

6. BE CONSISTENT

You need to be consistent if you want to build brand awareness. This involves interacting online on a daily basis.

 

CASE STUDIES

So, how did it all work? I would like to highlight three members of the download challenge. These will help you see the power of consistent engagement.

Andy was part of our group. He is host of the Veteran Gamer Reenlisted podcast.

This podcast isn’t for the meek. I’ll tell you that right now. That’s what I love about it. Andy and Ray are two military veterans who talk about Warhammer 40K and other table top games. They talk a lot of trash and have a lot of fun.

Andy and Ray are about 64 episodes in. They know exactly who listens to their show. Looking at their website, you will know as well.

When Andy started in the group, he was hoping to grow his audience by 10%.

At the end of the month, Andy was up 46% by taking consistent action.

Andy says, “It works if you work it.” He told me, “Between myself and my co-host, we engage with our community everyday. We like to invite our listeners to feel like they are part of the group and we encourage engagement and they respond. We reward the engagement by sharing much of it on the show. We also belong to many other groups in the related community and are seen as influencers in some of those groups. Its just a part of our everyday business.”

His growth was four times what he had hoped. It all came down to being present and active every day.

Tim does a show with his wife called “The He Said, She Said Movie Reviews Podcast“. As you can tell from the title, they review movies.

April and Tim have only been doing the show for a few months. They have just over 30 episodes published. They have seen over 3,500 movies together and love talking about films.

Since the podcast is new, Tim wanted to see a big increase with the download challenge. He wanted to see his podcast downloads grow by 30%, which equated to about 125 downloads for the month.

The pair took daily action. They got involved and saw their downloads increase by not 30% but 61%. Their podcast received an increase of 226 downloads. Nearly twice the 125 goal.

Tim says, “We had great results. It really works.”

When I asked him about taking action, Tim said, “I’ve taken action every day. I joined two Movie groups on Facebook and have been commenting on them both. Also, in Instagram someone created a Group Message of about 40 movie people and we have been talking movies daily. Still have not hooked up with other movie podcast yet. Just have not had the time (bad excuse) but it’s on the list to do.”

The key is daily action. Tim only did half of what he had planned and nearly doubled his downloads. Be present and active.

One of our other members reported that his podcast downloads actually decreased over the course of the month. He said the results were not as good as he had hoped.

We dug in a little bit. I asked him if he was active daily. He said, “Not often enough. I haven’t built that habit muscle very well yet. And I’ve been pretty scattered.”

That is the tough part. Easy to understand. Difficult to execute. Consistent action is tough when you are doing it alone.

Consistent action is like going to the gym. You go for a few days and stop. You start again for a little longer and stop again. Eventually, as long as you keep going back, it becomes a habit. You have to keep at it.

When you are going to the gym, it is easier to do it on a regular basis if you are going with an accountability partner. You make sure each other is going regularly. You can’t let your partner down.

It is the same with your consistent action with your podcast. If you have someone there holding you accountable, it makes it much easier.

That is part of Podcast Talent Coach coaching. We talk every week. I hold you accountable to the plan. We make sure you are consistent with your actions.

It is tough to do it alone. I get that. You are not alone. You have many other things going on in life and business. Take focused action on a regular basis to reach your goals.

Check out the video at podcasttalentcoach.com/coachingand see what it can do for you. The strategy session is absolutely free. Be one of the 1,000 podcasters I help over the next year. Let’s lay out your plan.

The video is at podcasttalentcoach.com/coaching. It explains the whole process to you.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

Grow Your Podcast Audience Challenge – Episode 203

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Grow Your Podcast Audience Challenge – Episode 203

increase downloads
Join the Download Challenge

Most of us want to grow our audience, increase downloads and become more influential in our niche. It is usually one of the goals I hear from podcasters. If you were to list your top three struggles with your show, would one hurdle you list be increase downloads?

YOUR HURDLES

When podcasters reach out to me for their free strategy session, they answer a few questions before we get on the call. One of those questions is, “In what ways do you need help with your podcast.”

I reviewed the last five requests I received. Four listed some form of “increase downloads” as a struggle. “Marketing and promoting the show” was on one form. One said, “Increase our audience – not sure what’s holding us back”. I heard, “Getting more listeners and paid supporters”. The fourth listed “gaining subscribers”.

Growing your audience to increase downloads is usually somewhere in our goals regardless of the length of time we have been podcasting. You’re not alone.

THE CHALLENGE

I want to help you grow your audience, but only if you are serious and ready to take action. I am launching a 30-day challenge which might turn into 60 days. As the studies show, it takes a minimum of 21 days and average of 66 days to form a new habit. We’ll see how it plays out. Get details at http://www.podcasttalentcoach.com/downloadchallenge.

It takes consistent action to build an audience. This challenge will help you take consistent action by holding you accountable in a group with the same goals.

NEW HABITS

In 1960, Dr. Maxwell Maltz said it takes patients “a minimum of about 21 days for an old image to dissolve and a new one to jell.” Dr. Maltz published that theory and his thoughts on behavior change in a book called Psycho-Cybernetics.

As with many quotes, over the years it was taken out of context. The stat was eventually quoted as, “It takes 21 days to form a new habit,” leaving out the important “minimum”.

A new study by colleagues at University College London and published in the European Journal of Social Psychologysays it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit.

That is why consistency and accountability are important. If you want people to remember your brand, it takes frequency to the target.

BRANDING

In radio, we talk about top-of-mind awareness. Brand advertising is designed to help make brands memorable.

When Coca-Cola runs their brand advertising campaigns, they don’t expect you to drop everything you are doing and run to the store to buy Coke. When McDonald’s creates their branding commercials, they don’t think you will suddenly turn around and pull into a drive-thru. These brands are creating top-of-mind awareness.

These companies want to be the first brand you think of when you are hungry or thirsty. When you pull into a quickie mart for a drink, they want you to think Coke. When you ask your kids where they want to grab a bit to eat, they say McNuggets from McDonald’s. It is all about top-of-mind awareness.

How many brands of toothpaste can you name? Quick, off the top of your head. How many come to mind?

You can probably name the toothpaste brand you use and the one you use when your favorite isn’t available. Maybe one more. Unless you work in a grocery store, you can probably list 2 or 3.

A quick search of the internet shows there are actually 35 brands of toothpaste.

That list simply includes brands. There are multiple varieties within each brand. When I checked the Crest toothpaste website, I saw 60 different varieties available.

The only way for a brand to win is to create top-of-mind awareness. When people think of your niche, do they think of you? Are you in the top two?

YOUR BRAND

Your top-of-mind awareness doesn’t happen overnight. It takes consistent work. The same work it takes to increase downloads and grow your audience.

There are many ways to drive engagement. We have discussed many ways here on the podcast.

In our Download Challenge, we will use many of these to grow your audience. Today on the show, I want to review a few of my favorites.

 

ENGAGE

Leave feedback for other shows. Everybody loves attention.

The best way to grow your network is by making contact with others. Start by commenting on podcasts, blogs and discussions of influencers.

Don’t simply be a lurker, reading all the other posts. Get involved. Take action.

You want to be seen as someone who gets things done. By taking action and engaging with others, you send the message that you are active.

 

NETWORK

Network with other shows in the same genre. Help each other.

Find people in your niche who compliment what you do. Team up to help each other grow. Look for ways to share each other’s content.

If you know where your audience congregates, that would be a good place to look for them. There is a good chance others in your niche are talking to the people you would like to reach. Start making friends.

Start by commenting on their podcast. Send the host questions for their show. Become a familiar name.

Depending on the level of engagement the host receives from her audience, you will become a familiar name after some regular engagement.

Once you are on the radar, reach out with an introduction e-mail or message. Ask how you might help. Give first. See where it goes from there.

 

HELP OTHERS

Help other people. This help is intended for your listeners.

Do Facebook Live “ask me anything” sessions. Prove that you are willing to help them achieve their goals. Give them direction.

If you become the go-to resource who knows where to find the answers, you become the de facto guru in your space.

 

BE SOCIAL

Use social media to spread your message. Be active on Facebook & Twitter.

Consistently interact with others on social media. Avoid always asking. Offer to help. Don’t simply look around. Get involved. Be active.

Have you ever had that person in your life who would only call when they needed something? You know who I mean. They need money or they want an introduction or they need a ride. You don’t want to be that person online.

Social media is a great place to create relationships. If your activity is all one-sided, it will be very difficult to build friendships.

 

FIND GROUPS

Get involved in online groups. Find people who are interested in your niche and start getting involved.

Groups are a great place to find like-minded people. If you want to create brand awareness, these groups are a great place to start.

It does you very little good to be a member of a group if you are not going to actually participate. Members won’t know you are there unless you speak up.

 

BE CONSISTENT

You need to be consistent if you want to build brand awareness. This involves interacting online on a daily basis.

The Download Challengeis designed to get us together to share ideas and help each other. We will share our download numbers. We will share our goals. We will hold each other accountable.

Every day we will post our progress and our activity. After 30 days, we will see what has worked. We will know where to continue our efforts.

 

Get involved at PodcastTalentCoach.com/DownloadChallenge.

 

Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

Struggle With Stats, Difficult Guests and Lost Audio – Episode 193

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Struggle With Stats, Difficult Guests and Lost Audio – Episode 193

Stiff and Difficult Guests
Copyright: lucky2084 / 123RF Stock Photo

I recently asked my tribe about the one thing they struggle with most with their podcast. This week, we answer the questions and help you get over a few hurdles.

On this episode, we answer questions about dealing with lost audio, boosting your stats and dealing with stiff and difficult guests.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

 

 

FORGETTING

I do a show called The Cinema Guys (WeAreTheCinemaGuys.com) and I do all of the show. My co-hosts show up record and leave. I do all the tech, recording, editing, posting and so on. Well tonight we recorded and I didn’t realize until we were done that I had the recorder set wrong and it only recorded one of the 3 mics and to top that off I forgot to set up the back up recorder. So long answer to your question I think the biggest struggle sometimes is the technical side mostly the set up and hoping everything works.

Love your show. Yours and Dave Jackson’s are my top weekly listens.

Thanks,

Brad

WeAreTheCinemaGuys.com

 

EKJ: Ugh! I feel your pain, Brad.

Two things can help you prevent losing a show like this. The backup recorder is a great idea. However, it only works if you remember to hit record.

First, create a preflight checklist. What are the things you need to do before you record? This probably includes show notes, audio levels, water to drink, mute your phone and a few other things.

Create this list and use it EVERY time you record your show. This is the only way you will remember everything necessary.

Bad things happen when you fail to prepare.

Next, test your gear and levels. Make sure the gain isn’t up too high creating distortion. Garbage in equals garbage out. If the levels aren’t right to start, there is nothing you can do to save it.

Make sure every sound source is feeding the recording. This includes mics, sound effects, calls, software and any other sound source you will use.

If you use these two steps before every show, you will be much more likely to avoid losing a show.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

I struggle most with learning how to effectively use social media to grow audience.

Thank you,

Joel

A Band of Gamers Podcast

ABOGpodcast.com

 

My listener stats have plateaued. I have only been at it for about 6 months and we have grown to listener ship of between 150 and 200 downloads per show. The listeners we do have are loyal and engaged. Similar and more established podcasts are getting 20 and 30 times that download number though. Maybe its my content or maybe we are not marketing correctly or enough to grow our listeners.

Andrew Gonzales

 

EKJ: Social media is a great way to promote the show. However, it isn’t the only method you should be using.

When using social media, get involved with others. Offer help in communities similar to your community. Join Facebook groups and communicate.

Share, repost and retweet other content. Be seen on social platforms. You don’t need to create all of the content. Be a resource.

Make sure your social media profile includes your podcast prominently. Make it easy to find you.

The more people see you, the better the chances are that they will come check out the show.

Find other ways to promote the show. Check out episode 188 “Leverage Your Audience To Grow”. Asking your audience to share your show and help you grow is very powerful. If they love you, they will tell others. Don’t wait for them to think of it. Ask them to share it.

In episode 176 “How To Grow Your Audience By 10x”, we talk about many other ways to grow. You could host events for your community. Guest blog and appear on other podcasts.

Create a lead magnet for every episode that also contains the podcast information. Then, encourage listeners to share it with their friends.

Growing your audience is an ongoing mission. Drip, drip, drip. Eventually, you’ll have a nice, little puddle. Over time, it will grow. I don’t think you will ever get to a point where you think, “Ok, I have enough listeners.” Make this part of your regular daily routine.

 

STRUGGLE WITH STIFF GUESTS

Some of my guests become stiff or experience stage fright during the first 10 min of the cast, also how do you keep more Domineering guests from taking over the discussion?

Thanks Ken Morris

 

EKJ: If your guest is inexperienced, it is critical that you define the expectations right up front. People are usually nervous, because of the unknown. They aren’t sure. They don’t know what to expect.

Lay things out for your guest right up front. Do what you can to put them at ease.

If you want answers that are around 30 seconds long, let them know. If you need answers that are full sentences, let them know. If you want short stories, tell them before the recording begins.

It is important to let them know you will do your best to make them sound great. Tell them you will edit out any answers they don’t like. If they want to start an answer a second time, you will be happy to edit that as well. This will usually help them relax.

Stiff guests are usually solved with creative questions. Ask open-ended questions that get your guest to tell you stories. “Tell me about a time when you ____.” “What did it feel like the first time you ___.” “When did you realize you were ____.” “Tell me about the person who gave you the best piece of advice you ever received.” This will help your guest give you more than one or two word answers.

With domineering guests, you need to be very clear with your guest right up front that you want this to be a conversation without their agenda. It helps when you can assure the guest you will give them plenty of time to plug their stuff.

You can also ask if there are particular points they would like to cover. Assure them you will offer questions that allow them to cover those points.

Let your guest know that when the interview is over, you will ask them if there is anything you didn’t cover. This will allow them to touch on points that may have been left out. You can then edit that question into the show. This rarely happens. However, it does help your guest get comfortable and drop the script.

Finally, tell your guest you will edit the show. It is perfectly acceptable if they feel the need to stop and begin an answer again. You can edit that out to make them sound great.

You guests will sometimes follow a script, because they are nervous and inexperienced giving interviews. Set their mind at ease by letting them know you will make them sound great.

In the end, it is your show. There will be times when you need to stop the interview and be demanding. If you find your guest is following a script and doing nothing but pitching, stop the interview and explain your goals for the show.

Use something like this. “Rick, I can appreciate you have a new book and would really like to plug it. Believe me, we will get to that. If we make this conversation nothing but a prolonged infomercial, people will tune out. They will take no action, and it will be ineffective. Please allow this to become a conversation. After we engage our audience with a great discussion and get them to trust your authority, we can get to the book with a strong call-to-action. However, we need to make it a conversation first. Do me a favor and set the talking points aside. Let it flow. Trust me. You’ll sound great.”

If you need to stop a second time and get more demanding, use something like, “Rick, I’m losing confidence that this interview will be something I can use for the show. My listeners will benefit more by natural answers from the heart. I need to ask you to set aside the talking points and simply have a discussion. Otherwise, we need to cut this interview short. Can you help me there?”

If that doesn’t work, move on to the next interview.

 

Do you struggle with your podcast? I can answer your question on a future show. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

Leverage Your Audience To Grow Your Podcast Downloads – Episode 188

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Leverage Your Audience To Grow Your Podcast Downloads – Episode 188

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The most common challenge I hear podcasters facing is growing their audience. We all want to drive our podcast downloads and grow our audience. This week, I have 9 things you can do this week to steadily gain more podcast downloads.

There was a presentation at Podcast Movement 2017 called “How People Really Listen To Podcasts”. This study showed two primary ways people find new podcasts. Most respondents in the study (60%) said they find new podcasts from social media. Friends was the next biggest way (57%) people discover new shows to try. Both of these traffic sources come from word-of-mouth.

What are you doing to get others to talk about your podcast?

If you want to grow your podcast downloads, you need to get in front of other people and then get those people to talk about your show.

 

1. Grow your Facebook following.

As of the fourth quarter of 2017, Facebook had 2.2 billion monthly active users. As of September 2017, Instagram had reached 800 million monthly active users. As of the fourth quarter of 2017, the Twitter averaged at 330 million monthly active users.

Facebook is currently by far the largest social media platform. Find ways to be present on Facebook and grow your following.

 

2. Comment on other social posts to be seen.

This is the Law of Reciprocity. Give to others and they will feel compelled to give in return.

I am in 19 Facebook groups for podcasting and business. I am frequently in those groups looking for ways to help other people.

Find groups you can join where you can offer help and answer questions.

 

3. Ask your friends to share.

You never know who might know somebody.

Dave Jackson and I do the Podcast Review Show. We are joined on the show by a podcaster who receives joint coaching from us.

On the episode we recorded the other night, Lionel from A Modelers Life podcast. It is a show for and about model railroaders.

Dave wondered how big the niche could be. Lionel told him that you would be surprised who could be model railroaders. That’s when I told Dave that I was into model railroading back in the day. My dad got me into it when I was a kid.

You never know who might be interested in your niche.

 

4. Ask your guests to share.

Guests are your most powerful resource. Using the circle of influence of your guest has the potential to grow your audience exponentially.

Make it easy for your guest to share your podcast. Write the Facebook post for the episode on which they appear. Do most of the work for them and allow them to make edits if they wish.

 

5. Be a guest on other shows. Make an invitation easy.

Are you willing to be on other podcasts? Have you told anyone?

Make it easy to find you and invite you to appear. Put a link on your site. This could be on the contact page or a stand-alone invite page.

See my contact page at PodcastTalentCoach.com for an example.

 

6. Write guest columns in publications or on websites.

My relationship with Dave Jackson at School of Podcasting began after he discovered a few articles I wrote for the New Media Expo site back when that event was still happening.

 

7. Ask your audience.

Your audience loves you. Let them help you.

You never know who is listening to your show. A small ask could gain huge growth in your podcast downloads.

One of my favorite shows we would do each year on the radio was during Christmas. We would ask listeners to call in with gifts they were having difficulty finding. Then, we would ask other listeners to call in if they could help.

We just served as the liaison between those that needed and those that had the knowledge. Everybody felt good after that show. Most people want to help.

 

8. Ask others in your niche to recommend your show.

Make it worth their while.

Help each other. Again, this is the law of reciprocity.

What do your counterparts need? How can you help them?

If you are helping others, karma will bring it around to you eventually.

 

9. Host meet-ups and have your listeners bring friends.

If ten people attend the first one, and you have each of them bring a friend next time, you double your group.

Texas country artist Aaron Watson came to town to perform. He is an artist that can attract large crowds in Texas. However, he was quite unknown in our city.

When he was on stage, Aaron said he completely understood that the audience wouldn’t be nearly the size here as it was in Texas. But, he would continue to come as long as the audience continued to bring their friends.

Aaron told the audience if there were 100 people in the crowd that night, and he gave a great show so each person would bring a friend next time, he would eventually have large crowds here as well. He understood the power of leveraging his audience.

 

BASICS

Use these 9 ways to grow your podcast downloads this week. When you distill it down, it is basically three basic concepts.

1. Help people.

2. Make it easy to share your stuff.

3. Make it worth their while – what is in it for them?

 

Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

How To Grow Your Audience By 10x – Episode 176

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How To Grow Your Audience By 10x – Episode 176

Get out of your comfort zone
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If you want to grow and develop, you need to push yourself. Self-development requires you to get uncomfortable. Nobody grows in their comfort zone. This is especially true if you want to grow your audience by 10x.

In the online business space, you hear a lot of people talking about 10x. You hear them encourage you to grow your business by ten times its current size. Grow your audience by ten times. The gurus encourage you to not focus on growth from 200 to 300 downloads and instead focus on growing from 200 to 2,000 downloads.

How do you do that?

Well, you won’t 10x your growth by doing the same thing you’ve been doing. It hasn’t got you there yet.

You need to take bold action. You need to push yourself out of your comfort zone and do something big that will get noticed. Get uncomfortable to grow your audience.

I have been on the radio for 30 years. But, I didn’t start at the top.

PUSH #1

If you look back at my start in radio, it happened by accident. When I was in college getting my degree in architecture, I picked up a part-time job at a roller skating rink. My job was to skate around and make sure kids followed the rules. My younger brother was the DJ.

After moving up the roller rink food chain, I eventually became a DJ at the rink. The job requirement to get the gig was simply to be the guy with most tenure. If you were the one who had been there the longest, you got to play the tunes.

Dan was another guy who worked at the rink. He also happened to run a really small AM radio station. The station played paid, long-form programming. He hired my brother to work part-time at the station.

One day, he called the house to see if my brother could cover a shift he had open. My brother wasn’t home. However, that call turned into a part-time offer for me at the station. That weekend, I was at the radio station running the board for the programs. I still wasn’t on the air, but I was running a radio station. My envelope wasn’t being pushed quite yet.

Over the summer, I began thinking of a career change. The next semester of school, I picked up broadcasting for the non-major as an elective. One night in class, the program director of the campus radio station visited.

The program director is the guy who runs the entire content operations of a radio station. Music, imaging, contests, commercials, and talent. The PD is in charge of anything you hear on the air.

When the program director was wrapping up, he told us he was looking for a music director for the station. The music director works for the program director and handles everything related to the music.

This was the first time I pushed the envelope. After class, I went up to him and explained I wasn’t a broadcasting major but was interested in the position. He explained that I didn’t need to be a broadcasting major. He said I just needed to be interested and willing to do the work.

Here I was … an architecture major with limited radio experience being put in charge of the music on the radio station and responsible for communication with the record labels. I had no idea what I was doing. I simply learned on the fly.

Though those years, I met a ton of great people. I was exposed to a lot of great music I had never hear. Most importantly, my on-air ability grew at least by ten times. In fact, it grew enough to land me a full time gig at a local commercial radio station.

PUSH #2

Jump forward 5 years. I was working as an audio producer for an interactive phone company. Radio had been my career until I joined this company 8 months earlier.

The station I left 2 years earlier called me. The station was for sale and the program director was leaving. They asked me to come back to the station to be the new program director until they could find a suitable buyer.

At this point in time, I had never been a program director. In fact, the college station was the only time I had ever been a music director. There was no experience managing a staff on my resume. I wasn’t even in radio at the time.

Now, I had the opportunity to run a radio station.

I could let the little voice in my head tell me all the reasons why I wasn’t qualified to do it. Or, I could jump at the chance to prove I had what it took.

Time to push the envelope a second time.

I took the chance and leaned all I could. This was the first time I started coaching on-air talent. I was building shows and shaping content. It was a great ride. We never reached the top, but we learned a ton and had a blast.

The station eventually sold and I left the station.

PUSH #3

The third chance to push the envelope came 2-and-a-half years later.

This time, I had a chance to launch a station. I was offered the opportunity to be the program director of a station that was flipping format to Top 40. I was given one on-air talent and one promotions director.

My first guy didn’t last very long. My second guy took the challenge and ran with it. We took that station to number one in 12 months. It was huge.

We were on a small signal with a small staff. We just did what others wouldn’t. The staff grew. I helped my team develop shows that were the buzz of the town. It was an amazing ride. That station was number one for a long time.

DO YOU HAVE THE DESIRE?

Every time I made huge leaps in my career it involved pushing the envelope. My growth came from getting out of my comfort zone and stretching myself.

Do you want to grow your audience by leaps and bounds or do you want to slowly creep toward your goal?

Are you ready to increase your downloads ten times what they are now?

Then you need to do a few things that are going to make you a bit uncomfortable.

You need to reach out to others in your space. You need to increase your circle of influence. You need to take some chances and make some noise.

Here are some tips to grow your audience.

TEN TIPS TO GROW

  1. Reach out to super-fans and begin the interaction.
  2. Help people meet and create community.
  3. Host events to create community.
  4. Get interviewed on other shows. Make it easy for hosts to find you.
  5. Give. Leave feedback for other shows. Ask great questions on other shows.
  6. Promotion is the exploitation of great opportunities. Find great opportunities.
  7. Buy a contest insurance policy.
  8. Collect birthdates in your database and call listeners on their birthday.
  9. Create a lead magnet for every episode.
  10. Find people who can help you and invest in yourself. Mastermind, coach, peers.

 

You can get my entire list of 52 ways to create engagement with your show here:

 

 

Get to work. Move out of your comfort zone. Grow your audience by 10x by pushing yourself.

Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.