Prologue
Fly Your Flag
Some people get upset when societal norms and values are challenged or when individuals express themselves in ways that defy traditional expectations.
Are you going to let that stop you? I hope not.
But it does stop some people. Which is understandable ... Speaking and living your truth isn't without risks.
If you've ever asked wondered, "How can I get more listeners to my podcast," here's the answer ...
Be their voice. And if you really want listeners, help them to speak up for themselves.
In this issue of Big Podcast Insider, I've got a great story about a guy who showed up to the wrong audience and how he handled it as well as a "Steal This Idea" strategy you can use as a segment within your podcast to make listeners feel part of your episodes.
Want to brainstorm ideas for how to use this strategy? Hit me up on Bluesky, Mastodon, or Twitter.
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Podcaster Opportunities
DJ Shows Up to the Wrong Gig – A Lesson for Podcasters
Here's a great example of "you do you."
This video of Mix Master Mike is interesting to me for a few reasons and all of them are important lessons for podcasters that will help you when you're in a situation like this ... and you will be.
- This was the wrong gig for him. It's not his fault – an event planner booked "Mix Master Mike" and that's what he delivered.
- Mike does his thing regardless. He's famous, not somebody who's going to bend for the crowd.
- He's playing to the people who do care – the people watching the video.
Not "everybody" is your crowd, no matter who you are or how skilled you are. And if you do enough gigs, you're going to have one like this.
Want to see something a little bit closer to home for podcasters? He's a presentation by Pat Flynn that looks great on video, but was only attended by maybe 100 people in person.
Pat didn't complain – he delivered a "big" presentation, as if there were 1000 or more people there.
Same for Mike. He was nice to the guy who thought he was too loud and he turned his volume down, but he didn't stop bringing his big energy to the performance.
Not getting the number of downloads you think your podcast deserves? Maybe not. Show up anyway.
Steal This Idea
What's in My Bag?
"What's in My Bag?" is a video series from Amoeba Records, is a famous record shop in LA. They basically ask well-known musicians what they're listening to.
This concept is a great opportunity for podcasters who can use the content as:
- A YouTube video (just like Amoeba does)
- A segment within an existing podcast
- A standalone segment that could be released as part of a premium subscription (see below for more thoughts on this)
- An Instagram or LinkedIn "carousel" post
- An entirely new podcast
This could be modified to still images of the album covers and distributed via a Instagram or LinkedIn carousel. Or you could do variations of it, taking one track and showing different ways it's been used via sampling, etc. Or do a segment within your podcast, or bonus audio episode.
In general, the "what's in my bag" framework can work in most any niche. I do something similar with podcast studios and equipment on the Big Podcast Instagram page.
You could do a version of this also.
Podcast Humor
This is for the gays ... and trans people ... and queer people ...
Something humorous that all podcasters will understand, regardless of who you are and whom you love ... but also a serious message. And not just the one about the importance of confirming time zones before an interview.
We are in a crazy time right now, with a lot of "outrage" being directed at certain people. You may be one of these people.
Who knew that rainbows on a t-shirt at Target could melt a snowflake? But here we are.
This is the important part ...
There are a lot of people who don't look like you or live like you and, because they haven't had the experiences you've had, don't completely understand what you have to deal with. They see what's happening in the world and want to help, but don't know how ... or they're just not there as far as how much help is actually needed, because they're living different lives.
But they're good people. And you're not alone – they're with you, even if it doesn't always seem that way.
It's easy to forget this with so much hate and toxicity online. Especially if you're putting out "non-traditional" content that unfortunately attracts pushback from the people who get triggered by it.
Don't stop speaking up. When you do, people will start speaking for you.
Your "message" doesn't have to be anything extreme – it can be subtle.
But speak up. This is how people learn ... and how things change for the better.
I'll be going deeper on this topic within the audio version of this issue, since I want to be very clear on this. I also want to bring you into the conversion. So reach out via Bluesky, Mastodon, or Twitter.
Podcast Monetization
Time to "go paid" or should you keep doing a podcast for free?
Just because you can charge for your podcast—does it mean you should?
That wasn't the exact quote from this article, but everything he loved about paid newsletters also applies to paid podcasts.
The answer is no, by the way. But here are the reasons to consider doing a paid podcast:
- recurring revenue
- no dealing with advertisers
- recurring revenue
- scalability
- recurring revenue
In all seriousness, recurring revenue changed my life. And it's a good idea for many businesses. But should your podcast be one of the things you sell in this way?
He's got a few things you should consider before launching a paid product, but I think the big one is this: Will a "paid podcast" be a barrier from people hearing it?
Most of the time, the answer is yes. So while you might make a few bucks (or even more than a few) on a paid podcast, it's doubtful you'll reach as many people with it.
It's not just about money, it's about ease as well. For example, I could sell this book for $12.95 on Amazon and keep a couple of bucks or sell it myself for the same price, via BigPodcast.com, and keep all of the profit, but which one is easier for you?
If you want to reach the most people with your podcast, keep it free and find other ways to make money from it. A backend product or service, sponsorship, ads, etc.
But what if there's a middle ground?
There is. And this might be the best option for you. Keep you standard podcast free, but sell "premium" content for a price.
Want a cheap and easy way to try this out? Check out Soundwise.
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The Wrap Up
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