🎤 The Big Podcast (Issue 108) December 23rd 2022

Prologue

This Podcast Makes Money

Jay Clouse has a podcast called Creative Elements. He just joined HubSpot's podcast network, so I brought him on Build a Big Podcast to go through the step-by-step process of how he made it happen.

This is a multi-episode series and I've broken it down into little chunks to make it easier for you to listen to. So if you haven't ~~subscribed~~ followed Build a Big Podcast yet, go here and make it happen.

Or ... If you're in the US, call me right now at 615-488-4321 and I'll send the link directly to your phone ... as well as link for you to get a free copy of the Big Podcast audiobook.

We talk about:

Quitting a podcast that no longer works for you
Getting the attention of established podcast producers
"Promoting a podcast" vs. "launching a podcast"
Building a great podcast from the ground up
Small podcast programming tweaks to assure you don't end up with "just another podcast" that gets ignored
Podcasting-related lessons from pitching startups
Podcasting-related skills developed from "half a journalism degree"
Organizing your podcast episodes in a way that attracts listeners (and makes your podcast stand out)

Lots of good stuff, if you're looking to grow your podcast and get the attention of a network or other people who can help you with it. Listen now.

Podcaster Opportunities

Want to be a guest on more podcasts? Try this ...

Jay Clouse not only hosts a big podcast, he's also a guest on other big podcasts.

How does he get booked so often? Because he's developed a great reputation as a guest who can deliver.

What that looks like:

Sharing specific examples when he makes a point.
Backing up opinions with data.
Turning data/examples into memorable and entertaining stories.
Talking with hosts, not just at them.
Knowing when to pause/stop an answer.
Listening to the podcast he's on before he's on it.
Making callbacks and references to previous episodes on the podcasts he's on.

More details and a discussion here.

I just released an episode of Build a Big Podcast where he talks about growing his podcast and signing with HubSpot's podcast network. You can listen here.

Podcast Marketing

Marketing Your Podcast via Email

Everyone wants to reach a big audience! But just because you're reaching more people doesn't mean they're automatically going to pay attention to what you have to say.

And that's assuming you actually reaching more people. Many "big" email lists are full of dead email addresses. Or good email addresses, but for people who no longer pay attention to the emails they've been sent.

Inbox Collective answers the question ... What Does My Email List Say About Me?

Want to start sending emails to your listeners? Substack is a good place to start. If you just want to do a straight newsletter and have complete control of everything, try SendFox.

Podcast Hosting Skills

What Makes a Successful Podcaster?

When I saw this article about writers, the first thing I thought about was how many parallels there are to good podcasters.

For example:

They’re not scared to ask a lot of questions.
They’re never shy to spot problems (or things they disagree with) and pitch solutions or alternatives.
They have a valuable network (and marketing knowledge) due to learning how to market themselves.
They know how to edit themselves.
“Little” details matter (and make a big difference as far as reach and impact of something).

And they're good both at receiving feedback. For example:

They write down feedback to avoid making the same mistakes again.
They ask for feedback and how they can do better.
They don't take feedback (like edits) personally.

I love this topic and will have more to say on it in the audio edition of this issue.

RELATED: Want a simple way to get better at hosting? Do a sausage factory podcast.

Podcasting Tools

Organize Your Podcast Production

PodcastStudio Pro is built on the same platform as the #1 app for professional film and television development.

This free tool will help you to keep track of important things you want to mention during recording of your episodes, talking points, transition segues, and more. It will help you with planning and organizing your episodes.

It's a great option to keep your podcast recording more organized, especially if you're working with a co-host or other people to produce your podcast.

Definitely worth a look.

Podcast Production

5 Tips for Deep Work

Cal Newport, who coined the term deep work, writes, “Deep work is the ability to concentrate deeply on a difficult task for prolonged periods without getting distracted.”

For podcasters this type of focus is essential.

I love what he says about The Eisenhower Decision Matrix. Most modern to-do apps have a built-in option for this, so you may already have a program that can handle organizing your tasks in this way. I use Amazing Marvin for this.

Here's how I divide tasks:

Important and urgent
Important but not urgent
Not important and urgent
Not important and not urgent

As far as the deep work itself and how to work in that way, here's the process:

Schedule time for deep work
Examine what tasks you shouldn’t do (this is where the 4/4 Matrix comes in)
Keep distractions away
Assess how you’re doing
Take breaks

I've got a lot more to say on this, which I'll include in the audio version. For now, read the article and see if you can organize what you needs to do into 4/4 Matrix (Eisenhower).

Podcasting Deals

100,000 Royalty-Free Music Tracks and SFX

Keyframe Audio has more than 100,000 premium, royalty-free music tracks, cues, and SFX for your podcast production.

Available music genres:

Acoustic
Blues
Cinematic
Dance
EDM
Hip Hop
Pop
Rock
Soul / R&B
more ...

Forget ongoing subscriptions to similar services – you can get lifetime access to Keyframe Audio for only $59.

Podcast Humor

Are You Podcasting Over Christmas and New Years?

There are two ways of looking at a holiday schedule for your podcast.

Your listeners are busy with "holiday" things and won't have time to listen to your podcast.
Your listeners have more downtime than normal and, because of this, are more likely to listen to your podcast.

If you want to take a break from publishing your podcast during certain holidays, by all means do. But also keep in mind that, because a lot of podcasters are taking breaks from publishing, and many listeners have extra time around the holidays to listen to podcasts (such as during a commute to see family), you'll have an increased shot to your podcast being consumed.

Either option is a good one. Nobody would fault you for taking a break, especially at this time of year. Also, we live in a big world, with lots of holidays, many of which aren't celebrated everywhere, so there is opportunity there as well.

Want more podcast-related humor? Check out the Big Podcast Instagram page!

Classifieds

The Wrap Up

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Grow your podcast audience.
Get people talking about your podcast.
Make more money with your podcast.

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