Prologue
Podcasting vs. YouTube
"Podcasting has a discovery problem."
This is the argument many people make for putting their audio-only podcasts on YouTube. Or switching from audio-only podcasts to video-first content.
Do what you want – my goal with Big Podcast Insider, even though "podcast" is in the name, is to help you get your message out in any way that works for you.
But understand that audio-only podcasts and videos on YouTube are two different things ...
Audio-only podcasts beat YouTube videos when it comes to:
- Portability
- Intimacy
- Anonymity
You can't drive your car, at least not safely, while watching a YouTube video. You can't go on a walk, or mow your lawn, while watching a YouTube video. But you can listen to podcasts.
Podcasts, because most people listen alone or via headphones, feel intimate. This is definitely helpful when it comes to you building a relationship with listeners.
And podcasts, at least when you listen through headphones, are consumed anonymously – nobody around you knows what you're listening to. That's a huge benefit, because people don't want their coworkers, or the other people around them up in their business.
If people are looking for your topic, they'll be able to find your audio-only podcast. And don't you want listeners who are really into your topic and willing to search for it, as opposed to people who casually clicked on a video because it was by YouTube's algorithm?
Something to think about.
Sponsor
Missinglettr
Missinglettr is an all-in-one promotion platform that turns podcasts into engaging social media posts and helps you solve distribution by finding the best influencers in your niche.
Podcaster Opportunities
8 Ways Podcasters Can Use ChatGPT
Here are eight ways podcasters can jump in with ChatGPT and start using it to create better episodes and get more listeners.
- Generating episode ideas and outlines
- Writing episode summaries
- Creating engaging and personalized interview questions
- Generating relevant ad and promo copy
- Identifying and researching potential guests
- Creating captivating episode titles
- Writing episode summaries for social media
- Creating personalized and compelling calls-to-action for listeners to subscribe to your podcast
How are you using ChatGPT for your podcast? Let me know via Twitter or Mastodon ... and send me a link, so I can check out how it sounds.
Not yet on Mastodon? Here's an invite to a server just for podcasters.
30-Days of Promotional Content for Your Podcast
Black Podcasters Association is doing a cool social media campaign for Black History Month, "shining a spotlight on a Black podcast creative or professional whose hard work and dedication are helping to move Black voices forward in the podcast industry."
A couple of thoughts about this promotion and the idea behind it ...
First of all, I think minority, unique, and hyper-niche voices are an important aspect of podcasting. Regardless of who you are, there's somebody like you putting out great content via podcasting.
The downside is that important messages often get lost due to the sheer amount of podcasts being released.
That's the second thing ... You can help spread important messages by sharing the stage. If you're reaching an audience that other people with similar messages are trying to reach as well, you will help everybody by spreading those messages to the people who listen to you.
It works in three different ways:
- You're seen as a tastemaker, which helps you.
- You're spreading helpful information, which helps your audience.
- You're helping other podcasters, which helps them as well as podcasting in general.
When one podcaster does well, we all do well.
STEAL THIS IDEA: You could do something similar to what Black Podcasters Association within your niche/genre.
A final thought ...
I posted this message earlier this week on the Big Podcast Instagram and Brad Shreve made the comment, "I look forward to the day every month is Black History Month."
It's a good comment. And if you're thinking you need to wait until a certain time to start a similar promotion or campaign related to your audience, you don't. But know that, if there is something like Black History Month for your audience, it's a great time to jump in and take advantage of existing momentum around a topic. Look at the Big Podcast Instagram for various examples of this ... all related to podcasting, of course.
Podcast Marketing
Podcast Alerts: Monitoring Tool for Podcast Mention Tracking
First of all, if you don't yet have a listing on Podchaser (like IMDB for podcasts), get one.
Second step ... Set up an "alert" to find out who is talking about you on their podcasts.
This service is very similar to Google Alerts in how it works. You pick the keywords you want to monitor and receive an email alert every time your phrase or brand is mentioned on a podcast.
5 Podcasting Lessons from Pirate Movies
Like a good pirate, I'm going to hijack this list, which was originally for B2B content marketers, and make it about podcasting.
This is seriously some "big picture" stuff that, if you followed only what's on this list, would get you where you want to go with your podcast as far as attracting an audience and spreading your message.
- Be Different to Be Remembered - Take any given podcast niche and you'll find most of the podcasts within it are very similar to each other. This is because the first place podcasters look for new ideas is other podcasts. And while you can find some good stuff this way, you have to be mindful to also be doing things on your podcast that stand out, because this is what will make your podcast memorable.
- Be Entertaining, but Useful - "Just the facts" is nice and "what to do" is nice, but somebody who can deliver this kind of information in an entertaining way will win every time.
- Bring in a Ringer or Two - When I start any podcast, I bring my friends in to do interviews. Or bring in "big" guests to do interviews. Or both For example, the first guest I had on Music Business Radio was my friend Dez Dickerson, the guitarist with the Japanese headband in this video.
- Use Storytelling Build a Lasting Brand - Consider The Bible ... all stories. And even if you're not Christian, you know some of them.
- Keep Exploring New Horizons - If you want people to come along for the ride, you have to give them a ride. If you don't give listeners new things to listen to, they'll go elsewhere. But balance this by being consistent with who you are.
I'll have more thoughts on each of these in the audio version of this issue, which you can get via Build a Big Podcast.
Classifieds
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Riverside - Remote Recording Studio
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You can try Riverside free (no credit card is needed) and, if you like it, save 15% on any paid plan by using the coupon code BIGPODCAST.
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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