Prologue
It’s Embarassing! (But Also a Good Opportunity.)
In 1991, I had a chance conversation at the gym that changed how I did workouts.
Long story short, the dude I talked to wasn't lifting weights at the gym, he was simply lifting himself through various bodyweight exercises.
That set me on a path of various forms of pullups, dips, handstands, pushups, lunges, etc.
I did that for almost 30 years.
Fast-forward to right now. It's been three years since gyms shut down due to the pandemic. And I fell off the wagon a bit.
A couple of weeks ago, I installed a new pullup bar at my house. I'm back to using it, but it's embarrassing how much momentum I've lost.
On the other hand, I've spent the last three years doing other types of exercise, so I've also gained momentum in new areas.
Have you done this with your podcast?
It's easy to get "off track" with a podcast. Because of this, I'm doing a free, "Podcast Jumpstart" program in June. More info is below. Or go here to get it now.
Even if you've lost momentum with your podcast, like me, there are probably a lot of things you've also gained at the same time. So this will be a good opportunity for you to dig into your podcast (whatever state it's in) and make it even better than before.
I hope you'll join me and hundreds of other podcasters who will be doing Podcast Jumpstart with me.
In this issue of Big Podcast Insider, I've got a great trick that will double the listeners of your next episode by getting your social media followers involved in its creation. There's also a list of ten simple things you can do to finally get control of your email and some advice on how to handle "bad" reviews of your podcast.
Want additional thoughts on these topics? Get the audio version here.
Sponsor
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Podcaster Opportunities
Podcast Jumpstart 2.0 - Get it Free!
This is a proven way to get your podcast "unstuck." Over 3700 podcasters went through the original "28-Day Podcast Jumpstart" program before I closed the doors.
In June, I'm bringing Podcast Jumpstart back ... and we're all going to do this one together.
Podcast Marketing
Podcast Marketing Lessons from Newsletters
It's always interesting to me how many similarities there are between podcast marketing and the marketing of other types of media, especially online media.
Online newsletters are a great example of this and I think you'll find it interesting to see that the things on this list from Alex Llull with things that work for promoting newsletters that also work for promoting podcasts.
Here's a way you can promote your next podcast episode. This is similar to what he does for newsletters, so if you've got a newsletter, you can use it both places.
Don't have a newsletter? Try Moosend.
The Before-After
How Alex describes it ...
- The day before publishing your episode, post something on social media (or even your newsletter) that lets people know what they'll get when they listen.
- The day after publishing your episode, post a recap.
But let's go even deeper ... with a three-step system for podcasters:
The first thing to do is announce an interview on social media before you do it. No interview? Announce the topic.
For example, "Hey, I'm doing an interview with [GUEST X] and we're going to talk about [TOPIC Y]. What questions do you have about this topic?"
Note that this works even better if you have a big/celebrity guest. But it's going to work regardless of your guest, provided that the topic of your podcast and the people who follow you on social media are a good match ... and they should be. :)
The second thing to do is, immediately after you're finished recording the episode, go back to the post and reply to everybody who responded ... "George, I got your question in. Betsy, he had a lot of good things to say about that. Carrie, I asked him your question and was shocked by his answer."
Next, when the episode is live, let people know.
More thoughts on pre- and post-episode promo as well as how to get more audience engagement in the audio edition of this newsletter ...
Podcast Production
Master Your Email With These Essential Gmail Tips
Everybody seems to have a "system" for dealing with email. But this is something different – it's made of actionable steps you can take from Google Productivity Expert Laura Mae Martin, a woman who has the data to back up everything she advises here.
Her advice:
- Cut down on notifications
- Respond within 24 hours, even if it’s only to check in
- Close out your email 1-2 times a day
- Don’t click on an email more than twice
- Sorting, reading, and answering emails should be separate activities
- Keep emails that require clear action—otherwise archive or delete
- Skip some emails
- Don’t mix your read and unread emails
- To stay focused, keep new email out of sight (this will help)
- To find what you need, just search
What do you think? I'd love to know what you're doing to handle email effectively. Reach out to me via Twitter or Mastodon to let me know what you're doing.
I'll have more thoughts on my methods for dealing with (or not dealing with, in some cases) email in the audio edition of this newsletter.
Podcast Humor
Don't get mad, get even!
I'm kidding ... One-star reviews actually help you as they show the "good" reviews you're getting are authentic. If you have too many five-star reviews without any lower-rating reviews, people will be skeptical.
Don't get me wrong – bad reviews hurt, because we want people to like us. But your podcast isn't made for everybody, so it doesn't make sense that everybody would like it. Yeah, some people will probably "hate" it, but that's OK, because "your podcast isn't made for everybody."
What's the "worst" review you've ever received? Post it here.
Classifieds
Your First Podcast Sponsor
Joe Casabona makes $35,000-50,000 per year from podcast sponsorships with a relatively small audience. This is how you can do the same thing.
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.
Riverside - Remote Recording Studio
Riverside records high-quality audio (and video) directly from your browser. No special equipment is needed and connecting with your guest is as simple as sending a web link!
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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If you like the newsletter, you'll love the podcast. It's called Build a Big Podcast and it will help you do three things:
- Grow your podcast audience.
- Get people talking about your podcast.
- Make more money with your podcast.
You can subscribe for free.
On a desktop? Use your phone to scan the QR code above to make it easy on yourself! Or call me at 615-488-4321 and I'll send you the link via text.