Prologue
Something I've taken for granted ...
I grew up in Nashville, surrounded by songwriters and musicians. My route to school crossed Music Row, two streets filled with [hundreds] of record labels, studios, and publishing companies.
Of course working in music (or any creative industry) was a possibility for me – I saw it daily.
Only when I left Nashville did I meet people who didn't know working in a creative business was possible. Or didn't understand that "making art" is a real job and had no idea of the amount of it takes to be successful.
Let's talk about that second one ... this is hard work, even if you enjoy it.
That's not to say that you'll never see elements of ease – you can find some ease within anything. But to be successful at any creative business, including podcasting, you must do the work.
Are you doing the work?
Be honest. I'm not going to judge you, because after 25 years of being in the trenches, I know that everybody has moments where we shut down and collapse. I've had a few of those that have been more recent than I'd like to admit.
Are you there now? Where are you feeling stuck? Is there something specific that you need help with?
Let me know. Reach out on Bluesky, Mastodon, or Twitter with where you are and where you want to go. This will help me to create future issues of Big Podcast Insider that work for you.
In this issue, some "stolen" promotion strategies from YouTubers, writers, and newsletter editors that will help you grow your podcast audience ...
Like to listen? See Build a Big Podcast to get the audio version.
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Steal This Idea
A YouTube Lesson for Podcasters
If you're a Police fan, you'll find this video either hilarious or frustrating.
Either way, the concept is something you could use to grow both your YouTube presence and your podcast audience.
By the way, if you do enjoy this video, there are also versions with The Cure, The Smiths, and Depeche Mode songs.
Something for your podcast? It could be.
You'll probably notice that Desmond Doom, the guy doing these videos, is a musician and he's promoting his own album, which you can check out on Spotify
He brings you in via analysis of something popular, something you likely already know and love, and hopes you're curious enough about what else he's doing that you'll take a listen to his music as well.
Any podcaster can do an analysis like this. For example, if you've got a podcast about public speaking, you could analyze popular TEDx talks. And if you've got a podcast about social media, you could analyze successful Instagram or Facebook posts.
But don't forget the main purpose ...
These videos, or "bonus" podcasts, or blogs, or newsletters (whatever format you use to release this content) will attract new people and drive them to your main content. If done with intention, they can be like automated carnival barkers, each saying, "Step right up!"
Test it. Go in with 5-6 of these to start, then add more if you feel the effort you put in is worth it.
It's working for Desmond Doom. In the last four weeks, he's had over 60,000 people view this video and his Cure video has had over 400,000 videos in the same time period.
Let me know how it works for you. Reach out on Bluesky, Mastodon, or Twitter.
Podcast Production
What 849,620 Writers Know About Podcasting
750 Words is based on a section of popular book for writers called The Artist's Way that encourages people to write three longhand pages of whatever comes to mind each morning. 849,620 writers have used it.
You may find it helpful for organizing your podcasting ideas as well as coming up with new ideas – that's how legendary broadcaster Earl Nightingale used it. He had a daily routine of sitting down with a "yellow legal pad and a ball point pen" and writing goals as well as his ideas on how to provide value to listeners and others he interacted with.
Daily action gets results. If you want to be a better podcast host, here is a daily practice for podcasters.
And if you're looking for a cheap blogging platform to publish your thoughts in writing, try this one for $19.
Podcasting Deals
Finish Your Podcast Faster
Do you work alone? Do you set your own schedule?
I love tools like Caveday (virtual coworking) to help keep me focused. And I've used the Pomodoro Technique for years. In fact, I'm using it right now.
Centered is an AI-powered productivity coach that helps you power through your work and get more done.
- Easily connect your smartphone via QR code
- Get nudges if you get distracted by time-wasting sites and apps
- Receive alerts about upcoming interviews, so you don’t accidentally blow off an important guest
I like it so much, I'm considering setting up a coworking group just for podcasters. This will be free, but obviously, you'll need the app.
And the good news is ... It's only $29 right now.
Interested? Reach out on Bluesky, Mastodon, or Twitter and let me know. If there's enough interest, I'll put it together.
Podcast Humor
Do We Need to Talk About Your Choices?
If I only had $100 to spend on podcasting equipment, this is what I'd buy.
Nothing on the list is flashy, but it gets the job done and is enough for you to create a podcast that you can be proud of.
I did radio before I got involved with podcasting. When I decided to build a studio in my house (and I use that term loosely – it's a closet), rather than copy a radio studio, I wanted to embrace "podcasting" and I did that by focusing on inexpensive equipment. The mics, for example, were ATR-2100s by Audio-Technica (see the new version here), which were around $50 at the time.
You don't need the latest or most expensive hardware to make a great podcast. In fact, if I only had $500 to spend, I'd still start with an ATR-2100 and spend the rest on acoustic treatment for the room I was in as well as software like Izotope RX to help me make what I recorded even better via de-reverb, de-click, and other plugins designed for dialogue. And I'd still record everything with Audacity, which is free.
Podcast Monetization
Stolen Tricks to Grow Your Podcast
You may have noticed that I'm a huge fan of "borrowing" podcast promotion and marketing ideas from non-podcasters. For example, I think that this article on promoting newsletters has some great ideas that will work for your podcast.
1. Pinned Social Media Posts
This one will take you just a minute or two. Want to see an example of how it works? See this post on Instagram and this post on Twitter for two posts I did to promote a $.99 sale on 101 Podcast Episode Templates.
2. Other Podcasts (with similar topics)
The easiest person to get to listen to your podcast is somebody who already knows how to listen to podcasts.
What this looks like:
- being a guest on podcasts
- buying ads on podcasts
- syndicating a special segment to other podcasts (for example, a "tip of the week" or "Q&A")
NOTE: All of these are good options, but most podcasters are underutilizing guest opportunities, even me. As an example, Podchaser lists me as appearing on over 2236 podcast episodes, but only about 30, or 1.3% of those are as a guest.
3. A Signature Talk
Most podcasters have an opportunity to speak at live events, even if it's only to talk about your podcast itself, and not any of the topics you cover. Put together a basic talk now, so you're ready for this opportunity.
TIP: Think in "chunks" for this. Have slides/bullets/topics that you can add or remove without affecting the overall message of the talk, depending on the length of the talk needed.
4. Cross-promotion with other podcasts (or newsletters)
Another underutilized promotion option ... How many people do you know who share a similar audience? Reach out to them and make something happen.
Want to be instantly connected with podcasters working just as far as you are? Try Big Podcast AMP.
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The Wrap Up
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- 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.