Prologue
A Vegan, an Atheist, and a CrossFitter walk into a bar...
I know because I was there when they walked in – and they each told within 60 seconds.
I love that joke, because it's true – vegans, atheists, and people who do CrossFit are great about flying their flags.
But everybody has a "one true religion."
Your podcast is the perfect place to lean into this and build a community around it. In this issue of Big Podcast Insider, I give you some ideas on how to better do this.
Podcast Marketing
What Bitcoin Taught Me About Community
In the Spring of 2010, I attended a mastermind organized by a friend of mine in Utah. I met a guy (not the lady in this photo) who would not stop talking about Bitcoin. He was convinced a "cash exchange day" was coming and it was important to have plenty of cryptocurrency, gold, and cows.
Had I taken his advice to put $1000 into Bitcoin at that moment and not touched it, I'd have roughly $484,380,000 of it right now. That's fun to think about, but an (almost) equally valuable lesson is watching the community around Bitcoin – it's not about the money, it's about the future... and control ... and freedom.
What do people really like what you do? This is an interesting article about the community around Bitcoin and I think it will give you some ideas on how to create a similar community around your podcast.
Instagram for Podcasters – 21 Facts [Infographic]
A couple of months ago, I started to take the Big Podcast Instagram a bit more seriously. Instead of just podcasting funny memes about podcasting, I decided to use it as a "mirco-blogging" tools to release content that didn't work for my podcast and was too short for the real blog.
The big takeaway for me is the importance of community and interaction. Instagram is the perfect place for you to interact with podcast listeners and for podcast listeners to interact with each other.
Need a little more info about what a great opportunity this is for your podcast? Check out this article and infographic.
Want to be featured on the Big Podcast Instagram? Submit your podcast studio photo here.
Interactive Quizzes (and More) for Podcast Listeners
If you've ever seen an issue of Cosmopolitan magazine, you've likely seen "the Cosmo Quiz," a multiple-choice assessment that lets you know things like:
- Is he really into you?
- Are you too much of a bitch or not enough?
- Is your BFF secretly trying to steal your boyfriend?
I don't know that anybody takes these quizzes really seriously, but they fun to talk about and share with friends, especially online where sharing and discussion is easy.
If you're creative, Involve Me can be similarly fun for your listeners and get you big results as far as attracting new people to your podcast. Check out the free account option and see how it works for you. If nothing else, it will give your listeners something fun to do.
Note that this tool has more serious uses. For example, I just refinanced my house and used a similar calculator to run the numbers – you can build something helpful like this for your podcast using this tool.
Podcasting Deals
Podsite – 5 Podcast Websites for Only $49
When you build a community around your podcast, they need somewhere to go. Instagram is great, but it's building a house on another person's land and anything you do on Instagram can be taken away from you at any time.
You need to focus on building a community around a site/domain that you own, not somebody else's.
Podsite is an easy way to do this and works with any podcast host. And right now, you can do up to five sites for a one-time fee of only $49. Split the cost with your friends and you'll be good-to-go (for life) for as little as $10!
Podcast Monetization
Build an Audience, Sell Anything
I've got a book called Big Podcast, but it's not really about podcasting – it's about using a podcast to build an audience.
When you have an audience, you can do anything. This is how so many "influencers" and country music stars are into the liquor business.
This is the story about a 22-year-old who just launched a burger joint with 300 locations. But not really... It's a story about building an audience and the possibilities you have when you do.
I love podcasting, but don't stop with "just a podcast."