Podcast Gym

Every podcaster shares a common dream: to see their audience grow and their downloads soar. Imagine having a strategy that could be your secret weapon to boost exposure. What if you could use trending news to get noticed? Harness the YouTube algorithm to get a hundred thousand new views?! Enter newsjacking—a technique that could transform your podcast’s visibility. Let’s explore this strategy furt...

Recent headlines have been quick to proclaim the demise of podcasting, citing layoffs at major platforms like Spotify and Public Radio. Yet, amidst the tumult, there lies a different narrative – one of resilience and growth. Contrary to naysayers, podcasting is not dying; it’s evolving, adapting, and flourishing in unexpected ways. In this post, we’ll explore why podcasting remains a vibrant mediu...

“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” – Coco Chanel You’re a podcaster. You love creating your show. But sometimes marketing and promotion to stand out can feel like an insurmountable challenge. With so many podcasts (YouTube videos, television shows, radio stations, books, and blogs) vying for an audience’s attention, how can you make sure your podcast doesn’t get lost in t...

In the vast landscape of digital content creation, podcasters are constantly seeking innovative ways to expand their reach and engage with new audiences. One strategy that has gained significant traction is repurposing podcast content into short form videos for platforms like YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and TikTok. While this effort may not immediately increase podcast downloads, there are nu...

HOW TO PROMOTE A PODCAST AND GAIN MORE LISTENERS Launching a podcast is just the beginning of your journey. The real challenge lies in promoting it effectively to gain more listeners. In this article, we’ll explore fresh and unconventional tactics that go beyond the basics. Let’s delve into strategies that not only enhance the quality of your content but also help you define and engage with your i...

Creating a podcast can be exciting. It allows you to share your unique perspective, stories, and expertise with the world. However, like any creative pursuit, the journey isn’t always smooth, and you may encounter moments of discouragement along the way. In this article, I want to share common reasons for feeling discouraged about publishing your podcast and offer thoughtful solutions to help you...

Hey there, fellow podcasters! We understand the hustle and heart that you pour into your shows. Growing downloads, being recognized for your dedication, and getting your voice heard are universal dreams of podcasters, just like sculpting that perfect beach body at the gym. But much like the gym, podcasting success doesn’t come overnight. It’s about trying different exercises and consistently showi...

In a world full of great podcasts, it’s increasingly challenging to stand out and capture the attention of your target audience. But here’s the good news: you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to make your mark in the podcasting universe. Instead, you can take calculated risks, as small as 3%, to position your show differently, breathe new life into your content, and create a unique podcasting expe...

For independent podcasters, juggling multiple roles and responsibilities can be a daunting task. You not only have to host engaging episodes but also take on the roles of a researcher, producer, and marketer. However, with the help of advanced language models like ChatGPT, you now have the opportunity to access a powerful tool that can help you perform like a fully staffed podcast team. Let’s expl...

Don’t just be a podcaster. Dream bigger and be a creator. The act of producing original audio content requires coming up with episode ideas, writing scripts, recording, and editing, and promoting to build an audience. Similar to other types of creators, such as writers, artists, and filmmakers, you use your creativity to create something out of nothing that entertains, educates, or informs your au...

Consistency is often touted as the most important factor for successful podcasting. While having a regular schedule is important, there are other factors that are equally or even more important. Let’s be real. Things happen. If your podcast is not your full-time job, sometimes your next podcast episode might have to be delayed. That’s okay. In this blog post, we’ll discuss five things that are mor...

Podcasting has become an incredibly popular medium for people to share their ideas, stories, and insights with the world. I absolutely love it. Hitting publish on a great episode you created feels really good. The trouble is that the competition to stand out in the podcasting world has become increasingly fierce. You're up against hundreds of thousands of actively published podcasts. Some are supp...

After ruminating on my podcasting pet peeves (I’ll share them at the end), I searched Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook to find out what bothers podcast listeners the most. There were commonalities and upvotes that we can use to improve our podcasts. It turns out that listeners do not just want to be entertained, educated, or inspired, but they want podcast creators to respect them and their time. Her...

Marc Maron has struck a three-year deal with Acast to host, monetize, and distribute the comedian’s hit podcast,  WTF With Marc Maron. Comedian Marc Maron launched “ WTF ” in 2009. 1,335 episodes have been published, with new ones coming out twice a week. The show gets about 55 million listens per year. Wow, that is a platform. And platforms are worth money. For example,&n...

“And all this science I don’t understand It’s just my job five days a week A rocket man” ― Elton John // Bernie Taupin During your podcasting journey, you’re bound to feel a bit lost. Things have been a little crazy for me recently. After many close calls, COVID got my family last month. I’ve caught 6 mice in my house in the last 10 days. My dad just returned home&nbs...

“Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in.” ― Isaac Asimov The word for this post is “open.” Be open to unexpected guests. Be open to new ideas. Be open to being uncomfortable. Publishing a podcast regularly can be a slog sometimes. Being open to new things can keep things fresh — in a good way. I’ve talked previously&nbs...

“Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things.“ ― Theodore Levitt Pivot is a popular word in the start-up world. A pivot means fundamentally changing the direction of a business when you realize the current products or services aren’t meeting the needs of the market. It’s a fact that most entrepreneurial firms fail. For an entrepreneur, the idea that you can...

Today, I deleted 3,300 emails from my inbox. 5,748 unread messages stand between me and inbox zero. Oh dear. I’ll come back to my disastrous inbox later, but first… You want to grow your podcast, right? Many podcast gurus say the best way to grow your podcast’s downloads is to guest on other podcasts. Why? Because you’re getting in front of listeners who already listen to podcasts. Here’s whe...

“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” Henry David Thoreau I was told early on, “Don’t look at your downloads.” Guess what? I looked at my downloads. If I had zero downloads, I would still enjoy hosting my podcast. To which a friend responded, “Then why do you bot...

Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of the creative effort. –   Franklin D. Roosevelt I read an article in the New York Times, “ Surrounded by Big Tech, Small Podcast Shops Swim With Sharks. ” The subheading reads, “Independent companies like Prologue Projects, Campside Media and Rococo Punch try different strategies in a market r...

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. – Charles R. Swindoll Are you generally more fearful or fearless? We all have our good days and bad days.  It’s got to be partly innate, a trait present from birth. Some people were born fearless. Others have to work hard to build their courage. When it comes to rejection, fearing it is more universal. Really, wh...

Do you podcast for the money or the fame?  That emoji is me laughing and crying at the same time. It’s said that most podcasters do not make money. The truth is that most of us have negative cash flow after accounting for the cost of gear, time, and not taking a salary. We podcast for the love of it… the networking… building a personal brand. I get it. It’s not all about the moolah. As y...

“Practice like you’ve never won. Perform like you’ve never lost.” I was recently invited to be a special guest of the  Masters of Hawaiian Music in New York City . In the photo above, I’m in the center, seated between 5-time Grammy award winner  George Kahumoku, Jr.  and master ‘ukulele instrumentalist  Herb Ohta, Jr.  We each played a solo set and then jammed together to...

“When it is time to sow, sow and when it is time to harvest, you will harvest. Obey this rule.”  ― Israelmore Ayivor, Become a Better You Few know the grind better than an indie podcaster. Am I right? We wear many hats…  Booker, host, audio engineer, editor, promoter, copywriter, and VA. I’m sure there are more, but those quickly come to mind. Alexandra Cohl of POD.DRALAND...

“The awards world can be ridiculous, but I’m not one to bash it. I love awards! When I’ve been nominated for Emmys and when I won my DGA Award, I couldn’t have been happier. I always liked getting a gold star in class.” ― Paul Feig I’ve never liked awards much. Perhaps it began in 1989 when the newly created Grammy Awards category for  Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Voca...