Podcast Gym

I don’t know much about SEO, it’s short for Search Engine Optimization. According to Moz, SEO is a set of practices designed to improve the appearance and positioning of web pages in organic search results. There are best practices; of course, but, many variables go into an algorithm.  What I do know is that when I pose a question to Google, the first page of search result...

In biology, evolution is the change in the characteristics of a species over several generations. In business, products evolve over time to improve the customer experience. As a showrunner, you need to encourage the evolution of your podcast. At launch, it’s difficult to know if listeners will enjoy your podcast in the way that you envision it. Let’s assume that you followed  podcasting for a...

An essential part of creating a successful podcast is to identify and serve your audience well. But what if you have no idea who your audience is? In marketing, they say you attract customers by creating a customer profile. Can we similarly attract listeners by analyzing their demographics, challenges, and psychographics? Probably. But are you podcasting to sell a product or to create a great show...

7 REAL REASONS TO START A PODCAST Create 8 seconds ago5 Min Read Add Comment 7 There are many well-intentioned articles that say you should start a podcast because it’s easy. I’m going to be straight with you. While easy to start, producing and publishing a podcast regularly requires tremendous effort, energy, and discipline. You will encounter moments of joy, but you’re also likely to have moment...

Although the pandemic induced WFH (work from home) has had its share of WTF, there have been silver linings. I’ve enjoyed hiking with my family at nearby trails that I didn’t even know were there previously. The kids and I bike around the neighborhood regularly. We get to eat lunch together. As podcasters, we’re constantly striving for incremental improvements so, it’s not surprising that over the...

Episode 12: Want a shortcut to creating a great podcast? Never hesitate to imitate another podcaster. Imitation is part of the creative process for anyone learning an art or craft. Whether it's painting, music, or podcasting, all find inspiration in looking up to others. In his book, Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative , Austin Kleon writes: What a good artist unde...

Episode 11: You own more podcast t-shirts than dress shirts Bad audio upsets you You’ve forgotten to hit record, more than once You’ve asked more than one person to subscribe, rate, and review You’ve debated whether there’s a discoverability problem You know what a double-ender is You know Podchaser is the IMDb for podcasts You can report your downloads stats, as of three minutes ago You consider...

Episode 10: Why do you podcast? Is your podcast intended to educate, inspire, or entertain? We all have different motivations. Maybe your goal is to grow your personal brand and build authority? Perhaps you want to monetize your show by building an audience and selling ads to sponsors. Or you might podcast for the simple joy of creating something with friends. Art needs no justification. I’ve list...

Episode 9: If you’re ready start a podcast, you’re probably asking, “Where should I host my podcast?” The good news is that you’ve got choices. The bad news is that you’ve got choices! Don’t get overwhelmed though. A dedicated podcast host is a specialized service that offers to store and deliver media files associated with a podcast. While you could host your media files (MP3 or AAC / M4A) yourse...

Episode 8: A great microphone is an important tool of the trade so choose yours wisely. Type “Best podcast microphone” into Google, YouTube, or Pinterest, and you’re likely to find the Blue Yeti atop many lists. Before impulsively adding it to your shopping cart though, you should learn about different types of microphones and how they differ. Do your homework, because you should pick the mic...

Episode 7: Have you ever gotten a one-star review? Anything less than five-stars can be a crushing blow when you’ve worked so hard to build your show. I haven’t received a bad rating yet but kind of wish that I did. Am I a glutton for punishment? Probably, but let me explain. I’ve been thinking about this, and it dawned on me that every great show has haters. Lacking any negative reviews so far, I...

Episode 6: What if you think of your podcast like a Western? Consider this. Podcasting is a new, untamed frontier. It can be a fast-paced action story. There’s archetypal conflict. Good vs. bad, villains vs. heroes, social law and order vs. anarchy. Podcast vs. radio, perhaps? The podcaster as the hero. A person of integrity and principle, courageous, moral, tough, solid and self-sufficient, maver...

Episode 5: Great interviewers were made, not born. It takes practice, work, and experience. I'm listing resources that helped me prepare to launch my podcast. It's worth mentioning that there's not one best way to this. Interviewing is an art. I encourage you to find your voice and an approach that works best for you. Then, lean into it. My quest to become a better interviewer is ongoing, and I'm...

Episode 4: If you do an interview podcast, how frequently do guests share the episode to their networks on social media? Probably, it’s not often enough. NOT GETTING ENOUGH SHARES? You created a stellar episode. You thanked your guest and provided her with marketing assets — pretty graphics, a quote card, and audiogram. That’s a good start but a lot of friction remains for a guest to take an image...

Episode 3: Podcasters tend to be a pretty well spoken bunch, especially those who do their own editing. There’s no better motivation to improve your diction than having to go back to edit all your ums, ahs, and mouth clicks. Time is money. With all the time invested in making our shows, it’s not surprising that we’re super eager to do anything in our power to get the word out. If you were guarante...

Episode 2: Before launching a podcast, most podcasters ask about things like gear, media hosts, and show art. Before I started, I asked a friend who had published over 1500 episodes for advice. His first reaction was, “Are you SURE that you want to launch a podcast?” When I assured him that I did, this is what he said. If you’re absolutely sure that you want to start a podcast, commit to doing it...

Episode 1: When it comes to podcasting, rule #1 is that there are no rules. This is not television or radio where you are restricted to a set program length with a certain number of commercial breaks for ad spots. In fact, who says that you must have commercials at all? The choice is yours. What’s the ideal episode length for a podcast? I’ve heard it said, “Your podcast should be as long as it nee...

Podcast Gym is a podcast and blog for podcasters who want to improve, grow audience, and monetize their show. Topics include insights, tactics, and resources.