Podcast Theory

2020 was an unprecedented year. 2020 was a dumpster fire. 2020 was so unpredictable. 2020 brought us a 'new normal.' And so on. And so on. We've heard all the cliches and, yes, I probably dropped a couple of them on this episode. But despite the fact that 2020 was something none of us ever expected or could've possibly prepared for, it was still a year. It still happened. For b...

Losing all of your content is not something you believe will happen to you. Until it does. And when it does, believe me...it sucks! I just recently experienced this as my website and email unexpectedly crashed and I lost years of work. Fortunately, SOME of my work was backed up and other pieces of content were recovered. But, for the most part, I've had to rebuild my website from the ground u...

On this installment of Pod Theory, I will briefly tell you how I lost my website last week and will be using this week to rebuild it as much as I can.  I will be back starting Monday, January 4th, 2021 with new episodes of Pod Theory. Until then, please hop back in the archives and catch up on episodes you may have missed! Like what you heard on this podcast? Then you'll LOVE what's happening on B...

If you've listened to any other episodes of Pod Theory, you know consistency is one of most talked about subjects on this show. Without it, nothing good will come from your efforts. If your audio quality is great one episode, then terrible the next, no one will know what you're going to bring them from one show to another. If your content hits on all cylinders today, but clearly showcase...

Have you ever come across a company that offers so many solutions, it's nearly impossible to determine what they actually specialize in? This is a common trap (one that I've fallen into before) and, despite it seeming logical to offer as many solutions as possible for a potential customer, it actually hurts your opportunities because no one can tell if you can truly solve their problem....

One of the reasons people start podcasts is because they think it's some kind of fast money grab. If that's the case, damn, am I doing it wrong. The truth is, it's not a fast money grab. In fact, podcasting is nowhere near a get rich quick deal. It takes time, patience, and a lot of hard work to build an entity that can, one day, prove to be lucrative. But if you think riches will f...

Creating a high-quality final product is imperative to the success of your podcast. Poor audio quality, inconsistent content, background noise, and many other factors can easily derail your show and send listeners back to the search function of their favorite podcast app looking for a new show to consume. There are many things you want to keep in mind when recording your podcast so your final prod...

What is the right number of co-hosts to have on your podcast? There really isn't a right or wrong answer to this question. It boils down to how you choose to deliver your content and how many personalities it will take to make that happen effectively.  When determining how many voices to feature on your show, it's important to understand what that entails. More voices = more potential fo...

What is an Optimal Podcast Listener Profile? It's a way of determining the exact person you want listening to your podcast by drilling down to characteristics that allow you to connect and engage in a seemingly 1:1 fashion. Building an optimal listener profile allows you to identify components of your listeners that will ultimately help you build your collective audience. Targeting each of th...

If your podcast doesn't have a Call To Action, you're missing a HUGE opportunity to connect with your audience on a deeper level. Podcast listeners are some of the most loyal and engaged people on earth and if you provide them value in your content, they know you'll provide value when you point them to your website, your social media, your products, etc. A Call To Action is how you...

It can be very easy to get wrapped up in the number of downloads your podcast receives. It's much like waiting anxiously for the number of likes your latest Facebook post gets or the number of retweets you get on Twitter. It validates that people like what you're putting out, right? Well sometimes, the vanity metrics grab hold of our psyches and start to play crazy tricks with our heads....

One of the greatest things the Internet has given us and continues to give us is connection to options. No matter what you're looking for, whether it be a product, service, brand or company, podcast, blog post, video, or general information, everything you need is right at your fingertips. But this also means that the space in which your brand exists can be crowded and noisy, making it diffic...

Resources for helping you with any and all aspects of your podcasting plight are easy to find. At your fingertips, you have books, videos, webinars, blogs, and, of course, podcasts - all geared towards helping you master your craft and unleash the very best podcast episodes onto the world. In Episode 61 of Pod Theory, I'm going to share five beneficial non-podcast podcast resources that I&apo...

The coronavirus pandemic has rendered one of the most significant impacts on society in the last century. The results of this impact have seen businesses close, processes change, and, unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of people die. COVID-19 has forced us into home schooling, working from home, and, as podcasters, finding new ways to create content. If there's a silver lining to be found i...

A successful podcast doesn't just happen. It's the result of thought, strategy, execution, and a ton of hard work. As a podcaster, you'll learn that each episode you produce comes with its own set of challenges, including but not limited to finding a guest, preparing questions, researching topics, scheduling, recording, post-production, publication, and marketing.  As I've prea...

What the hell is "podfade," you ask? Well, up until just recently, I never realized it was a term. But the definition of the term is exactly why I started this podcast and shifted the efforts of my business to helping professionals produce a better podcast. On Episode 58 of Pod Theory, I'm breaking down what podfade is, as well as helping you understand why you want nothing to do wi...

When it comes to podcasting, mistakes happen. No matter what point you're at on the podcast experience timeline, chances are excellent you coughed up the ball at some point along the way. And that's OK. It happens to all of us! Mistakes are learning experiences. When you make one, it's up to you to see where you went wrong, evaluate what you could've done better, and make sure...

Podcasts allow you to establish a strong connection with your listeners. The stronger that connection, the more trust they establish with you. The more trust they have, the more they'll recommend your podcast to others, leave reviews for your podcast, answer calls to action, and support your brand in whatever capacity they can. With millions of podcasts jockeying for a listener's attenti...

At some point in your podcasting plight, money will need to be invested in your efforts. Whether it be on recording equipment, advertising, voice-overs, art, hosting, or other aspects that bring your show to life, you can't make your podcast come together without spending SOME money. The good news is, starting a podcast is not an expensive proposition. In fact, once you purchase your equipmen...

With over a million podcasts going strong in today's podcast space, there are millions of people for you to connect with, learn from, and support. Every one of us is doing something different with our podcasting approaches. And learning from each other is going to help us all grow and thrive in the podcasting world. Networking has always been one of the most powerful tools in any professional...

As your podcast episode reaches its conclusion, the most important thing for you to do is give your listener something to do. Something that keeps them connected to you and your brand. Something that enhances your efforts. This is called a Call to Action, or CTA. On Episode 53 of Pod Theory, I'm going to help you craft a quality, meaningful outro for your podcast. From choosing the right CTA...

Structure isn't always the sexiest subject to cover. But when you think about it, if we didn't live in a world with some semblance of structure, life would be chaos. Likewise, a podcast without structure will come off as chaotic to your audience. Listeners come to depend on a certain level of predictability with the shows they follow. And for you, having a structure in place for your epi...

How do you make a first impression on your listener? From a visual standpoint, your podcast art, show title, and show description should paint a pretty clear picture of what a listener is about to experience as they dive into your show. From an audio standpoint, your podcast intro is the first thing a listener is going to hear to connect them with your podcast. You want to be sure you use this spa...

Self-education is a quality you should be practicing in all areas of your life, both personally and professionally. I dedicate 30 minutes a day to educating myself on various aspects of podcasting, business, mindset, marketing, entrepreneurship - subjects that captivate me and drive my practices. No matter what your passion is or what line of work you find yourself in, you should always seek to im...

Getting content to go viral can be exciting and generate some buzz around your podcast, social media, website, etc. But in the grand scheme of things, viral content is not an approach you can bank on. You can't control whether something will go viral... ...but what you can control is consistently producing quality content. Producing quality content on a consistent basis will do much more for...