Podcast Theory

There's no question social media has changed. Organic reach is all but over and networks like Facebook and Instagram are pay to play. This significantly impacts the role social media plays in your efforts and furthers the belief that building an audience outside of social media is crucial to your long-term success. Social media still has value. But you need to determine how to make it work fo...

Social media and podcasting seemingly go hand in hand. If you've built a strong social media following, you're going to use those platforms to communicate with your audience and let them know you have a podcast. Likewise, on your podcast, you're going to encourage your listeners to follow you on social media. It's also been proven that podcast listeners are more apt to follow b...

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...

We both know there are a lot of mistakes you can make when it comes to your podcast. Lack of planning, poor audio quality, inconsistency with releases, not delivering content as advertised...this is just the tip of the iceberg. But there is one mistake you can make that trumps them all. On Episode 45 of Pod Theory, I'm going to share my thoughts on the biggest mistake you can make when it com...

Adding additional segments to your podcast can add a new layer to your show. It will allow you to take a slight detour from the main subject matter of your episode and delve into something else that's relevant to your audience. It can also be delivered in a completely different fashion than your main subject matter. On Episode 44 of Pod Theory, I'm breaking down how additional segments i...

People love to binge. Services like Netflix, HBO, and Amazon Prime Video thrive on the fact that we'll get wrapped up in whatever show catches our attention...for hours at a time. Gone are the days where you need to 'tune in next week' to see how a story continues. The majority of content today is served up a season at a time. And past shows that we loved are available from start to...

As I covered on Episode 41 of Pod Theory, podcast advertising has exploded and thousands of brands have utilized the podcast airwaves to showcase their products, services, and offerings. As the medium continues to grow, so will advertising. Companies will always go where the people are when it comes time to invest their advertising budget. Because podcast audiences are so engaged, this platform ma...

Podcast advertisements have become a substantial vehicle for brands to reach consumers. It's been proven that 75% of podcast listeners not only pay attention to ads they hear on podcasts, but respond to calls to action after hearing them (according to Wordstream). This is extremely powerful. And if your podcast has a large audience, it could serve as the perfect platform for brands of all sha...

Having a guest on your podcast is a big deal. It may seem like a common thing because guests appear on podcasts all the time. But there are many layers to the guest-host-producer dynamic that will not only help you build kick-ass content for your podcast, but build relationships that allow you to expand your network and, if you play your cards right, grow your upcoming guest list exponentially. Ep...

There are several advantages to creating blog posts for your podcast episodes. It gives your current listeners an alternative way to connect with your show and helps potential listeners discover you on a platform outside of their favorite podcast app. Additionally, it allows you to repurpose content used to prepare for your podcast and amplifies your podcast's chances of ranking better on sea...

Mindset is everything. It literally makes or breaks anything you do. A positive mindset and a belief that what you're about to embark upon will result in a great outcome will do just that. Likewise, a negative mindset and a belief that things are going to blow up in your face will do just that as well. That's the power your mind has. Like everything else, the mindset you bring to your po...

When considering the content structure for your podcast, two big categories typically come into play: 1) Evergreen content, which is content that will hold value long after you publish it 2) Current content, which is content that covers current news, events, and happenings Which one of these structures is best? I'm going to break down both and help you make that decision in Episode 37 of Pod...

Music is a major part of life. It inspires, it energizes, it consoles, it entertains. Music adds character to your podcast and helps makes your production even more fun to listen to. How powerful would it be if your catchy theme song gets stuck inside someone's head and they hum it all day long? They'll be coming back to your podcast the second they get the chance! In Episode 36 of Pod T...

Promoting your podcast is something you'll be doing for the life of your show. Even if you grow an audience of hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of people downloading each episode you produce, you don't want to slow down your promotional train. You want your podcast to become a household name. And what do all household names do to earn that moniker? Advertise, advertise, advertise...

Podcasting is a very worthwhile endeavor. With so many ears now affixed on this medium, spreading your brand message to a wide fan base has become an integral part of content strategies for organizations large and small. That said, running a successful podcast is hard work. It requires dedication, planning, and discipline to produce new episodes on a consistent schedule. Like anything else, the ga...

Launching a podcast for your brand puts you in a great position to establish authority, provide solutions to your listener's problems, and communicate with your audience in a fun, innovative way. Plus, with brands just now starting to get into podcasting, establishing your show in the podcast space today puts you ahead of the curve and will set you up for long-term success when more companies...

As podcasting's popularity and usefulness continues to escalate, more brands are pivoting to this platform as their primary content strategy and putting it ahead of other time-tested initiatives. In that list of said initiatives is email newsletters. This has long been a popular method of connecting with customers over the years. But does it hold the power it once did? Email marketing still h...

In today's on-demand world, there are countless mediums pulling at our attention spans. Podcasts, videos, television, social media platforms, radio (both terrestrial and satellite)...there's so much out there to consume and only so many hours in the day to consume it. When it comes to your podcast episode length, it's important to focus more on the quality of your content and not so...

There's no denying how far podcasting has come. With over a million active episodes and counting and new listeners tuning in to podcasts each and every day, our medium has limitless potential. As does your show. That means you need to set your podcast up for success TODAY by effectively optimizing it for search engines so more potential listeners can find you. On Episode 30 of Pod Theory, I a...

On the surface, solo podcasting can seem a bit intimidating. Yes, it’s just you and your microphone building your episode, but there are a couple dynamics that come into play that can throw you off. But today, we are going to unpack those dynamics, discuss how you can overcome them, and make your next solo podcast the best show you've ever done. On Episode 29 of Pod Theory, I'm going to...

A value proposition is one of the most important elements in your brand message. It tells prospects why they should do business with you rather than your competitors and makes the benefits of your products or services crystal clear from the outset. In other words, a unique value proposition is what makes you stand out against a myriad of competitors. It also lets customers know exactly what to exp...

An elevator pitch is a brief description of a product, a company, or an idea that fully encompasses the point you want to convey with a succinct delivery. The concept is that whoever you’re delivering it to will be able to comprehend the summary of your message without you needing to elaborate.  An elevator pitch is a great tool to have at networking functions and when meeting new people. In these...

Podcasts have many layers and multiple steps to make them come together. The beauty of all the legwork is this: once your podcast is complete, you have a living, breathing piece of content that can be utilized in multiple ways across the World Wide Web. The best way to ensure your podcast grows over time is to make it accessible on as many platforms as possible. Naturally, your podcast host (and s...

What's the first thing someone sees when they search for podcasts? Cover art! Cover art is your podcast's first impression and can go a long way towards reeling in a new listener. If your cover art is dynamic, stands out against others found in a listener's search, and artistically paints a picture of what your podcast is all about, you have a great chance of aesthetically captivati...

The environment you choose to record your podcast can literally make or break your show. The last thing you want to do is produce a show with poor audio quality. This is a sure-fire way to lose listeners immediately. On Episode 24, I'm going to talk about the best environments to record your podcast, as well as some you'll want to avoid. I'm also going to talk about the importance o...