Podcast Talent Coach

HOW TO CREATE A SUCCESSFUL PODCAST THAT DOESN'T PODFADE

Creating a successful podcast isn't difficult. You simply need to know where to look and the proper steps to take.

There is a stat that bounces around the podcasting industry that says most podcasts fade away after 7 episodes. It's called podfading.

I thought the number was exaggerated until I was on a coaching call one day.

WHAT I DISCOVERED

Mary Elaine and I were discussing ways to land interviews on other shows to grow her audience.

One of the steps in the process is to ensure the podcast is still actively publishing new episodes. The last thing you want to do is ask for an interview on a show that hasn't published a new episode in two years.

Mary Elaine helps people who are caregivers typically for their elderly parents. She has a great show called Caregiver Cast.

To give her an example of the right shows to find, I opened Apple Podcasts and searched Caregiver.

The top few had solid downloads and appeared to be successful podcasts.

I did the search again this week to give you a real world example. Here are a few that I found this week.

THE RESEARCH

The Caregiver Cup Podcast by Cathy VandenHeuvel has 176 episodes. She just published an episode this week. That's great.

The Happy Healthy Caregiver by Elizabeth Miller has 172 episodes. She also published an episode this week. That's solid.

The Caregiver Life by Mary Hahn Ward has 70 episodes. Her last episode was published on May 24, 2023. However, the prior episode was published on May 1, 2022.

Then we get into the podcasts that have faded into the night.

The Purposeful Caregiver with Emily Reilly and Devon Turnbull has 1 trailer and 10 episodes published. All of these episodes were published in a batch on March 27. So, I'm not sure if they are still active.

Caregiver Wellness Podcast for Alzheimer's and Other Dementias with Melissa Wilkinson has 24 episodes. She hasn't published since September 25, 2022.

The Caregiver Lifehacks from OffScript Health only published 4 episodes. The last one was November 15, 2021.

Caregiver Storyteller has 17 episodes. The most recent is June 10, 2019.

The Senior Caregiver Podcast has 8 episodes. It hasn't published since November 15, 2019.

Caregiver Talk Live with Kim Shea released 4 Episodes back in May of 2016.

The AE Caregiver Series – 7 episodes in March 2022.

Family Caregiver has 5 episodes in 2018.

The Caregivers Lounge put out 10 episodes back in September 2020.

The Caregivers Corner – 6 episodes. Creative Caregivers Podcast 10 episode. Caregiver's Best Friend – 4 episodes.

It goes on and on.

NOT JUST NICHE

It's not just with niche podcasts either. I wanted to get into business podcasts to see if it held true for one of the big 3 niches – health, wealth and relationships.

So, I searched Launch Pad to see if I could niche down in starting a business.

I found the same thing.

Launch Pad from Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship has 180 episodes. However, it was last published July 7, 2022.

Launchpad from YPP Project has published 1 trailer and 3 episodes. The last episode was published Jan 29, 2021.

Launchpad from Launchpad has 1 episode. It came out on July 30, 2023. So, it appears this is a new podcast. We'll see how long it lasts.

The Launch Pad Space Podcast by Paul Ring has 25 episodes. Most recent episodes were released on June 6, April 10 and Feb 20. So, I'm not sure of the status here.

The Social Launch Pad with Qiana Tompkins has posted 1 trailer and 1 episode. They came out on July 27, 2023. Not sure if this is active.

Finally, The Launch Podcast by The Launch Pad has published 12 episodes. No new episodes have been released since March 21, 2021.

Podcasters simply don't have a plan to create a successful podcast. They launch the show and then ask, "Ok, now what?"

YOUR SUCCESSFUL SYSTEM

To be sustainable and successful, you need a system.

There are three reasons podcasters give up on their show and fade away.

First, the podcast is more work than they expected.

Next, the podcast doesn't grow as fast as they expected it to.

Finally, the show isn't making money as fast as they would like.

Conducting interviews is an art. And, you can learn to produce better interviews with just a few steps.

Today, I'll give you four ways to create better interviews. I also have examples for you to help you make progress.

Then, I'm going to give you a great deal on my course How To Crush Your Next Podcast Interview Like A Radio Pro Without Decades Of Training And Hours Of Preparation. Just for being a listener, you'll get over half off the course.

STORIES

The first way to create great interviews is to not make it an interview.

In my course, pop star Jason Derulo says he hates interviews. He would rather have a conversation.

The key to engaging interviews is the art of the story. Get your guest to tell authentic stories.

Shane Sams is the host of the Flipped Lifestyle podcast. He helps real families create a membership site and make their living online.

In this episode, he shares a great story about his son Isaac.

Shane was being real and authentic. It takes courage to be that raw. That's why few people do it and why it will make you stand out from everyone else.

When you share your authentic self with your listeners, you show that you trust them. The law of reciprocity will kick in and they will begin trusting you.

THE SPACE

The next way to create better podcast interviews is that space that Shane left in his episode. So many podcasters want to edit out that silence.

When you edit out the silence, you sterilize the story.

The silence will cause your listener to lean in. It catches their attention.

Your listener will also try to predict what will happen next. That anticipation is exciting. They naturally want to close the loop.

Have you ever watched American Idol, America's Got Talent, or any of the other reality shows like it? You know the host is going to pause longer than natural. Yet you still lean in and want the answer even more.

The same is true with your podcast. Create anticipation by leaving in the pregnant pause.

Let me give you an example.

Alex Hormozi hosts a podcast called The Game. He published a fantastic book called "$100M Offers".

His new book "$100M Leads" will be released during an online event on August 19^th. Get the details at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/100M.

Alex was recently interviewed on Diary of a CEO with host Steven Bartlett. He then repurposed an edited, shortened version of that interview on his podcast.

These two versions will give you a great example of how the conversation is affected by removing the silence.

Here is a bit of the original version.

Can you feel the emotion build up in Alex as he is talking about the impact his wife has had on him? You could cut that emotion with a knife.

The host Steven Bartlett did an amazing job NOT talking. Rather than jumping in because he was uncomfortable in the silence, Steven let it sit there. He let the listener feel the emotion. That was fantastic. True pro.

Now, this is a sterilized version from Alex's episode with the silence shortened. Notice how the anticipation is sucked out of this version.

Can you see how removing the silence completely wipes out the emotion.

INCLUDE YOUR LISTENER

Next, treat your listener like they are sitting right there next to you. Bring your listener in as the 3rd party to the conversation.

Your listener isn't part of a group or "everybody out there". They are listening to you typically with ear buds or alone in their car. Your podcast is a very intimate conversation.

They aren't "out there". You are in their head having this conversation.

When you say "everyone" or "hey guys" or use terms like "out there", you separate your listener from the conversation. They will think, "Who is everyone? I'm sitting here by myself."

Include them in the conversation. Don't leave them "out there".

Here is an example from the Flipped Lifestyle podcast again.

By using "everyone out there", the host just removed us from the conversation. We aren't part of the clique.

Now here is another example from the same episode. The host does a great job simply turning his focus from Jason the guest to us as the listener.

When the host says "do what Jason did", he is speaking directly to me as a listener. He speaks to one person rather than everyone.

This will make your interviews connect in a powerful way with your listeners.

FRAME THEN ASK

My final tip is regarding a misstep I hear many podcasters make.

When we are conducting an interview, we spend a lot of time thinking about our next question rather than having a conversation.

When there is a pause or the guest finishes their answer, we jump in with the next question. Then we try to add context to the question or we give multiple choice answers to help the guest better understand what we are trying to say.

By the time we are done qualifying the question, we've either asked two more questions and completely confused our guest, or they have forgotten the original question.

Instead, have a conversation. Give context and set up the question. Then ask it.

Here is a sample from Daymond John's podcast That Moment when he is interviewing Barbara Corcoran.

Daymond says, "Where does the tunnel vision come from?" He then offers a ton of clarifying comments. That eventually leads him to ask, "Do you realize that's a gift or no?"

Add the context and clarifying comments before you ask t

CREATE AN APP FOR YOUR PODCAST, CONTENT AND MORE

Something new is coming. I'm getting ready to launch the Podcast Talent Coach app. It will bring all of my content and tools together in one convenient place.

It takes many platforms and services to build a funnel that will lead your podcast listeners to become clients. When you have a smartphone app, you can bring many of those platforms together in one place.

CONTENT PURPOSE

Your podcast content can drive people to your lead magnet and get them on your email list.

When you create your content with a purpose, it will create a demand for your lead magnet. The content demonstrates the need for the resource.

Show them how to use it and the transformation it makes possible.

Platforms like ClickFunnels and LeadPages help you do this.

LEAD MAGNET

Your lead magnet encourages listeners to come to your webinar or discovery call through your email list allows by nurturing the relationship.

MailChimp and ActiveCampaign are a couple platforms that will help you manage your email list.

Your lead magnet needs to be short and solve one specific problem. It also needs to open your listeners eyes to their next problem that your program will then solve.

Many people giveaway video courses or ebooks as a lead magnet. Those tools take too long to consume.

Solve their first problem quickly and open their eyes to the bigger problem.

Podcasters download my Podcast Fast Checklist to discover the steps to launch their show. It is a quick .pdf that gives them the steps.

Once they consume it, they realize it will be much easier to launch if they have someone to help them down the path. That is the hole my Podcast Fast Blueprint course fills.

SCHEDULE THE CALL

Once your listener is ready to take that next step with you, they need to schedule the call.

A scheduler like Calendly will help you book those calls.

You could also get them on your webinar where you can sell your course.

Once they complete your course, you can then upsell your students into your coaching or high end program.

An app through ACTIONERA replaces these marketing tools. It will replace your CRM, your funnel builder, your email marketing, the calendar, an affiliate tracking system and more.

That's what we are building with the Podcast Talent Coach app, and I can't wait to roll it out for you.

If you are interested in building an app for yourself, you can check out ACTIONERA at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/app.

Using my affiliate link will get you a great deal. You can get their top end app and the mid-tier price and save a ton of money.

Get all the details at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/app.

ACTIONERA

Today, I bring you Robert Evans. He is the Co-Founder and Director of Sales for ACTIONERA. Robert has over 20 years of experience as a digital marketing entrepreneur.

Over the past 20 years the companies Robert created have shipped over a million products, built communities exceeding 130k people from around the world, generated millions of dollars, impacted tens of thousands of people, and trained everyday people to step into their role as a "messenger" to create the biggest ripple of change in the world through their passion and work.

Now, through ACTIONERA, Robert is designing technologies that help experts, authors, speakers, coaches and entrepreneurs build bigger lists, engage with more people and make more money than ever before.

Enjoy my conversation with Robert Evans.

If you are ready to have your own app and replace many of your current marketing and business tools, visit www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/app.

Robert is giving you an amazing deal. They do all of the building for you. You just upload your content into a folder and they add it all to the app. They even designed my app logo for me.

It doesn't get much easier than this. If you've always wanted an app for your business, here is your chance. Visit www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/app and get started today.

If you don't have a mentor who can take your hand and walk you every step of the way, go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/apply, click the button and apply to have a chat with me. We will develop your plan and see how I can help and support you to achieve your podcast goals.

HOW DO YOU MARKET YOUR PODCAST FOR EFFECTIVE RESULTS

When you're creating a business around your podcast, even if it is a side hustle, it feels like there is an endless amount of stuff to do.

When you don't have structured time to do something, it expands to the allotted amount of time. That is where your flexible hours create an issue.

There needs to be time when you work "on" your business.

Michael Gerber's "The E-Myth Revisited" lays this out perfectly.

First, determine the activities that actually drive downloads. This could include online activity in social media, marketing to your list or other activities that get you noticed.

Then, determine the actions that drive your business. Who are your ideal clients? What type of clients make up the top 20% that drive 80% of your business? It is the Pareto Principle. Figure out how to reach those people.

Now that you know the activities that attract listeners, and you know the activities that grow your business, find a day you can dedicate to those activities.

Dedicate time for driving business.

Define the time. Then fill it.

You can't budget your money until you know how much money is there. It is the same with your time. You cannot budget your time until you know how much time you have to work with.

PODFADE

Many podcasts fade after 7 episodes.

There are three reasons coaches give up on their podcast so quickly.

First, they have no strategy to grow their audience. Develop a plan to keep your current listeners coming back episode after episode while you attract new listeners to the show.

Next, they have no strategy to attract their clients and grow their business. Build your podcast into your funnel, so you can get listeners to your email list and bring them to a sales conversation.

Finally, the podcast is more work than they expected. Develop a system to consistently produce your podcast every week without eating up all your time.

3 PILLARS

To grow your audience, you need a strategy that will put you in front of potential clients who are unaware of you.

However, you cannot do everything. You need to focus.

Pick your 3 pillars.

What do you enjoy that you can you do well and consistently?

I know many podcasters don't want to hear it. They see all these other self-made experts who launched and became the overnight success.

Overnight success is usually a farce. Most overnight successes put in years of work before they became the overnight success.

Pat Flynn launched Smart Passive Income in 2010.

Gary Vaynerchuk started Wine Library TV on YouTube in 2006.

Chris Guillebeau started the Art of Non-Conformity in the early 2000s and published his first book in 2010.

Shane & Jocelyn Sams are just hitting their stride. Their Flipped Lifestyle podcast began in 2014.

Dave Ramsey has been doing his show for 25 years.

Dave Jackson has been podcasting since 2005.

Do the work.

If you want it and work for it, success will come. Put in the work consistently.

Create a schedule for yourself. Set aside time each day to participate in online groups. Set a goal and work toward it consistently.

Work to build your e-mail list, so you can communicate with your tribe often.

Finally, find ways to appear on other shows. Work to get your name out there.

COACHING

Today, I want to share with you a coaching call I had with Dr. Barbara Hales.

Barbara hosts the podcast Marketing Tips for Doctors.

Dr. Barbara Hales is a speaker, best selling author, and a successful business consultant who effectively applies SEO & content marketing to your business, boosts your rankings, strengthens your brand, and increases your visibility.

Dr. Hales is not just a speaker. She practiced medicine and grew her practice from an empty office space to more than ten thousand patients by marketing herself.

You can find Dr. Hales and her podcast online at TheMedicalStrategist.com.

On this call, we help Barbara get clear on her audience growth strategy.

Enjoy my coaching call with Dr. Barbara Hales.

If you don't have a mentor who can take your hand and walk you every step of the way, go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/apply, click the button and apply to have a chat with me. We will develop your plan and see how I can help and support you to achieve your podcast goals.

This question has come up multiple times this week. Which is better to build your authority and grow your business – YouTube or a podcast? Should you spend your content time creating videos for YouTube or creating a podcast?

You're not going to like my answer.

I love podcasting. But, YouTube is also amazing.

Your podcast allows you to create powerful relationships with your listeners. YouTube is a powerful search engine that is tough to match.

So, which is better to embrace? Which one is better to grow your business?

Well, it depends. What are you trying to accomplish?

DIFFERENT

Many people see YouTube and podcasting as two strategies to reach the same goal. That's simply not the case.

In 1928 in Schenectady, New York, WRGB became the first television station in the United States. Soon after, people started announcing the death of radio.

Now that you could see your favorite shows on video, why would you ever listen to the radio?

Yet radio adapted and survived. It even thrived. The golden age of radio was the 1930s and 40s.

In 1953, the world changed again. RCA introduced the color television. Surely this would be the demise of radio.

Radio did it again. In 1954 the transistor radio debuted. Television was confined to the home while radio was portable. It served a different need.

In 1950, only 9% of households in America owned a television set. By 1960, that number climed to 90%. However, radio continued to thrive in the 60s and 70s with the explosion of the FM band.

HOW DOES IT SURVIVE

With cable and streaming and the other offerings, how does radio continue to reach over 90% of Americans every week? It serves a different purpose.

The same applies to your podcast and YouTube videos.

Audio and your podcast is a dance in the imagination.

When you and I see a video, we see the exact same thing. There is very little left to the imagination.

Have you ever read a book and then seen the movie? Maybe it was Harry Potter or Jack Ryan. Any book.

When you see the movie, do you say to yourself, "Wow, that's not how I envisioned it." Or do you say, "That's not what I thought he would look like."

That's the power of audio. The stories you tell on your podcast create visions in the theater of the mind that are unique to you in a way that is most pleasurable.

When we see a video of Harry Potter, he is what he is. His glasses, his hair, his robe, and the scar on his head look the same to both you and me. No imagination.

Audio and video are different experiences. Because audio sparks that imagination, it is a very intimate conversation with someone. You are literally in their head.

PORTABLE

Another difference between podcasting and video is the way we use it.

People listen to audio, because they don't want to be alone. You are their companion.

They listen while they are exercising, driving, walking the dog, or home alone so they don't have to do those things by themselves. You keep them company.

Your listeners can consume your content while they are doing something else. It is a little difficult to watch a video while you're taking a shower or mowing the yard. You can do both while listening to a podcast, but probably not both at the same time.

Even though both are portable, podcasting is easier to consume while you take it with you.

RESULTS

But the biggest difference between podcasting and YouTube is the results you get from each of the platforms.

YouTube will get you discovered. Your podcast will build relationships.

YouTube is one of the biggest search engines in the world. Millions of people are on YouTube everyday searching for their solution and being entertained.

If you want to get discovered, there are few better ways than YouTube.

However, you are competing with over 50 million other YouTube channels. The platform changes is algorithm regularly making it difficult to go viral.

It is challenging to build a relationship with your audience on YouTube, because the competition for time is fierce. There is also very little loyalty.

When you subscribe to a channel on YouTube, that channel shows up in your subscription list. You might even get a push notification to your phone when a new video is released.

But when you open YouTube, it isn't guaranteed that the video will be right there waiting for you. To see the video, you'll probably need to go into your subscriptions and into that channel to find the new video.

However when you subscribe to a podcast, every new episode shows up on yo

HOW TO MAKE YOUR PODCAST PROFITABLE

So many coaches struggle to make their podcast profitable, because they don't have a strategy. A strategy doesn't need to be complicated. It simply needs to be effective.

PROFITABLE STRATEGY

Many podcasters try to monetize their podcast with ads and sponsorships.

MRI-Simmons just released data on podcast listening as it pertains to podcast ads.

In the research, 42% of listeners surveyed say they will skip the ad if it is for something they don’t care about. 22% of those surveyed say they will skip if they don't support the brand being marketed.

More importantly, 27% said they skip ads no matter what. That means over a quarter of your listeners don't want to hear the ads. Commercials are a negative experience for your show. It also doesn't benefit your advertiser.

Why would you do that to your podcast?

BETTER STRATEGY

Rather than attempting to be profitable using ads and sponsors, use your podcast as a marketing vehicle for your own goods and services.

Create great content on your show that will show your listeners what is possible for them.

Let the content lead to the first step in working with you. This could be a lead magnet, webinar or other resource.

Next, get listeners from that first step to a sales conversation. That might be a discovery call, long form sales video, or masterclass.

Finally, enroll them in your program.

Each piece needs to work together to be profitable.

WORKSHOP

I recently held a workshop to help coaches launch their profitable podcast. During that workshop, we discussed three powerful ways to attract your ideal clients with your podcast.

Today, I'll share with you a bit of that workshop to show you those three ways to be profitable.

Enjoy. But more importantly, take action.

DON'T COMPLICATE IT

Don't make it more complicated than it needs to be. After you produce and publish the episode, we need to promote it. We need to go out and tell everybody it's available and bring your audience into your world.

Find your ideal target listener. Get clear on exactly who you're helping. Figure out where we can find them, go get in front of them and bring them into your world.

PROMOTE

So how do we promote it? We could promote it on social media. You can go get on other podcasts and promote it there. Promote it through your email list.

There's a variety of ways to promote it.

When you promote your show, there are two ways to grow your audience. You need to keep your current listeners coming back, and you need to go out and find new listeners who are unaware of you and bring them into your audience.

You have to serve both sides of that equation.

The podcast builds into your funnel, so you're creating content to show your listeners what's possible, getting them to take that first step with you by getting your free resource.

And that free resource leads to your sales conversation. That could be a webinar or a strategy call, a discovery call, a long form sales video, wherever your sales conversation happens.

But a lot of people who create podcasts and teach you how to create podcasts don't teach you a strategy to take your listeners and convert them into clients. They just say, "Talk about whatever you want to talk about. Go interview great people."

GROW YOUR PROFITABLE BUSINESS

I've had a lot of coaches come to me and say, "Erik, my podcast isn't doing anything to grow my business."

When we dig into it, it's this step right here. They don't have a system in place that converts listeners to clients. They're doing a great job interviewing guests, but they have no point or strategy to be profitable.

There's no reason, there's no automatic connection from the interview to working with them. And that's what I help clients do.

PROFITABLE STEP-BY-STEP

So, let's talk a little bit about that. Challenge number two that I talked about is they don't have a strategy. They don't have a step by step process to attract clients with their show.

There are many, many ways to attract your clients with your podcast. I'm going to give you three of my favorite. There are others as well.

These are not by any means an exhaustive list on how to create clients with your podcast. But I'm going to give you three.

AUDIENCE

The first way to attract your ideal clients is to turn your listeners into clients. That's probably the most obvious way. Build an audience, convert them to clients.

This is Oscar Trimboli. Oscar's podcast is called Deep Listening Impact Beyond Words.

Deep Listening is both his podcast and his business. Oscar is a mentor. He's a leadership coach, a speaker. He's an author. He's a podcaster.

His book is called Deep Listening Impact Beyond Words. Oscar helps CEOs and leaders be better listeners.

Typical CEOs and leaders are type A personalities. They like to hear themselves talk. They like to tell people what to do. They don't listen very well.

Oscar goes in and teaches them how to listen. His goal was to bring that authority and that power to his podcast.

Now, when Oscar came to me, I listened to his podcast. He said, "Erik, my podcast isn't doing anything to grow m

HOW CAN I PRODUCE A PODCAST IN AN HOUR?

To create great content quickly, you're going to need help. Many coaches ask me if they need a podcast editor. It comes down to where you want to spend your time.

Asking if you need a podcast editor is like asking if you need a car. I don't know that anyone "needs" a car. You can take the bus, pay for an Uber, ride your bike, walk, or catch a ride with a friend.

Needing a car comes down to convenience. What do you value more?

To produce a quality podcast episode in an hour, you'll need to spend your time performing and sharing your expertise. You'll then need somebody else to do the editing, uploading and sharing of your episode.

TAYLOR SWIFT

We went to see Taylor Swift this weekend. I've had the great fortune of meeting Taylor a few times and see how her business works from a unique perspective.

Taylor Swift is so successful, because she spends her time overdelivering for her fans while others handle the tasks that don't require her genius.

When my daughter Emma was in grade school, I took her to meet Taylor for the second time. Emma brought her friend Ellerie.

A typical meet and greet with an artist is pretty quick.

The guests all wait for the artist in a room. It's usually a dressing room, meeting room, or locker room at the venue.

The artist will come in. Guests will step up usually in pairs. They express their admiration for the artist. Someone takes a picture, and the guests are ushered out of the room.

Each meet and greet interaction is about 30 to 60 seconds. It's quick.

MEET AND GREET

With Taylor Swift, it's different.

Taylor had a special room set up specifically for radio people and special guests.

Alex, the representative from the record company, gathered us to go back as usual. When we got back there, we met Frank. He is Taylor's personal liaison to people in the radio industry.

Frank and Alex then introduced us to Taylor's mom. She is the host backstage. Taylor's mom ensures everything backstage is a great experience.

We all waited in the room until Taylor came in. Rather than lining up to meet her, she walked around the room and met us, making every guest feel special.

Taylor probably spent 3 or 4 minutes with each guest. We chatted about her music. She talked to Emma about piano lessons. They posed for a nice photo and then some funny photos.

With that, Taylor left us in the hands of her mom to give us a tour of the backstage area while she got ready for the show.

A few days after the concert, I received a hand-written note in the mail. It was from Taylor.

Taylor had written me a note thanking me for taking time out of my week to bring my family to her concert. She appreciated all the support we gave her music.

Now as the Program Director of the radio station at the time, I controlled what music got played on the radio station. It make total sense for Taylor to send me a thank you note.

However, inside my note was another note addressed to Emma.

This note thanked Emma for coming to the show, encouraged Emma to stick with her piano lessons, and asked her to tell Ellerie "hi" for her.

That's the magic of Taylor Swift.

PODCAST EDITOR

So what does this have to do with having a podcast editor?

Taylor Swift delegates the tasks that don't require her attention to other people.

The record rep gathers us and gets us backstage. Her liaison ensures everyone is there. Her mom handles the backstage logistics.

This is just the start of it. For instance, Taylor's dad is the host out front. He is in charge of going up top to the cheap seats, finding super-fans, and upgrading their tickets to the front of the stage. 

You might be saying, "Sure, Taylor Swift can have a huge team helping her. I can't afford that."

The truth is you can't afford to NOT have help. You don't have enough time in the week.

You don't need to have a team of a dozen people. But getting one person to do your editing comes with huge benefits.

When Taylor Swift has her mom coordinating backstage, she can focus on her guests.

I'm guessing that when Taylor left that room, she somehow jotted down some notes on everyone she met. Or someone was doing it in real time.

I don't know how she did it. The point is she had time to do it, because the other tasks were handled by other people.

6+ REASONS TO HIRE A PODCAST EDITOR

DRIVE TRAFFIC FOR SUCCESS

How many listeners are enough? Just a few more. We all want more listeners. But, how do I drive traffic to my podcast?

My son and I went to the movie theater this weekend to see the new Indiana Jones movie. It was good. I'm a big Harrison Ford fan.

Do you ever wonder why the big movie studios are so quick to jump on the sequel bandwagon? It isn't simply easy money. It's easy marketing.

When they release a sequel, they don't have to work as hard to drive traffic to the movie. The main character is already familiar to the audience. The basic famework of the movie doesn't need explaination.

With a sequel, half the work is already done. They simply need to make fans aware that the movie is available.

The same is true with your podcast. It is much easier to keep current listeners than it is to attract new ones.

When podcasters reach out to me for their free strategy session, they answer a few questions before we get on the call. One question I ask is, "In what ways do you need help with your podcast."

Of all the applications I receive, at least 80% include growing their audience. Most want to discover ways to drive traffic to their podcast.

Growing your audience to increase downloads is usually somewhere in our goals regardless of the length of time we have been podcasting. You're not alone.

Trying to drive traffic isn't clear cut and doesn't happen overnight.

There are a few nuances in the terms we need to understand before we can drive traffic.

CURRENT VS NEW

The first thing we need to understand is there are two sides of the equation.

To drive traffic, you need to attract new listeners while keeping your current listeners coming back.

If you are only attracting new listeners without doing anything to keep your current listeners, it is like putting water in a bucket that has holes in the bottom.

The more you put in, the more that leaks out. You never make gains.

Instead, keep your current listeners coming back. Then, add new listeners to those already at the party. This is how you grow.

LISTENERS VS SUBSCRIBERS

We need to understand the difference between listeners and subscribers if we want to drive traffic.

When your listeners don't convert into subscribers, you need to go find those listeners for every new episode and get new listeners in order to drive traffic.

However when you convert those listeners into subscribers, they automatically get the new episode on their phone as long as they continue to listen and continue to subscribe or follow.

DOWNLOADS VS LISTENS

We also need to understand the difference between a download and a listen.

When your phone downloads your episode, that counts as a download regardless if you've listened or not.

Now, an IAB download is a little different than a download. IAB is short for Interactive Advertising Bureau.

An IAB download removes any IP address or user agent that is on a blacklist. It also ensures at least one minute of playable content is downloaded.

Your IAB downloads will be lower than your regular download number.

Either way, a person doesn't need to actually listen to be counted as a download.

Listens count those users who actually pushed play on your episode.

Your podcast name and description get people interested enough to download your show. The name of your episode will get people to push play.

Therefore, don't call your episode "Episode 72". That will not entice anyone to push play. Plus, nobody is searching for "Episode 72".

Give your episode an exciting title that creates some anticipation and makes the listener push play.

If they stop listening, their podcast player will usually stop downloading episodes after a few episodes. This number is set in the podcast player.

To drive traffic, get your audience to listen. When they listen, episodes will continue to download for them.

CONSISTENCY

The other thing we need to understand in order to drive traffic is consistency and patience. It takes both to drive traffic.

You want to get your listeners in the habit of listening to your show.

In 1960, Dr. Maxwell Maltz said it takes patients "a minimum of about 21 days for an old image to dissolve and a new one to jell." Dr. Maltz published that theory and his thoughts on behavior change in a book called Psycho-Cybernetics.

As with many quotes, over the years it was taken out of context. The stat was eventually quoted as, "It takes 21 days to form a new habit," leaving out the important “minimum”.

A study at University College London and published in the European Journal of Social Psychology says it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit.

That is why consistency and accountability are important. If you want people to remember your brand, it takes frequency to the target.

DRIVE TRAFFIC LIKE MCDONALD'S

In radio, we talk about top-of-mind awareness. Brand advertising is designed to help make brands memorable.

When Coca-Cola runs their brand advertising campaigns, they don't expect you to drop everything you are doing and run to t

Many coaches wonder if they should start a podcast, be a guest on other podcasts, or create a YouTube channel. They treat each platform the same.

Each of these three content platforms serve a different purpose and get a different result.

This topic came up twice in conversations this week.

In one chat, I was talking with the guy who will be running my summit this fal. He mentioned that he was doing another summit for an expert who teaches people how to be a guest on other podcasts.

He said, "Let those hosts pay Erik to learn how to start a podcast and do all the work. She will just teach you how to be a guest."

Being a guest has its place. But being a guest and having your own podcast are two completely different strategies with two completely different purposes.

He clearly didn't understand the benefit you receive when you start a podcast. And many don't have a strategy to success when they do start.

Before we discuss why small businesses should start a podcast, let's talk about the difference between these three strategies.

DISCOVERY

YouTube is one of the largest search engines in the world. Being on YouTube will help you get discovered.

People visit YouTube and enter their challenge. "How to start a podcast." "Homemade pesticide for my garden." "Low-cost marketing ideas."

They come up with a ton of results.

However, most people watch the video without much attention to the person or channel creating the video. People don't subscribe often.

YouTube has neither published the number of YouTube channels on its platform. Tim Queen manually researched the number of channels using open-source intelligence methods and data from various sources. He says there are roughly 113.9 million YouTube channels as of July 29, 2022.

A Tubics article puts that number at 51 million as of 2022.

According to Wyzowl, around 3.7m new videos are uploaded to YouTube every day. That’s around 271,330 hours of video content based on an average length of 4.4 minutes.

Research done by Backlinko reveals that YouTube has 2 billion active users. This figure only measures users who are logged into the platform. The actual number is likely much higher.

You will get discovered on YouTube. 

RELATIONSHIPS

When you start a podcast, you begin building relationships and rapport with your listeners.

People subscribe to your podcast and spend time with you every week on a regular basis. It is like a personal conversation.

You are in their ear creating visions in the theater of the mind. Podcasting is a very powerful, intimate relationships.

When you release content, it shows up in the feed of your subscribers. This allows you to strengthen your relationship every week.

Where YouTube gets you discovered, your podcast allows you to build rapport.

PODCAST GUEST

So, where does podcast guesting fit in?

I am currently working with a client to shape her story. She tells me she doesn't want to start a podcast. She just wants to be a guest on other shows.

She has partnered with an agency who will interview her on a streaming show over 5 episodes. They will host her show for her, and she will be the featured guest.

This is basically hosting her own show on this platform. But, we can take the concept and get her on other shows to continue to grow.

Eventually, I hope she will see the benefit her own hosted shows brings to her business.

When you are a guest on a podcast, you are leveraging the attention build by another host.

However, you can't build much of a relationship in a 45 minute interview.

Being a guest on another podcast will help you get discovered. When you partner with podcast hosts already speaking to your idea client, you get discovered by new prospects.

Being a guest differs from YouTube discovery in terms of credibility. When you are a guest on another show, it is an implied endorsement from that host.

The host has built a relationship with the audience. They are now introducing you to their friends. You benefit by association with the host.

That benefit doesn't exist with YouTube. However, the potential YouTube audience is much bigger.

WHICH SHOULD YOU USE

When it comes to selecting the right strategy for you, I suggest you do all three.

Leverage the mass usage of YouTube by posting videos and getting discovered.

Be a guest on other podcasts to benefit from the endorsement of other influencers.

Finally, start a podcast of your own to build the relationship and rapport with your ideal clients and lead them down the path to working with you.

It is most efficient when you begin by recording your podcast on video. Use the audio for the actual podcast. You the video, either clips or the full version, for your YouTube channel.

By repurposing the content, you save a lot of time.

5 REASONS TO START A PODCAST

There are five reasons every small business should start a podcast.

Again, use all three strategies if you have the bandwidth in your week. They each serve a different purpose.

Many coaches wonder if they should start a podcast, be a guest on other podcasts, or create a YouTube channel. They treat each platform the same.

Each of these three content platforms serve a different purpose and get a different result.

This topic came up twice in conversations this week.

In one chat, I was talking with the guy who will be running my summit this fal. He mentioned that he was doing another summit for an expert who teaches people how to be a guest on other podcasts.

He said, "Let those hosts pay Erik to learn how to start a podcast and do all the work. She will just teach you how to be a guest."

Being a guest has its place. But being a guest and having your own podcast are two completely different strategies with two completely different purposes.

He clearly didn't understand the benefit you receive when you start a podcast. And many don't have a strategy to success when they do start.

Before we discuss why small businesses should start a podcast, let's talk about the difference between these three strategies.

DISCOVERY

YouTube is one of the largest search engines in the world. Being on YouTube will help you get discovered.

People visit YouTube and enter their challenge. "How to start a podcast." "Homemade pesticide for my garden." "Low-cost marketing ideas."

They come up with a ton of results.

However, most people watch the video without much attention to the person or channel creating the video. People don't subscribe often.

YouTube has neither published the number of YouTube channels on its platform. Tim Queen manually researched the number of channels using open-source intelligence methods and data from various sources. He says there are roughly 113.9 million YouTube channels as of July 29, 2022.

A Tubics article puts that number at 51 million as of 2022.

According to Wyzowl, around 3.7m new videos are uploaded to YouTube every day. That’s around 271,330 hours of video content based on an average length of 4.4 minutes.

Research done by Backlinko reveals that YouTube has 2 billion active users. This figure only measures users who are logged into the platform. The actual number is likely much higher.

You will get discovered on YouTube. 

RELATIONSHIPS

When you start a podcast, you begin building relationships and rapport with your listeners.

People subscribe to your podcast and spend time with you every week on a regular basis. It is like a personal conversation.

You are in their ear creating visions in the theater of the mind. Podcasting is a very powerful, intimate relationships.

When you release content, it shows up in the feed of your subscribers. This allows you to strengthen your relationship every week.

Where YouTube gets you discovered, your podcast allows you to build rapport.

PODCAST GUEST

So, where does podcast guesting fit in?

I am currently working with a client to shape her story. She tells me she doesn't want to start a podcast. She just wants to be a guest on other shows.

She has partnered with an agency who will interview her on a streaming show over 5 episodes. They will host her show for her, and she will be the featured guest.

This is basically hosting her own show on this platform. But, we can take the concept and get her on other shows to continue to grow.

Eventually, I hope she will see the benefit her own hosted shows brings to her business.

When you are a guest on a podcast, you are leveraging the attention build by another host.

However, you can't build much of a relationship in a 45 minute interview.

Being a guest on another podcast will help you get discovered. When you partner with podcast hosts already speaking to your idea client, you get discovered by new prospects.

Being a guest differs from YouTube discovery in terms of credibility. When you are a guest on another show, it is an implied endorsement from that host.

The host has built a relationship with the audience. They are now introducing you to their friends. You benefit by association with the host.

That benefit doesn't exist with YouTube. However, the potential YouTube audience is much bigger.

WHICH SHOULD YOU USE

When it comes to selecting the right strategy for you, I suggest you do all three.

Leverage the mass usage of YouTube by posting videos and getting discovered.

Be a guest on other podcasts to benefit from the endorsement of other influencers.

Finally, start a podcast of your own to build the relationship and rapport with your ideal clients and lead them down the path to working with you.

It is most efficient when you begin by recording your podcast on video. Use the audio for the actual podcast. You the video, either clips or the full version, for your YouTube channel.

By repurposing the content, you save a lot of time.

5 REASONS TO START A PODCAST

There are five reasons every small business should start a podcast.

Again, use all three strategies if you have the bandwidth in your week. They each serve a different purpose.