School of Podcasting: Expert Tips for Launching and Growing Your Podcast

Struggling to find fresh podcast ideas? Discover creative tips ranging from revisiting old notes to the unexpected inspiration found at pharmacy conferences. Learn how engaging directly with your audience can spark relevant topics. The use of tools like feed readers and newsletters can streamline your brainstorming process. Dive into the importance of staying curious and observing everyday life for unique content sources. Explore how SEO and AI can enhance idea generation, all while balancing originality with useful tech.

Unlock the secret to podcast success by leveraging data! Discover how metrics from platforms like Apple and Spotify can shape your content and attract sponsors. Get laughs while learning practical methods for audience feedback and real engagement. Explore the power of analytics to enhance listener experience and first impressions through your podcast website. Plus, enjoy a relatable tale of adapting on the fly during a presentation. Join the journey of turning insights into podcasting gold!

Delve into the debate of whether your podcast should be on YouTube. Learn that while YouTube has a vast audience, audio podcasts have a better chance of being discovered. Discover the importance of investing in quality podcasting equipment and how unique content can lead to monetization. Explore YouTube's monetization intricacies versus podcast hosting costs, and understand that video isn't essential for every podcast. Ultimately, prioritize audio content to connect with listeners while still considering video options.

Ethan Reese, host of the Daily Sports History podcast, joins to dive deep into the world of AI tools for podcasters. He shares how AI has transformed his writing process and mentions tools like Descript and ChatGPT that streamline production. The discussion reveals a mix of experiences, from efficiency boosts to new headaches. Fellow podcasters also chime in on their preferred tools, sparking a lively debate on what truly enhances productivity and creativity in podcasting.

Join Ray Arnett, a model railroad enthusiast and host of the Around the Layout podcast, as he dives into the art of monetizing niche podcasts. He reveals that even small, passionate audiences can lead to substantial income. Forget traditional sponsorships—Ray highlights innovative partnerships with local businesses and the value of community engagement. He also shares insights on building dedicated listener relationships and explains how a tight-knit fanbase can be more valuable than a large but disengaged crowd.

Join Stephanie Thompson, a podcaster and educator in brand collaborations, as she shares her insightful journey in podcast partnerships. She reveals why partnerships are more effective than traditional sponsorships for growing your audience. Forget waiting for downloads; she landed partners before even launching her show! Stephanie stresses the importance of aligning with brands that share your values and maintaining integrity in collaborations. Plus, she shares tips on educating your partners to foster robust relationships. Tune in for actionable advice!

Molly Ruland stops by to explain how she started a branded podcast that brought in so many clients from season one that she had to pause it. For Molly, it is all about starting and building relationships with her guests. By conducting targeted outreach, she added 500 marketing people to her LinkedIn network, improving the relevance of her feed.When it comes to SEO, AI is interesting, but she advises against using "podcast lingo" and emojis in podcast show notes and metadata. Instead, she recommends focusing on using relevant keywords. We should be advising AI to use relevant keywords in our descriptions and have it use the AIDA approach.Takeaways: Molly Ruland emphasizes that authentic podcasting is about being yourself and not just a sales pitch. Building relationships through your podcast can lead to business opportunities without being pushy about it. SEO isn't just a buzzword; optimizing your podcast content can help increase its visibility and attract the right audience. Don't just focus on the numbers; create meaningful connections with your guests and audience. Because of My Podcast: Ralph Estep JrRalph has been an accountant for 30 years. Because of his podcast, Intuit approached him to share and teach about the experience of moving from local copies of their software (Quickbooks and others) to the web-based version. Check out Ralph's show at www.askralphpodcast.comLinks referenced in this episode:schoolofpodcasting.comaskralphpodcast.comheartcastmedia.comCamp Content ShowTom Petty and Axl RoseMentioned in this episode:See Your Show On PodpageIf you host a podcast, your website should work as hard as your episodes do. At Podpage, we automatically create a beautiful, professional site for your show — complete with episode pages, transcripts, audio players, SEO optimization, and built-in tools to grow your audience. No design work. No plugins. No ongoing maintenance. In less than a minute, you can see exactly what your podcast would look like on Podpage. Go to podpage.com/preview and generate your free preview site now. (No Credit Card Required) See your show the way it should look.PodpageQuit Thinking About It and START THAT PODCASTIf you have ever turned down the radio to hear your phone in the car, you know how to mix audio. If you have ever attached a photo to an email, you know how to upload an mp3 to a media host. Deleting text in Word is the same as delete audio in audacity. Yes, there is a learning curve but it's not as scary as you think. I'll be there the whole way, and you can join worry free with a 30 day money-back guarantee. Go to schoolofpodcasting.com/joinSchool of PodcastingQuestion of the Month: The Future of PodcastingSomeone asked me, and I had to think about it. So now I'm asking you, How do you feel about the future of podcasting? Where do you think it's going? (etc,). Feel free to share your opinion and why. Don't forget to tell us about your show and where we can find it. Question of the Month

After a lot of feedback on the first episode about podcast newsletters, I wanted to answer more questions, and this time I brought Paul Gowder to help. We’ll discuss what tools to use and what content to include. If you really want to skip this whole newsletter thing, we've got some backup plans for you, too. Paul not only has wisdom about newsletters, but we also talk about building his community.Spoiler alert: You might even want to ditch social media for this! Buckle up, because we’re about to make your newsletter dreams a reality.Takeaways: Start building your podcast newsletter today; it's like planting a seed for growth. Don't overthink content; even simple updates can keep your audience engaged and informed. Use email as a direct line to your audience; it's way better than shouting into the social media void. If you're not asking for emails, you're missing out—it's like having a party and not inviting anyone. Be cautious with Facebook. They may delete your group with 85,000 people in it.Mentioned In This Episodeschoolofpodcasting.compaulgouder.comPaul's Free Strategiespaulgowder.com/emailtoolsPaul's Email Jump StartWhat to expect at your first Powow.schoolofpodcasting.com/972 - Part 1 about Newslettersschoolofpodcasting.com/974 - This episodeJef Sieh's Social Media News Live PodcastTools Mentioned:SustackSendfoxMailerliteKitNewsletter DatabaseLiz Wilcox TemplatesGroup Leads for gathering emails from Facebook Groups.Mentioned in this episode:Quit Thinking About It and START THAT PODCASTIf you have ever turned down the radio to hear your phone in the car, you know how to mix audio. If you have ever attached a photo to an email, you know how to upload an mp3 to a media host. Deleting text in Word is the same as delete audio in audacity. Yes, there is a learning curve but it's not as scary as you think. I'll be there the whole way, and you can join worry free with a 30 day money-back guarantee. Go to schoolofpodcasting.com/joinSchool of PodcastingQuestion of the Month: The Future of PodcastingSomeone asked me, and I had to think about it. So now I'm asking you, How do you feel about the future of podcasting? Where do you think it's going? (etc,). Feel free to share your opinion and why. Don't forget to tell us about your show and where we can find it. Question of the MonthSee Your Show On PodpageIf you host a podcast, your website should work as hard as your episodes do. At Podpage, we automatically create a beautiful, professional site for your show — complete with episode pages, transcripts, audio players, SEO optimization, and built-in tools to grow your audience. No design work. No plugins. No ongoing maintenance. In less than a minute, you can see exactly what your podcast would look like on Podpage. Go to podpage.com/preview and generate your free preview site now. (No Credit Card Required) See your show the way it should look.Podpage

In this lively discussion, Kim Newlove, a pharmacist and host of The Pharmacist's Voice, shares her podcasting insights alongside fellow podcasters. They tackle the biggest pet peeves in the podcast world, like drawn-out intros, jarring audio inconsistencies, and those pesky mid-episode ads that feel like unwanted guests. Listeners are encouraged to streamline their content and improve their production quality. With anecdotes and laughs, they navigate the faux pas that can truly ruin the podcast experience.

Forget social media; if you want to drive traffic, newsletters are where it’s at. Seriously, I’ve been crunching the numbers and guess what? My newsletter is pulling in way more visitors than my half-hearted attempts at tweeting or posting on Facebook. Yeah, shocking, I know. It’s like trying to catch a fish with a toothpick when you could just use a net, right? So, in this episode, we’ll look at why newsletters are the real MVPs of traffic generation, sharing some juicy stats and personal tales that’ll have you reconsidering your social media obsession. Buckle up, because we’re about to turn your traffic woes into wows!I also share some behind the scenes of a future episode.Takeaways: A newsletter is like a Swiss Army knife for driving traffic; social media is just a flimsy butter knife. Crazy thought: newsletters give you more bang for your buck than social media ever will, who knew?! Social media might be fun for scrolling, but newsletters actually get people to click and engage. Turns out, people prefer their marketing via email rather than social media, shocking right? If you're still chasing social media likes, maybe it's time to rethink your strategy and join the newsletter revolution. Newsletters allow for better audience segmentation, making it easier to deliver personalized content that actually resonates. Links referenced in this episode:School of Podcastingschoolofpodcasting.comAudience Surveyschoolofpodcasting.com/survey25SOP Episode on UTMschoolofpodcasting.com/896Dave's Newsletterpodcastingobservations.comschoolofpodcasting.com/newsletterschoolofpodcasting.com/dailyGary Arndt Everything Every Dailyhttps://everything-everywhere.com/Gary Interviewed on the School of Podcastinghttps://schoolofpodcasting.com/how-gary-arndt-adopted-the-audience-growth-strategy-from-the-movie-industry/Podnews Report Cardpodnews.net/report-cardLeave Dave a Reviewschoolofpodcasting.com/appleCaptivate Media Hosting No Payments 'Till Aprilsupportthishow.com/captivatePodcast Marketing Trends Survey (Please Fill Out)https://podcastmarketingacademy.typeform.com/to/DR7WmJbFPaul Gowder Email Tipshttps://www.paulgowder.com/Liz Wilcox Email Templateshttps://lizwilcox.com/Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook Book From Gary V.Mentioned in this episode:See Your Show On PodpageIf you host a podcast, your website should work as hard as your episodes do. At Podpage, we automatically create a beautiful, professional site for your show — complete with episode pages, transcripts, audio players, SEO optimization, and built-in tools to grow your audience. No design work. No plugins. No ongoing maintenance. In less than a minute, you can see exactly what your podcast would look like on Podpage. Go to podpage.com/preview and generate your free preview site now. (No Credit Card Required) See your show the way it should look.PodpageQuestion of the Month: The Future of PodcastingSomeone asked me, and I had to think about it. So now I'm asking you, How do you feel about the future of podcasting? Where do you think it's going? (etc,). Feel free to share your opinion and why. Don't forget to tell us about your show and where we can find it. Question of the MonthPodcasting In Six Weeks - Register Today!Ever wanted to start your own podcast but didn't know where to begin? Imagine creating and launching your podcast in just six weeks! Join our exclusive online class 'Podcasting in Six Weeks' starting August 7th. With only six spots available, this is your chance for personalized, live group coaching at a discounted rate. Prepare to go back to school and turn your podcasting dreams into reality. Sign up today and make your voice heard! Visit podcastinginsixweeks.comPodcasting in Six Weeks