PodCraft | How to Podcast & Craft a Fantastic Show: Recent Episodes

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The concept is simple: You create the content your target audience is searching for, they find it, and your podcast grows as a result. 

But Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) isn't just as straightforward as that, unfortunately. There are nuances, best practices, and stiff competition from rival content creators. 

On season 16 of Podcraft we're leaning on the expertise and experience of our team here The Podcast Host and Alitu. On this episode, I'm joined by Sean, who is a full stack growth marketer. Sean knows a thing or two about SEO, and he's here to help you polish up your own search game, no matter what stage you're at. 

Mentions & Resources

• How to Make a WordPress Website for Your Podcast
• Keyword SEO for Podcasters
• Google Search Console
• Ahrefs.com
• Alitu (check out the new ad, before it hits the Super Bowl)

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Mike from the Konversations With Kinfolk podcast is thinking about micro-content. He's looking for apps or software that can take small clips (video and/or audio) to create short clips for visibility and promotion.

This is a great strategy for podcast growth. Micro-content can be highly searchable, shareable, and doesn't demand a lot of time to hook a potential new listener. It can also be quick and easy to create.

Resources Mentioned

• Canva
• How to Create Audiograms
• Headliner
• PodIntelligence
• Buzzsprout
• How to Animate Your Audio
• Overcast Sharing
• Repurpose.io
• Alitu

We also offer a bonus tip to Mike - improve those episode titles. The podcast will benefit greatly if you make them more descriptive and intriguing.

Finally, we're looking for your feedback to help us help you better. Have you got a second to answer this quick question? What are you most struggling with in podcasting right now?

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Mike from the Konversations With Kinfolk podcast is thinking about micro-content. He's looking for apps or software that can take small clips (video and/or audio) to create short clips for visibility and promotion.

This is a great strategy for podcast growth. Micro-content can be highly searchable, shareable, and doesn't demand a lot of time to hook a potential new listener. It can also be quick and easy to create.

Resources Mentioned

• Canva
• How to Create Audiograms
• Headliner
• PodIntelligence
• Buzzsprout
• How to Animate Your Audio
• Overcast Sharing
• Repurpose.io
• Alitu

We also offer a bonus tip to Mike - improve those episode titles. The podcast will benefit greatly if you make them more descriptive and intriguing.

Finally, we're looking for your feedback to help us help you better. Have you got a second to answer this quick question? What are you most struggling with in podcasting right now?

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Khaled runs the show Curated Advice on Better Living, and wonders how to increase the number of listeners per episode.

At time of recording, he's almost hit the 30-episode mark, which is a great point to reflect on what you've achieved so far, as well as revisit your big picture planning.

We recommend that Khaled sets up a dedicated website for the podcast, which is a low-hanging fruit these days. You can do this quickly and at a low-cost by using Podpage.

We also recommend that he uses our free Podcast Planner tool to tweak the overall aims, targeting, and message of the show.

Finally, we give three actionable growth tips for Khaled to try out. These are:

1. Run a co-hosted or crossover episode with another podcast in your niche
2. Create a roundup of podcasts that you love in your niche
3. Reach out to 3-5 true fans of your show and create a focus group

For a deeper dive, check out our full guide on podcast promotion.

On this episode, we also mention Pocket-Sized Podcasting and Alitu: The Podcast Maker

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Khaled runs the show Curated Advice on Better Living, and wonders how to increase the number of listeners per episode.

At time of recording, he's almost hit the 30-episode mark, which is a great point to reflect on what you've achieved so far, as well as revisit your big picture planning.

We recommend that Khaled sets up a dedicated website for the podcast, which is a low-hanging fruit these days. You can do this quickly and at a low-cost by using Podpage.

We also recommend that he uses our free Podcast Planner tool to tweak the overall aims, targeting, and message of the show.

Finally, we give three actionable growth tips for Khaled to try out. These are:

1. Run a co-hosted or crossover episode with another podcast in your niche
2. Create a roundup of podcasts that you love in your niche
3. Reach out to 3-5 true fans of your show and create a focus group

For a deeper dive, check out our full guide on podcast promotion.

On this episode, we also mention Pocket-Sized Podcasting and Alitu: The Podcast Maker

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Michael of Night Moodz wonders how to turn casual listeners into subscribers, followers, and even, supporters. This is a question with many layers as the first and most obvious move is simply to ask in your Calls to Action. You might also want to show them how by creating a 'how to subscribe' page on your website. A final and essential piece of the jigsaw, though, is to make folks want to come back for more. Our free Podcast Planner tool can help you hone your message and your content, and make sure your show is optimised for growth!

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How do you get useful analytics to present to potential sponsors and advertisers? That's one of the questions on the mind of Karen from BankTalk Podcast. And, one that we'll try our best to answer on this episode of PodCraft.

Your Apple Podcast Connect and Spotify for Podcasters dashboards can give you a good sample of listening patterns. Granted, these won't be the full picture, but, for many podcasters, this is at least 50% of their audience.

Listener surveys are an optimal way to get first-hand data from your audience. You might also track conversions and clicks from advertising your own products, services, or events, too.

We would also recommend using Rephonic's Podcast Audience Graph tool. This shows you the podcasts your listeners also subscribe too. You could check a few of them out and see what (if any) brands are advertising on them. 

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Kay is the co-host of the In Da Trenches Podcast and asks about optimising their name, outline, and theme. 

Sometimes it helps to take a step back and look at the bigger picture of your podcast, asking questions such as:

1. What’s its purpose?
2. Who’s it for?
3. What does success look like for me?

You can then start to work backwards from these.

Another very useful exercise is to use our free Podcast Planner Tool.

And we have thorough guides on Podcast Names, Descriptions, and Formats for a deeper dive on those topics, too. 

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Laurent of the Puissante Panoplie podcast asks us about breaks between seasons. He feels that these can halt his momentum, and make him feel a bit like a headless chicken, jumping from task to task with no real plan in mind. Once the break is over, Laurent adds, he feels anything but rested or organised going into his new season.

On this episode, we talk about ways to better structure your breaks in between seasons. We also cover the benefits of running an audience survey during these periods. You can even collect listener feedback in voice form, as we're doing on this season of PodCraft. 

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Our question this week comes from Teresa of the Homeschool Mama SelfCare Podcast. Teresa's asking us about the optimal position of podcast ads so as to optimise their impact and minimise the chance of them annoying the listeners. 

On this episode, we cover:

• Is there a "right" time to play a podcast ad
• The difference between pre, mid, and post-roll ads
• The difference between pre-recorded and host-read ads
• How you can make ads part of your content
• And why ads might not be essential to the monetisation of your show, going forward.

This episode was sponsored by (and made with) Alitu, The Podcast Maker. 

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On this new season of PodCraft we're going to be answering your podcasting questions. Here's how to submit yours!

This time around, we have a question from Brooke of Let's Talk Art With Brooke.

Brooke has been podcasting for six years and as well over 200 episodes, but is concerned with lack of audience growth.

This is a big question in and of itself (so big, in fact, that we actually wrote a book about it). But we find that there's always a few low-hanging fruits that can have an impact right away. These include good, compelling episode titles, Calls to Action, thorough SEO-friendly shownotes, and appearing as a guest on other relevant podcasts. 

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It's part two of our dive into the Podcaster Cares Survey data. This time around, we're talking NFTs, measuring success, social media, loudness, and bitrates.

We also take a look at some interesting differences between podcasters of five years or more, and folks who've been doing it less than five years.
Podcasters of 5 years or more have stronger opinions on Apple Podcasts and RSS Feeds

• 67.5% of the 5 years or more group agreed that a podcast isn’t really a podcast if it doesn’t have an RSS feed.
• Of the folks in podcasting for fewer than five years, 39.8% agreed, whilst 38.9% didn’t care.
• 25.3% in the 5 years or more group didn’t care about RSS feeds.
• 44.6% of the 5 years or more group believe that Apple could and should be doing more to help podcasters. This is compared to 34.9% of the newer podcasters group.
• 53% of the newer podcasters have no real opinion on Apple either way, compared to 34.9% of the 5 years or more group.

Newer podcasters pay less attention to podcast loudness & bitrates

• 60.2% of podcasters of 5 years or more have a set and consistent loudness level for their show.
• This is compared to 31.4% of folks podcasting for 0-5 years.
• 29.7% of newer podcasters don’t worry about loudness levels.
• This is compared to only 15.7% of the 5 years or more group.
• 42.9% of newer podcasters have no idea what bitrates are. Only 15.7% of the 5 years or more group thought the same.

Get the full Podcaster Cares Survey Report right here.

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The more podcasting grows, the more people talk about it. Some of it is genuine news, and some of it is gossip or clickbait. Rather than waste your time with articles about irrelevant topics, we want to know what the average podcaster cares about most.

So, we put up a survey and invited our entire audience to take part through the blog, email and social. We offered a few prizes to say thanks, including a 1st prize gift voucher and a few of our own books (The Podcast Host Planner and Podcast Growth manual). 

We were delighted to see responses from over 500 podcasters (537 in total!) who generously shared their opinions with us. Let’s take a look at what podcasters think of the topics that spark debate in the content creation community.

Get the full Podcaster Cares Survey Report right here. 

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Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about choosing a format for your episodes.

The format you choose is really personal, and depends on who’s involved. If it’s just you, you’re not doing a co-hosted show any time soon, for example.

None of this is set in stone, either. So whilst it’s good to have an ‘average’ format, so your listeners know what to expect, you don’t have to stick to it every single time.

You might do your first few episodes using a certain format – for example, solo - then decide it isn’t for you. In this case, you could pivot and start doing interviews. Or, you could bring on a regular co-host.

The first format you try might feel perfectly natural to you, in which case, great. Or you might opt for a ‘mixed bag’ approach where you never stick to any one set format. The beauty of it is that it’s your podcast, and you get to make the rules.

We’re going to dig into the pros and cons of each podcast format in the next few episodes, so make sure you’re subscribed to the show on your listening app of choice!

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Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker.

And on this episode, we’re talking about niches (nitches?) and narrow topics.

There’s a bit of a misconception in podcasting that, the wider and more open your topic, the bigger your audience will be.

I know, it makes sense because covering lots of ground means there's loads more people who might be interested in your show.

The reality, though, is that listeners love podcasts that feel like they were made just for them.

So instead of our personal trainer doing a podcast about general health, diet, or exercise, it might be “the fitness podcast for single parents”, or “the keto diet podcast for vegetarians”.

In other areas, niche podcasts could be “The travel podcast, for D&D players”, or “The business startup podcast, for military veterans”.

You might have a fear that this'll limit your audience, but, actually, the opposite is true. When your target listeners find your show, and see how closely it scratches their itch, they’ll think “this is perfect!”, hit subscribe, and go on to become fanatical fans. On the other hand, if keep it general, everyone just sees it, goes 'meh' and moves on. When you try to target everyone, you really target no-one in particular.

So what would you rather have - a tight, defined group of fanatical listeners, or a big group who just might be interested in listening?

For a really detailed look at defining your niche topic, go to ThePodcastHost.com/topic

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Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about giving your audience a no-brainer reason to listen.

This, my friend, is all about supplying value in your very own unique way.

But what does that actually mean?

Well, let’s take the example of our personal trainer, I mentioned last time. If they’re serving up content that helps their listeners to, let's say, complete a couch to 5k, then they're providing value. If they can help a listener lose a few stone, or run a faster race, then that's a LOT of value!

Or what about our zombie podcaster? They might do an in-depth interview with a top author in the space. They'll dig in to unearth some anecdotes and insights that you've never heard anywhere else before from that writer. In that, they're providing some really unique value.

If you do something similar on your show, not only have you given your audience a reason to listen, you've also given them a reason to come back for more, every week.

This is absolutely vital for you to think about in the planning stages. So can you write down 10-15 potential episodes that you think your target audience would love to listen to? If you're teaching, it's often about considering the most common problems you can help them solve. And if it's entertainment, it's finding new content, or entertainment that scratches that person's personal itch.

And, for a more detailed look at giving them a reason to listen, go to ThePodcastHost.com/unique

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Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. On this episode, we’re asking a big question: Who are you making your podcast for?

The thing is, unless you know exactly who you’re making your show for, and why you’re doing it, you’ve got no chance of growing an audience.

Let’s imagine a personal trainer who’s making a health and fitness podcast to market their business. Their target audience might be people who are interested in healthy eating, weight loss, or HIIT training, or bodybuilding.

Or, let’s imagine a hobbyist who loves zombies and post-apocalyptic fiction. Their target audience would simply be folks with the same really specific passion. They might be fans of TV shows like The Walking Dead, and video games like Resident Evil.

It's a good idea to sketch out what’s known as your “avatar”. An avatar is a made up person that represents your ideal listeners in the real world. You make this detailed - with a name, age, job, background, likes, dislikes. You make this as real as you can, so it's someone you can know, deeply. The benefit then is that, with each episode you plan out, you can ask yourself the question “would Jane (my avatar) like this?” Asking that question is the key to making really compelling content, every time.

For a really detailed look at how to create your avatar, and a bunch of examples, go to ThePodcastHost.com/listener

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Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker.

And on this episode, we’re asking the question “Why?”

Why do you want to make a podcast?

Are you a freelancer?  A business? Or working for a company? Whatever you do, you'll know that podcasting's a great way to build trust and authority. Plus, of course, give your customers or your audience a whole bunch of valuable and entertaining content.

The other option is that you're in podcasting as a hobbyist? That could mean you'll be creating a show in your spare time, and on a subject you're passionate about. Anything from knitting, to craft beer, to horror movies.

Either way, figure out your why. It could be making more sales. Or growing a community. Or getting famous! They're all valid. And they're important to keep in mind so that you can stay motivated, even when life throws you those inevitable curveballs. Podcasting isn’t always easy, but if your “Why” is worth it, you’ll push on through.

New episodes of Pocket-Sized Podcasting will be released daily, Monday through Friday. Subscribe on your listening app of choice so they’re delivered to you automatically. Thanks so much for listening.

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Daily podcasts are a lot more common than they used to be. You might find the thought of running one appealing but also think to yourself "there's no way I'd have time to podcast every single day". Well, the good news is that you don't have to.

You can actually create a short sharp 1-2min episode a day podcast in only a few hours a week. We've found that the scripting, recording, production, and publishing take us approximately 3 hours for a week of content (a week being Monday-Friday). As these tasks are "batched" we're not tending to this podcast every single day, even though new episodes are always dropping.

There are a lot of benefits of doing short daily episodes. If you teach something then it'll give you the ability to deliver your lessons in bite-sized (or pocket-sized!) chunks. You can take a real deep dive over a period of time, rather than trying to pack together one huge lesson or talk. You might even turn your daily podcast into an Alexa Flash Brief.

Short episodes are also great for repurposing. This works well if you're active on YouTube, social media, or taking a Content Stacking approach to your show.

On this episode of Podcraft, we talk more about the benefits and workflows of running a daily podcast. We'll also help you answer the question of whether you should make one yourself.

And as for our own case study, it's something you'll hopefully be interested in checking out, too...

Our Daily Podcast - Pocket-Sized Podcasting

Pocket-Sized Podcasting is the ‘how to podcast’ series for busy people. You’ll get one short sharp tip delivered to your feed Monday through Friday, all aimed toward helping you build and grow your own life-changing show.

Brought to you by Alitu, the Podcast Maker, it’s our aim to make the entire process of podcasting as simple and accessible as humanly possible. Find us anywhere you get your podcasts, and be sure to hit follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode!

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We talk a lot about audience growth in our articles. In fact, promotion and growth is the number 1 thing podcasters struggle with, according to our recent podcaster problems survey.

One of the tips we've recommended for years is to see the other podcasters in your space as collaborators, rather than competition. Cross-promotion is a great example of the old saying "a rising tide lifts all boats". After all, this medium is on-demand, and it isn't like your listeners have to choose between your show and someone else's.

We had the opportunity to get involved in a podcast episode swap recently with the excellent Evo Terra and his industry essential Podcast Pontifications show. It's a show I'm sure you'll love, and this episode is an ideal taster of what you can expect to hear, 4 days a week, if you hit the subscribe button.

Here's the episode of Podcraft that was featured over there too - it was all about question research and how this strategy can help you create episodes to pull in new listeners.

Podcast Pontifications

Before we jump into the episode content, let's take a quick look at the show's description so you can get a better idea of what it's about and who it's for.

"Where plenty of podcasts about podcasting (PAPs) tell you what to do, Podcast Pontifications gives you what to think about in podcasting. These daily, insightful forward-looking episodes have one central tenet: Podcasting needs to be made better, not just easier. Designed for the working podcaster, these short-form episodes get you thinking about the future of podcasting and how you can better prepare yourself -- and your shows -- for the future. The goal is simple: help you develop critical thinking skills needed to make the best future-proofed podcast you can with the tools of today. Plus a few sneak previews of what might be coming tomorrow."

And now to the episode itself, here's the question that Evo is pontificating on...

"Nearly twenty years in, and many podcasters still have trouble thinking of podcasting as an industry. But our problem does not plague cash-flush brands looking to enter our industry. Who's perspective will win out? "

Key Links

• 2021 IAB podcast advertising revenue $1B
• 2021 global podcast advertising revenue $1.37B
• 2021 overall podcast industry marketing size $1.4B

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There's no shortage of things to focus on when it comes to planning, launching, and running your own podcast.

From buying the right mic and choosing a hosting platform, to coming up with a show name and sorting out your cover art, these all fall under the umbrella of "podcasting". But all podcasting tasks aren't created equally. Some of the things you do can have a huge impact on your show's success, whilst others can be little more than a distraction.

On this episode of Podcraft, we decided to reflect on a combined 20+ years of podcasting. Of all the podcasts we've launched and ran between us in that time, which factors do we feel helped move the needle?

Also mentioned on this episode were our Podcraft community and the Portuguese translations of some of our top articles.

Podcasting Factors That Move the Needle (Or Don't)

We both scored each of the following out of 10 (10 for very important, 0 for not important at all), added up the scores, and ranked them into an overall list. The aim was for new and aspiring podcasters to help decide whether they were spending too much time on one thing, or not enough time on something else.

1. Defining Your Target Audience

The most important factor was identifying who you want to reach, and why. Not spending some time nailing this down in the planning stages can lead to your content being directionless and vague. You want new listeners to hear your podcast and think "this is exactly what I've been looking for."

For more help with this, check out the following articles:

• What's Your USP?
• Demographics Vs Psychographics
• How to Create a Value Proposition
• How to Create Your Avatar
• How to Come up With a Unique Topic

2. Deciding on Your Podcast's Name

Naming your podcast can feel like a tricky barrier to overcome. It's also a very important one. If potential listeners don't immediately know what your show's about when they see it, then many of them will skip past it without even reading the description. With podcast names, there's no such thing as "boring". If you come up with an ultra-descriptive "as it says on the tin" name and it isn't already taken - grab it.

For more on this, check out How to Name Your Podcast.

3. Your Episode Titles

This is another huge factor in turning traffic (your target audience, searching for your topic) into listeners. Descriptive and compelling episode titles will help your show be found, and they'll also encourage those searching to hit play. Don't waste this important space by putting the word "episode" in there. You don't need to write your podcast name beside every episode title either.

For more on this, check out How to Title Your Episodes.

Want to See the Full List?Head on over to the shownotes at ThePodcastHost.com

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In this episode of Podcraft, Matthew and Colin talk about podcasting and parenting. They discuss the joys of being a new dad, from early morning buggy walks, to "having a good moan" about one's kids.

Brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker and The Podcast Host Planner

Parents always think they’re organized and resilient. The same's true for podcasters. Kids are unpredictable, and podcasting can be the same way. The key takeaway from this discussion about podcasting and parenting is to be honest with your audience.

Colin recommends that new parents who make podcasts should plan ahead, but stay flexible, and be kind to themselves during this time.

They discussed episode release schedules, such as podcasting in seasons, as opposed to publishing episodes at random intervals. Colin recommends lining up some episodes in advance of your child's arrival, then publishing each over time.

For parents who can't leave their child unattended, don't try to multi-task. It's better to do one thing well, instead of multitasking a few things, poorly.

Don't Wish It Away

This is a big milestone in one's life. It's worth not trying to do too much for your podcast. When babies are unpredictable and need a lot of care, there's a tendency to, as Matthew says, "wish things forward until the dust settles." Colin adds that parents should try to enjoy the early days while they can. In 13 years or so, your kids will want to do their own thing. You'll have plenty of time for podcasting then.

As a dad to two kids, Colin says, "the first year, especially the first three months, are hell." Plus, every kid is different. This isn't a good life stage for the results-oriented. But, he adds, the first six months are when babies sleep the most. Use this to your advantage: grab time for sleep and/or work when you can.

Colin adds that when babies are six to twelve months old, since they're more mobile, they need more supervision. They're more likely to grab things, like mixing board sliders. This is the age to child-proof your recording gear.

Be realistic about your plans. Think of this time as maintenance mode. Again, communicate clearly and positively with your audience. It’s not going to kill your show if you miss an episode.

Work sessions with shorter periods of time can force you to really focus. Be accepting of the work that you can get done in a shorter amount of time. Colin says, “a task will always expand to fill the time allowed.” If you only have forty-five minutes while the baby's out for a walk or napping, you can't procrastinate, overthink, or be too much of a perfectionist.

Rethink your show’s format. How can you bring value in less time, while still being yourself and making the same kind of show? For example, instead of hour-long interview episodes, can you make fifteen-minute episodes of productive tips?

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Podcasting news has been hard to keep up with this past year or so. Each week seems to bring a new development in the Apple Vs Spotify saga, a new "must use" tool or platform on the market, or a company buying another company for multiple zillions.

In this episode, we have a chat about what all of this actually means for the average podcaster.

It can be hard to keep up with all of this stuff, after all. You can start to think that if you're not totally on the ball with all of this, your podcast is going to vanish into the ether whilst everyone else moves on without you.

But the same principles apply in podcasting as they did 15 years ago. Know why you're doing it, know who you want to reach, and show up on a consistent basis for your listeners.

Resources Mentioned
* Alitu - The Podcast Maker * How to Sell Podcast Episodes * How to Create a Private Podcast Feed * Podcast Industry Stats * Podland Podcast * Deep Questions Podcast

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Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience

Audiograms combine images, text, and audio to create a social media post. they are as memorable and attention-grabbing as video, without being as time-consuming or data-heavy. WNYC created an open-source code to accomplish this means of podcast promotion, and there are other options available to you now, too.

Type: Short Task

Time Required: One hour

Podcast Level: From the beginning

The open-source code that WNYC created was intended to be a free resource for podcasters to use to promote their work. It’s great, but it can be confusing for people who don’t know how to code. Fortunately, Headliner has created an app which guides you through the process. The free version lets you make a certain number of audiograms per month. Depending on the social media platform for which you intend to make your audiogram, the size constraints vary. However, you can use the same content with different aspect ratios or time limits for different platforms.

Figure out what section of your podcast you want to highlight. Much like quote images, an audiogram is a sample of a moment from your podcast. In this case, instead of a line or two of text, you’re using a few seconds to a few minutes of audio.

Decide on the art you want to use. For consistency, you probably want to use your podcast logo. However, you can certainly use whatever art you want, as long as it fits with Headliner’s size requirements.

Including closed-captioning is a wise choice. Many people browse social media with the sound turned off, and don’t turn the sound on unless they’re curious about a particular post. If you include closed-captioning (well done: you make your post more accessible), go through and edit it for accuracy.

Headliner’s mobile app honestly makes it easy for you to promote your show from your phone. You could do this while you’re waiting for a coffee order or sitting in a park

Task List:

• Go to Headliner’s website and sign up for a free account.
• Use the Audiogram Wizard and type in your podcast’s name or RSS feed.
• Select the portion of your podcast episode that you want to share.
• Follow the Audiogram Wizard instructions to create your audiogram.
• If you use closed-captions, proofread and edit them for accuracy.
• Check the audiogram to make sure it’s just right.
• Download a copy for your archives.
• Post the audiogram to social media.
• Make sure that the post includes a link to your podcast website.
• Encourage your followers to share the post.

thepodcasthost.com/audiograms - How to Make and Use Audiograms

thepodcasthost.com/publishtoyoutube - Publishing Your Podcast on YouTube

Next season we are running some Q&A episodes - submit your questions here!

Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience

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Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience

Overcast is one of the most popular podcast listening apps in the world today. And with good reason – it's a superb app, packed with useful features.

Overcast is built for podcast listeners. But, they also provide the tools for podcasters to advertise their shows in the app. These ads appear as unobtrusive little banners, which the app’s users see at the bottom of their screen.

On these banner ads, you’ll see a podcast’s name, cover art, and a little snippet description tempting the listener to click it.

With Overcast ads, 100% of the folks that you reach are podcast listeners. That's why they're looking at Overcast when they see your ad. They're likely either listening to a podcast, or about to hit play on one.

This means they're literally one click away from browsing your podcast inside their chosen listening app. And one more click away from hitting Play or Subscribe.

There's no education needed here. There's no “what is a podcast?”, no “find us at…”. It's simply down to the snippet you write when you create your ad.

The ads are unobtrusive, yet clearly visible to the user.

Costs vary on topic, and on-demand, but you can usually start advertising on Overcast from around $300.

Type: Short Task

Time Required: 15 minutes to set up. Runs for 1 month.

Podcast Level: 3 episodes or more.

You need to sign up for an Overcast account at Overcast.fm.

Overcast is an iOS-only listening app, but anyone can sign up for an account on their computer.

Once you're in, go to overcast.fm/ads where you'll see the full details. This includes info on current pricing and estimated reach.

As you'll see, ads are broken out into different categories. Naturally, the cost is higher for the more popular ones. You can see how many slots are available, and which ones are currently sold out. If it's one of the sold out ones you're after, you can ask to be notified when they become available.

Once you select a category, you'll click through to a page where you can customise your snippet. You’ll want to write a sentence or two that acts as a ‘hook’, to be displayed alongside the podcast name and cover art.

If you leave this blank, Overcast will use the start of the description in your feed. It’s much better to write something in there that doesn’t cut off. Try adding “Click here to get started”, if you have the room.

Then, you can preview your ad, before reviewing your purchase, and making the payment. It's really simple.

Task List:

• Sign up for an Overcast account at Overcast.fm.
• Select your targeted podcast category.
• Customise your snippet.
• Preview your ad.
• Complete your purchase.

Further Reading: Promoting Your Podcast on Overcast

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Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience

When you’ve published a decent amount of episodes, you might consider re-writing your scripts and notes from each one into an ebook. You can give this away as an incentive to people who contribute to you through a fundraising campaign, or as a reward for signing up for your mailing list. You can even publish it and offer it for sale through Amazon’s self-publishing channels. It’s a good way to encapsulate your information, while also rewarding your audience for their commitment.

Type: Big Strategy

Time Required: One month to plan, compile, re-write, and publish

Podcast Level: At least ten episodes

So, you have a basic script of talking points for each episode (or, better yet, you have transcripts). You have your show notes, and you also have any blog posts or visual aids. You also have an audience that’s interested in your show’s topic.

For each episode, put together any notes or talking points you used, your transcript if you have one, any visual aids that you might have posted on your website or Instagram, and your show notes and blog post for the episode.

Look at this information as a whole. What’s the cohesive narrative? What did you learn about your podcast’s topic, as you went through the process of making this podcast? What have you learned about it from your audience and your guests? This is a good time for you to encapsulate what you’ve learned so far, and what you can share with others.

Edit this information into one cohesive document. A reasonable ebook usually runs about 7,000 to 10,000 words. As long as you’re covering the most important points in your information, explaining them clearly, and giving your audience value, length doesn’t matter.

It’s always a good idea to have someone unbiased and skilled proofread your document before sending it anywhere. You can find someone who does book editing services on Fiverr, or trade services with a friend. A good designer can make sure your ebook is pleasing to the eye and enjoyable to read. If you prefer the DIY route, you can make a pretty good book cover in Canva.

You can save this as one PDF, and give it to your supporters directly. This makes a great gift for the people who have supported you, as well as a good enticement for a new audience.

You can also publish it through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing. This lets you set the price, earn royalties, and publish in either digital or paperback.

Task List:

• Organize your show notes, scripts/talking points, transcripts, visual aids, and blog posts for each episode.
• Take note of what you’ve learned through this process.
• Write a book, using the information you’ve compiled.
• Get an unbiased, skilled editor to proofread and edit your book.
• Have a designer make sure your fonts and layout look good, and design a quality cover.
• Share this book with your supporters.

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Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience

Podcast-themed beer mats or coasters! This is a “helpful” way of distributing your podcast logo or branding around pubs and bars in your area. A little cardboard coaster is a useful thing in these places. They help keep the table dry, and some folks even collect them. If your design is intriguing enough, a person resting their glass on one may pull out their phone and subscribe to your podcast there and then.

Type: Ongoing task

Time Required: One month from design through to creation and delivery. Ongoing strategy to distribute.

Podcast Level: At any time

The starting point is your coaster design. What are you going to put on there to catch people’s eye?

Your podcast logo can be a good choice here, just like with stickers or magnets. But, unlike those, you have a bit more time with the person looking at your coaster. They’re also up close to it, so it doesn’t need to work in an at-a-glance sort of way.

I actually recommend getting yourself 2-4 different designs. A typical bar or pub table sits 4 people, so you can leave 4 different coasters which could even spark some discussion amongst the folks who sit there next.

Could you create one using a quote from a podcast review? Or, from yourself or an interview guest on the show? You can use humour or intrigue to make the person looking at it want to find out more. As always, it comes down to your own brand and tone, as well as your target audience.

You should always have your podcast’s name on each coaster. Get your URL on there too. Make sure the people who want to find out more, actually can.

Cardboard coasters are relatively cheap to have made. Many online printing services offer this service, and you’ll generally pick up bundles of 100 to 250 with each design.

Next comes the distribution. I use this guerrilla marketing tactic myself; I’ll shove a stack of them in my jacket pocket if I’m heading on a day out somewhere. Each time I’m in a pub, I’ll stick coasters under all of our glasses at the table. When we leave, other folks will sit there, and who knows? One might even go on to become the show’s biggest fan.

You can also harness the power of your listeners by running a competition. Ask them to take a picture of their drinks proudly sitting on your coasters when they’re out somewhere. You can run a hashtag for this so everyone can see each other’s pictures, too.

This is a fun way to market your podcast, because you never know who’s going to sit down and start studying your “ad” next. Also, it’s a great excuse to get some friends together and go for a drink one weekend!

Task List:

• Have 2-4 different types of coaster design made.
• Use your logo, but also consider things like quotes from reviews or from the show itself.
• Remember to have the podcast name, or even a URL on them.
• Each time you’re going to be in a cafe, pub, or bar, take some with you.
• Put them under the glasses or cups on your table as you drink.
• When you leave, leave them for the next people who’ll sit there.
• Consider running listener competitions to see how many bars around the world you can get photos of your coasters “in action”.

Further Reading: thepodcasthost.com/guerrilla

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Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience

Despite the many hundreds of ways listeners can consume podcasts these days, Apple Podcasts/iTunes is still comfortably the biggest platform in the world. Over 60% of podcast listening happens there.

We know from our own data that when listeners want to find new content to listen to, around 40% of them take to searching their podcast listening app first.

Looking at those two stats, it isn’t hard to conclude that if you were listed by Apple as a “featured” podcast, you’d likely pick up a few new listeners.

In fact, we know this ourselves first hand. In August 2017, one of our shows – Hostile Worlds – was featured on the front page of iTunes and Apple Podcasts. We’ll link to the article where we break down our listening numbers from that period in the Further Reading section.

Type: Big task

Time Required: Months of planning - 10 minutes to submit your podcast

Podcast Level: 4 episodes or more

How to Do It

It’s important to stress that there’s no way to guarantee getting featured there. You need to show Apple you’ll be publishing content that they reckon is feature-worthy. It’s also important to stress that said episode is not yet published.

Apple will consider featuring a podcast on their front page if it’s something topical or noteworthy. For example, if a show is going to have a famous guest on their show. This person must be widely famous – “someone your mum has heard of” – and not just “niche famous”. This might be an author or musician with a new book or album. Apple sells these products, so they like to help market them.

A famous guest could also be a sports star ahead of a big final, or an actor around the time of a movie premier.

It doesn’t need to be due to a guest though. It might be because your episode will focus on a major event or news story. That was the case with Hostile Worlds, and the Cassini Mission to Saturn.

Apple Submission Form

You’ll find the Apple submission form at thepodcasthost.com/appleform

They’re looking for at least 2 weeks lead time here, prior to the publishing of your noteworthy episode. They’d also like to know how you’re going to promote and market this episode on their platform. This might include things like linking to your show in Apple on your episode post, and tagging them in social media posts around the episode.

Task List:

• Plan an episode that Apple may be interested in featuring
• Fill out the submission form at least 2 weeks prior to the episode going live
• Let Apple know how you’ll be promoting and marketing the episode on their platform

Further Reading:

• Apple Submission Form
• Podcast Discovery Stats
• How Many Downloads Did We Get on the Front Page of iTunes/Apple Podcasts?

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Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience

Nope, it’s not a new breakfast cereal. It’s a journalism and/or marketing strategy. The name comes from vox populi, or voice of the people. It’s a way of sketching out public opinion at a particular place and time. By asking a lot of different people the same question, you can get a lot of perspective on a bit of truth. This is also often used for comic effect by Jimmy Kimmel, and parodied by A Bit of Fry and Laurie. If you watch television, you have seen vox pops.

Type: Short Task

Time Required: A hour to record, an hour to edit

Podcast Level: 5-10 episodes

How to Do It

Come up with a good episode topic, and one or maybe two related questions. Put together a remote recording rig which you can carry easily, such as a hand-held digital recorder and a pair of headphones. Go to a place with good foot traffic, but not so crowded that you’ll have to shout to be heard. Think about places where your podcast topic would be relevant. If your podcast is about fly fishing, try the parking lot of a fishing spot, or partner with a bait and tackle shop. If your podcast is about quilting, check out a fabric shop.

Bring some of your podcast business cards with you so you can easily share details of where to find the show.

Participants do have to give you permission to record them. But you don’t have to fill out a contract, just keep a recording of them saying “yes, you have my permission to record me.”

If you see people who look like they might be interested, ask if they’d be up for participating in an interview for a podcast. Be aware that people might not be, and that has nothing to do with you: they might be on their way to work, headed home, or simply wanting privacy. Some people will want to participate. Keep it light, keep it quick, and give them a card so they can listen later.

Task List:

• Come up with a good episode topic, and one or maybe two related questions.
• Practice working with your remote recording rig, and saving the sound files.
• Get some business cards with your show information on them.
• Take your recording rig to a local spot with a reasonable amount of foot traffic. Bring a friend.
• Ask people if they’d be interested in participating in an interview for a podcast.
• Tell them about your podcast and offer them a card right away. That way, even if they say no, they’ve heard of your podcast.
• After you record them, thank them. Remind them that they’ll be able to hear themselves on your podcast, and they should tell their friends.

Also Mentioned

• The Best Podcast Digital Recorders on the Market
• Shure SM58 Mic
• Samson Q2U Mic
• Zoom PodTrak P4 Podcast Recorder

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Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience

A montage episode is a piece of audio content, made up of clips from different contributors.

A tried and tested way of creating one is to build the episode around a single topic or question. Each participant records their answer to the question, and sends over their audio to the creator.

You can collect clips from anyone from the general public, to your podcast listeners. In this particular instance, we want to create one with fellow podcasters in our niche.

Type: Big Strategy

Time Required: Around 3 months, from planning to publishing

Podcast Level: About 10 episodes, or at the end of a season

Firstly, you need to decide on a topic for your episode. Choose something that’s going to be interesting and useful to the audiences of all involved.

Some examples of montage episodes could include

• An episode of a travel podcast, where contributors talk about their favourite holiday destination
• An episode of a sound design podcast, where contributors talk about their favourite audio production software
• An episode of a health podcast, where contributors talk about their morning routines

You may be asking a single question, but it's a good idea to have some prompts alongside it.

Imagine the hypothetical travel podcast creates a montage episode titled “The World's Best Holiday Destinations”, and one of the clips is someone simply saying “Jamaica”. That would be a pretty dull and pointless episode.

When asking for contributions, you might expand on the question “what is your favourite holiday destination?” with any of the following;

• Why did you choose to go there?
• What’s your favourite memory of the place?
• What’s something that surprised you about it?
• What's your top tip for someone planning to go there in the future?

This will help give yourself the best possible chance of gathering great, insightful content.

Decide too, if you'd like to put an approximate time guide on answers. Between 3-5 minutes is always a good sweet spot. But don't be too strict with this, or you'll discourage folks from participating.

You’ll want to set a deadline for getting the clips back, so you can begin production. Lay out specific instructions in an easy-to-skim manner. These are things like

• When you need the clip sent over by
• Where or how to send it
• Any file format or naming preferences

Once you have the clips together, assemble them in a good running order. You can then script your own parts in the episode - the intro and outro, as well as any commentary you’d like to add in between clips.

When you’ve published a montage episode, be sure to reach out to everyone involved and ask them to share it with their own listeners. Everyone’s podcast can grow with this strategy, on top of it being great content for the collective audience. Everyone wins!

Task List:

• Identify the podcasts you’d like to collaborate with
• Come up with a useful and interesting episode topic
• Reach out to them with your proposal
• Sell the benefits to them - this can help grow their reach!
• Lay out your specific instructions
• Gather in audio clips
• Record and intro and outro, and any commentary
• Mix episode together
• Publish
• Share with all involved - ask them to share it too

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Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience

This is where your love of your podcast’s topic will take the wheel. Let’s say you have a podcast about thrift (charity) shops. So you join a group on Facebook dedicated to unusual thrift shops. People post pictures and talk about great shops they’ve found, unusual things they’ve seen or bought in thrift shops, and so on. If you come in on day one saying “Hello everyone, I have a podcast about thrift shops and you all should listen to it,” you’ll just alienate people. What you owe it to yourself to do is read, watch, and see what the content and dynamic of the group are. How compatible are their discussions with your podcast? What are the big concerns? Are they talking about Goodwill vs. Salvation Army, or the prevalence of costume jewellery? You might find shop owners to interview, or topics to discuss on your podcast. When you feel comfortable, and you’ve added some value to the group, then mention that you have a podcast.

Task List:

• Find a few online communities related to your podcast’s topic.
• Join them, follow the group guidelines, read and watch the group for a few weeks.
• Let yourself be inspired by what’s happening in the group.
• If there are discussions where you can honestly add value (i.e., “I know a great way to get stains out of velvet!”), then participate.
• Use your knowledge and expertise with compassion.

Links

• Creating a 'Real Life' Podcast Community
• Building a Community Around Your Podcast
• Do Podcasters Need Social Media?

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Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience

Questions are great. More and more, users are typing full questions into Google, rather than single words or phrases. Google can see this, and loves it when you answer them directly. If it’s obvious what you’re answering, they’ll direct ever more users to your answers.

On top of that, when you think in questions, you tend to solve a real problem. Solve someone’s problem and they’ll be a loyal listener for life! That’s what powers real audience growth. So, where do we find these questions?

“Answer the Public” is a great resource for this. It’s a website which is similar, in a way, to the keyword tool discussed earlier, but it’s designed to surface every possible question around a keyword or keyphrase. Type in your keyword - eg. podcasting - and you’ll see a huge list of questions. You’ll see them grouped by type - why? what? Who? - and you can refine it along the way. Wait till you see the questions that you never even considered!

Next, let’s use social media, and Twitter in particular, to see what people are asking, right now! The technique is simple: type in your keyword AND a ? or a question word. This prompts twitter to surface all tweets that ask a question related to your topic. Eg.

• Podcast AND ?
• meditation AND how
• Nutrition AND what

Another great resource is Quora, an entire website of questions! Type in your topic, or related keywords, and see what questions pop up.

Finally, try Buzzsumo to see what type of content is really resonating with your niche right now. Type in your keywords and it’ll surface the most shared content in your niche. This should give you ideas on what people are really connecting with right now.

Task List:

• Pick at least one of the above tools and go in deep on it.
• Try all your topic or keyword variations and see if you can write down at least 10 of the most common questions people are asking.
• Use these as your next set of podcast topics and you'll increase your search visibility by a huge amount.
• Bonus points: use the Google keyword tool from above to check search volume and prioritise your questions

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Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience

Admit it: you can always use the support of your colleagues. Whether other people who make podcasts have more experience, less experience, or different kinds of experience, there’s always inspiration and strength that comes from being involved with other podcasters. Creating a local group takes some work, and a long period of time, but in the end, you can build community, grow your show, and help others.

Type: Regular technique

Time Required: Put an hour a week into promoting it and an hour for each meeting.

Podcast Level: 10 episodes, or when your workflow is established and comfortable

You probably participate in an online community of podcasters already. If you don’t, you certainly can. You can also survey your audience to find out where your listeners are, and what percentage of them are podcasters themselves.

Find a local coffee shop, pub, or community centre that will let a few people sit around and chat over a beverage for a while. Plan a recurring meeting, brainstorm some discussion topics, and promote the meeting to your friends and followers.

It can be handy to set a topic in advance for each meeting. This can encourage people to turn up.

You can also create meetups online. This gives you the option to meet people anywhere in the world, but removes the impact of face to face interaction.

Whichever you choose, be open to listening, use your best manners, and empower others to do the same.

Task List:

• Decide if you want the meeting to be virtual or actual (online or in-person).
• Find an online platform to use, or a venue to meet up in.
• Arrange a time and date.
• Mention the meeting on your social media, and in your podcast’s call to action. You want to be able to do this for at least three episodes of your podcast.
• Set a topic (or topics) in advance.
• Get to the meeting early, greet people when they arrive.
• If you meet in a physical location, make sure that you leave it clean, and in better shape than you found it.

Further Reading:

• Building a Community
• Creating a ‘Real Life’ Podcast Community

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Your current listeners are the best PR team to increase audience growth. Get to know your current listeners. They'll tell their friends about your podcast. Find out what their interests and habits are. Get them to tell you what they want your podcast to do. This way, you can fine-tune your podcast to increase your audience and reach more listeners.

I'm not suggesting you take each individual listener out for a chat over a cup of coffee (though that would be very nice of you). The best way to get the information about your audience that you need, is with a short and carefully crafted podcast survey.

Podcast Survey Tools For Growth

I like a free tool as much as the next podcaster, so let's start with a couple of them. And I'll include one paid option if you want to really ramp up your data gathering.

Google Forms has a gallery of templates which you can use to create a standard type of form. It's easy to use, and everyone knows the brand, so it's pretty low-barrier. The look is, for me, a bit dated, but it's totally adequate for your average survey.

SurveyMonkey is a lot more flexible. It's a paid product, normally, but the freemium tier will let you make a short podcast survey with ten questions or less, for nothing. If you don't need to go long, or need any of their other premium options, it could suit well.

Paperform is my final recommendation, for those who want the full power of a paid product. Full flexibility and a range of beautiful templates, you can make a survey that looks great and really draws people in.

One of the best Paperform features is the ability to create what they call a ‘landing form.' In plain English, it's a page creator that includes survey elements, so you can build a great looking ‘audience welcome page' which asks them questions, gets your data, but also gives them a bunch of value through episode guides, downloads, contact info and more. You can build a place where you give as value them as they give to you in filling in their data.

You really don't want your podcast survey to be longer than ten questions. Your listeners are already giving you their time and mental effort. Ask for a little, and you'll get a lot.

Multiple-choice questions will get you results that are focused and specific. Open-ended questions can give you results you hadn't expected. They can also lead listeners to use them as a personal soapbox or open-mic night. Limit the amount of characters responders can use, so they have to keep their response short.

Read the guide at Running an Audience Survey
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We're delighted to announce our latest book. It's called Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast AudienceTo celebrate, we're making season 13 of Podcraft all about podcast promotion and growth. We'll be going through the book, chapter by chapter, and picking out a single task to focus each episode around.

On this episode, we're pulling from the first chapter - Enabling Your Existing Audience - and the task in question is around Calls to Action.

Calls to Action (CTAs) are low-hanging fruit that many podcasters miss a huge opportunity with.

There are some key questions to ask yourself when thinking about your CTAs. Questions like how does your CTA uniquely engage your listeners? And what do you want your listener to do?

A specific, memorable Call to Action engages your audience and drives them in the direction you want.

You should also make it easy for them to do it. If you’re sending them to a particular web page, use a shortlink to get them there. If you want them to talk about your show on social media, invent a hashtag so you can track it.

Your CTAs will totally depend on your content and motivations. But some of the most common and effective podcast CTAs we see are;

• Subscribe to the show in your listening app of choice
• Share this episode with someone you think will benefit from it
• Leave a rating and review on your listening app of choice, or in Podchaser
• Get in touch (solicit particular questions so this is more effective)
• Download a resource, sign up for something, or purchase an upgrade

Finally, include your CTAs in the show notes of each episode, in the episode outro, and if possible, linked in a button on your website podcast player.

Task List:

• For your next Call to Action, what do you want your listeners to do? Sum it up in a short sentence or less, such as “sign up for our email list.”
• Look at the ‘Creating Memorable Links’ task, and practice making a short link.
• Practice your intros and outros. How can you fit your new CTA into your outros?

Related to: Creating Memorable links, Encouraging Reviews

Further Reading:

thepodcasthost.com/driveaction - How to Drive Action From a Podcast

thepodcasthost.com/outros - Introducing & Ending Your Episode

Check out the full book - Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience

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Now that we’ve covered the stacking process, in the episode, I want to cover some extra resources that’ll help you. That includes equipment, software, and much more. I also want to give you some next steps, so you can get started on this right away. By the end of this episode you’ll be fully armed to start building your own stack!

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Now you know how to create a content stack, getting so much more from every piece of content you create. Next, we’re going to amplify that through the wonder of seasons. Not just a tool for fiction or documentaries, seasons can work for everyone. They make it easier for you, and more effective for your audience. That combination leads to quicker growth, bigger reach and even more fans.

Before we jump in, I just want to say thanks to Memberful for support this episode. They make membership sites really really easy, and they just launched private podcasting too - so you can do private website content, private newsletter AND a private podcast now, for all your members. Pop over to memberful.com to read more about it.

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Last week, we covered the content stack, and how it works. This week, we’ll get right into how to create it, from start to finish. If you don't have the time to create great quality blogs, videos and Podcasts, then I’ll show you how through smart repurposing. This isn’t just plain cutting and paste. Instead, I'll show you a way of creating and repurposing which takes advantages of the direct strengths of each. Not only that, but every element links and builds, so that you build engagement and trust with every episode.

Before we jump in, I just want to say thanks to Memberful for support this episode. They make membership sites really really easy, and they just launched private podcasting too - so you can do private website content, private newsletter AND a private podcast now, for all your members. Pop over to memberful.com to read more about it. 

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Hey folks, Colin here from thePodcastHost.com and bringing you a special short series on podcraft, starting today and continuing another 3 weeks. 

The aim of the series is to cover something I call the content stack. This is a concept around creating much more content, much more easily. Specifically that means making planning super simple, and creating a podcast episode, a blog post and at least 1 video, all in one process - often in the same time it takes you right now to create your podcast, so you're getting tonnes more benefit out of the time you spend creating. So, I'm going to cover the whole process over the next 4 weeks - all actionable, showing you exactly how to do it. This was originally recorded for the brilliant Boagworld podcast - one of the first shows I ever subscribed to and still going strong, so when I mention Paul, that's who I'm talking about, over at Boagworld.com.  

Before we jump in, I just want to say thanks to Memberful for supporting this episode. They make membership sites really, really easy, and they just launched private podcasting too. So you can do private website content, private newsletters AND a private podcast now, for all your members. Pop over to memberful.com to read more about them. 

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In this series on video conferencing for remote or big teams, we're looking at how best to setup, prepare for and run your online calls. 

On this episode, it's the final step: running the call! What's the etiquette, online? How does it differ from in-person meetings? That's what we explore here. We'll show you how to think about it differently, so that you get the most value from the time you spend with your team, and keep everyone engaged throughout. 

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In this series on video conferencing for remote or big teams, we're looking at how best to setup, prepare for and run your online calls. 

This episode is all about the preparation. What can you do, ahead of your online meeting, to make sure it runs smoothly? In some ways it's no different from an in-person meeting, but in others, there are some very specific things you can do in the online context. Let's find out what!

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Video conferencing and online calls have rocketed in the past couple of months, for obvious reasons!

For many this new way of working is yet another steep learning curve in amongst all the other craziness that has happened since the start of 2020….. moving from face to face to remote working and virtual meetings.

Life is stressful enough for many people at the moment, without needing to figure the best ways of working online, whilst broadband is being shared amongst a household and you’re working from the kitchen table!

So, I got together with Maryanne Johnstone from the Agile Speaker podcast to do a joint series on how to communicate online, whether it's for work - your own team or clients - or for home - family and friends. 

In this short series we'll cover the logistics, including software, gear and setups. We'll cover how to prepare for these calls, so they go well. And we'll cover how to deliver them - how to make sure they run smoothly. 

This time around it's the logistics. So, let's find out what's the best setup for online calls, including microphones, headphones, software and location. 

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We recently ran a listener survey, exploring the discovery and listening habits of 780 podcast consumers. 41% of participants have never run their own show before.

Read the full reportSome of the key takeaways were

• 40% prefer to search their listening app's directory to discover new podcasts
• Podcasts are judged mostly on the description, and then their episode titles
• People don't care if they've never heard of the podcaster, or their guest
• 28.9% of listeners will give a show up to 15 minutes to “hook” them
• 27.5%, on the other hand, will only give it 5 minutes
• The vast majority of listeners are fine with ads in podcasts, within reason
• Going too long can lose you more listeners than going too short

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This week, we're bringing you a final bonus episode, coming from a new show that Colin's just released, called the Podcasting Tools show. 

It's a podcast all about gear, gadgets, resources and tools for podcasters, something that Colin's super geeky about, and something that's always gone down well with readers of thePodcastHost.com. 

The aim is short reviews, comparisons and tutorials that'll help you improve your show in just 10 minutes each week. 

Listen to this episode to see if you like it and subscribe over at:
https://www.ThePodcastHost.com/podcastingtools.

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This week, and for 1 more week, we're bringing you episodes from a new show that Colin's just released, called the Podcasting Tools show. 

It's a podcast all about gear, gadgets, resources and tools for podcasters, something that Colin's super geeky about, and something that's always gone down well with readers of thePodcastHost.com. 

The aim is short reviews, comparisons and tutorials that'll help you improve your show in just 10 minutes each week. 

Listen to this episode to see if you like it and subscribe over at:
https://www.ThePodcastHost.com/podcastingtools.

Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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This week, and for the next 2 weeks, we're bringing you episodes from a new show that Colin's just released, called the Podcasting Tools show. 

It's a podcast all about gear, gadgets, resources and tools for podcasters, something that Colin's super geeky about, and something that's always gone down well with readers of thePodcastHost.com. 

The aim is short reviews, comparisons and tutorials that'll help you improve your show in just 10 minutes each week. 

Listen to this episode to see if you like it and subscribe over at:
https://www.ThePodcastHost.com/podcastingtools.

Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Podchaser is often referred to as “the IMDb of podcasting”.

The company was founded in 2016 with the goal of creating the “ultimate, platform-agnostic podcast database.” On this episode of Podcraft, Colin is joined by founder Cole Raven to talk about the various ways podcasters can utilise Podchaser.

The platform enables you to create your own profile. Then, you can link that profile it to all the shows and episodes you've ever been involved in.

Podchaser lets other users “follow” your show, so they'll never miss an update from you in their feed. They have a great ‘lists' feature too, so you can create themed lists of your favourite podcasts or podcast episodes. There's also a rating and review system. Cole points out that many podcasters ask for iTunes/Apple reviews on their shows, which excludes the huge number of folks listening on non iOS devices. With Podchaser, anyone with an account can leave your show a rating and review.

Users can even review individual episodes. You could start to leverage this by asking your listeners to review each episode on Podchaser to let you know exactly what they think. This could be a good way to determine what content really hits the mark, and what stuff you might want to consider dropping in future.

Podchaser is a fast growing platform that's becoming a great place to discover new shows. Users can keep up with what their like-minded friends are listening to, following, adding to lists, and reviewing.

For the interview show podcaster, it's also a really good place to seek out interesting and relevant new guests for your show.

As the platform is still relatively young, it's a good time to get on there, create your profile, and ‘claim' your podcast/podcasts. Cole and the Podchaser team are very supportive, receptive to feedback, and constantly adding new features and tweaks to the service.

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New mics turn up on our doorstep all the time here at The Podcast Host. Which is handy, because our ‘best podcast microphones' article is one of the most popular on the entire site.

Many podcasters love equipment and gear. And, though it's far from the most important factor in making a great podcast, who doesn't like to try out some brand new kit?

So what exactly did we try out mic-wise in 2019? I thought I'd put together the sound samples recorded for each individual review, so you could listen through and compare them in one easy-to-listen place.

What You'll Hear

Here's what we'll be listening to, along with links to their full reviews on the site.

• AKG Lyra USB – $150
• Electro Voice RE20 – $400
• Aston Stealth – $400
• Zoom SSH-6 Shotgun Attachment – $150
• Rode Wireless Go – $210
• AntLion ModMic USB – $70
• Rode Procaster – $200
• Rode Rodecaster – $600

It's worth saying up front, that if you don't listen to this episode with over-ear headphones on, the subtle differences between each one might be lost on you.

That said, listening through earbuds in a busy, noisy place, is exactly how most listeners consume podcasts. So if you don't notice any difference at all, that could be a great reason to spend a lot less on your recording gear.

Need More Gear-Choosing Help?

The above mics are the ones we tried out in 2019, but there are plenty other great options on the market.

If you'd still like to shop around a bit, then be sure to check out our best podcast microphones and best USB mics roundups.

For more help on the audio and recording front, check out our ultimate guide to podcast equipment. This'll run you through everything you need, as well as everything you don't need.

And, if you'd prefer a bit more tailored assistance, check out The Podcast Host Academy. There, you'll get access to our community forums, live Q&A sessions, courses, resources, and much more!

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On the episode, I talk to David Bain, a long time and very prolific podcaster, the one I remember most being Digital Marketing Radio. David is also the author of Marketing Now (available very soon on Amazon!), which is a book which had it's genesis in a podcast.

David is in good company with this type of repurposing, one of the biggest examples being Tim Ferriss and the Tools of Titans book. Tim created that book based on the hundreds of hours of content he's produced as part of his interview-based podcast.

So, I thought I'd get David on the show, incase you want to follow in the footsteps of David and Tim. Here he talks about the 6-step process he used to create Marketing Now, and how you can create your own book.

You'll find out:

• How David came up with the idea for the book, and how he created previous ones using the same method.
• How to think about book structure, and how that boils down into planning the audio content to base it on
• How a live broadcast is a natural extension of a podcast
• How he turned a live broadcast into the content for a book
• Where he decided to publish his book and why
• How he solved the design problem, and made it easy to create a great book

You can find David over on twitter, and you can see more about the book, and sign up for the live launch stream here: Marketing Now.

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Interviews are a big part of podcasting, and for good reason.

They break up the potential monotony of one voice talking for too long, they add expertise and gravitas to your episode, and it's a chance to tap into your interviewee's own following – a tale of two audiences!

You'll want to get the most out of your interviewee and maximise their contribution to your cause. That boils down to the conversation you have, and the questions you ask. No pressure.

We've covered how to record an interview extensively, so now it's down to what you should be asking them! That's what we cover on this episode.

Read the full article

There are two parts to this.

First, we'll go into how to formulate interview questions focused on your own topic, and on the interviewee themselves. Every good interview should be mostly tailored to the person you're interviewing after all.

But, second, we'll look at the types of more general questions you can use to dig deep and get some interesting, unexpected responses. Bear in mind, of these, some questions will be more relevant to your show than others. Please use responsibly!

Work with us in The Podcast Host Academy

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Every successful podcast has to be unique in some way. If there's no uniqueness, then there's no draw. There's no reason to listen.

And with over 700,000 podcasts in Apple Podcasts, you have to give people a reason to listen.

Read the full article

Taking on a new podcast, as a listener, is a commitment. Don't underestimate that. It's giving up 20 minute of your time, at a minimum, to find out: is this any good? Is this going to make my life better?

Dramatic? Yea. But true? Undoubtedly.

They want a problem solved. Anything from the deep three – health, wealth and happiness – to the surface one – fighting boredom. They pick their problem, and they search a topic based on that. So, when they find your category, the question becomes: “Why should I listen to this particular show, and not one of the other squillion shows on video games?”

That's where your uniqueness comes in. It's what makes you stand out from the crowd. It's what attracts listeners to you like a moth to the flame.

Do you know what your uniqueness is? Or your unique selling proposition, as some call it? That's what we're here for.

A big thanks to NameSilo for sponsoring this episode. Use our coupon code podcraft to get $1 off your first order.

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We've run our annual Grand Gear Survey to find out what podcasters are using to record their shows in 2019? We also found out a bit about how they're recording.

Read the full article - complete with graphs and charts
In this episode, we talk through the results in full. You'll hear stats from our sample of 330 podcasters on the following;

• Top Microphone Brands
• Top Microphone Models
• Microphone Types
• Mic Stands
• Pop Filters
• Monitoring
• Headphones
• Post-Production
• Recording Devices
• Recording Methods
• Video Recording
• Live Recording

A big thanks to NameSilo for sponsoring this episode. Use our coupon code podcraft to get $1 off your first order. 

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In a world of YouTube views and Twitter followers, we've become accustomed to figures in the hundreds of thousands, and even millions.

Read the full article

It's important to realise though, these numbers are completely irrelevant to podcasting. The time and effort it takes for someone to click ‘Follow' on Twitter, or watch a few seconds of a Youtube video, should never be compared to podcast listening.

Podcast listening is a commitment, and an investment. It's long form content that isn't immediately accessible via shiny sidebars and viral social media clickbait.

So comparing your downloads to someone else's Instagram followers is like comparing the number of rooms in your house, to the number of trees in the Amazon. It's completely irrelevant and utterly pointless.

Does it (as usual) Just Depend?

Of course it does.

Could a podcast about breeding Russian white dwarf hamsters realistically expect to see the same downloads as a podcast about Game of Thrones? Absolutely not.

Does this mean that the podcast with more downloads is the more successful one? Again, absolutely not.

If you ran a podcast about a topic that was only interesting to literally 10 people in the world, and you were getting 7 downloads an episode, statistically, you'd be running the most popular show in history.

It's the size of your potential audience that's the big factor. Here are a couple of things to consider.

Firstly, how many folks out there are interested enough in your topic to actually want to consume content about it?

Secondly, how many of those people are current podcast listeners?

Thinking along these lines will help bring you closer to seeing what those cold hard download stats tell you. They can help you set realistic goals, that don't involve drawing comparisons with viral videos and celebrity social media accounts.

A Good Gauge

One of the easiest ways to get a snapshot of podcast download stats as a whole, is to listen to Libsyn's official podcast The Feed.

Libsyn are one of the biggest podcast media hosting platforms in the industry.

Naturally, they can only provide stats based on the shows that host there. But there's over 50,000 of them, which makes it a pretty significant sample size.

Their show – The Feed – is also essential listening for any podcaster – even if you don't host with Libsyn. They provide great statistical data every other week. This can help you to see how your numbers measure up in the grand scheme of things. Remember, though, that it's far from the whole story.

At the time of writing, here were the latest figures. These are based on the number of downloads in the 30 day period following the release of a new episode.

If your new episode gets, within 30 days of its release:

• more than 136 downloads, you're in the top 50% of podcasts.
• more than 1100 downloads, you're in the top 20% of podcasts.
• more than 3200 downloads, you're in the top 10% of podcasts.
• more than 7,700 downloads, you're in the top 5% of podcasts.
• more than 20,000 downloads, you're in the top 2% of podcasts.
• more than 36,000 downloads, you're in the top 1% of podcasts.

Source: The Feed – Episode 145

A big thanks to NameSilo for sponsoring this episode. Use our coupon code podcraft to get $1 off your first order.

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Podcast advertising is just one of many ways to grow your show's audience.

Growing an audience, ultimately, starts with creating good content on a consistent basis though. Then, if you make it easy to find and share, you'll struggle not to grow your audience.

However, many early-stage and aspiring podcasters don't like to hear that it can take months, or even years, to build an established listener-base.

Podcasting is a long game though, and “overnight success” is a myth in this medium.

Getting More Plays

There's no getting away from the above facts. But, for those willing to spend some money, it is possible to get more ears on your podcast in a short period of time.

Of course, your content will still need to do its job in making these listeners stick around to hit subscribe. But, you're listening to this podcast, so naturally, you've already got that part nailed down!

So, where can you actually run some podcast advertising? And which options are the most suited to you and your target audience?

What are the Paid Podcast Advertising Options?

The following list is ever-changing, ever-growing. At the time of writing, here are the best options available to you.

They're in no particular order, because in podcasting it's rarely ever a case of “the best”, and almost always a case of “it depends”.

Read the full article

1. Social Media
2. Google Ads
3. Overcast
4. Spotify
5. Print Magazines
6. Podnews
7. Sponsor a Blog
8. Sponsor Another Podcast

A big thanks to NameSilo for sponsoring this episode. Use our coupon code podcraft to get $1 off your first order.

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In this episode I'm talking to Kennedy and Rob Temple from Responsesuite. Their speciality is using surveys to get your know your audience, and particularly to in using them to create great products or services that suit exactly what your listeners need. 

So, if you've been looking to grow your listeners, and start using your podcast to sell a product or a service, this episode is right up your street. 

You'll learn how Rob and Kennedy think about listener avatars, how that helps you create better content and grow awareness around your show, how that then leads to great products and services, and how surveys can be used throughout this to get the real detail that makes a difference.

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Some might call this a "Pet Peeves" episode, but you can also think of them as "Growth Opportunities".

Are you doing some things that might be costing listeners to drop off and unsubscribe? Or is your show set up in the way that it's really hard to even find listeners in the first place? Then you might want to check yourself against our 10 Commandments of podcasting (of which there's actually 14. Thou shalt not be able to count to 10, and all that...)

1. Thou shalt not have an extra long theme tune
2. Thou shalt not spend 10 hours editing an episode
3. Thou shalt not do a podcast that's "for everyone" about "all sorts of stuff"
4. Thou shalt not cram too much into your cover art
5. Thou shalt not make your listener adjust volume levels more than once in an episode
6. Thou shalt not ask an interviewee to introduce themselves
7. Thou shalt not open your episode with an apology
8. Thou shalt not over-complicate your gear too early (or ever!)
9. Thou shalt not ask for reviews or Patreon support before delivering any content
10. Thou shalt not use copyrighted music for "7 seconds" or for "fair use"
11. Thou shalt not only share links to places like Apple Podcasts or Facebook
12. Thou shalt not call your episodes "podcasts"
13. Thou shalt not put the onus of growing your show on others
14. Thou shalt not "wing it"

Resources Mentioned

If you've realised you're doing any of the above, and are won over to changing your ways, here are some useful resources...

• Designing Great Podcast Cover Art
• Finding Podcast Music
• What's The Minimum Equipment I Need to Podcast?
• The Minimum Effective Editing Approach
• How to Make Your Podcast Unique
• How to Prepare for an Interview
• Introducing & Ending Your Episode
• My Guests Don't Share My Episodes
• How to Promote Your Podcast
• How to Build a Podcast Website
• Best Podcast Hosting Services
• Alitu - The Podcast Maker App
• The Podcast Host Academy

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A bit of a bonus episode to bring down the curtain on our Podcast Equipment Series.

You put a lot of work into creating your episodes, so let's have a chat about where (and how) your end product is actually consumed.

This episode starts with a discussion about why you should consider listening to less podcasts too. It was prompted by a great article by Greg Campion titled The Problem With Podcasts (thanks for the heads up, PodNews) and, for a deeper dive on this, check out the excellent Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport.

On to the listening apps, Colin uses BeyondPod (Android) whilst Matthew uses Overcast (iOS) and both were in agreement that things like playlist and playback-speed customisation, as well as individual show and download settings were key factors here.

From a podcaster perspective, you'll be listed in these apps (and most other apps) simply by being listed in iTunes/Apple Podcasts. You'll still need to submit to Stitcher and Spotify independently though. For more on this, check out our Best Podcast Directories roundup.

And, if you've enjoyed this episode, this season, or our content in general, remember you can work directly with us inside The Podcast Host Academy. That's where you'll find all our courses, community forum, downloadable resources, and can join in on our regular live Q&A sessions!

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There are a few good reasons why you might want to broadcast the recording of your episodes live - and maybe even film them too.

Doing live episodes can help build and harness community, as your listeners can feel more directly involved with your content. And the content itself can benefit from that immediate feedback. The ability to answer questions and offer help and advice in real time can really enhance your podcast.

You can also double up your content output without doubling up your workload, by uploading the video recording to Youtube afterwards.

The live approach isn’t for everyone though. Especially if you’ve just started out in podcasting and don’t have an audience yet. Try to keep things as simple as possible in those early days.

However, if you feel you’re ready to jump in and start doing live shows, then this episode is for you.

Resources Mentioned

• How to turn live broadcasts into podcasts that don’t suck
• Best Podcast making apps
• The Podcast Host Academy
• Alitu – The Podcast Maker

Software

• Spreaker Live
• Mixlr – Broadcast Live Audio
• Ecamm Live
• ManyCam

Equipment

• Logitech C920 Pro Webcam
• Rode SmartLav + Setup
• Samson Q2U
• Rode Rodecaster

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Okay, granted, having a top-of-the-range mic doesn't necessarily mean you'll have top-of-the-range content. But the various bits of equipment different folks are using to create audio can become an obsession for some podcasters.

We know this because the Equipment section of our site is by far the most viewed and visited. Combine that with your average podcaster's love of stats, and that's what led to us running our first podcasting gear stats survey back in 2017/18.

Well, that survey is back, and we want to see what the podcast equipment landscape looks like now, in 2019. Has anything changed in this bold new era where you can launch a media hosting service one morning, and sell it an hour later for $400 million? Take a minute or two to fill out the survey and help us find out.

But it's not just hard data that could be your reward here. We've put together some great prizes which will be drawn and distributed at random amongst six lucky entrants.

Platinum PrizeRode Procaster (XLR) OR Rode Podcaster (USB) – your choice! (worth ~$250)

Or a $200 podcast equipment equipment budget on Amazon.
Gold Prize

One year's free membership to The Podcast Host Academy.

That's our membership site where you can use our comprehensive catalog of courses and resources to plan, launch, and grow your podcast. In there, you can join in with our active community and take part in our regular live Q&A sessions.

Silver Prize

Six month subscription to Alitu: The Podcast Maker App.

With Alitu you can record your content, build your episode, and publish to your media host without having to learn the ins and outs of audio production.

Bronze Prizes

Three copies of Out on the Wire, by Jessica Abel. This book is a masterclass in audio storytelling, and an essential read for podcasters of all levels.

Survey Closes: 11:59pm Pacific Time, Tuesday 4th JuneTake the Survey

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In this episode we're looking at Audio production software, commonly know as 'Digital Audio Workstations' in the audio production industry. We'll look at the most common options out there to give you an idea of which one might suit you.

A Digital Audio Workstation (or DAW, for short) is simply an audio editing package that lets you cut out mistakes, splice together different clips and add in music or sound effects. It also allows you to process your audio with a range of different effects, all of which can make your Podcast sound much better. Listen to the episode here to find out more!

Resources Mentioned

• The Podcast Host Academy
• Alitu: The Podcast Maker App
• Audacity
• Hindenburg Journalist
• Adobe Audition
• Reaper
• The Complete Podcast Software Guide
• Best Podcast Editing Software
• Best Podcast Making Apps
• The Minimum Effective Editing Approach
• Best Tools for Recording a Podcast Online

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Cables, stands, jacks, plugs, pop filters – the less glamorous, but still utterly essential part of the podcasting equipment pantheon.

It’s common for podcasters to spend three figure sums on both their mic, and their recording device, then link the two together with a cable they’ll spend $5 on.

On this episode, we look to better understand all these different ‘Bits & Bobs’ by running through what they are, what they look like, and what they do.

Types of Audio Cable & Connection

XLR Cables

XLR cables and inputs. XLR cables are commonly known as microphone cables.

They have a male end and a female end, and are used to connect microphones to equipment, or to create a link between two pieces of equipment (like a mixer to a recorder).

Quarter Inch (1/4”)

The 1/4″ (6.35mm) plug looks like a bigger version of the 3.5mm plug.

They’re commonly used to connect microphones and other gear to recording equipment such as mixers or preamps.

Most mixers and recorders will allow you to connect either an XLR cable or a 1/4″ jack to the same port. These are known as ‘Combo Ports’.

The Standard Headphone Jack

The 3.5mm plug/connection is most commonly found on headphones and earbuds. They’re also found on some smaller microphones too, like ‘lavalier' clip on mics, and headsets.

TS, TRS, & TRRS Plugs

Audio plugs (like the 3.5mm plug) have markings on them to determine exactly how they work.

These markings come in the form of little black bands that run around the shaft of each plug.

These bands separate each different function of the plug in question.

A plug with one band is known as a tip sleeve or TS jack. That's because the single band separates the tip from the sleeve.

A plug with two bands is known as a tip ring sleeve, or TRS jack, because the bands have separated a ring in the middle, between the tip and the sleeve.

A plug with two bands is known as a tip ring ring sleeve, or TRRS jack, because that has two rings separated in the middle.

So what's the purpose of all these tips and rings, and how do they work differently?

TS plugs are traditionally known as mono plugs, because the tip is feeding all the audio to the source in one dose.

TRS plugs are traditionally known as stereo plugs because the tip is now being used to feed the left channel of your audio to the source, whilst the ring is feeding the right channel.

In recent years, a third option was added to this setup – the TRRS plug.

The extra ring was brought in to accommodate a microphone or video option. The most common use of TRRS plugs is talking through a headset on your PC, or making a hands free call on your phone.

RCA

RCA connectors are also known as phone cables or AV jacks.

Mixers have RCA ports on them, and these enable you to connect and play media through them.

RCA cables are usually Y shaped, with the white and red stereo audio plugs at one end, and a single plug on the other end, such as a 3.5mm or 1/4″ connection.

We also cover headphone splitters, microphone stands, and pop filters.

Resources Mentioned

• The Best Boom Arm for Podcasting
• Studio Cable Management for Podcasters
• Finding the Best Audio Cables: The (Not So) Fascinating Truth
• Best Podcast Microphones on the market
• Alitu - Our Podcast Maker App

Work With Us

No matter what kind of studio setup you think you'll need, or whatever kind of podcast you'd like to do, you can ge

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Podcast listening isn't exclusive to podcast listeners. Podcasters need to listen to their own audio too - both whilst it's being recorded, and whilst it's being edited. We call this type of creator listening "monitoring", and that's what we'll be discussing on this episode of PodCraft.

Key Considerations

• Listen through headphones (even a cheap pair of earbuds) whilst recording audio to pick up on any issues in Real Time.
• Use headphones or speakers with a flat frequency response. Don't use gear that'll add extra base that doesn't exist in your source material, for example.
• Use a headphone splitter to give guests their own headphones whilst recording.
• When choosing headphones, consider things like comfort, isolation, sound leakage, as well as cable length and type.
• Headphones are great for mixing voice, but switch to speakers to mix in your music if you have that option in your setup.

Gear Mentioned

• Audio-Technica ATH-M20X Studio Headphones
• Sony MDR-7506 Studio Headphones
• Beyerdynamic DT770 PRO Studio Headphones
• KRK Rokit 5 G3 Studio Monitors
• M-Audio AV40 Studio Monitors
• Mackie MR5 mk3 Studio Monitors
• HosaTech YMM-261 Stereo Splitter

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You most likely already carry an expensive recording device around with you everywhere you go. We're talking, of course, about your smartphone.

In this episode of PodCraft we take a look at the different gear and options available for turning your phone or tablet into a fully functioning podcast studio.

Gear Mentioned

• Rode SmartLav + and SC6 Splitter - lavalier mic option
• Samson Go Mic Mobile - wireless option, lavalier or handheld
• Zoom iQ5 - attachment capsule
• Shure MOTIV MV88 - attachment capsule
• Shure MV5 - desktop mic which also works with computer via USB

You can also record on-the-go with digital recorders, portable interfaces, laptops, and even mixers. We've already covered this in previous episodes of PodCraft, so check out the links there for more info on that.

Also Mentioned

• Our Best Podcast Making Apps Roundup
• Backpack Studio (formerly BossJock)
• Alitu - Our Podcast Maker App

Work With Us

No matter what kind of recording setup you think you'll need, or whatever kind of podcast you'd like to do, you can get all the help, support, and advice you need inside the The Podcast Host Academy. In there, we run regular live Q&A sessions, have courses on everything from equipment and editing to promotion and monetisation, and a load of downloadable resources, checklists, and tools designed to help you achieve your podcasting goals. It'd be great to see you in there!

Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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On this episode of PodCraft we're talking Mixers - when and if you might want one. It's not cut and dry by any means! Let's look at the arguments.

And you can also check out our Best Podcast Mixers roundup if you're already won over to the idea of getting one. We'll be mentioning some of our favourite models in this episode too.

When Might You Think About Getting a Mixer?
Here are the reasons you might want to go ahead and starting looking at mixers:

• You want more audio inputs - eg. more microphones, along with Music, Skype, etc
• You want more control over those inputs, such as levels, EQ, compression, etc
• You want to start using pro level equipment, such as XLR condenser microphones that need phantom power
• You want to increase reliability and quality
• You want to cut the computer out of the equation
• You want to live produce, creating your show like a radio show, cutting down on editing.

Why Might you NOT Want a Mixer?

There are plenty of reasons NOT to get a mixer, such as:

• You simply don't need one. Most podcasters don't.
• Cost - mixers, decent ones that is, are expensive
• Complexity - mixers can look intimidating to beginners, and sometimes having too much customisation options just leads to paralysis.

Which Mixer Should I Go For?As always with podcasting, it depends on a few different factors. Here are 3 solid options though.

• The Yamaha MG10
• Samson MXP124FX
• The Mackie Pro FX8
• The Rode Rodecaster Pro

Mentioned in This Episode

• How to set up a Mix-Minus
• The Podcast Host Academy
• Alitu - The Podcast Maker App

Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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In this episode we’ll cover why you might want to use a digital recorder in your podcasting efforts, and how to choose the best one for you.

We’ve discussed digital recorders in the past, and in fact you can find current definitive guide here: The Best Digital Podcast Recorders on the Market. This episode discusses the very same stuff with a little extra detail.

We'll cover:

Why Might you Need a Digital Recorder for Podcasting?

• Mobile recording – capture an interview any time, any place
• Risk mitigation – avoid recording to a computer and the crash risk that poses
• Backup – Record to Digitial Recorder PLUS PC for the best of both worlds

What Digital Recorder Should I Buy?

Each option depends on your own unique situation, show format, and budget.

• Zoom H1 or Tascam DR-05 - the lower cost 'lite' models
• Zoom H4 - mid-range option
• Zoom H5 or Zoom H6 - premium options

Also Mentioned

• Alitu: The Podcast Maker App automates your podcast production
• The Podcast Host Academy - work with us to plan, launch, and grow your podcast

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In this episode, we’re talking microphones.

We cover the best microphones for podcasting, and how to choose the right one for you.

You can also read our popular article on the subject:

The Best Podcasting Microphones

For series 11, we’re looking at your next steps in terms of equipment. In this series we’ll be going through all of the kit you can use for podcasting, from one end of the audio chain to the other – microphone to editor. For each type I’ll be covering Entry level and pro level, and talk about the lifecycle, ie. what you should start with and how/when you can upgrade.

Equipment is where a lot of us totally geek out, spending far too much money on shiny new bits, and I’ve been more than guilty of this in the past. I’m hoping that this series can help you choose and sensible starting point, and guide you through the upgrade process over the coming years.

Gear Mentioned in This Episode

• Samson Q2U (USB and XLR)
• Shure MV5 (USB)
• Blue Snowball (USB)
• Blue Yeti (USB)
• Rode Procaster (XLR)
• MXL 990 (XLR)
• Shure SM58 (XLR)
• Rode Smartlav + (Lav mic for smartphone)
• ATR3350 (Lav mic for digital recorder)

Resources Mentioned

• The Ultimate Podcast Equipment Guide
• Best Podcast Making Apps

Upgrade Your Equipment In Line With Your SkillsI genuinely think that you should only upgrade your kit in line with your presenting and production skills. In the beginning you don’t need a £300 microphone, you need to practice talking to your audience.

Then you need to practice your editing and audio production. Then you need to practice your storytelling and writing. THEN, you’re ready for really good quality kit.

Don't Upgrade Everything At Once
In a similar vein, don’t do it all at once. The most basic reason for that is that you’ll spoil the fun of buying new shiny bits by blowing it all at once! The more practical reason is that you really want to make sure you’re using every bit of kit you own in the best way possible.

For example, start with the microphone. Learn how to speak into it properly, cutting sibilants and plosives, and maintaining a good distance. Then, learn it’s other quirks, such as background sensitivity and recording pattern.

Once you know you’re using the mic in the best way possible, THEN you can buy yourself the next bit of kit. If you do it the other way around then you’ll end up confusing bad results with one piece of kit with bad use of another. You need to know the first element is working perfectly before you can hone your skills with the next.

Automate Your Podcast Production
Are you a co

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As another year draws to a close, we sit down to chat through the last 12 months at The Podcast Host Towers. What went well? What didn't? And what do we have planned for the future?

In terms of big milestones this year, we had the long-awaited launch of Alitu - The Podcast Making App, the switch up of The Podcast Host Academy to an annual membership, the launch of our Podcast Launch Service, and we brought down the curtain on this first season of our space-science audio drama documentary podcast Hostile Worlds.

We put out an updated version of season 1 of this very podcast during 2018 too. Now known as season 10, it's all about how to launch your first episode, and focuses on everything you need to do to get it out there.

We've also been keen to take on highly-produced projects as part of our Podcast Production Service. This year we had the pleasure of working on Inside Indie Games, on behalf of the UK Games Fund, and The Converge Challenge Podcast. If you'd like to work with us on a highly-produced podcasting project of your own, then we'd love to hear from you.

Colin talked through some of his highs and lows this year, from his Podcast movement and Inbound trips, as well as designing the Alitu interface, to his "failed" live video attempts, and the headache of trying to recruit new developers.

In 2018 we also attempted to establish the Scottish Podcasters Meetup, but it didn't pick up the momentum we were hoping for, and we eventually gave up on it. There's still hope though, as Colin is talking to someone about potentially taking it over.

On the industry-wide side of things, we tried to refrain from making any predictions (cliched, cynical, or otherwise), but gave a nod to the unsurprising fact that many great audio drama shows are now being developed for television.

Finally, we'd like to wish you all the very best for the holiday period, and for 2019!

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Creating a 30 second promo trailer for your show is a great way to grow your audience. A trailer is a little "taster" for potential new listeners, and gives them an idea of the tone, feel, and content of the show. It's easy to consume, and easy to share too. On this episode we're going to listen to and offer feedback on some promo trailers that were created by members of The Podcast Host Academy as part of our monthly ($50 prize) competition. The shows are; The Postcard Academy - https://postcardacademy.co Tog & Thel - http://aducklingknits.com The Curious Parent - https://happyselfjournal.com/podcast High Heels & Heartache - http://highheelsandheartache.com Here, you'll learn more about the ways you can create a promo trailer that really works for you in promoting your show, and pulling in new listeners. Also mentioned; How to Make a Promo Trailer - http://thepodcasthost.com/promotrailer The Podcast Host Academy - https://www.thepodcasthost.com/academy Alitu: The Podcast Maker - https://alitu.com Hostile Worlds - http://hostileworlds.net

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On this episode, we're talking niche. That's neeeesh, not nitch, but either way, it's all about getting really specific with your content offering.

Karen Reyburn is our guest, and her whole business is built around this concept. She runs a creative agency, but for a particular niche: Accountants.

On this episode you'll learn:

What is a niche, exactly? And why it's not just an industry How to find your own niche, and be an audience magnet Can you go too small with a niche? Resources The Profitable Firm The Never Settle Podcast Alitu - the Podcast Maker appSupport the show (https://pod.academy)

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By it's very nature, podcasting is storytelling. But what makes a story good, or interesting?

Well, who better to give us a crash course on how to tell great stories than Jessica Abel, creator of the essential book and podcast series Out on the Wire.

In this episode, the key things you'll learn are;

How to capture good stories How to draw stories out of interviews How to use tools such as the X/Y Formula, the Focus Sentence, and the Story MatrixSupport the show (https://pod.academy)

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Jon Ferrara was the founder of Goldmine, which was a customer management tool back in the day, but when he sold that company he didn’t stop thinking about connections, and networks. He kept an eye on the CRM market, and spotted the fact that they tended be pretty expensive or over complicated, or a bit […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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You can pour your heart and soul into making the best podcast possible. But simply hitting publish and taking the “if you build it, they will come” approach isn’t enough, sadly. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to optimise your show’s exposure and continually grow your audience with new listeners. And to talk […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Planning and launching your first podcast can be a steep learning curve. But once you’re actually putting episodes out there, the pitfalls are a little different. Now the battle is about keeping things consistent, sustainable, and enjoyable. So once you get past your first 20 episodes, what then? That’s what we’re going to help you […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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So far we’ve walked you through to the point where you’ve uploaded your first episode to your media host. At this stage, you have a podcast. But it still can’t actually be found in all the places people actually listen to podcasts. That’s an easy fix though, don’t worry! In this episode we’ll tell you […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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So you’ve recorded your first podcast episode and now you’re ready to share it with the world. How exactly do you upload it though? In this episode we’ll give you a crash course on podcast websites and media hosting. Here you’ll learn what you need to publish a podcast episode, and the various options available […]

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Cover art and music are two ways of branding your podcast and giving it its own unique personality. It isn’t essential to have music in your podcast however. If you want to keep your show really raw and simple then you might avoid using it altogether. But music can create that immediately identifiable opening to […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Without a doubt, editing is the one aspect of podcasting that we’re most frequently asked about. In this episode we’re going to run through some of the options available to you when it comes to editing. What Can I Edit With? You can use a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) to edit your podcast. Commonly used […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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On today’s episode of Podcraft we’re taking a look at something that’s super important. However something that you might not naturally consider. Your recording environment! By this, we mean the place you decide to record and how all of the factors around you can come into play. Recording Environment The recording environment goes hand in […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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We know that one of the biggest barriers you might have stopping you creating your podcast is worrying about how to set-up your equipment. We’re going to go through how to get your show on tape, how to set-up everything you need to record your perfect podcast. And we’re going to cover recording online, and […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Winging it is certainly a skill, but there’s also something to be said for great planning & scripting. It can be the difference between a listener feeling really engaged with your podcast and thinking it’s a bit of a waffle. Planning & Scripting In the sixth episode of our tenth season of Podcraft, we look […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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There’s no doubt that you’re recording a podcast about something you love. And therefore you can probably talk for days all about your topic! However, you only hold your listener’s attention for so long. So how do you figure out what the best length is? And how often should you give your listeners new episodes […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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In the fourth episode of our new Podcraft season, we talk formats and approaches. You’ll need to consider which kind of format you’d like your podcast to be when beginning to plan out your podcast. And you’ll need to work out the approach you’re going to take to get you there. Let’s run through the […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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In this episode of our tenth season of Podcraft, we continue to explore the first steps in launching your own podcast. This week we focus on audience. We talk about who you should be podcasting for and how to find out who your audience is. Who Are You Podcasting For? An Avatar is your ideal […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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In the second episode of our tenth season of Podcraft, we debate the answer to one of the greatest questions that every podcaster faces; What are you podcasting for? If you are thinking of launching your own podcast, you should have a reason for doing so. In the show we explore the best way to […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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In the first episode of our tenth season of Podcraft we decide to re-evaluate the basics. As a celebration of our tenth season anniversaray, we are re-examining and re-recording the topics we discussed in Season one. Episode one looks at the benefits of podcasting. Benefits Of Podcasting Number 1: Engagement Voice engages audience. This builds […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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On this episode of Podcraft, I’m talking to Nicolas Steenhout from the A11Y Rules Podcast. Nicolas is an accessiblity evangelist, helping anyone he can to improve their online content’s accesibility. I loved his top-line advice around the all-round benefits of being familiar with accessibility: A little time spent learning the basics of accessibility can help […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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In the final episode of our season on creating Highly-Produced Podcasts, we look at some of the tools and tactics to make your workflow as smooth as possible. Tools for Planning Evernote Trello Notion Tools for Scripting Scrivener Celtx Trint – Automated transcriptions (cheaper) Rev – Human transcriptions (more accurate) Tools for Production Adobe Audition […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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In this episode I’m talking to Joanna Penn of ‘The Creative Penn Podcast‘ about monetisation methods for podcasting. Joanna runs one of the UK’s longest lasting shows, alongside her hugely successful ‘self publishing’ website: The Creative Penn. Early on she made the decision that the show had to pay for itself, to justify her time away […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The Podcast Host team try the “just 3 guys, in a basement, drinking beer” approach in this Christmas special, where, unfortunately, you’ll learn absolutely nothing about podcasting. Well, maybe there’s a bit of “how not to” in here… Aside from that, some of the topics you will hear about are Scottish beer, animal adoption, tabletop wargaming, […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The vast majority of podcasts are run by one single person. But does the “one man band” approach work for Highly-Produced Podcasts? The answer is, it depends. There are reasons why it can work, and reasons why it might not. You might really dislike some of the tasks involved in putting this type of show […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The use of music, ambience, and sound effects can really enhance your podcast episodes and give them that highly-produced feel. In this episode we talk about the use of these elements, and how to get the right balance so that they enhance and compliment your content. We discuss where to find music and sound effects […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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It’s likely that you’ll want to have interviewees and guests on your highly-produced podcast. Like pretty much everything we’ve discussed in this series so far, there’s an overlap with recording interviews for “standard” podcasts. But there’s definitely some extra work in the planning and execution we can put in that can enhance our finished piece, […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Do you need different equipment and recording methods to create a “highly-produced” podcast? The short answer is no, but we’ll be taking a look at this question in more depth on this episode. There are various elements that make up highly-produced episodes. You’ll need to record the presenter narration, as well as the interviews or […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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One of the main things that sets a highly-produced podcast apart from a “standard” podcast is the level of scripting and planning. It’s a good idea to think in advance about the ultimate aim of your series, the aims of each individual episode, and how they all fit and flow together. There’s a decent chance […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Although there’s no rules in podcasting about how episodes must be structured, we do see some common themes when we look at highly-produced shows. These podcasts tend to have more elements, and the presenter may duck in and out, introducing, getting out the way, then coming back to pass comment on something. This might be […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Whether you’re trying to stand out in an increasingly crowded market, or want to showcase your production skills, making a highly-produced podcast series can be great for building an audience and getting noticed. And by “highly produced” we’re really talking about shows that mix in multiple elements beyond the standard intro-content-outro template. A much used […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The ins and outs of employment law might not sound like the most entertaining topic in the world to most people. But Blackadders Solicitors here in The Podcast Host’s hometown of Dundee are building a dedicated and enthusiastic following around their show Employment Lawyer In Your Pocket. In this episode I’m chatting with one of […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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In this episode I talk to Andrew Clews of The Motoring Podcast about how they’ve gone about breaking into very non-podcasting niche. We also delved a little into how they’ve gone about structuring their show, to allow for different types of content and different types of listener: particularly news vs industry stories. If you’re curious […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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On this week’s episode of Podcraft we’re joined in the studio by Ryan McLeod. Ryan runs a local design studio business, Slurpp, as well as his own Podcast based around the creative industries in our very own city, called Creative Chit Chat Dundee. And that’s what we’re going to be talking about on today’s Podcraft […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Some of the biggest questions we get here at The Podcast Host are surrounding the legalities of podcasting and creating content. We’ve been trying to trace down a podcasting expert who specialises in this sort of stuff, and that’s who we’ll be interviewing on this week’s episode of Podcraft – the show about everything podcasting […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Something that we’ve been hearing quite a lot recently is people thinking they need to have a load of recorded podcasts before they launch. We disagree. You don’t need 20 episodes (or even 10…or 5) episodes recorded before you launch your show. We’ll be explaining this, and more, in detail on this episode of Podcraft […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Here at The Podcast Host we’ve been hard at work recently, creating a new highly-produced podcast. It’s called Hostile Worlds, an it’s an audio drama/space documentary hybrid. If that’s right up your street, or if you just want a taster of how something like that might sound, then here’s a little teaser for you… Join […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Ever thought about broadcasting your podcast live but also keeping it as a podcast as well? Well you’re in luck, because that’s exactly what we’ll be discussing on this week’s episode of Podcraft. This is the podcast about everything podcasting, from launch to monetization and everything in between. We’d also like to thank Podbean for […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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It’s episode 11 of season 8, and we’re looking at those most annoying of creatures – faults in our setup! It happens, every now and again: you make a recording and there’s some kind of buzz or whine in the background. Or, perhaps there’s no sound at all – it’s just not recording. How do […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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This week, I’m (Colin) doing solo show answering a question that came up in The Podcast Host Academy community forum. One of our members is finding his original podcast brand and concept a little limiting. It’s a common thing – we start out in quite a niche subject, and end up wanting to branch out […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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If you have on-location guests or co-hosts your audio quality will benefit greatly from using multiple mics. But can you use multiple mics without a mixer? And if so, how? Links Mentioned: Asio4All Focusrite – Scarlett Interface The Podcast Host Academy The Podcast Host – Equipment The Podcast Host – Recording with multiple USB mics […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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YouTube is one of the biggest search engines in the world, so it certainly won’t do your podcast any harm to have some presence there. So can you upload your podcast episodes to Youtube, and if so, how? Links Mentioned: Adobe Creative Cloud Adobe Audition Adobe Premier Pro Audacity Libsyn Soundcloud The Podcast Host – […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Would you like to get yourself out there by being interviewed on other podcasts? If so, how do you go about it? That’s what we were asked about on this episode of Podcraft – the show about everything podcasting, from equipment to monetization and everything between. Links Mentioned: Audio Drama Production Podcast Calendly PodcastGuests.Com Schedule Once […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Hello and welcome to another episode of Podcraft! This is the show about everything podcasting, from equipment to interview skills and everything in between. We’re taking another break from listener questions this week. This time, to have a chat with Doug Kessler, the Creative Director at Velocity Partners. Doug chats about his role at the B2B […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Another week means another episode of Podcraft! This is the show about everything podcasting, from equipment to interview skills and everything in between. This week for you we have a few different things. We’ve got a quick question via voice that Joe Kearny sent us in via SpeakPipe. We’ve also got a voice message from Freek Zilvold […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Hey and welcome to another episode of Podcraft. This is the show all about podcasting, everything from interview skills to equipment and everything in between. Today we’re changing things up a bit from the usual listener questions, with a very special guest on the show – Chris Ducker, the founder of Youpreneur. As well as […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Hey folks and welcome to another episode of Podcraft. This is the show all about podcasting, everything from interview skills to equipment and everything in between. We’re back this episode with some more questions from our listeners. We’ve got one question from the splendid, magnificent Dan Brew and also a comment back from Natalie Silverman as […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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On this episode of Podcraft, I’m talking to Brett McKay, who is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Art of Manliness.  The Art of Manliness is a site I’ve been following for years, and Brett’s turned it into one of the biggest men’s destinations on the web with over 10 million views every month. But it’s […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Hello and welcome to another episode of Podcraft. This is the show all about podcasting, from podcast equipment to recording skills and everything in between. If you’ve been following along then you’ll know that in our last episode we changed things up a bit from normal. We plan to talk answer a lot more of the listener […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Welcome to another episode of PodCraft. This is the show all about podcasting, from podcast equipment to recording skills and everything in between. We’re changing it up a bit this week. Recently we’ve been posting a lot of interviews, but that’s not the case for this episode. The plan is to try and get through a […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Description: This week I’m talking to Tom Evans of The Zone Show. Tom is a prolific podcaster, having reached 232 episodes in just 3 years, and he has experimented with various ways to monetise the show through that time. On the episode, I talk to him about creating sponsored content within any industry, about the […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Paul Kemp is The App Guy, and he has over 500 episodes under his podcasting belt!Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Colin chats with Thor Holt of the Write With Courage! podcast.Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Knitting seems to be the default example anyone in the medium will give when making the point that you can podcast about anything. And this week’s guest Jo Milmine is doing exactly that with her show Shinybees. Not only is she podcasting about knitting though, she’s actually having a lot of success with it too, […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Satchel Podcast Player co-founder Beau York joins Colin to talk podcast apps, discoverability, and local vs national podcasting. Also mentioned on the episode, the newest addition to our podcasting family – The Audio Drama Production Podcast.Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Jon Butt runs a daily podcast called Marketing For Owners, which is an integral part of his business marketingforowners.com Mentioned in this episode Growing Your Podcast Audience series of blog posts Meet Egdar Tips & Tricks from Marketing For OwnersSupport the show (https://pod.academy)

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What do you do when you think you’ve nothing left to say on your topic? Also Mentioned Scottish Podcast Scholarship Transcription Matthew: A question coming in though the website from Brian. What if I’ve run out of topics to cover? What if Brian hadn’t got in touch and we’d run out of topics to cover? […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Whether it’s a friend, your employer, or a prospective client, if you think someone has the potential to make a great podcast series, how do you approach the subject with them? Also Mentioned The Podcast Industry in 2016: Latest Market Research Scottish Podcast Scholarship Transcription Matthew: Big thanks to Ronnie for this episode’s question. How […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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What happens if you don’t launch with 3, 5, or 10 episodes? Will your podcast be doomed before it starts? Transcription Matthew: Great question that’s came in from Mary on the website. How many episodes do I need launch a podcast? One. Is that us done now? End of the episode? Colin: Done and […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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How do you find new listeners in a niche that traditionally isn’t overly technical? Also mentioned on this episode – our Podcast Scholarship Competition Matthew: Here’s a question that came in through the website thepodcasthost.com from Leslie. What if my target audience isn’t technical? What’s the starting point for this Colin? You’re maybe doing a […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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How do you put your show on hiatus without losing a chunk of your audience? Transcription Matthew: So this was a question that we got in through the website from Derek and to be honest this is something that I’ve wrestled with in the past as well with my own podcast, so what if you […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Your website is your podcast’s home online. So what should you have on there? Our free course on how to build a peerless podcasting website can be found here. Your Podcast Website is also an article in our Growing Your Audience series. Transcription Matthew: So this was a question that came in through the website […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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How do you sell the idea of sponsoring your show to someone? Transcription Matthew: So this is a question that came in from Graham. How do I approach potential advertisers or sponsors? So I suppose you’ve maybe started a podcast, you’ve been doing it a wee while. You’re spending some money on it and you’re […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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There are lots of great options out there for recording in-person interviews. Mentioned on this episode Fan Fission – our membership community Zoom H5 – digital recorder Zoom H1 – digital recorder ATR3350 – lav mic Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 – preamp Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 – preamp SM58 – dynamic mic MXL990 – condenser mic Samson […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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For some aspiring podcasters, picking something to talk about is the biggest challenge of them all. Matthew: This question came in from Joan, and it’s an interesting one, Colin, because a lot of people call at the podcast and because they have a topic in mind, but then there’s also a large majority of folk […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Batching your podcasts basically means that you record and produce in bulk. There are many benefits to doing things this way, but is it a good idea when you’re just starting out? Matthew: Here’s a great question that comes in from Thomas, is batching a good idea for new pod casters? Before we answer that […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Are download numbers enough to measure the engagement of your show’s audience? Transcription Matthew: This question came in from Linda who is asking, how does she measure engagement with her podcast? I guess the first question that comes up here from her point of view is why might you want to measure your engagement, Colin? […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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If you run an interview podcast, it’s good practice to research your guests before you chat to them. Transcription Matthew: This was a question that came in from Peter, he was wondering how should he go about researching guests before they come on the show? Obviously if you get in touch with somebody you want […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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I’m subjected to Masterchef occasionally, usually if I pop round to see my mum and dad. They love it, me, not so much. I always think it’s particularly cruel of the judges to be so critical of the foods presentation before they’ve even tasted it. Presentation matters. And it’s the same for your podcast. You’ll […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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A blank page to a writer or an empty canvas to an artist can be daunting. Where do you begin? How do you start? The same questions probably strike you when you’re considering your next podcast episode. Producing an individual podcast or an entire series isn’t easy. But being a better podcast planner and […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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I’ve got a secret. But please keep it to yourself. Here goes – “I’m obsessed with taglines.” If a client or business chum asks me for my opinion on their tagline, it’s not uncommon for me to lose hours crafting dozens of alternatives for them. I realised I needed help when I started pulling […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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You’ve created your invisible script, and you’ve crafted a narrative structure that will skillfully lead your listener through your podcast. So is that it? Are you done? Or is something missing? The Missing Link? As a voracious listener of many podcasts, nothing will turn me off quicker than a dull, lifeless podcast host. I’ve […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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I’ve always enjoyed reading, and now I get the pleasure of reading to my daughter, Abigail. It’s a staple part of the Cudmore bedtime routine. I admit that some of the stories aimed at a very young audience can hardly be described as ‘page-turners.’ It’s fairly obvious what’s going to happen next, and character development […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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To script or not to script… that is the question. One of the things we’re often asked, especially by new podcasters, is “should I write a script for my podcast?” The answer is almost always ‘yes’. At least to some degree. In the real world, it’s unusual that complete scripts are written. More commonly […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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It’s a special mid-season episode and crossover with the Audio Drama Production Podcast co-host/producer Matthew McLean. Matthew is also our Head of Audio Production here at The Podcast Host. Recently he’d been thinking about making some changes to the way they structure and put out their content with the ADPP, and this conversation is all […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Thanks for listening to this series which was all about ways to potentially monetise your podcast. What would you like to hear in the next series of Podcraft? Have your say and get in touch at info@thepodcasthost.com  Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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In this episode, we’re covering crowdfunding. It’s the fashionable way, these days, to start selling a product, but can it also work for something like a podcast? Well, a number of shows have proven it can. Let’s find out how! A Question for You Are you crowdfunding your show, do you know someone who is, […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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In this episode, I’m looking at how to make money by selling the show itself. That means either selling episodes, selling upgrades, or re-purposing the show into a related product. For some, this is the most obvious (and easiest!) way to get started in Podcast monetization. For others, it can be a lot of […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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This week we have an interlude from Series 5 of Podcraft in the form of an interview with Andy White. Andy is a hugely experienced UK based Podcaster who runs The Internet Marketing Podcast, a hugely successful show on the ubiquitous subject of digital marketing. In this episode we learn a tonne from Andy’s experience […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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In the episode we’re looking at the slightly tricky world of donations. Can you make money through donations in Podcasting? Yes, you definitely can, and I’ll talk you through all of the different methods within this episode. New platforms such as Patreon which are starting to make this even easier, and there are approaches to […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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This is probably one of the most awaited episodes of the series, because sponsorship is seen as the ‘holy grail’ of podcasting for many. Think about it – you record a show on something you love, you enjoy the process and thousands of people listen. Then, somehow, some way, you talk for 30 seconds about […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Last time around we covered affiliate marketing for podcasters. That basically means selling other people’s products and services through your show. This time we’re moving closer to home, and that means selling YOUR OWN products and services as part of a podcast. This is aimed at anything from startup businesses looking to promote and service, […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Now we’re we’re into the detail of Series 5, exploring in-depth the range of monetisation methods for podcasting. Today, it’s affiliate marketing, and how you can use affiliate deals to monetize your show. Affiliate marketing is a great one to start with, I think, because it really is available to anyone, right away. Podcast affiliate marketing […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Some people earn a living from their podcast. Others are happy enough just to bring in enough to cover their hosting costs, and perhaps pay for a takeaway every few weeks. Whatever your aims are when it comes to monetization, experienced podcaster, The Real Brian, explores all possible routes in his weekly show Profitcast. On […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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In this short tie-up episode I say farewell to Series 4 and look forward into 2015. It’s year change time and plans are always afoot after all! The End, But not the End, for Series 4 I hope you enjoyed Series 4 – I certainly had a blast talking to the excellent folks that we’ve […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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In this bonus episode you’ll hear an interview with PodCraft host Colin Gray, originally recorded for Harry Duran’s Podcast Junkies show. Here Colin talks about his background, his influences, and why he is so passionate about this medium.Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Your podcast can have the best audio content in the world, but that alone won’t be enough to grow your audience and reach new people. Listeners need to find your content online, and two of the most important things you can do to ensure you are heard are: 1. give your podcast an effective name, […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Storytelling is right on trend, following the success of Serial and the Startup Podcast. We know stories engage, but how do we create one? We’ve written on digital storytelling before, but now it’s time to talk through our storytelling techniques. In this episode I’m talking to Dan Feld of Prologue Profiles about just that – how […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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This week I want to go back to basics and talk about presentation skills. It’s taken as read that in-person presenting, getting up in front of an audience, is something that takes practice and skill. But, many people underestimate presenting to the microphone and how much your style can change and improve with a […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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In a series all about presenting your Podcast content, we can hardly miss out one of the biggest trends in Podcasting of recent years: the humble interview. Interviewing is a real skill in itself, requiring preparation, practice and a whole lot of other little nuances. I thought it would be great to get a Radio […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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On this episode of PodCraft I’m delighted to welcome Mr John Lee Dumas of Entrepreneur on Fire. John has been delivering amazing, high value content on entrepreneurship, business and life in general for 2+ years now. And amazingly, it’s always been on a daily schedule – that’s right, 7 podcast episodes a week. So, who […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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This is Series 4 of PodCraft, where I’m exploring planning and presenting your Podcasting content. It’s time to concentrate on the message! In this episode we’re starting the content planning process with first principles: what does your podcast do? This is going right back to basics and defining our Podcast, including our who we’re speaking to (our […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 20 In the final episode of the series, I’m talking monetisation. Now, before you start telling me off for using a dirty word, I think it’s pretty reasonable to think about getting something back from the effort you put into Podcasting. This is all dependent on giving huge value to […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 19 In this, the penultimate episode of PodCraft, we’re talking communities. The creation of a community has to be one of the main goals of any podcast, and to give it a real home on your website adds so much more value to that community. Today I’ll talk about the […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 18 In this episode we’re exploring the concept of 404 error pages. A 404 error occurs when someone tries to visit a page on your site that doesn’t exist. This might be because they’ve used the wrong address, or because they’re trying to find an old page which has since […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 17 Today we’re looking at security – not the most sexy of subjects, but vital if you want to run a good Podcasting website long term, and particularly if you want to make a living from it. WordPress itself is not an insecure platform, but it’s massive popularity makes it […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 16 Today on PodCraft we’re exploring the brilliant SpeakPipe. SpeakPipe is a tool which allows you to set up a voicemail system for your listeners, allowing them to leave audio messages directly on your website. As I’ll discuss on the episode, this can lead to huge engagement with your listeners, turning […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 15 In this episode we’re finally tackling the elephant in the room – social networking. It’s a rare person indeed who’s not involved, at all, in social media, and used well, it can be a huge driver of listeners for your podcast. In this episode I’m looking at one of […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 14 In this episode we’re delving deep into the idea of monetisation for the first time, and that’s in the form of affiliate marketing. During the episode I talk a little about starting out in affiliate marketing and how it can be used well to monetise a podcast. I’ll also […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 13 In this episode, we’re expanding on the email list work we’ve done over the past few days. We’ve already looked at the basics, now lets see how we can get our optin rates skyrocketing with an attention grabbing optin box. I’ve got a tool for you today which will […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 12 In this episode we’re talking mailing lists. If you’ve investigated online marketing at all in the past, then no doubt you’ve come across the concept of mailing lists. If not, then you’re about to discover one of the most important aspects of growing a great audience on the web, […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 11 In the 11th episode of series 3 we’re talking calls to action. A call to action is an element of any page on the web that tries to convince a user to do a certain thing. This might be to buy a product, or to sign up to a […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 10 In this episode we’re finishing up the week with a quick and easy one; a plugin called List Category Posts. This plugin allows us to create lists of our podcast episodes really easily by category or tag. This means you can guide the user around your podcasting content really […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 9 In this episode we’re starting to build out the ways we enable listeners to get in touch with us. The first and most obvious is the humble contact form. We’ll have a look at two of the best contact form plugins out there, one free and one paid, […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 8 Our topic for this episode is Analytics and SEO. I’ll have a look at optimising your show notes pages to help them, and your site in general, appear more prominently in the search results. We’ll look at an SEO plugin that really helps with this in mind, and an […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 7 In this episode I’m looking at the all-important subscribe links. These are aimed at converting passing visitors into long term subscribers, and are often forgotten about in the blind rush to concentrate on iTunes traffic. Well, I can tell you it’s just as important to look after your […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 6 This week, we’re on to enhancements. We’ll talk about the extra tools that you can add to your Podcasting website that will really help to entrance your audience, and keep them coming back for more. The first of these is a vital tool called Pretty Link: it allows you […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 5 Navigation is, I think, one of the most underthought aspects of many people’s WordPress Podcasting websites. It’s understandable – WordPress does a lot of it for you, automatically adding pages to the menu bar, and allowing a generic category box down the side. In this episode I talk about […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 4 WordPress is one of the best bits of web software out there, but out of the box it doesn’t look good… The default themes are clean, but plain, and if you want to stand out AND offer a good user experience, then you need a theme. In this episode […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 3 WordPress is a great system for getting your content out into the world, and, even in it’s basic form, it can do many of the things we need as podcasters. One place in where it’s lacking, however, is RSS feeds – that’s the specially coded page which allows people […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 2 In this episode we’re looking at installing WordPress. WordPress is the software that we’ll be using to run our podcasting website and, luckily for us, our hosting package makes it really easy to get it up and running. Listen to the episode to find out how to use cPanel […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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The PodCraft Podcast: Series 3, Episode 1 In the first episode of Series 3 we’re looking at the reasons for owning your own Podcasting space. This means having your very own domain and hosting account on which you can run a website of your own. The big thing here is that aforementioned Ownership, and the control […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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Welcome to the start of Series 3! In this episode I give an introduction to the series, and talk about what we’re going to cover over the coming 20 episodes. The series will be delivered every weekday of November, covering 20 Steps to creating a Peerless Podcasting Website. By the end of this month you’ll […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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In this episode I’m introducing the topic and format of the next series of PodCraft, and it’s something a little different. Next, I’m including an interview I did with the Boagworld guys a few months ago talking about the Podcast Host. If you’re interested in a little more detail on the business, then this is […]Support the show (https://pod.academy)

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It’s time for an in-between-isode, otherwise known as an interruption to normal programming! If you’ve been listening long, you’ll know Series 2 is all about Podcasting equipment, taking you through the audio chain from start to finish. Well, this is a little break from the techie chat, and instead a conversation with the founder of […]

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Taking you from novice podcaster to confident broadcaster! This podcast is all about the brilliant world of Podcasting – teaching you how to plan, launch, and grow a great show.

Brought to you by Colin and Matthew at ThePodcastHost.com - PodCraft takes a structured and seasonal approach that helps you to navigate the entire podcasting process, step-by-step.

Where Do I Start?
That depends on where you are in your podcasting journey. But whether you're an aspiring podcaster with literally no knowledge of how this all works, or an experienced creator looking to monetise a highly-produced documentary-style series, there's something here for you...

Podcraft Seasons

1. The Basics of Podcasting: How to launch your first episode.
2. Podcasting Equipment: What will you need to record and produce your show?
3. Creating a Podcast Website: Do I need one? And how do I do it?
4. Planning and Presenting Content: Getting behind the mic, and finding your voice.
5. Podcast Monetisation: How do I earn a crust from my content?
6. Creating Powerful Content: How do I keep my listeners coming back for more?
7. Podcasting FAQ: We answer your common questions.
8. Podcasting Conversations: Interviews and case studies to inspire, inform, and help you grow.
9. Highly-Produced Podcasting: Taking it to the next level with your sound.

And, you can find everything at PodCraft.net

Work With Us
With PodCraft, you'll learn all you need to know about making a successful podcast. But if you really want to 10x the process then check out The Podcast Host Academy. That's where you can join us for regular live Q&A sessions, go through our video training courses on everything from editing to audience growth, and get access to all of our downloadable resources!

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