Podcast Marketing Micro-Lessons For Scrappy Solopreneurs & Creators

1,163 WORDS | READ TIME: 4.4 MIN Hi friends, Good songs are built around a clear, memorable hook. Great songs are built around several. And then there are songs by Taylor Swift. The master of hook writing who brings the craft to another level. Take We Are Never Getting Back Together. In the first 62 seconds, Taylor drops distinct 6 hooks. By my count, the song as a whole has 12, many of them repeating throughout. For Taylor, this was just a warm-up, however. In Shake It Off, she crams 10...

Hi friends, One of my favourite reads of the past couple years is a nerdy book called Status & Culture by W. David Marx. His central thesis: The entire history of human innovation, art, and culture has been driven by humans’ innate need for status. It’s a bold claim, but one he makes a great case for. Of all the ideas that have stuck with me, perhaps the stickiest has been the idea that all trends—from the cut of your jeans to art movements, musical styles, and more—are driven by one group or...

There are many reasons to start a podcast. Fun. Connection. Curiosity. Masochism. Just to name a few. But if you’re an expertise-based business owner, the big goal was no doubt to grow your business. Most hosts are clear enough on this. What they (and perhaps you) are less clear on, however, is how exactly they can use their show to grow their business. Because growing a business is a complex process, with many distinct jobs to be done to achieve it. Specifically, we can break down business...

Hi friends, Over the last couple of weeks, two friends have made announcements that they’re quitting their long-running podcasts. Both have produced ~100 episodes. Both have very successful businesses. Both are exceptional (and, in fact, professional) marketers and content creators. Both have larger-than-normal podcast audiences. And both cited the same reason for winding down their shows: “The amount of time it takes to create a great show doesn’t justify the ROI.” In both cases, the hosts...

Hi friends, I came across this interview with Jerry Seinfeld the other day about his creative process, and one section stood out. Q: You and Larry David wrote Seinfeld together, without a traditional writers’ room, and burnout was one reason you stopped. Was there a more sustainable way to do it? Could McKinsey or someone have helped you find a better model?JS: Who’s McKinsey?Q: It’s a consulting firm.JS: Are they funny?Q: No.JS: Then I don’t need them. If you’re efficient, you’re doing it...

Hi friends, Podcasting (along with the rest of the world) is in the midst of a rapid shift. A shift in what listeners want from podcasts, how we define podcasts, and how podcasts can best grow your business. This week—the 6-year anniversary of Podcast Marketing Academy—I'm reflecting back on three major shifts in my thinking around and approach to podcast marketing over the past 6 years (and more broadly, the 10+ years I've been working in podcasting). If you missed Part 1, where I broke down...

Hi friends, Today marks the 6-year anniversary of launching the first cohort of Podcast Marketing Academy. Podcasting has changed a lot over those six years, and my approach to making, marketing, and teaching others how to make and market podcasts has shifted as well, as my understanding of this quirky but powerful medium has deepened. So this week, as I’m reflecting back, I wanted to share three key shifts in my approach to podcasting. Hopefully, you’ll find something here that shifts the...

Hi friends, When it comes to almost anything we like—money, time, birthday cake—our default wiring is that more is better. And so it's no surprise that when it comes to podcasting, most podcast hosts are under the impression that more episodes are better. Beyond our internal wiring, there are a few practical reasons for this belief. First, podcasting is a highly habitual consumption medium. And it's hard for listeners to build a habit around your show if you don’t release episodes regularly....

Happy Friday, friends, We’re back today with our final installment of our series on creating durable podcasts in the age of AI. If you’ve missed the previous 3 installments, you can catch up here, where we covered: The shifts in listener behaviour that are making many podcasts obsolete How the value of information/education-based shows is dropping to zero and why podcasts are the best-positioned content platform to benefit from this shift The platform psychology that drives podcast...