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, 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...

Hi friends, Today, we’re continuing our series exploring how to make podcasts worth listening to in the age of AI content. So far, we’ve discussed how, with the value of information trending to zero, the opportunity is to move from teachers to interpreters. From sharing information to filtering, distilling, and making sense of the overwhelming supply of information our audiences are foundering in—based on a strong, idiosyncratic point of view based on our earned experience. To make the most...

Quick request before we dive in. Dan, a client and long-time Scrappy Podcasting subscriber, has been nominated for a Webby for his show Future Around & Find Out, and is currently engaged in a brutal fight to the death with Vergcast for the title of best tech podcast. Would you mind casting a vote to help Dan's indie show beat a network giant? 👉 Vote for Future Around & Find Out Hi friends, This week, we’re exploring the existential question (and opportunity) facing podcast hosts in the age of...

Hi friends, A few weeks ago, I sent out a short email inviting readers to reply with what’s on their mind these days relating to their shows and businesses. Most answers covered the usual ground—growing the show, converting clients, attracting sponsors. Several mentioned exploring how to use AI to speed up their production and marketing process. One response, however, stood out, both as a stark warning and because it’s the same thing that’s been on my mind. The response is from my client, Sam...

Hi there, Last week, I announced my new Overdrive coaching program, where I get in the weeds and collaborate heavily with my clients on everything from quarterly campaign strategy right down to co-creating individual episodes together. It’s my most in-depth (not to mention fun) offer yet. And at $18k/year for the few early bird slots I made available, it’s also my most expensive. Of course, Overdrive isn’t for everyone. It’s for folks who already have strong lead flow, strong sales, and are...