30 Lessons I Learned Growing My Podcast to 36,000 Downloads During My First Year
Nov 15, 2023
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In this podcast, the speaker shares their journey of growing their podcast from 0 to 36,000 downloads in just one year. They discuss the 5 Pillars of Podcasting, the power of podcast listeners, and the importance of good audio production. They also provide strategies for promoting and growing a podcast, including advertising, social media promotion, and building a loyal community.
34:19
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Quick takeaways
Investing in production costs, such as a good quality microphone and sound-isolated recording space, is crucial for podcast growth.
Planning out a calendar of at least 20 episode ideas helps maintain consistency and structure in podcast content.
Scripting episodes ensures clear and concise communication, matching the natural flow of speech while including occasional fillers for authenticity.
Deep dives
Lessons learned from growing a podcast
Over the course of a year, the podcast host shares 30 lessons learned from growing their podcast. They emphasize the importance of investing in production costs and highlight the five pillars of podcasting: preparation, presentation, packaging, promotion, and perseverance. The host advises getting a good quality microphone, recording in a sound-isolated space, and planning out a calendar of episode ideas. They discuss the benefits of monologues and interviews, setting clear boundaries for guest selection, and scripting episodes. The host stresses the significance of a captivating opening and recommends hiring a producer for editing. They provide insights on podcast promotion, such as leveraging organic growth, promoting on social media platforms, and making guest appearances. Finally, they emphasize the importance of perseverance and consistent messaging, while also highlighting podcasting as a powerful networking tool.
Preparation: Investing in production and planning episodes
To grow a podcast, the host suggests investing in production costs, including a good quality microphone and sound-isolated recording space. They emphasize the benefits of planning out a calendar of at least 20 episode ideas. The host discusses the advantages of both monologues and interviews, with monologues establishing authority and interviews expanding reach. They advise setting clear boundaries for guest selection to align with the podcast's focus and purpose.
Presentation: Scripting and performing episodes
The host highlights the importance of scripting episodes to ensure clear and concise communication. They emphasize that scripting should match the natural flow of speech and include occasional fillers. The host discusses the need for both solo and interview episodes and the value of providing a focused and straight-to-the-point interview format. They advise against excessive rambling and emphasize the significance of an engaging opening to capture listeners' attention.
Packaging: Investing in production and cover art
The host emphasizes the role of editing and packaging in making a podcast stand out. They recommend hiring a producer to enhance the overall flow of an episode and transform the audio into an engaging experience. The host suggests designing attention-grabbing cover art for the podcast and crafting a compelling trailer. They highlight the importance of investing in production quality as it attracts higher quality sponsors and guests.
Promotion: Organic growth, leveraging social platforms, and podcast SEO
The host shares insights on podcast promotion, emphasizing the superiority of organic growth over paid promotion. They stress the need to promote the podcast on suitable discovery platforms and advocate making noise about the podcast on social media to attract new listeners. The host suggests making guest appearances on other podcasts and creating suitable cover art and trailers. They emphasize the role of podcast SEO and the impact of episode frequency on rankings.
Perseverance: Building a loyal community and networking
The host acknowledges that podcasting can be frustrating and emphasizes the importance of perseverance. They suggest providing multiple ways for listeners to reach out and emphasizing responsiveness to foster a loyal community. The host highlights the attentiveness of podcast listeners and the power of audio in creating engaging experiences. They emphasize that podcasting, while challenging, offers opportunities for networking and building connections within the podcasting community.
E58: How do you get your podcast from 0 to 36,000 downloads in just a year? I did just that!
Starting from scratch isn't easy, especially in the world of podcasting. I had zero listeners, a limited budget, and countless people saying I was doing it all wrong.
Just to give you an idea... I spent $27,000 just on production costs!
When I started my podcast journey, everyone around me had advice. Most said, "Save your money on production." But, call me crazy, I ignored them! I poured everything into 57 episodes, investing in the quality of the show.
Today, I'm revealing 30 lessons I learned growing my podcast over the past year into 5 Pillars of Podcasting.
On today’s episode, you’ll learn:
- The 5 Pillars of Podcasting - Paid Advertising vs. Organic Marketing - How to Choose the Right Guests for Your Podcast - Why 'Packaging' an Episode is More Important Than You Think
Let's get down to business!
*** SPONSORS: Castmagic - Enjoy an exclusive 30% discount for your first 3 months with the code FOUNDERS30.
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*** EXCERPTS:
How I Create Content: "Writing my episodes helps me express my thoughts in a clear and concise manner. Basically, write the script as if you're writing a screenplay, because you will essentially be using the script to perform it on the mic when you record it." — Yong-Soo Chung (09:55)
Power of Podcast Listeners: "In all this time I have been podcasting, I have noticed that podcast listeners are some of the most dedicated, loyal, and attentive listeners I've come across. They're incredibly tuned into everything you say." — Yong-Soo Chung (20:10)
*** First Class Founders is a show for indie hackers, bootstrapped founders, CEOs, solopreneurs, content creators, startup entrepreneurs, and SaaS startups covering topics like build in public, audience growth, product marketing, scaling up, side hustles, holding company, etc.
Past guests include Arvid Kahl, Tyler Denk, Noah Kagan, Clint Murphy, Jay Abraham, Andrew Gazdecki, Matt McGarry, Nick Huber, Khe Hy, and more.
