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

We hear of podcasters getting these big deals for big bucks, and congratulations to all. However, this is not the norm. Just because you start a podcast does not mean you will end up like Rich Uncle Pennybag from Monopoly. If you're a regular listener you've heard me mention how I received a 10-minute voicemail, and one of the points of that voicemail was that maybe we all have some slightly blurry expectations when it comes to podcasting (and in their case how long it takes to create one). Today is my 800th episode and like all of my milestone episodes, I'm going to break my format, and not talk so much about gear, downloads, promotion, interviews, etc and instead I want to talk about some of the more stressful sides of podcasting. Mentioned In This Episode Full Show Notes at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/800 My first episode from 2005 Book: Profit From Your Podcast School of Podcasting Besties in Bed Affordable Podcast Editing The Grief Recovery Handbook National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 Question of the Month: How Long Does It Take You to Create an Episode - SURVEY This 60-minute podcast took 8 hours to create from idea to pressing publish. We all know podcasting can take more time than we thought. I'd love to hear how long it took to go from "Idea to Publish" for your last episode. You can answer at  www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question  Need Help With Your Podcast? Here is a list of ways you can work with me. Want to support the show, but feel you don't need the School of Podcasting? Consider becoming a Patron. Also, this show is equipped with the value for value model. You can stream bitcoin using the apps at www.newpodcastapps.com If none of those float your boat, you can always buy me a coffee. TOPICS 00:58  Question of the Month 03:43  Origins of Episode 05:06  Podcasting Can Change Your Life 07:35  Everything Works for THE Dave Jackson??? 08:26  Podcasting Played a Part in My Divorce 09:29  Lesson 1: Realistic Expectations 11:40  Separating Work From Home 13:15  Tip 2:Date Night on Steroids 15:00  Relationship  Advice from the Divorced Guy 15:10  When to Argue 17:07  Tip 3: Guys - JUST LISTEN 17:31  Tip 4: Ladies Tell Them What You Want 17:55  Tip 5: Make Sure You're Giving Them What They Want 18:46  Stereotypes are Fun! 20:02  Comparison is the Thief of Joy 21:33  The RIGHT Downloads 23:14  Refocus When Comparing Yourself 25:04  So Why Does Dave Podcast? 30:44  Suicide Disclaimer 31:32  Does Being a ProPodcaster Leave You Susceptible to Thoughts of Suicide? 32:58  When Did the Word Hobby Become Derogatory? 34:29  You Are Allowed to Do This For Fun 36:15  Podcasters Can Be Impulsive 38:06  Podcasters Are Isolated 39:07  Realistic Expectations 41:25  We Might Feel Trapped 43:10  The HUSTLE Mentality 44:20  Suicide Rates in America 48:10  It's OK To Ask For Help 49:55  Dealing with Grief 53:51  The Pain of Suicide 54:22  Keep Your Good Emails

For a lot of people, podcasting is just a hobby. They think it's fun to talk about their favorite topics and share them with the world. But for some, podcasting can be so much more than that! It can become a business or even an income source. If you've been thinking about starting your own podcast, here are some tips on how to brand your show like a pro: For entrepreneurs who want to start their own businesses and use podcasts as part of their marketing strategy, branding is important; especially when considering how unique each individual business should be in order to stand out among its competitors. If you're looking for ways on how to brand your show like a professional podcaster, keep reading at https://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/799 Sponsor: Novel Marketing Podcast A lot of podcasters plan to write a book but they don't know where to start. Our sponsor the Novel Marketing Podcast is here to help. Thomas Umstattd Jr is a wealth of knowledge and he can get you going in the right direction. Today we talk about the 10 commandments of book publishing. Check out https://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/author Question of the Month  Many podcasters (especially new ones ) are surprised at how long it takes to create an episode. So this month's question is "How long did it take you to go from idea to published (not promotional actions just the planning, recording, editing, and publishing). Be sure to mention your website, your podcast, and a little bit about what to expect. Then let us know how long your finished episode was, how much time it took to publish, and if it was audio, video or both.  Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question by November 26th If you want something to help track your time check out Rescue Time, Toggl Track, ATracker Pro, Rize(there are a ton of these) Again, www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question Mentioned In This Show podcastbranding.co (Mark's Company) Ask the Podcast Coach Podcast Rodeo Show Podcast Artwork Preview Tool Profit From Your Podcast Book Canva Ready To Start Your Podcast? You may think nobody would listen to you, but I'm here to tell you they will. I have proven strategies to help you identify exactly what your audience wants. You will sound professional, and won't have to spend a million dollars to sound great. Learn through our online tutorials, live group coaching and a private Facebook Group filled with brilliant podcasters. Join worry-free with a 40-day money-back guarantee. See schoolofpodcasting.com/start Follow the Show and Never Miss an Episode on: Apple - Google - Spotify - Amazon Check out New Podcast Apps for apps to stream bitcoin to podcasters. Did You Get Value From This Episode? Enjoy the Show? Buy Dave a Coffee and give some of that value back. 

You tell me that your guest is a master of (skill) and I'm ready to hear about (skill), but first, you make me listen to where he went to high school, and his entire backstory while all I want to talk about is how he can help me boost (skill).  So for me the "tell me about yourself" drives me nuts. I asked my audience, "Am I missing something? and they answered (and in some cases I am).  Full show notes at schoolofpodcasting.com/798 Thanks To The Contributors Scott from What Was That Like? Max from Aviation New Talk Louis from Love Thy Lawyer Bill From the Stroke Cast Mark from the History of North America November Question of the Month As you produce episodes between now and November 26th, 2021 pay attention (and even track) how long it takes you to go from Ideas to pressing "Publish" on your media host (this does NOT include promotion). As always feel free to record a message and say something like, "Hey Dave this is (name) from (name of the show) at (website) my episode was (length of the episode) and it took me (time from idea to publishing). You can find more about my show at (website). If you'd like, I've even made a spreadsheet where you can enter Name of Podcast (not episode - the podcast) The length of the finished episode (in minutes). The time spent (in minutes) to complete the episode If it was solo, co-host, interview. If there is video was involved. You can answer your question at  schoolofpodcasting.com/question Mentioned In This Episode White Collared Podcast Affordable Audio Editing atracker time tracking app Rescue Time EP766 How to Get Booked on Podcasts Figuring out Who and How to Pitch with Kristin Molenaar Launching a Podcast in 2022? As you heard in today's show, it takes some time to get focused, find your voice and make content that impacts your audience Join the School of Podcasting or Order the Quick Start Plan

The new series Squid Game on Netflix shot to number 1 in four days. I watched episode 1 and immediately binged the whole thing. This is a very popular show and has become Netflix's best launch. Let's pick it apart and see what podcasters can learn from the success of Squid Game. Sponsor: Novel Marketing Podcast A lot of podcasters plan to write a book but they don't know where to start. Our sponsor the Novel Marketing Podcast is here to help. Thomas Umstattd Jr is a wealth of knowledge and he can get you going in the right direction. Check out https://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/author QUESTION OF THE MONTH II need your answer by 10/22/21. The question is "How do you feel about hearing a guest's FULL story?" Be sure to mention the name of your show, the website, and a little bit about your show.  Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question Key Points: 78% of podcasters are discovered vis word of mouth ( Jacobs Media 2019) It's not perfect It got editing before it was released The first episode really hooks you in. You don't get the back story until episode 2 People can identify with the characters What is going to happen next? The audience boosted FOMO Netflix took a chance Sometimes The Audience Doesn’t Know What They Want Until They Get it. So Don’t give up. It might take 10 years It doesn’t have to be perfect Start with the strongest content you have Tease your next episode and leave them wanting more Make materials for your audience to share on social Be patient, and continue to improve your content Inspire and ask for word of mouth WEBINAR NEXT WEEK: APPLE PODCASTS CONNECT Sign up HERE Ready To Start Your Podcast You may think nobody would listen to you, but I'm here to tell you they will. I have proven strategies to help you identify exactly what your audience wants. You will sound professional, and won't have to spend a million dollars to sound great. Learn through our online tutorials, live group coaching and a private Facebook Group filled with brilliant podcasters. Join worry-free with a 40-day money-back guarantee. See schoolofpodcasting.com/start Follow the Show and Never Miss an Episode on: Apple - Google - Spotify - Amazon Check out New Podcast Apps for apps to stream bitcoin to podcasters. Did You Get Value From This Episode? Enjoy the Show? Buy Dave a Coffee and give some of that value back. 

As someone who works in the podcast space, and spends hours hanging out in the community there are things I see that make me scratch my head. There are EASY things to do that will help you grow your audience.  Sponsor: Novel Marketing Podcast A lot of podcasters plan to write a book but they don't know where to start. Our sponsor the Novel Marketing Podcast is here to help. Thomas Umstattd Jr is a wealth of knowledge and he can get you going in the right direction. Check out https://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/author Check out the 10 commandments of book marketing Ready To Start Your Podcast You may think nobody would listen to you, but I'm here to tell you they will. I have proven strategies to help you identify exactly what your audience wants. You will sound professional, and won't have to spend a million dollars to sound great. Learn through our online tutorials, live group coaching and a private Facebook Group filled with brilliant podcasters. Join worry-free with a 40-day money-back guarantee. See schoolofpodcasting.com/start Common Podcasting Mistakes That Slow Your Audience Growth 02:28  Get a Domain at Least It can be through Name Cheap, or Coolerwebsites, but BUY a domain for your show. Yes, its icing on the cake, but isn't icing the best part? 05:20  Bad Clips to Start Your Show Instead of spending mountains of time to have people jump into the middle of a conversation, why not just tell people why you're excited about a guest? 10:55  The Start of Your Show Remember Apple has a giant LISTEN button now and people will hear the beginning of your show. Don't blow it with "Music for the sake of nothing" and let them know where they are about to go. 15:54  Follow and Subscribe You want people to listen more than once. Don't make them find you. Give them links like this: Follow the Show and Never Miss an Episode on: Apple - Google - Spotify - Amazon 17:30  Impulse Actions Based on Emotions 21:19  Your About Page Figure out what type of website you have, and include any combination of paragraphs about your business, your show, and your hosts. 23:47  Things That May Not Be Accurate 25:56  The #1 Show - (People will say anything - truth be Damned!) 28:31  Congressional Dish Shows Proof 28:48  A Podcast Guru Without a Podcast Shouldn't your podcast coach have a podcast? 30:04  Monthly Stats Monthly stats are a great barometer of how your older episodes are doing. They sound better than episode stats (but episode stats are what is used for most sponsors). 33:50  Magic Bullets I'm sorry. There aren't any. 35:48  Question of the Month QUESTION OF THE MONTH II need your answer by 10/22/21. The question is "How do you feel about hearing a guest's FULL story?" Be sure to mention the name of your show, the website, and a little bit about your show.  Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question 37:03  Dave Grohl The Storyteller - Thumbs Up 39:35  Bloopers Mentioned In This Episode My Podcast Reviews What Was That Like Dave Grohl The Storyteller School of Podcasting Did You Get Value From This Episode? Enjoy the Show? Buy Dave a Coffee and give some of that value back.  Check out New Podcast Apps for apps to stream bitcoin to podcasters.

There are times when I feel podcasters over-think things, and one of them is "How do I come back if I take an unplanned break?" It's not a whole lot different than starting a podcast from scratch (except it's easier). Sponsor: Novel Marketing Podcast A lot of podcasters plan to write a book but they don't know where to start. Our sponsor the Novel Marketing Podcast is here to help. Thomas Umstattd Jr is a wealth of knowledge and he can get you going in the right direction. Check out https://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/author Mentioned In This Podcast Eric Nuzum interview Make Noise: A Creator's Guide to Podcasting and Great Audio Storytelling Book FULL SHOW NOTES QUESTION OF THE MONTH I need your answer by 10/22/21. The question is "How do you feel about hearing a guest's FULL story?" Be sure to mention the name of your show, the website, and a little bit about your show.  Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question TOPICS 00:00  Introduction 00:27  Welcome 01:14  Taking Breaks From Your Podcast: Don't 03:34  It's Your Choice 04:10  Things You Should Consider 05:07  Using Seasons 06:34  Off Seasons May Not Be Off 07:39  How I Don't Miss Episodes 08:31  Consistency in VALUE over Schedule 09:57  I Really Need To Take a Break 10:34  The Best Way to Take a Break: PLAN IT 11:23  Figure Out When You're Coming Back 12:28  Keep Your Listener Informed 13:56  SPONSOR: Novel Marketing Podcast 15:11  Unplug If That Is the Goal 16:21  Identify Why You Need a Break 17:13  Make Your Last Episode a GREAT Episode 18:03  No Explanation Needed 20:52  Losing Listeners Is Not More Important 21:21  Relaunching Your Podcast 22:00  Is Taking a Break More Work? 22:35  Have Episodes Recorded and Ready 23:15  Quick Summary So Far 23:55  Other Things to Consider 24:50  Best of Shows 25:33  Where to Announce Your Hiatus? 26:24  Avoid Podfading 27:55  The Biggest Mistake 30:35  Resurrecting a Podfaded Show 33:54  libsyn.com promo code sopfree 34:31  Question of the Month 35:44  One Tip to Making Podcasting Easier 37:12  If You Need a Break From Life 38:13  schoolofpodcasting.com 38:56  Bloopers Ready To Start Your Podcast? You may think nobody would listen to you, but I'm here to tell you they will. I have proven strategies to help you identify exactly what your audience wants. You will sound professional, and won't have to spend a million dollars to sound great. Learn through our online tutorials, live group coaching and a private Facebook Group filled with brilliant podcasters. Join worry-free with a 40-day money-back guarantee. See schoolofpodcasting.com/start Follow the Show and Never Miss an Episode on: Apple - Google - Spotify - Amazon Check out New Podcast Apps for apps to stream bitcoin to podcasters. Did You Get Value From This Episode? Enjoy the Show? Buy Dave a Coffee and give some of that value back. 

Today is a "Question of the Month" episode where we share something we recommended and WHY. We look at the strategy of dripping content to keep people wanting to know what happens next ( the Zeigarnik effect ). Sponsor: Novel Marketing Podcast A lot of podcasters plan to write a book but they don't know where to start. Our sponsor the Novel Marketing Podcast is here to help. Thomas Umstattd Jr is a wealth of knowledge and he can get you going in the right direction. Check out https://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/author Participants Matt from The Author Inside You Scott from What Was That Like? Jennifer Bourbon Barrel Podcasting Timothy from Podwrecked and Create Art Podcast Haley from Adoptees On Jerry from Beyond the Rut Mark from the History of North America Wayne from the Packer's Fan Podcast, and Media Voice Overs. Fred from Grump Old Bears MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST Podcast Rodeo Show Dumb People With Terrible Ideas Social Media Marketing Podcast Project Hail Mary Samson Q2u Podtrak P4 Dave's "My Gear" page. Leading the Bleeding Podcast Podcasting 2.0 New Podcast Apps No Agenda Stream The Chosen Virgin River Libsyn promo code sopfree to get a full month free. Ready To Start Your Podcast You may think nobody would listen to you, but I'm here to tell you they will. I have proven strategies to help you identify exactly what your audience wants. You will sound professional, and won't have to spend a million dollars to sound great. Learn through our online tutorials, live group coaching and a private Facebook Group filled with brilliant podcasters. Join worry-free with a 40-day money-back guarantee. See schoolofpodcasting.com/start TOPICS 01:34  Autographed Copies of Profit From Your Podcat 02:10  The Show I Love to Hate 03:21  Zeigarnik effect 05:01  What Makes a Good Podcast? 06:39  What Happens Next? 07:48  Example of Dripping Content 09:11  Sponsor: Novel Marketing Marketing Podcast 13:19  Scott Johnson 15:54  Jennifer Longworth 17:15  Matt Rafferty 18:21  Timothy Kimo Brien 20:39  Haley Radke 23:09  Jerry Dugen 24:56  Mark Vinet 26:02  Wayne Henderson 27:13  Fred Castenada 28:35  Dave Jackson 33:10  October Question of the Month 38:20  Quick Wrap Up 39:08  Mastering Your Craft is a Goal 39:44  Libsyn Promo Code sopfree 40:38  Coming Soon Follow the Show and Never Miss an Episode on: Apple - Google - Spotify - Amazon Check out New Podcast Apps for apps to stream bitcoin to podcasters. Did You Get Value From This Episode? Enjoy the Show? Buy Dave a Coffee and give some of that value back. 

Every Facebook has the question, "where should I host my podcast" about six times a day and every response gets about 17 replies. I realize that question is sometimes confused by the different features, and business plans so this episode is here to help you understand podcast hosting companies. Sponsor: Novel Marketing Podcast A lot of podcasters plan to write a book but they don't know where to start. Our sponsor the Novel Marketing Podcast is here to help. Thomas Umstattd Jr is a wealth of knowledge and he can get you going in the right direction. Check out https://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/author QUESTION OF THE MONTH I need your answer by 9/24/21. The question is "What was the last thing you shared and why?" Be sure to mention the name of your show, the website and a little bit about your show.  Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question Mentioned in This Episode Libsyn.com (use the coupon sopfree) Captivate.fm Blubrry.com Podbean.com Castos.com Buzzsprout.com Transistor.fm Redcircle.com Fireside.fm Anchor.fm IAB Guidelines Full Show Notes Topics: 01:52  Question of the Month 02:28  Novel Marketing 03:46  Does One Media Host Deliver More Downloads? 08:58  IAB Statistics 10:37  Are IAB Stats Important? 12:22  Will Switching Hosts Bring More Downloads? 13:12  Storage 14:14  Downloads 15:22  What Kindof Stats? 16:23  Demographic Data? 17:08  Podcast Website 18:28  Private Podcasts 18:57  Dynamic Ad Insertion 20:47  Support 21:32  Transcripts 21:54  Audiograms 22:24  Media Hosting Business Models 22:40  Free Media Hosts 24:42  Why Free Media Hosts Fail 25:26  Limited Uploads - Unlimited Downloads 26:16  Unlimited Uploaded - Limited/Pricier Downloads 27:16  Unlimited Everything 27:42  Opinion My Criteria 31:18  Join the School of Podcasting 31:58  How to Choose? 35:07  Opinion on Transcripts 36:48  Opinion Audiograms 38:36  Opinion on Anchor.fm 42:00  Opinion on I Can't Afford It 42:31  Opinion- Busines Models 45:37  Opinion - All Things Unlimited 47:08  Facebook is Useless 49:17  Opinion: WordPress Feeds 51:53  be Careful Switching Hosts  

This weekend was the 20th anniversary of 911 in the United States. I recently had a slight health scare, so I brought on a friend of the show Gordon Firemark to answer the question, "What happens to your podcast if you die." We also get the last report from Glenn Hebert as he winds up his tour to meet his audience. I also am trying something new with my book Profit From Your Podcast.  Sponsor: Novel Marketing Podcast A lot of podcasters plan to write a book but they don't know where to start. Our sponsor the Novel Marketing Podcast is here to help. Thomas Umstattd Jr is a wealth of knowledge and he can get you going in the right direction. Check out https://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/author What Happens After You Publish Your First Episode Today I talk about School of Podcasting student Mark Hasara who has a great background as a speaker, author and pilot but was still nervous to release his first episode.  When he released it he was amazed at how many downloads he received. We mention "The Feed" from Libsyn which shares industry stats. Currently, 50% of podcasters get less than 131 downloads per episode, and 50% get more.  What Happens to Your Podcast if You Die? I talk with Gordon Firemark about what happens to your podcast if you die. While we all plan to be around much longer, taking the time to designate what happens to your show if you are no longer able to continue (or if you're dead). This is an awkward conversation to have with people, but you should be planning your estate as well, so don't forget your podcast (and dog) when you create directions on what to do with your show.  You might check out the book, "I'm dead, now what?" on Amazon For more information about Gordon see thepodcastlawyer.com Glenn's Reflections on His Tour Glenn "The Geek" Hebert is from the Horse Radio Network. He went on a five-week tour with thousands of miles across the east coast to meet his listeners and sponsors.  He loved his Zoom Podtrack P4, and thought staying three days in one place was the best. Next tour he will also plan some time to site see (as they didn't do any). He said that even though traveling in an RV is different, after some time you just get used to it (and it beats hotels, or staying in the listener's homes). Get A Personalized Version of Profit From Your Podcast Go to www.profitfromyourpodcast.com/book to get a personalized version of the book (US only) QUESTION OF THE MONTH I need your answer by 9/24/21. The question is "What was the last thing you shared and why?" Be sure to mention the name of your show, the website and a little bit about your show.  Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question Ready To Start Your Podcast You may think nobody would listen to you, but I'm here to tell you they will. I have proven strategies to help you identify exactly what your audience wants. You will sound professional, and won't have to spend a million dollars to sound great. Learn through our online tutorials, live group coaching and a private Facebook Group filled with brilliant podcasters. Join worry-free with a 40-day money-back guarantee. See schoolofpodcasting.com/start Topics: 00:00  Intro 01:48  Pushing Past Your Fears 05:36  Mark's First Episode 06:07  How Many Downloads is Considered Good? 09:37  Sponsor: Novel Marketing 11:39  Sad News About Trever Hill 12:54  What Happens To Your Podcast When You Die? 25:40  Glenn the Geek Final Tour Update 32:49  Others are Going on Tour 34:22  Questions of the Month 35:55  Personalized Version of Profit From Your Podcast 36:54  The Importance of Editing 39:50  Bloopers Follow the Show and Never Miss an Episode on: Apple - Google - Spotify - Amazon Check out New Podcast Apps for apps to stream bitcoin to podcasters. Did You Get Value From This Episode? Enjoy the Show? Buy Dave a Coffee and give some of that value back. 

Mellisa Guller has experience as a marketing manager, a project manager, an online course designer (she worked at Teachable), as well as a podcast producer, host, and podcast teacher. We take a DEEP DIVE into planning and launching an online course. SPONSOR: Novel Marketing A lot of podcasters plan to write a book but they don't know where to start. Our sponsor the Novel Marketing Podcast is here to help. Thomas Umstattd Jr is a wealth of knowledge and he can get you going in the right direction. Check out https://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/author Building Digital Courses with Mellisa Guller Today I get all your questions answered about building and selling an online course:  06:04  When is the right time to build a course? 09:01  How Long Should My Course Be? 11:19  Common Mistakes 13:13  What are the Top Challenges? 20:50  Open or Closed Model? 26:23  The Underutilized Feature in Teachable 27:27  What Do I Charge For My Online Course 32:59  Should I Have Free Lessons? 35:37  What Percentage of My Audience Will Sign Up? 39:38  Why is the Number So Low? 41:04  Why Did You Choose Circle? Melissa's Contact Info Check out all of her courses and services at  witandwire.com Instagram Twitter Pinterest Question of the Month I need you to answer the question, "What was the last thing you shared, and why?" Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question by 9/24/21 and be sure to tell us about your show and where we can find it (your website). Ready To Start Your Podcast? You may think nobody would listen to you, but I'm here to tell you they will. I have proven strategies to help you identify exactly what your audience wants. You will sound professional, and won't have to spend a million dollars to sound great. Learn through our online tutorials, live group coaching and a private Facebook Group filled with brilliant podcasters. Join worry-free with a 40-day money-back guarantee. See schoolofpodcasting.com/start Mentioned in This Episode Profit from Your Podcast Book Episode 787 with the Entrepreneur Survey The 10 Commandments of Book Marketing Wit and Wire Podcast Launch Accelerator Wit and Wire Courses