Streamlined Podcaster: Tips to Help Solopreneurs Improve Their Podcast Systems

Some people don’t like talking about themselves all the time. And that’s perfectly fine. A great way to get content without making it self-centered is by highlighting someone else’s success. That’s why today’s episode is client/customer spotlights.Listeners love content they can relate to. If you can pick a customer or client and highlight how they’ve been able to improve using your product or service, that will be great content for you.Be sure to make the episode about the client, and the audience, and not about you. This can be in the form of a narrated case study, or it can be an interview you do with the client.Check out my more in-depth look at customer spotlights over on the GoWP blog.Your task: think about a client or customer you really delivered for, and why. Then turn it into an episode! ★ Support this podcast ★

When it comes to Podcast sponsorship outreach, you likely will think you need a few weeks lead time. But you probably need a month or more. So today’s tip: Start way before you think you need to.Most brands/sponsors aren’t ready to drop money as soon as you email them, or even within the same week. And bigger brands might have a NET-30 or NET-60 payment schedule for invoices, meaning that money won’t even come in for a while.So don’t start when you see you need sponsors for upcoming episodes. You should have a sort of sales funnel for regular outreach — I’ve had brands decline, then come back in 6-12 months.Oh and a bonus tip: most organizations are setting budgets at the end of the year. I reach out to all previous and potential sponsors in early October to lock up sponsorship for the upcoming year. Put that one on your calendar. ★ Support this podcast ★

Imagine creating not one, not two, but THREE versions of every podcast episode you produce.That’s what Jay Clouse does with Creator Science. See, last year he made the decision to make his podcast “YouTube-first,” which means focusing on video production, then mastering it for audio.If you produce a podcast, you already know that it’s time-consuming. While Christina Nicholson showed us it doesn’t have to take a lot of time for you personally, there’s still a lot that goes into an episode.And Jay is creating a YouTube version, an audio version, and a separate Spotify video version. This is complicated by the fact that Jay’s revenue model varies depending on the platform.But this work isn’t for nothing! As we’ll see, he’s making a few long-term bets about the future of podcast content.👉 IN THIS EPISODEWhy building a relationship with your listeners is crucialHow leveraging new technology can make you tell better storiesThinking outside the box for monetization modelsLeveraging the network effect to grow your podcastRead the article here: https://podcastworkflows.com/podcast-video-storytelling/  ★ Support this podcast ★

Quite often, I see podcasters sharing their podcast episodes and they've titled something like: Episode 12: Jim RodgersWould you click on this if you came across it on social media? Probably not. This doesn't tell you anything about what you'll learn in the episode. Even worse, this does nothing for SEO...most people aren't randomly Googling episode numbers.Stop putting the episode number in your title. Your episodes should be treated as any other searchable content. That means a title that entices people to click through and listen. ★ Support this podcast ★

Something that turns lots of people away from podcasting (both before and after starting) is how much time and work it takes. But you don't need long interview shows. In fact, there's a new type of podcast that's gaining popular: the mini podcast. Here's why starting a mini-podcast (or pivoting your current show that way) might be a good idea: They are usually less than 20 minutesThey're generally solo shows (no coordinating guests)They allow you to showcase your expertiseThey are easier to batchInterested? I  cover them more on my own mini-podcast here. ★ Support this podcast ★

I know it’s tempting. You fire up Zoom, hit record, and just release the combined audio into your podcast feed.That’s called record and release. Lots of podcasters do it. It even works for some people. But it won’t work for you.Here’s why.The podcasters doing this have likely already accumulated a big audience. Back when the best way to record a podcast was Skype and eCamm Call Recorder. Back when it was a lot harder to launch a podcast, so just the act of publishing one at all showed you were putting in an effort.But two things have changed since then:The tools got better. It’s a lot easier to just record and publish a podcast.The audience is getting savvier. And as a result, their expectations are higher.An early critically acclaimed movie, Grand Hotel, came out in 1932. It basically takes place in a couple of rooms in a hotel.It’s still considered a culturally significant movie. But it would bomb at the box office today.Movies have come so much further than what was accomplished in 1932. Special effects, storytelling, multi-threaded plots, color…nearly everything.Moviegoers have a higher bar than they did in 1932.The same thing goes for podcasting. Publishing isn’t enough.You need to do more than just talk into a mic. Plan your show. Outline or script it. And add some post-production to make it sound better. Add music.Give the listeners something besides halfway decent audio.You will see more downloads. ★ Support this podcast ★

When you launched your podcast, you likely knew to submit to Apple Podcasts. And that covers a good number of bases. Most small directories pull from Apple. But not all of them. Spotify, for example, does not. You need to submit to them separately. The same goes for Amazon.Plus there are lots of other niche directories you want to be in: Podcaster, GoodPods, and more. BuzzSprout has a good list here.But you also want to be on YouTube. YouTube is driving growth for podcasting, and they are doubling down. Secure your spot by creating a channel for show...even if it's just audio. I created a video to teach you how to do that:Why do this? Because you want your show to be as accessible as possible, everywhere. Meet your potential audience where they are. That's how you drive growth.Oh...and if you want to make sure you're best positioned for growth, check out my  Podcast Growth Audit .Freebie: https://podcastworkflows.com/audit (Notion Template) ★ Support this podcast ★

Have you ever wondered why something gets put on TV? I know I have.That’s what makes Christina Nicholson’s show, Become a Media Maven, so interesting from a content standpoint.From a process standpoint, the show has been around since 2018 and has evolved and adapted to the changing landscape. This has helped Christina keep the show relevant without adding a ton more work to her plate. It’s also what has allowed her to focus on lead generation.Let’s take a look at what inspired the changes she made, how she produces her show today, and of course, what you can steal from her workflow.In this EpisodeExperiment with the format of your podcast.Know the goal of your episodes before you record.Use your podcast for lead generation.Read the full article here: https://podcastworkflows.com/lead-generation-christina-nicholson/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Have you ever thought, "I don't have time to podcast," ?When I ask people what’s stopping them from launching or continuing their show, this is the number one concern I'm told.Podcasting is definitely time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to take up all your time! There are a few things you can do to clear time on your calendar:Start small. You don’t need a 2-hour podcast to start. One of the longest-running, most popular podcasts, Stuff You Should Know, started with 6-minute episodes.You don’t need to coordinate guests for every episode. Mix in some solo episodes. Those are easier to schedule and easier to edit.Block time. If you have “podcasting” on your calendar at the same time every week, it will be easier to keep that schedule.Batch. Set time aside to make more than one episode per week. Then you have some margin, can take a break, and choose to podcast because you want to, not because you feel you have to.These are small, measurable steps you can make on the way to podcast consistency. And remember - consistency isn't every day or every week. It's predictability!  ★ Support this podcast ★

Do you want to know how I got my podcasts sponsored before launching? How I get big-name guests? How I get my show off the ground in the first place?It was my network. It was the relationships I formed by being a professional, trustworthy person. I suspect you have one too. It's important to leverage in, especially in the beginning.That's also why it's important to clearly define your show and who it targets. But that's a tip for another day. So for today, I want you to think about who's in your network, and how you can work with them to make the most successful podcast possible.  ★ Support this podcast ★