Your podcast, no matter how big or small, gives you a platform and an opportunity to generate leads for your business. This week, episode 5 of Listeners to Leads is about the six mistakes you’re making that are costing you leads!
In this episode of Listeners to Leads, I’m sharing the importance of leveraging your podcast in your business strategy and actionable steps you can take right now to turn your listeners into leads.
I also discuss some of the following:
Using your podcast as an opportunity to promote your product or services in an organic way.
Leveraging your ads in a way that draws clients in instead of steering them away.
Solo episodes vs. co-host conversations vs. guest episodes.
Showing up as an expert in your industry and giving your audience value.
Using your show notes and content plan to drive interest past your podcast and into your business.
Start implementing 1 or 2 of these tips this month to turn active listeners into passive leads for your business. So be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on turning your listeners into leads and to hear even more about the points outlined above.
Thank you for listening!
If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
As both a host and a guest, it is important to keep the audience in mind when selecting who to invite to your show and whose shows you want to be a guest on in order to provide value to the listeners. That’s why episode 4 of Listeners to Leads Podcast is about how to be a great podcast guest and host!
Dr. AJ Austin went from homelessness, divorce, and the death of her mother all on the same day. She shares how this led her to become an award- now shares how that led to becoming an award-winning Professional Speaker, 16x Author and best-seller, a Master Life Coach Certification Trainer (having certified 155+ Black Women Life Coaches worldwide), CEO of The International Center for Life Coach Training, LLC, and special guest of 100+ podcasts providing tips for how to confidently convert conversations to clients, cash, checks, and credit cards!
In this episode of Listeners to Leads Podcast, my guest, Dr. AJ Austin is sharing the importance of working as a team during a podcast interview and actionable steps you can take right now to nail your next podcast appearance as a guest or as a host. Some of the talking points Dr. AJ Austin and I go over in this episode include:
How much of your background you should be sharing with listeners as both a guest and a host of a podcast.
Establishing a good relationship with your guest or the host before, during, and after your interview, but always being selective of who you decide to highlight on your shows.
Keeping your audience in mind at all times when making content & guest decisions for your show.
As a guest, how to have the host’s back so you can continuously be asked back on shows.
Prospering as a podcast guest.
When appearing on a podcast, make sure you are there for the right reasons, focusing on what you’re supposed to, and using your genuine personality in the interview. So be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on being a great podcast guest or host, and to hear even more about the points outlined above.
Thank you for listening!
If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
The stats are not in your favor as a new podcaster, mostly because people rush into it and then don’t have a plan. Most podcasts don’t make it past 7 episodes, and we don’t want that for you. This week, episode 03 of Listeners to Leads is about Streamlining your podcast content creation process!
In this episode of Listeners to Leads, I’m sharing the importance of having a plan for the creation process of your podcast and actionable steps you can take right now to have a successful launch of your podcast.
I also chat about the following:
The importance of a launch of more than 14 days
How to set yourself up for a successful planning session
How to get ready to record for your podcast before it launches
How many episodes to have at the ready when you launch
Having these processes in place allows you to be more efficient, make the most of your time, and hold yourself accountable to take action. This will allow your podcast to have a successful launch.
Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on turning your podcast listeners into leads and to hear even more about the points outlined above.
Thank you for listening!
If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Pitching yourself or your podcast can sometimes feel like a 30-minute pitch, losing your listener and making you feel like you’re not getting the point across. This week, episode 02 of Listeners to Leads is about Pitching your podcast and pitching yourself to be on podcasts!
In this episode of Listeners to Leads, Michelle Glogovac is sharing the importance of pitching and actionable steps you can take right now to land your next pitch!
Michelle Glogovac is THE podcastmatchmaker, publicist and host of the MySimplified Life podcast. After an 18 year career in corporate aviation, Michelle discovered her passion in changing the world, one voice at a time. She works with entrepreneurs, authors, and experts to niche down, grow their businesses, and visibility while ensuring their message reaches the masses. Michelle is a natural relationship maker, which is why her love of helping experts be interviewed on podcasts and featured in the media is so successful. Michelle is a wife, mom of two, stepmom of two, and a fur mom. She has her B.A. and M.S. in Law. She resides in the Bay Area and loves to share what her favorite wines are!
Michelle Glogovac also chats about the following:
What components make a perfect pitch
Where to pitch to other podcasters, news outlets, and more
How to repurpose your podcast episodes; either your own or when you’re a guest
Where you can share your episodes and guest episodes
Pitching can be difficult and intimidating but it doesn’t have to be. Michelle walks us through her very own blueprint for how to pitch yourself professionally and actually land those speaking gigs.
As much as I love being here, this episode is not about me. This is about the content and the knowledge that I get to share with your audience and what they can gain from it.
Michelle Glogovac
Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on turning your podcast listeners into leads and to hear even more about the points outlined above.
Thank you for listening!
If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
The burning question in every podcast Facebook group is “How do I grow my podcast audience?” Podcast growth is still mostly dependent on word-of-mouth, but these 10 strategies will help you grow your podcast audience to the numbers you are looking for. You won’t find things like paid advertising on this list. These are ways to organically grow your podcast audience. That means that the growth may be slow but that’s the nature of podcasting right now.
And remember, if you’re still in the planning process, here are a few resources to help:
Every podcaster I’ve run into has wanted to grow their podcast audience. They want more listeners and want to hit those milestone podcast downloads. I’m hoping with this blog post, I can dispel some of the myths that go around podcast growth and make this super easy for you to understand.
Let’s get into some ways to organically grow your podcast audience.
How Long Does it Take to Grow your Podcast Audience?
Next to how to grow your audience, many podcasters are asking how long does it take to actually grow that audience. Remember that if you are starting your podcast without a pre-established audience, you’ll find that your growth is slower moving than if you are coming at this medium with thousands (or even hundreds) of engaged social media followers.
When my sister and I started our podcast about being cult survivors, we spent three full months in the launch phase growing our audience before launching a single episode because we didn’t want to launch to crickets.
The answer is that it really depends. It depends on the time and effort you are putting into growing your audience and if you are actively marketing your podcast.
Pro-Tip about Podcast Downloads: Comparing podcasts in different categories and niches is like comparing Apples to Avocados. It just doesn’t make sense. All that said, here are the podcast download stats according to Libsyn:
If your new episode gets, within 30 days of its release:
136 downloads or more, you’re in the top 50% of podcasts.
1100 downloads or more, you’re in the top 20% of podcasts.
3200 downloads or more, you’re in the top 10% of podcasts.
7,700 downloads or more, you’re in the top 5% of podcasts.
20,000 downloads or more, you’re in the top 2% of podcasts.
36,000 downloads or more, you’re in the top 1% of podcasts.
This is a good standard to assess your podcast but remember that a podcast about a hit tv show will have a different download count than a podcast about candle pouring. It’s just the nature of creating content for different niches.
Start Marketing your Podcast Before you Launch
Too many podcasts launch to crickets! Yeah, I said it. There are courses out there that focus on launching a podcast in 14 days… 1 month… Hours even. The sad thing about this is that these teachers preach “build it and they will come.”
This idea is absolute bullshit and I’m sick of seeing it in the industry.
When you start marketing your podcast before you launch, you are already setting up your podcast for some success and having an audience who is ready to tune in as soon as your first episodes drop.
That’s the way that my hobby podcast got over 250 downloads within the first 24 hours of launch.
Nail your Podcast Niche
When you understand your audience and can speak directly to them, this can help you create content that your ideal audience actually wants to listen to.
Here are a few ways to get clear on your podcast niche so you can grow your podcast audience:
What topic do you find interesting?
Is there a community of others out in the world who find this topic interesting too?
Can you talk about this topic without losing interest? Note that I didn’t ask if you are an expert in this topic. You should have some working knowledge but don’t let imposter syndrome stop you.
Will you have enough content to talk about this?
Make your Show Accessible for All
There are two ways to make sure your podcast is accessible for all. This is an easy fix to ensure that you are growing your podcast audience and can reach everyone.
Have your podcast available on all major and minor podcast listening platforms. Quite a few people are amazed to find out that Apple Podcasts only accounts for 30-40% of the downloads on my hobby podcast. That means that if I only had my podcast available on that listening platform, I would be missing out on a ton of downloads and audiences.
Transcribe your podcast and have that easily accessible for your listeners. Sometimes it can be easy to forget that there are people out there who are hard of hearing or have a hard time listening to content. When you only produce an audio experience for your audience, you are excluding others who can’t engage with audio-only content. I like using Otter.ai to transcribe the episodes for my clients.
Make sure your podcast description has a few keywords in it
Your show notes should be optimized for search
Name your episode like you would name a blog post
Make sure to post your podcast episodes and show notes on your website
There’s obviously a lot of strategies that go into the SEO part of a podcast so if you are looking for support on podcast SEO, be sure to book a call with us and we can help.
Use Social Media to Promote and Market Your Podcast
Make sure that you are sharing current and past episodes with your audience at least twice a week on each social media platform. The algorithms on Facebook and Instagram don’t always give the best reach so you’ll want to make sure you are talking about your podcast nonstop.
If you have a guest on your podcast or mention someone in your podcast episode, be sure to tag them when you share about the episode on social media.
If you had a follower recommend the podcast episode then make sure that you tag them and say that you for the episode idea. Ask them what their favorite takeaway was from the episode.
Share, share, and share some more.
Use Social Media to Interact with Potential Listeners
Yes, this strategy is different than the previous one.
I recommend using these tips to interact with potential listeners on social media:
Use relevant hashtags that your audience is following
Comment on the posts of other podcasters who are in similar niches as you
“Stalk” the followers of similar podcasts and engage with them on their own posts
My friend, Jillian O’Keefe is an amazing Instagram strategist and I recommend checking out her Mini-Course, Engaged Like a Boss to help you learn the best ways to grow your social media audience and engage with that audience.
Join an Active Podcast Community
There are some really fantastic podcast communities on Facebook and many of them allow you to promote your show on designated posts. They are also a great way to crowdsource help and ideas from other podcasters who understand the industry.
Obviously I’m going to shamelessly plug my own podcast community that offers weekly training and more strategies to grow your podcast. A community of aspiring and established podcasters who come together to share their best tips and strategies to have a well maintained podcast and attract an audience with a message.
Since I’m a HUGE Buzzsprout fan, obviously I’m part of their podcast community and will continue to promote the heck out of them. This is a place for Buzzsprout podcasters to interact with each other and with the Buzzsprout team.
WOC (Women of Color) Podcasters is an inclusive community for women of color podcasters and audio creators. This is a place to connect, learn about podcasting, share resources, and find potential guests and collaborators.
The Podcast Growth Mastermind is a group for you, the entrepreneur, marketer, author and coach who wants to hack podcasting and podcast guesting, as well as the podcaster eager to learn how to grow, make an impact with and monetize your show.
Have Guests on your Podcast
But you can’t just have any guest on your podcast. You’ll want to be very strategic when you select your podcast guests. As someone who is a recovering people pleaser, I know it can be hard to say no to someone. But you have to think about your audience when people pitch to you about your podcast. Make sure that this person is going to be able to serve your audience.
If you aren’t sure about where to find podcast guests, ask around. Check out those podcast groups I listed before to see if there are posts about being a guest.
Be a Guest on Other Podcasts
If you want to reach your ideal listeners, it’s important to get onto podcasts that talk to your ideal listeners. This is great because you are essentially “borrowing” another person’s podcast audience.
If your ideal listener is already a follower of this person then that is a win-win. You can engage with this audience and serve them while being able to pull them to your podcast as well. Be sure to look for podcasts that are compatible and not your direct competition as a business owner.
If you are looking to be a guest on other podcasts, we offer podcast pitching. You can book a call if you are looking to have us pitch podcasts for you.
Tell your Audience to Tell a Friend
Since word-of-mouth is the easiest and best way to grow your podcast audience, tell your audience to take action. I recommend putting this in your outro so that as your episode ends, they have that one call-to-action to share the podcast.
You can easily say something like this: “If you found this episode helpful, make sure to share it with a friend who you think would find value in it.”
Easy peasy!
So there you have it. Ten strategies that you can start using today to grow your podcast audience.
If you are thinking about launching a podcast on a budget, now is the time to get into action!
Right now, there are more than 500 million blogs out of 1.7 billion websites. And there are over 2 million blog posts going out into the internet lands daily. There are more than 31 million Youtube channels out there. People around the world are uploading 500 hours of video every minute.
But! There are only 850,000 active podcasts. That means that rightnow is prime time to start the podcast you want.
What does this mean for launching your podcast on a budget?
If you remember back to blogging in 2009-2010, there weren’t that many blogs out there. Blogging was the way to create content and tell people your story. That is what podcasting is right now!
So don’t wait to start the podcast you’ve been thinking about. Just start and make forward motion. This post will give you the exact step-by-step guide on how to start your podcast on a budget. You don’t have to spend a ton of money to get your podcast off the ground.
I’ve started two separate podcasts for less than $30! If I can do it, you can too! It’s easy to start a podcast on a budget. Simply follow these steps.
Here is the best budget equipment and systems you can get that won’t break the bank. If the podcast is meant to be a hobby and you want to make some affiliate and sponsor sales from it, then I recommend that you only spend money on hosting and a microphone. You can get by without all the other frills in the beginning.
Microphone (Budget Range $15-$45)
Your microphone can make or break your podcast. If you don’t want negative reviews about the sound quality of your podcast then it’s important to invest in a microphone. Honestly, your earbuds or headphones are better than using the computer or phone microphone. But these microphone options won’t break the bank and can still help you keep your sound quality at a decent level.
This microphone comes highly recommended by Amazon as their choice microphone for podcasters. I’ve seen a lot of fantastic reviews about it and would have started with this one if I didn’t need a lapel one since I podcasted in my car on my phone when I first started.
This is a microphone very similar to the one I started with. You don’t always need something fancy to start out. As long as you have something that works well, you can fix any issues on the editing side. If you are just looking to start, there is nothing wrong with using this one. It keeps your S’s and P’s from being too overpower and keeps the volume smooth.
Recording / Editing Software (FREE)
Phone Apps
Don’t be afraid to start with just a voice app on your phone to record if you are recording from your car or very small closet. This is how I started doing my solo shows so I could record them on my lunch break. I was determined to get my podcast into the world
I use Audacity to edit my podcasts. Their manual is very easy to understand and they do a great job of helping you get started. There are tons of YouTube videos available if you get stuck.
If you are a Mac user, then your Mac should already come with Garageband installed on it. I’ve heard that it is very similar to Audacity and easy to use. You can also record right into the program from your computer.
Zoom is a great option for recording long distance interviews or co-hosted podcast episodes. In my first podcast, I had almost every other episode as an interview and Zoom was my go-to. Now that my sister and I record our podcast from different states (NY and NC), we use Zoom and haven’t had many issues. The only thing you have to be careful of is if the other person doesn’t have a great internet connection. Their audio may cut in and out on your end and in the recording. There are ways to edit this out so it doesn’t sound too terrible but it can be frustrating.
If you’ve ever recorded with someone else, you know that it can be easy to talk over each other. This can be really hard to edit out if you keep the audio for two people on one soundtrack. To make sure Zoom keeps the tracks separate, be sure to select Record a separate audio file for each participant who speaks in the Zoom Settings. This should give you two (or more) tracks when you are ready to edit.
Zencastr is another great option for interviews and connection. It does not allow audio, so that can be frustrating if you enjoy seeing your interviewee or co host. If you don’t mind it just being audio, this is a fantastic option. They offer up to 8 hours for 2 guests per month for free.
The great thing about Zencastr is that the audio is uploaded to the cloud from each person’s computer so you don’t have to worry so much about a bad internet connection ruining the audio.
Intro / Outro Music and Voiceover (FREE)
Disclaimer: Using copyrighted music for your content is a big no-no. Please make sure you look into the fine print when using these websites.
I love creating my own music for my podcasts or having my brother do it. We use the app and website, BandLab, to create a unique and fun piece of music. We then use this music in our intro and outro or for ads. This is great for any creative looking to launch their podcast on a budget.
This is one of the older royalty-free music sites. There are hundreds of songs available to choose from by the artist Kevin MacLeod. As long as you give credit at the end of your podcast description and website (if you have one), you are free to use any of the songs on the site for your podcast.
This website and app has a library full of songs that you can use for your podcast. This one isn’t a pick and run with the song kind of website though. The use for the music varies from song to song so make sure you read the fine print for each individual rights. You can read their FAQ to better understand what songs you can use for your podcast.
Musopen offers an array of musical goodness. This website has sheet music, royalty-free music, and a free continuous stream of classical music radio. (SIGN ME IN!!!) If you are looking for classical music for your podcast then this is the website you’ll want to check out. They also have a pretty cool rating system so you don’t waste time looking through each song.
Podcast Hosting (Price Range $12-$18)
I love Buzzsprout for it’s ease of use and amazing customer support. There are obviously other podcast hosts out there but I have found that Buzzsprout works best for me and my clients.
You can set up a FREE Buzzsprout hosting account but this only allows for up to 2 hours of uploaded audio and your episodes disappear (meaning: are no longer hosted) after 90 days.
I recommend you sign up for the $12 / month plan since it includes indefinite hosting. This plan works great if you are keeping your weekly episodes on the shorter side and you might throw some longer interviews in there. When I had my business podcast, this was the plan that worked great for me.
If you are going to have longer episodes coming out every week or you have more than one episode go out every week then the $18 / month plan would work best for you. This is the one used on my Two Sisters and a Cult podcast. Our weekly episodes are 1 – 1.5 hours long so we knew this one would work best for us.
Cover Art (FREE)
Your cover art should be attention-grabbing and should be very easy to read no matter how big or small the cover looks. This will help you be found by new listeners since some people look through categories and start listening to what grabs their attention. This will make it easy for you to launch your podcast on a budget.
Podcast Cover Art Guidelines:
Your cover art must be in JPEG or PNG file format with the correct file extensions (.jpg, .png).
Canva is a great FREE tool that can help you create your own cover art for your podcast. I use this website and app for all of my podcast graphics and they make it very easy with their color and font options.
In Total… Starting at Less than $30 to Start a Podcast!
There are plenty of other tools out there that you could purchase for your podcast, but if you want to get your story out into the world on a small(er) budget then I want to encourage you that it is totally possible.
Getting your podcast on Apple Podcasts is a lot easier than you might think. You’ve got your first episode recorded, edited, and ready to go live but you have no idea how to submit your podcast to the most popular podcast directory. Follow the step-by-step guide below to get your brand new podcasts on Apple Podcasts!
Why is Apple Podcasts Important?
Apple Podcasts is the most popular podcast directory on the internet. Even if you are an avid Android user (my hand is raised), you still want to meet your audience where they are the most. Many podcasters have this issue. They think that just because Spotify, or whatever their favorite podcast listening app is, is the only app they use, then their audience feels the same.
By limiting yourself to one platform, you risk not reaching as many people as you might be able to if you make sure your podcast is listed in all the major platforms. It doesn’t take a lot of time and is one of the most important parts of having a successful podcast launch.
Step 1: Upload at Least One Episode
I absolutely love Buzzsprout (*Get a $20 Amazon gift card if you sign up for a paid plan) and highly recommend them as a podcast hosting system. You’ll need to upload at least on episode for Apple Podcasts to approve your show.
Not sure if you want to have a trailer or first episode? You can check out the linked blog post to find out which might be best for your show.
Step 2: Make Sure You meet the Apple Podcast Requirements
Apple has a few requirements to get your podcast approved. These requirements are pretty standard for the industry and you shouldn’t need to do much more than this to get on all the other platforms.
Logo
Your cover art must be in JPEG or PNG file format with the correct file extensions (.jpg, .png).
On your Buzzsprout dashboard, you can go to Directories -> RSS Feed to find your RSS feed. This is the information you need.
Libsyn
On your Libsyn dashboard, you can go to Destinations -> Edit/View Existing. Locate Libsyn Classic Feed in the listing and select view feed to find your RSS feed. This is the information you need.
Podbean
On your Podbean dashboard, you can go to Settings -> Feed to find your RSS feed. This is the information you need for.
Step 4: Submit your RSS feed to Apple Podcasts
Click the link below to submit your RSS feed to Apple Podcasts.
You’ll need an Apple ID in order to submit your podcast. If you don’t already have one, you can easily create an Apple ID account for free. It’s easy to do and doesn’t take much effort.
Click “Validate”
Review your podcast information for any errors and click “Submit“
It typically takes between 1-14 days for your podcast to be approved on Apple Podcasts. That’s why I recommend my clients submit up to 14 days before their official launch so they don’t run the risk of not being available on a major platform. They will send you an email and link once your podcast is approved.
Once you’ve uploaded your podcast to Apple Podcasts, it will automatically be available on popular podcast apps like the following:
So there you have it. You’ve now submitted your podcast show and simply need to wait for Apple Podcasts to approve it.
FAQ about Apple Podcasts:
Do I need an Apple ID and iTunes account to submit a podcast?
Yes, you definitely need a valid Apple ID to submit your new podcast. It does not cost anything and you can create an account without a credit card on file.
Do I have to submit my RSS fee every time I publish a new episode?
No. After you have been accepted into the Apple Podcasts directory, you don’t need to do anything else to be found on that platform. Apple Podcasts checks your RSS feed every 24 hours and updates the listings when you’ve uploaded more episodes with your hosting platform. Again, we recommend Buzzsprout to host your site.
Does Apple Podcasts (iTunes) host my podcast?
No, Apple Podcasts does not host your podcast. It is a podcast directory and doesn’t host audio files. They simply provide a place for people to find and learn about your podcast. To get your podcast listen on Apple Podcasts you’ll have to follow the guide above.
Why didn’t Apple Podcasts approve my podcast fee?
I’m so sorry you didn’t get approved on your first time around. Some reasons your show might have been rejected is because it contains any of the following:
Unauthorized copyrighted material
Profane Metadata
Illegal Solicitations
Hate Speech
Erotica
You can troubleshoot failed, rejected, or removed podcasts using this link. Also, if you don’t submit new episodes to your podcast, it might disappear from areas in APple Podcasts so be sure to stay consistent with your production if you want new ears listening in.
Can I resubmit a podcast that’s been rejected?
Once you’ve fixed the reason your podcast was rejected, you can try to resubmit the fee to the platform.
