14 Sep ⚒️ Building Your Audience Where it Counts
👋Hey there Podcaster!
As you may know, Clubhouse has continued to be the hub to many of our community members for connecting, learning and growing together as podcasters and content creators. Recently the app unveiled an update that’s generating mixed feelings within our community, to say the least! While some features have been added, like ‘Chats’, audio message with live transcriptions, other features such as text DMs, have been removed. Despite these changes and several others, our Podcasting Morning Chat remains active at 7am EST, Mon-Fri. For more updates and potential changes, please join our Facebook Group.
⚒️Building Your Audience Where it Counts
The current Clubhouse situation brings up a good lesson learned that’s worth discussing. Having a backup plan and a community in a space you own is one of the most important things if you’re playing the long game. We don’t own the platforms we use: Instagram, TikTok, Clubhouse, etc. They could vanish at any moment, change direction, or our account hacked/removed along with our content and connections. It’s so scary and frustrating which is what makes it important to also build your audience where YOU own and control the space. What do I mean by ‘your space’? That’s your podcast, your website, and your email list. Build, build, build!
Here are some quick tips and tools to build your audience where it counts:
- Your Podcast: Being a guest on other relevant podcasts are a great way to build your audience, because you are speaking to people who already listen to podcasts. Check out our Clubhouse room for a chance to cross-promote with a fellow podcaster!
- Your Website: Provide content on your website for search engine optimization (SEO) that your audience would use. Host your business and your podcast on the website with interactive features to leave a review or submit a question.
- Your Email List: Deliver consistent quality emails to your current list with useful information, insights, or entertainment that aligns with your audience’s interests. Create exclusive content for your email list, and engage with your subscribers asking for replies. To make this easier, try a free or low-cost and user-friendly email option like ConvertKit.
If you want more tips and tools while you are building, join our NextGen Podcaster community. We aren’t only talking AI over there. Our mission is to simplify the content creation process for you and we believe AI happens to be ONE of those ways. Nick Nalbach and I control that space and we’ll continue to make NGP available to collaborate with fellow podcasters and content creators empowering each other as the content spaces evolve.
🏈Fantasy Football Season Podcast Picks
Get ready football fans – fantasy football season is here! As summer winds down, fantasy football ramps up as millions of fans prepare for another exciting season. Whether you’re a fantasy veteran or rookie, now is the time to brush up on player stats, mock draft, and get your strategy dialed in before real drafts kick off.
I know I am excited for this football season, I’ve got my two fantasy football teams ready to go and both season openers! (humble brag) In honor of football season, here are some great football podcasts (it’s actually how I started my podcasting career) and I thought I would share with you!
🏈Podcast 1: The Audible by Footballguys.com
🏈Podcast 2: Across the Pond – NFL
🏈Podcast 3: The Fantasy Footballers – Fantasy Football Podcast
What is your favorite sport as a spectator and do you follow any podcasts you could recommend for that sport? Hit reply and let me know!
🧬Pod-Story: CMT Awareness Month: He Walks Like a Cowboy
September is Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) Awareness Month. CMT is a rare, inherited disease that affects the peripheral nerves, which run from the spinal cord to the hands and feet. CMT was discovered over 130 years ago, but there are still no treatments or cures. There are over 3 million people worldwide affected by CMT and during September we are highlighting a few of them.
This week in honor of CMT Awareness month, I have the pleasure of featuring one of my best friends, Jonah Berger. Jonah is the host of He Walks Like a Cowboy and is also the author of a book with the same name. Through this pod-story, Jonah shares how much he enjoys interviewing and getting to know more about the guests on his show. Don’t forget to listen to his podcast, He Walks Like a Cowboy, wherever you get your podcasts.
Can you tell me how you got the idea to start your podcast?
Mostly, I was turned onto the concept of podcasting from my best friend Marc. I never used to listen to podcasts and wasn’t really savvy with the process but the more he talked about it and convinced me that my natural skills were a perfect match for podcasting, I came to see that this could be another way to get my message out there. Having written a book and building a speaking career, it seemed a natural progression.
How have you or your podcast changed since you started it?
The biggest change in the podcast since beginning has been my confidence. I have always been comfortable in front of people, but it was a different story not being able to see the people I was talking to. It took several episodes to find my relaxed groove. Once I did, it started to feel really natural.
What do you love most about podcasting?
The biggest joy for me is interviewing guests and through the interview, finding the common humanity in different people and different situations. I came to see my job as getting to the heart of the matter no matter what the topic or story of the interview. And once I could feel that we had arrived there, it was a true thrill. That is the best part, knowing that I am putting an episode out there that will allow the listeners to feel connected and inspired.
What kind of hurdles have you come across while podcasting?
I would say the biggest hurdle is when an interview is not flowing. I am able usually to get it moving if it is dragging but sometimes it just isn’t there and that is a challenge. I respect what a big deal it is for folks to give an hour of their time to listen to what I put out and if it isn’t amazing, I struggle with that. The only other real challenge has been finding awesome guests to interview. In the beginning seasons, I knew many folks I wanted to connect with. Once they were finished though, I struggled to come up with new people to interview.
Has anything surprising or amazing come out of your podcasting experience that you didn’t expect?
I interviewed a dear friend of mine who is a youth leader in Mexico. On an overnight trip, the bus his group was on crashed and one of the kids died. That was the hardest interview of them all but it was a really honest one and it ended up being an episode I was really proud of. Because it handled something so tough in a really honest and direct way. I interviewed my Aunt about her son dying of a drug overdose. Same thing, it was so tough to discuss and yet healing. I have had several guests on my show come back to me afterward and tell me that it helped them to talk through the story in this fashion. That made me feel really wonderful.
Do you have a favorite episode that means a lot to you?
I loved interviewing my sister. She is an amazing human being and a wonderful therapist. We talked a great deal about the pandemic and the mental health effect it was having on youth and adults. She was so insightful and we combined her wisdom with sibling joy and humor. It was the beginning of a series I did called “Pandemic Positives” where we intentionally focused on the bright side of this very dark period. On all of my episodes, I would encourage people to intentionally focus on the good that came from the bad. My sister nailed this concept like no other and I felt really happy about that episode.
As a fellow podcaster, what’s one piece of advice that you would give to someone who is just starting or thinking about starting a podcast?
I have two pieces to share. One, believe in yourself. You can do a podcast as good as anyone. Yet, it starts with belief. I have never really struggled with putting myself out there but when it came to this method, I wasn’t sure. “I’m not a podcaster” I would say to Marc, and he helped me to see and learn that I absolutely am a podcaster. And you can be too. Just be sure that your theme and show style is true and connected to you. The second piece of advice I would share is to be yourself. The listening audience knows when someone is trying to be something they are not. People want authenticity. They want to feel a connection to you and your show and if you are fake, it comes across. Just identify the elements of yourself and your style that are unique. Different. And build your show on that. I, for example, am always trying to look on the bright side, so I asked all of my guests to do the same. I also like to jump right into topics that most people dance around. I always did that on my show. I also love to know the first concerts that people went to so I started all my shows with that question. The more unique ism’s that you can put into your show, the higher the chance that folks will love it.
How has Marc’s advice or guidance assisted or impacted you on your podcast journey?
I am biased because Marc is my best friend, but he did an amazing job shaping my style and my show. He was encouraging, patient and easy to work with. He didn’t just tell me what to do, he talked with me and helped me to figure out my authentic path. It was a collaborative effort and he made the path enjoyable. And the editing team was amazing. There were a few episodes that recorded very choppy and did not have flow. Marc and his team consistently created that flow and helped to make the show a success.
Anything else you would like to add?
I have come to see that the world of podcasting has the power to be a healthy connector during a period in history where we are so disconnected. It is such a great way to share your heart and message with the world. I wish anyone reading this lots of luck and joy with your show. Proud to be a part of this growing and amazing community!
I’m so grateful to be connected with you and a part of your podcast journey.
All My Best,
👋Marc Ronick
This content was composed with assistance from OpenAI