Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast with Courtney Elmer | Podcasting Strategies for Growing a Podcast That Converts

Your podcast trailer could be the reason new listeners press play on your show... or not. So how do you know if your podcast trailer (or lack of one) is helping or hindering your audience growth? I sat down with Jay Nachlis of Coleman Insights and Arielle Nissenblatt of EarBuds Media to find out. 

We're putting four real podcast trailers to the test to reveal the five things listeners will remember about your trailer, and showing you how to use those findings to attract more listeners to your show. Hit play and let's dive in.

0:04 – Do Podcast Trailers (Actually) Help You Get More Listeners?

16:10 – Why the Most Professional-Sounding Trailer Doesn't Always Win

25:50 – Explainer vs. Sizzle: Which Trailer Works Better?

33:13 – The Podcast Trailer Mistakes That Make Listeners Skip Your Show

36:41 – 5 Things Listeners Will Remember About Your Podcast Trailer

Episode Links:

Meet Arielle Nissenblatt: Website | LinkedIn | EarBuds.audio

Meet Jay Nachlis: Website | LinkedIn | PodPredictor

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Research Acknowledgments: Special thanks to Peter Ferioli Pantheon Podcasts and Rachel Corbett of Nova Podcasts for their contributions to the podcast trailer study featured in this episode.

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Other Shows Mentioned In This Episode:

High Scrollers

Super Fan Diaries

Better Than Yesterday

Binge or Cringe

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Other Episodes You’ll Love:

What to Say in the First 15 Seconds to Keep Podcast Listeners Listening

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Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here.

Support the show

Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends.

Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners.

Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7.

Apply for podcasting coaching on the show to get live podcasting help from me.

Want more podcasting advice? See what I’m testing on Substack

...

Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com

©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

The podcasting industry loves telling podcasters how "easy" it is to make money through listener subscriptions. So why then can setting up listener subscriptions cost you weeks of work and still leave listeners unable to pay you?

What started as a simple monetization experiment on my show exposed what happens when the systems between Apple Podcasts and hosting providers fail, and the simpler setup options that can keep those problems from costing you paying subscribers.

We’ll also unpack whether listener subscriptions are worth it for a show your size, where I’d set them up, and what I’d avoid if I could start over from scratch. Hit play and let’s dive in.

0:04 – Are Listener Subscriptions Worth It for a Small Podcast?

1:57 – Why Monetizing With Listener Subscriptions Is Easier Said Than Done

7:17 – Choosing Subscriber Benefits That Won’t Add to Your Workload

11:02 – How Podcast Apps and Hosting Tools Make Getting Paid Harder Than It Should Be

25:07 – Where to Set Up Listener Subscriptions and What to Avoid

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Episode Links:

See how much of your podcast tech stack Beamly can replace → beamly.com 

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Other Episodes You’ll Love: 

Why Your Next Dollar Should Come From Your Last Episode

Before You Chase Sponsors to Monetize Your Podcast, Listen to This

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Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here.

Support the show

Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends.

Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners.

Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7.

Apply for podcasting coaching on the show to get live podcasting help from me.

Want more podcasting advice? See what I’m testing on Substack

...

Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com

©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

A profitable podcast membership isn’t built by putting your best content behind a paywall.

After 15 years of building a paid podcast membership, Andrew Hellmich has learned how to price premium content in a way that rewards early listeners without undervaluing what you create. He’s back to break down the pricing model behind his 1,000-member subscription, including when to raise your price, how to structure monthly vs. annual plans, why your earliest members should get your best deal for life, and the 50/50 revenue model he uses to turn guest expertise into additional paid offers.

If you’re considering a paid podcast membership and want to build one people will actually pay for, hit play and let’s dive in. 

5:40 – How to Start Charging for Podcast Content You’ve Always Given Away for Free

7:38 – The Fastest Way to Find Out If Listeners Will Pay for Your Podcast

10:19 – How to Price a Premium Podcast Membership

11:09 – The 50/50 Profit Split That Turns Guest Expertise Into Podcast Revenue

20:11 – Why Your First Podcast Members Should Get Your Best Price for Life

Episode Links:

Meet Andrew Hellmich: Website | LinkedIn

Listen to Andrew’s Podcast: PhotoBizX

See how much of your podcast tech stack Beamly can replace → beamly.com 

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Other Episodes You’ll Love: 

How to Get Better Answers From Your Podcast Guests

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Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here.

Support the show

Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends.

Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners.

Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7.

Apply for podcasting coaching on the show to get live podcasting help from me.

Want more podcasting advice? See what I’m testing on Substack

...

Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com

©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

Most podcast hosts think good interviews come from asking better questions. But great podcast interviewers know the best questions are the ones they never planned to ask.

After more than 600 interviews and 15 years podcasting, Andrew Hellmich knows what separates mediocre interviews from the ones that keep listeners listening. He’s going to show you how to set the right expectations before you hit record, handle a guest who won’t give you a straight answer, and know when to push, redirect, or throw your next question out altogether so you can get the answers your listeners are counting on you to get.

If you want better answers from your guests, hit play and let’s dive in.

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2:21 – Why Your Podcast Guest Isn’t The Most Important Person In The Interview

6:39 – What to Do When a Podcast Guest Won’t Give You a Straight Answer

9:17 – Why Scripting Every Question Can Make You Miss Your Guest’s Best Answers

12:10 – How To Follow An Unexpected Answer Without Forgetting Your Next Question

21:02 – The Simple Interview Technique That Gets Guests to Open Up

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Episode Links:

Meet Andrew Hellmich: Website | LinkedIn

Listen to Andrew’s Podcast: PhotoBizX

See how much of your podcast tech stack Beamly can replace → beamly.com 

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Other Episodes You’ll Love: 

The Podcast Revenue Model Hiding in Your Guest Interviews

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Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here.

Support the show

Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends.

Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners.

Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7.

Apply for podcasting coaching on the show to get live podcasting help from me.

Want more podcasting advice? See what I’m testing on Substack

...

Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com

©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

Should you switch your podcast category to get more listeners? How do you know when your podcast is ready to make money? And what happens when you’re ranking #1 in search, but those rankings aren’t bringing you listeners? 

In this rapid-fire Q&A, I’m answering your podcast growth questions about how to rank, when to monetize, and which podcast growth strategies are (and aren’t) worth your time, so that you know where your time and effort will make the biggest difference. Hit play and let’s dive in.

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2:00 – When Is Your Podcast Ready to Monetize?

7:30 – Should You Change Podcast Categories to Rank Higher?

10:00 – Why Ranking in the Top 100 May Matter Less Than You Think

13:30 – What to Do When You Rank #1 But Aren’t Getting Listeners

20:00 – What Should You Focus on First to Grow a New Podcast?

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Episode Links:

Want to simplify your podcast tech stack? Try Beamly free →

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Other Episodes You’ll Love: 

Are Podcast Sponsorships Worth the Effort for Small Shows?

Why Podcast Monetization Isn't Automatic

…

Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here.

Support the show

Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends.

Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners.

Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7.

Apply for podcasting coaching on the show to get live podcasting help from me.

Want more podcasting advice? See what I’m testing on Substack

...

Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com

©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

Whoever said podcasting was as simple as plugging in a mic and hitting record was wrong. A hosting platform was only the beginning. Today you need remote recording. Editing tools. Transcription software. AI tools. Podcast SEO. Websites. Analytics. Marketing. Monetization. And Zapier to duct-tape half of it together. And somewhere in there, you’re also supposed to make a good podcast.

So, I audited the modern podcast tech stack for you to find out what you need, what you’re probably overpaying for, and how much of your stack can realistically exist in one place. Turns out, we may be making this a lot more complicated (and expensive) than it needs to be. Hit play and let’s dive in.

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6:00 – The 5 Jobs Your Podcast Tech Stack Needs to Perform

12:00 – When to Consolidate Your Tools vs. Pay for Specialized Software

15:00 – The Right Way to Compare the Cost of an All-in-One Platform

20:00 – A 3-Step Audit to Find Out What Your Podcast Tech Stack Is Really Costing You

23:00 – The Question That Reveals Which Podcast Tools You Actually Need

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Episode Links:

Ready to simplify your podcast tech stack? Try Beamly free →

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Other Episodes You’ll Love: 

What Your Podcast Metrics Aren’t Telling You

…

Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here.

Support the show

Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends.

Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners.

Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7.

Apply for podcasting coaching on the show to get live podcasting help from me.

Want more podcasting advice? See what I’m testing on Substack

...

Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com

©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

If a listener makes it through the first 30 seconds of your podcast episode, there’s a 94% chance they’ll still be listening a quarter of the way through. Which means what happens in those first 30 seconds can make or break your show's listener retention.

PodAnalyst co-founder George Lejnine is back to reveal what your retention curve can tell you about why listeners stay, skip, or leave so you can keep more of the listeners you've worked so hard to earn. Hit play and let’s dive in.

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2:07 – Why 94% of Listeners Who Make It Past 30 Seconds Keep Listening

4:14 – The Episode Opener Mistake That Can Push New Listeners Away

5:25 – Why Pre-Roll Ads Cost You Listeners

7:55 – How to Tell When Listeners Are Hitting the Skip Button vs. Leaving for Good

16:55 – Why You Should Wait 7–14 Days Before Judging an Episode’s Performance

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Episode Links:

Meet George Lejnine: PodAnalyst.com | LinkedIn

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Other Episodes You’ll Love: 

What 100,000 Podcast Episodes Reveal About Listener Drop-Off

5 Podcasting Metrics (No One’s Teaching) That Reveal Your Podcast’s True Health

…

Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here.

Support the show

Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends.

Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners.

Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7.

Apply for podcasting coaching on the show to get live podcasting help from me.

Want more podcasting advice? See what I’m testing on Substack

...

Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com

©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

What does “good” podcast retention actually look like? And how many listeners should you expect to lose before the end of an episode? Data from more than 100,000 podcast episodes reveals some surprising patterns in why listeners stay and why they leave when they do. 

PodAnalyst co-founder George Lejnine joins me to unpack how to read your retention data, what these patterns reveal about your content, and how to spot the problems that may be costing you the listeners you worked so hard to attract.

Hit play and let’s dive in.

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0:25 – Why Higher Podcast Downloads Don’t Equal Better Podcast Performance

7:18 – The Podcast Retention Number You Should Be Watching

9:22 – What 100,000 Podcast Episodes Reveal About “Good” Listener Retention

12:04 – What to Look for When an Episode Underperforms

16:55 – When a Smaller Podcast Audience Is Actually a Good Sign

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Episode Links:

Meet George Lejnine: PodAnalyst.com | LinkedIn

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Other Episodes You’ll Love: 

94% of Your Listeners Will Keep Listening When You Get This Right 

The One Metric Podcasters Should Track Instead of Downloads 

…

Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here.

Support the show

Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends.

Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners.

Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7.

Apply for podcasting coaching on the show to get live podcasting help from me.

Want more podcasting advice? See what I’m testing on Substack

...

Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com

©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

One of the most common pieces of podcasting advice might also be one of the most misleading. And if you've ever been told to "just keep podcasting," this episode will help you know when that advice is right for your show and when it isn't.

Podcast Hall of Famer and School of Podcasting host Dave Jackson joins me to unpack why the best podcasting advice isn't universal and how to avoid following advice that sounds right but leads you in the wrong direction.

Hit play and let's dive in.

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1:23 – The One Question You Should Answer Before You "Just Keep Going"

3:28 – Why Every Podcast Needs Its Own Definition of Success

8:03 – Why Your First Recording Shouldn't Be Your First Episode

12:27 – The First 30 Seconds That Can Make or Break Your Podcast

18:55 – Why Feedback Is Every Podcaster's Competitive Advantage

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Episode Links:

Meet Dave Jackson: schoolofpodcasting.com | LinkedIn

Listen to Dave’s Podcast: School of Podcasting

Ask the Podcast Coach with Dave Jackson & Jim Collison

What Was That Like? with Scott Johnson

The Jefferson Fisher Podcast

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Other Episodes You’ll Love: 

How to Monetize Your Podcast Even With a Small Audience

How Do You Measure The Success of Your Podcast (And You Can't Say Downloads) 

…

Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here.

Support the show

Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends.

Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners.

Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7.

Apply for podcasting coaching on the show to get live podcasting help from me.

Want more podcasting advice? See what I’m testing on Substack

...

Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com

©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

Before a new listener gives you 20, 30, or 60 minutes of their time, your podcast has to convince them it’s worth it. And if your cover art, podcast name, description, episode titles, or show notes fail to do that job, you can drive more traffic to your show all day long without seeing much growth.

I recently joined Jordan Blair on Buzzsprout’s Buzzcast to put their show to the test using the five Podcast Content Gatekeepers® that determine whether a potential listener clicks, scrolls past, or hits play. And in this episode, you can score your podcast right alongside us to pinpoint what could be costing you listeners before they ever hear your content.

Hit play and let’s dive in.

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2:00 – Why Your Podcast Metrics Can’t Tell You What to Fix

11:04 – What New Listeners Decide Before They Ever Hear Your Voice

13:42 – Is Your Podcast Cover Art Costing You Listeners?

17:01 – Is Your Podcast Name Making You Harder to Find?

25:46 – Why Your Podcast Description Isn’t Getting People to Listen

35:45 – How to Write Podcast Episode Titles That Make People Click Play

45:41 – The Biggest Mistake Hosts Make When Writing Show Notes

54:06 – What Your Score Reveals About Your Podcast’s Growth Potential

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Episode Links:

Get Your Podcast Health Score®

Listen to the aftershow on Buzzcast

Download the Bingeworthy Episode Title Cheat Sheet

Check out Courtney’s Airbnb

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Other Episodes You’ll Love: 

The 0.5 Second Decision That Makes Listeners Hit Play (or Not)

…

Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here.

Support the show

Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends.

Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners.

Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7.

Apply for podcasting coaching on the show to get live podcasting help from me.

Want more podcasting advice? See what I’m testing on Substack

...

Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com

©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.