Podcast Monetization Secrets

Today, I’m going to talk about the elephant in the room. So, you can have everything perfect on your podcast, but if you don’t get this one thing right, you will still struggle to have success. That’s right, today I’m getting all up in your business about your money mindset!

Hi there, welcome to Podcast Monetization Secrets, my name is Christy Haussler and I appreciate you joining me today.

In case you haven’t met me yet, I am the Founder and CEO of Team Podcast, a full service podcast production company. I’ve worked with over 250 podcasts and I’ve made more than a million dollars podcasting. I’m on a mission to help as many podcasters monetize as possible, and that’s why we are here today.

Today, I wanted to talk to you about something that I have struggled with over the years, and no matter how much I achieve, it always seems to come back at every level.

I’m referring to having money blocks!

My money blocks manifest through extreme anxiety. 

I can hear my money blocks in my language. 

When I tell myself “I can’t afford” something. 

Then my thoughts are consumed with panic about things that aren’t even real.

This causes me to want to cheap out on things, and then it always derails me and sets me back from achieving my goals.

Does any of this ever happen to you?

If so, I’m going to tell you my 3 step framework to overcome my money blocks.

1. Change my internal dialog.
2. Change my external dialog.
3. Do things that scare me.

Listen to this episode as I share my personal journey with overcoming my money blocks.

Want to learn more? Join our private Facebook group here!

You can also find Christy and her team at www.teampodcast.com!

Need help getting your podcast optimized and ready for monetization? Learn more about the Podcast Tune Up here.

Need more help? Here's another episode that may help you.

You know, marketing a podcast isn’t easy. Some of the most basic things about marketing a podcast, like what link do you even share? - aren’t as cut and dried as it is for other industries. So today, I’m going to talk you through it all, so you’ll know what your next steps are.

Today, I want to address some of the common knowledge that we hear and have been given by many well meaning podcasters or gurus that may not be the best advice for you.

1. You should always share the link to your website on social media. 
2. You should post your show on every possible social media site so you can get more listeners.
3. Run Facebook ads to get more listeners.

Beware of anyone who uses ALWAYS and NEVER when giving you advice. So many times the right answer depends on the situation. 

Let’s zoom out and really face reality here.

 Of course you need to always be looking to grow your audience. 

But let me ask you this - if you haven’t monetized your podcast, what is the difference between getting 300 downloads per episode and 700 downloads per episode?

Sure, it’s an ego boost to know you have more listeners, but tangibly for you there is no difference. Has it put more money in your pocket? Has it grown your email list? Has it done anything for your business?

Let’s break this down in funnel speak.

Getting people to listen to your podcast is at the very top of your funnel. This is the wide part of the funnel.

So, the more people you put in at the top, ultimately the more people you will have that drop out the bottom end of your funnel as customers.

Many, many podcasters only have the top of a funnel in place and there is nothing else after listening to the show.

If this is you, then you have to put some other funnel steps into place. Don’t worry about marketing your podcast until you at least get a compelling lead magnet in place.

The second step of your funnel is to get listeners on your email list.

People may have to listen to your podcast 10, 15, 20 times before they follow your call to action. And even then, you have to give them a reason to visit your website. 

Visiting the website to sign up for your newsletter is NOT a reason to visit your website. That’s you asking a favor of your audience.

Give them a compelling reason to visit your website. What do you have waiting there for them? Give them an irresistible reason and give them value from it.

So my recommendations are that you use social media to get as many LISTENERS to your podcast as possible.

That means putting out links that give people a way to listen to the podcast with the least amount of friction.

Why not put out just the link to your website?:

1. Links taking social media users off platform always throttles the reach of your posts on social media.
2. Your website isn’t the easiest way for people to click and listen.

Do anything you can to keep people inside the SM platform and listening to the show.

Eventually, they will like the show well enough to move your show off social media and into their podcast listening app.

If they keep listening long enough and you make them a compelling enough offer, you can get them on your email list.

If they are on your email list, you can continue marketing to them and convert them to customers.

Need some help with your podcast? Christy has a special offer for a Podcast Tune Up that will help you:

1) Get more downloads to your podcast.

2) Get more opt ins to your email list.

3) Know your next monetization steps.

If that's something you need help with, learn more here.

You know, marketing a podcast isn’t easy. Some of the most basic things about marketing a podcast, like what link do you even share? - aren’t as cut and dried as it is for other industries. So today, I’m going to talk you through it all, so you’ll know what your next steps are.

Today, I want to address some of the common knowledge that we hear and have been given by many well meaning podcasters or gurus that may not be the best advice for you.

1. You should always share the link to your website on social media. 
2. You should post your show on every possible social media site so you can get more listeners.
3. Run Facebook ads to get more listeners.

Beware of anyone who uses ALWAYS and NEVER when giving you advice. So many times the right answer depends on the situation. 



Let’s zoom out and really face reality here.

 Of course you need to always be looking to grow your audience. 

But let me ask you this - if you haven’t monetized your podcast, what is the difference between getting 300 downloads per episode and 700 downloads per episode?

Sure, it’s an ego boost to know you have more listeners, but tangibly for you there is no difference. Has it put more money in your pocket? Has it grown your email list? Has it done anything for your business?

Let’s break this down in funnel speak.

Getting people to listen to your podcast is at the very top of your funnel. This is the wide part of the funnel.

So, the more people you put in at the top, ultimately the more people you will have that drop out the bottom end of your funnel as customers.

Many, many podcasters only have the top of a funnel in place and there is nothing else after listening to the show.

If this is you, then you have to put some other funnel steps into place. Don’t worry about marketing your podcast until you at least get a compelling lead magnet in place.

The second step of your funnel is to get listeners on your email list.

People may have to listen to your podcast 10, 15, 20 times before they follow your call to action. And even then, you have to give them a reason to visit your website. 

Visiting the website to sign up for your newsletter is NOT a reason to visit your website. That’s you asking a favor of your audience.

Give them a compelling reason to visit your website. What do you have waiting there for them? Give them an irresistible reason and give them value from it.

So my recommendations are that you use social media to get as many LISTENERS to your podcast as possible.

That means putting out links that give people a way to listen to the podcast with the least amount of friction.

Why not put out just the link to your website?:

1. Links taking social media users off platform always throttles the reach of your posts on social media.
2. Your website isn’t the easiest way for people to click and listen.

Do anything you can to keep people inside the SM platform and listening to the show.

Eventually, they will like the show well enough to move your show off social media and into their podcast listening app.

If they keep listening long enough and you make them a compelling enough offer, you can get them on your email list.

If they are on your email list, you can continue marketing to them and convert them to customers.

In today’s episode, I’ll address the issue of calls to action and ads in podcast episodes, something that a lot of podcasters don’t like because they feel like it may make them seem salesy, greedy, or money-hungry to their listeners. The fact is, producing a podcast is a costly affair. And so to avoid getting financially overwhelmed which may lead to podfading, a podcaster has to find ways to monetize their show. One way to achieve that is by having calls to action that direct listeners to products or services that you offer or to include sponsor ads at some points in your episodes.

Podcasters have been predominantly incorporating those calls to action and ads in their outros, but it has come to my attention that some podcasting apps are now cutting out the intros and outros on podcasts so that listeners are directly listening to the main episodes. That means if your call to action or ad is in your outro then your listeners may not even get to listen to them. Your call to action is meant to compel your audience to do something that can help you in your efforts to grow your show and make it profitable, and in this episode, I’ll teach you how to strategically place your call to action (Or ads) in your episodes so you can achieve just that. Stay tuned!

Show Highlights

• One major thing that podcasters are doing wrong (01:40)
• Being conversant with the podcasting industry trends so you can continuously get your listeners to take action (03:37)
• The best way to pitch your call to action within your episodes (06:26)
• Tuning up your podcast with a great product that helps in optimizing a podcast’s discoverability and increase its downloads (09:26)
• Reinforcing what you do for people all through your show while also naturally bringing in what you offer your clients (13:02)
• Strategically pitching what you do during an interview episode (15:06)
• Claiming your space to always make sure your listeners know everything about you and what you have to offer (19:41)
• Getting something back from the time and energy you spend producing your podcast (25:27)
• Staying up to date with new technologies to get the most out of your content (28:04)

Resources Mentioned

• Grow Your Podcast at TeamPodcast.com/TuneUp

Want to learn more? Join our private Facebook group here!

You can also find Christy and her team at www.teampodcast.com!

In today’s episode, I’ll share my wisdom on the viability of numerous opportunities that are thrust at podcasters from new networks, distribution platforms, and monetization services. Podcasting can feel like a solitary medium at times. It often is. Most podcasters are alone when they get behind the mic, or plug in and listen to someone else's content. You can do a lot on your own in podcasting. But, one thing you can't do is grow your show to its fullest potential.

When it comes to podcast networks, there’s a lot to unpack there. Joining one isn’t all roses and sunshine so I’ll explain exactly how they work and tell you some of the pros and cons of joining one. I’ll also dive into the factors to consider before joining a network and the benefits and drawbacks you should expect. Then there’s social media and the question of just how effective it is in growing a podcast audience. Tune in to this episode to tap into my wisdom on all those areas and I know it will launch towards your podcast growth and monetization goals.

Show Highlights

• Is Facebook Podcasts going to be a game-changer? (02:32)
• Why using free tools to manage your podcast may not the best way to go (05:08)
• Knowing what to expect if you go with Facebook Podcasts and the various podcast networks (09:21)
• How to navigate through the podcast network conundrum (12:14)
• You can’t change your potential audience’s listening behavior (15:37)
• What to look at before deciding where to put your show (19:26)
• Understanding that networks may not be a monetization solution for you (22:35)
• The potential nightmare you might find yourself in and how to avoid it (25:19)
• Promo Swaps: The best way to grow your podcast listenership (28:54)

Want to learn more? Join our private Facebook group here!

You can also find Christy and her team at www.teampodcast.com!

In today’s episode, I’ll be sharing some of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen podcasters make when they’re trying to monetize their podcasts. Are you guilty of making one of the three mistakes? I see podcasters making these mistakes repeatedly, but you don’t have to be one of them. I’ve been in the industry long enough to witness some big monetization wins and losses so you can rest assured that my insights will help you monetize your podcast successfully. Many podcasters around the world are now making a living from their passion, and are encouraging others to follow in their footsteps. 

It’s important to mention that commitment is very important for podcasts; it is dangerous to release episodes and see what happens. It’s better to commit to a well-crafted plan. Don’t just start a podcast to get rich in 2 months. If you would like to share your passion for a particular subject with a community of people who also want to improve themselves on that subject, then you have the right intentions. The goal is to bring value to your community while building your own reputation as a podcaster, and monetization will help you sustain that and generate revenue in the long term. And this episode will help you achieve exactly that. So don’t miss out.

Show Highlights

• Busting the myth that there are only three ways to monetize a podcast (02:03)
• It’s not your content that people feel like is good enough, it’s your platform (05:06)
• The factors that determine how many downloads you get (07:08)
• Why holding out for sponsors is an uphill task that may not be worth it (09:56)
• You can’t start your podcast and expect to figure out monetization after you’ve built a following (11:54)
• Working on both the strategic and tactical simultaneously (17:52)
• Building a podcast doesn’t mean you’re going to monetize at some point in time (20:12)
• The value of getting a podcast tune-up/audit and where to get it (26:10)
• Taking action fast enough to fix the overwhelm that hinders monetization efforts (29:40)
• Start taking accountability seriously and get help from people who know what they’re doing (31:27)
• How to avoid getting overwhelmed as a podcaster (35:24)

Want to learn more? Join our private Facebook group here!

You can also find Christy and her team at www.teampodcast.com!

In today’s episode, I’m going to share one major thing that I have been doing that has enabled me to succeed in podcasting and make more than a million dollars from it. There’s a lot of factors a podcaster can’t control that influence the success of a podcast. But the one thing you can control is your intent. And you can learn to apply that intent with purpose across your podcasting efforts. If you ever feel like you’re just going through the flow, not knowing where your podcast is headed, or what you’re meant to do with it, then you need to start being intentional in everything you do to run it. The fact is, every rational podcaster intends on making a great podcast. 

And that’s good because I can assure you that every rational listener intends to only listen to great podcasts. No one intends to listen to a podcast that's just “okay”. Every listener’s intent is to listen to shows they think are going to be great. Unfortunately, some of the shows they wind up listening to (that podcasters make) fall short of that goal. The idea of intent in podcasting is actually not new, but it was brought home to me when I was starting out in podcasting by one of my biggest inspirations, John Lee Dumas. Do it without intent and proper planning, and you’ll see no benefit. But with intent and the necessary effort, comes the benefits. It’s that simple. 

You need to break out of your habit of going through the motions and really focus on what it is you’re doing when you’re doing podcast-y things and I guarantee you that you’ll thrive not only in sustaining it but also in monetizing it. For more on that, don’t miss out on this inspirational 29-minute episode. See you on the inside!

Show Highlights

• How I transitioned from managing call centers to making a million dollars from podcasting (01:53)
• Getting inspired by John Lee Dumas (04:26)
• The podcasting success that comes with being intentional (07:21)
• How to go about guest interviews to make sure they deliver the greatest value to your listeners (11:25)
• Strategic planning and making the necessary investments to make sure your podcast will thrive (13:35)
• Moving towards sustainability and monetization and the lifestyle freedom that comes with it (16:23)
• Becoming intentional about every operational activity of your podcast is a must (18:05)
• Sales is a skill you have to continuously build on (21:18)
• Figuring out the systems so you can build life-changing wealth (23:12)
• Striking out as an entrepreneur and being able to work from anywhere in the world (25:31)

Want to learn more? Join our private Facebook group here!

You can also find Christy and her team at www.teampodcast.com!

In today’s episode, I’ll be talking about the fear of failure, how it keeps podcasters from achieving their monetization goals, what to do with it, and what you can learn from it. Podcasters often ask me, how can I grow my podcast? How can I monetize it? And the first thing that I want to establish is that growth takes time. Podcasting is a long-term play, specifically podcast marketing. Don’t release episodes and expect to be on the top charts with thousands of listeners flowing in and sales spiking the first week. Too often, when podcasters try out a marketing technique, they expect amazing results right away and when they don’t see it, the motivation to continue their podcast pours out of them. 

This is actually so common that the industry has developed a term for it called “podfade” which is when podcasts start strong with releasing episodes and marketing efforts on a regular cadence, then subsequently realize the amount of effort and patience they need to get the results and fade away. When it comes to how to grow a podcast, it takes dedication, patience, and strategy. And when it comes to marketing your show it’s really no different. There are so many tactics you can explore to grow it and whichever one you try out, you have to rid yourself of the fear of failure and give it time to yield results. Join me as I share more from my knowledge and experience with that and I promise it will help you keep moving towards growing and monetizing your podcast.

Show Highlights

• Why podcasters are missing the marketing aspect of things (01:44)
• Learning not to give up when the first trial of a marketing method doesn’t work and looking at marketing as a game of trying things (02:26)
• What to do when a lead magnet or Facebook ad doesn't yield the expected results (06:38)
• Legitimate things that lead to success in marketing and podcasting in general (08:30)
• Self-sabotaging behaviors and how to go about your target audience rejecting what you put out (12:05)
• Going through the building process instead of expecting to achieve your goal quickly (16:11)
• The 90 days it takes to test something before you can determine if it’s a success or failure (20:57)
• Changing the way we have a relationship with failure (22:59)
• Focusing on the podcast listeners who will become your buyers (26:07)
• Looking at failure as the feedback you need to make the necessary changes and tweaks (27:39)

Want to learn more? Join our private Facebook group here!

You can also find Christy and her team at www.teampodcast.com!

In today’s episode, I’m going to highlight the power of group coaching as a way of monetizing a podcast. Group coaching is a unique way to monetize a podcast because you get more value from it than just money. A small group of people dedicated to supporting one another toward the common goal that the podcast will offer education, brainstorming, and accountability to help you stay on track with whatever you’re trying to learn or accomplish. You as the host of the podcast will be a member of the group too, which means you have to limit it to a small group of people who can add value to your business as well. 

You should not be a teacher, but you can still charge for slots because you’re the organizer. If you build your podcast around a niche topic, It’s likely that most of your listeners will be interested in similar types of growth opportunities and can learn a lot from each other which is what will enable you to charge them. How much you can charge will depend mostly on how niche of a topic it is and the number of people who will be interested, but either way group coaching will be a great way to start monetizing your podcast. Stay tuned and be keen as I share more.

Show Highlights

• The challenge podcasters have when they wanna start a podcast that they can monetize (01:38)
• How group coaching can help you get unstuck from creating free content (03:36)
• Learning how to further help your ideal listeners and clients (04:58)
• Why making a formalized product is the best way to go (08:15)
• Not giving your time away for free and providing value to people at different price points (11:25)
• Offering something at lower ticket with a lower barrier to entry to get more clients (14:02)
• Using group coaching as the first step towards creating a course or book (15:35)
• A group coaching (Private Facebook Group) success story (19:46)
• Starting with the safer route towards earning your first dollars from your podcast (23:12)

Resources Mentioned

• Moonclerk
• Gumroad.com

Want to learn more? Join our private Facebook group here!

You can also find Christy and her team at www.teampodcast.com!

In today’s episode, I’ll be addressing something that comes up a lot when I’m coaching my clients about their podcast and how to monetize it. And it can all be summarized into one short question; Are your interviews robbing you of revenue? I know. You’re wondering how your interviews can rob you of revenue. Well, the episode format you apply first of all is critical. You can’t just focus on bringing on different guests who talk about their expertise and use your podcast to market what they do. You need to mix up those interviews with your own solo shows where you talk about what you’re an expert on in a way that creates value for your audience.

It’s also necessary to control the content that your guests share on your podcast. An episode shouldn’t be just about delivering content and going about the rest of your day. I mean, it could be just that, but don’t expect to see an audience growth with that strategy. Prepare your podcast script up ahead with the intention of quickly grabbing your listeners’ attention and delivering answers. Then come up with a production schedule that will enable you to release at least two episodes a week, one interview, and one solo, because multiple-episode releases are a sure bet towards growing your podcast in the direction of successful monetization. There’s so much more about podcast monetization strategy that I'll be sharing in this episode, and it’s all for you, so make sure you tune in and apply what you learn. 

Show Highlights

• Making a million dollars and having the best of lifestyle freedom, thanks to podcasting (01:23)
• The role that an interview should play in helping you monetize and the framework you should use when bringing on guests (02:27)
• Being the core expert on your podcast even when interviewing people (06:36)
• Why hosting a guest with a huge following won’t necessarily translate into loads of listeners (07:50)
• Applying strategy in how you name your show, interview people, and generally produce and promote it (11:09)
• Feeding your audience with content that you’re an expert on (12:59)
• The power of consistency and multiple mixed-format shows (13:41)
• Improving things for your show by standing in your power and authority (17:30)
• How to leverage your podcast the right way to bring in thousands of dollars into your business (21:15)

Want to learn more? Join our private Facebook group here!

You can also find Christy and her team at www.teampodcast.com!