Podcast Pontifications

Posting about your podcast on social media without posting ONLY about your podcast can be exhausting. I can't fix that, but I can give you 10 questions to ask yourself that make for great social post ideas. 

#podcasting

Putting words into print or performing solo in front of a camera are necessary social media skills. But neither often comes naturally to podcasters who are most comfortable behind a microphone.

Still, social media is part of the game podcasters play. And we know we can't get by just posting a link to our latest episode and thinking we've covered all our social media bases. 

Yet that damned blank text field or panic-inspiring selfie view that signals the start of a social media post haunts many podcasters. So here are ten quick questions to ask yourself the next time it happens to you:

1. Did someone recently leave you inspired with a new episode idea? 

No need to wait for the final episode to publish. Share and tag that person!

2. Did you recently record a fantastic interview? 

Again—tag 'em and share it! Next time, as soon as you end the recording session.

3. Has anything changed in your podcast tech stack? 

Some in your social circles will find this interesting enough to see what's new.

4. Did you recently schedule an episode? 

Let your audience know you've just scheduled a fantastic episode, even if it won't come out for days or weeks.

5. Have you learned something new? 

If you picked up a new trick or technique you're excited about putting into place on your podcast—share that!  

6. Did you just sculpt the most fantastic bit of sound?

Take a screenshot of your DAW and use it as the background of an audiogram showcasing your mad skillz. 

7. Have you made any personnel changes?

Tag your new hires or your new outsourced vendors and tell your audience why you're excited.

8. Have you been noodling on writing an article?

All of today's social media properties allow for long-form content. 

9. Are you frustrated, scared, or facing yet another existential crisis?

Open up and be vulnerable about that reality. That sort of honesty is almost always repaid with an outpouring of support.

If all else fails, post about your life. No, not every single thing about your life is something that should be posted on social media. But at the same time, not everything you post on social should be about your podcast.

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Sponsored by:

• Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast hosting company

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Links

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• Got a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.
• Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today!

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Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media. New episodes are released weekly, providing ideas and questions every serious podcaster should be thinking about.

It's created and hosted by Evo Terra. Follow him on Twitter for more podcasting insights as they come. Allie Press assists with the production and transcription of the show.

If you received value from today's episode of Podcast Pontifications, return some of that! We call it value-for-value and there are many ways to show your support.

Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.

Podcast discovery isn't broken. It's just not one thing. And it gets a lot easier to improve podcast discoverability when a podcast listening app specializes in just one type of content. So... how's that going?

Photo by DS stories from Pexels

Four years ago, I dreamed of a rather different podcast listening by the year 2026. Since we're at the middle point of that "prediction" (it wasn't a prediction), let's see how my prognostication is trending. (It wasn't a prognostication.)

My vision for future podcast listening apps was that some of them would start to specialize. Rather than trying to service the needs of all podcast listeners, they'd narrow their focus, customizing the entire experience, from discovery to listening.

And that would be pretty cool, I thought, because there are lots of types of podcasts that would lend themselves to a more customized experience rather than work sorta-kinda OK on the one-size-fits-all podcast listening apps.

My prediction (again, not a prediction) seems to be coming true! I know of two apps that have done this in wildly different ways by focusing in on wildly different types of content.

The first is Apollo, customized to finding and listening to fiction podcasts. It's similar to many listening apps but lists only a few thousand shows. But the experience is tailored because listening to fiction podcasts differs significantly from listening to an episodic interview show.

The second is Maps.fm (I'm on their advisory board) that smartly focuses just on localized content, using a map-based interface for discovery. Again, they don't have every episode of every podcast. But they are working on indexing every episode that is about a particular geographical area. 

And that's just two. I'm sure there are some I don't know about. So yeah, I think my vision (totally wasn't a vision) is coming true. Here's to seeing what the next four years bring!

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Sponsored by:

• Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast hosting company

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Links

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• Apollo
• Maps.fm

• Got a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.
• Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today!

-----

Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media. New episodes are released weekly, providing ideas and questions every serious podcaster should be thinking about.

It's created and hosted by Evo Terra. Follow him on Twitter for more podcasting insights as they come. Allie Press assists with the production and transcription of the show.

If you received value from today's episode of Podcast Pontifications, return some of that! We call it value-for-value and there are many ways to show your support.

Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.

Too many podcasters skip a key step when publishing: the episode details. Or show notes, as you've likely called them. This helpful text isn't optional. It's required. And I'll give you five new reasons why.

Photo by Mikael Blomkvist from Pexels

Four years ago, I implored my fledgling audience to spend more time making better episode details. "Stop writing shitty show notes!" I said. 

That's still excellent advice. But the reasons why have changed a lot since 2018. That, and not everyone heard my plea, so I'm making it again but updating it to reflect 2022 realities for podcasting. 

Reason #1: Podcast players are getting better. 

They're more functional, often giving listeners plenty of reasons to interact with the episode as it plays. Other shows are doing it. You should be too.

Reason #2: Podcast credits are becoming a thing.

I love hearing  2–3 minute credit rolls. What I don't love is not knowing the proper spelling or knowing where to find more about that important person. Text! Links! Images! Please? 

Reason #3: Episode details are a good SEO practice.

Yes, podcast apps suck at search. But some are getting better, and more of us making solid episode details encourage more app developers to take this issue seriously.

Reason #4: Episode details make for great repurposed content!

Twitter threads. Long-form posts on LinkedIn. An idea generator for spreading the episode far and wide. A savvy podcaster will find plenty of uses for a well-written summary.

Reason #5: Good episode details prime you to do more in the future.

Listening apps are evolving and adding more functionality. So getting in the habit now of taking the time to write quality episode details will keep your eye on the future. 

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Sponsored by:

• Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast hosting company

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Links

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• The Download
• Sounds Profitable

• Got a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.
• Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today!

-----

Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media. New episodes are released weekly, providing ideas and questions every serious podcaster should be thinking about.

It's created and hosted by Evo Terra. Follow him on Twitter for more podcasting insights as they come. Allie Press assists with the production and transcription of the show.

If you received value from today's episode of Podcast Pontifications, return some of that! We call it value-for-value and there are many ways to show your support.

Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.

Podcasters have a lot of jobs. One we don't often think of is being ambassadors for podcasting. But it's an important job if we're to grow the entire podcasting pie. Start by having some IHNIs at the ready.

https://podcastpontifications.com/episode/changing-the-minds-of-non-podcast-listeners-one-ihni-at-a-time

What's an IHNI? That's a podcast episode that makes someone—someone who thinks podcasts aren't for them—look up and say "I had no idea podcasts could sound like this!"

Spoiler: A lot of people feel that way. Bad experiences, misconceptions about what podcasting is... there are myriad ways why someone thinks that. The best way to break that cycle? Show them an amazing podcast episode!

Do I mean an episode of your podcast? Not necessarily. Or likely, even. Set aside your self-interests for a moment. You're trying to get someone hooked on podcasting, not your podcast!

Many podcasts—like mine—aren't the right choice for reluctant listeners. So we have to go out of our way to find podcast episodes that will knock someone's socks off.

When you find one, save it on your phone. I use Spotify for this, as it's not my daily driver, but almost everyone has Spotify on their phone. And having my Your Episodes folder filled with exquisite examples of what podcasting can be makes me a good ambassador when I encounter a hesitant listener.

You can do it too. Build your own list of INHIs. And the next time you hear someone say "yeah, podcasting isn't for me", you'll have a great opportunity to show them a better way.

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Sponsored by:

• Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast hosting company

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Links

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• Sturgeon's law
• @evoterra on Twitter
• The Creators report
• Twenty Thousand Hertz
• Love + Radio

• Got a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.
• Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today!

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Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media. New episodes are released weekly, providing ideas and questions every serious podcaster should be thinking about.

It's created and hosted by Evo Terra. Follow him on Twitter for more podcasting insights as they come. Allie Press assists with the production and transcription of the show.

If you received value from today's episode of Podcast Pontifications, return some of that! We call it value-for-value and there are many ways to show your support.

Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.

Listening to podcasts is like eating a submarine sandwich. Making a podcast is like making a submarine sandwich. But too many podcasters try to make one like they eat one. Let's fix that.

Photo by Alex Green from Pexels

Do you eat a submarine sandwich (hoagie) from the middle? Of course not. That would be silly. You start eating at one end. And you keep eating from that same end until you reach the other end. Or until you give up, decide you don't care for it, run out of time to finish, or just stop when you've had your fill 

That's exactly how podcasts are consumed. They're started from the front, not the middle. You listen from the beginning and you keep listening until you reach the other end. Or until you give up, decide you don't are for it, run out of time to finish, or just stop when you've had your fill.

Sandwiches and podcasting have something in common when we "eat" them. But not when we make them.

Sandwiches aren't assembled one bite at a time until they form a complete sandwich. But for a lot of podcasters, that's exactly how they make their podcasts. Because they don't know of any other way. Or they get turned on by all the new gear and software designed to make record-and-release podcasts.

Can you do that? Sure. But I don't think you should. 

There are more appropriate places for the record-and-release style of audio, many of which didn't exist just a few years ago.

A linear style of producing spoken word, where you start at the beginning and progress until you get to the end, adding in the music, guests, co-hosts, segments, effects, and whatever else is needed in real-time... we call that live radio. Or live streaming. Or social audio. Or whatever comes next that makes it even easier just sit down and talk. 

But I think we're already seeing a division in audiences and audience expectations. Those that want that kind of raw, in-the-moment experience. And those who want content that's been edited, shaped, and transformed into something that can only be experienced as a podcast. 

Take a look at any ranker or chart and you'll see that today's podcast listeners are voting for the kinds of shows that take more time and care than can be put into a linear record-and-release style of show or platform. 

That's what makes podcasting special. So let's keep doing more of that, please.

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Sponsored by:

• Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast hosting company

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Links

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• Any
• Links
• Mentioned (and then the standard links and credits will follow:

• Got a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.
• Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today!

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Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media. New episodes are released weekly, providing ideas and questions every serious podcaster should be thinking about.

It's created and hosted by Evo Terra. Follow him on Twitter for more podcasting insights as they come. Allie Press assists with the production and transcription of the show.

If you received value from today's episode of Podcast Pontifications, return some of that! We call it value-for-value and there are many ways to show your support.

Mentioned in this episode:

Captivate.fm

Whether you’re a new or veteran podcaster, if you’re serious about audience growth then Captivate unique feature set and proven, deep-dive education should be the next thing you try. Get a 7-day free trial and access to Captivate’s Podcast Growth Labs at Captivate.fm.

Captivate.fm

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.

Growth and monetization are at the top of every podcaster's wish list. At least every podcaster who's yet to achieve those two things. Or perhaps not at the level said podcaster is happy with for their own show.

Buzzsprout aims to change the growth and monetization question with a new product they've just released called Buzzsprout Ads. And interestingly enough, they're tackling both of those challenges—growth and monetization—with the same solution. A solution built for indie podcasters of all sizes.

Alban Brooke, Head of Marketing at Buzzsprout, thinks the new service is a great way for indie podcasters to get massive reach with promos for their podcast. And he says it's a great way for Buzzsprout podcasters to monetize their podcast.

Buzzsprout Ads is pretty clever, with a dead-simple signup process for would-be promoters (like me!) On the other side, their system intelligently analyzes all episodes of a podcast to find just the right mid-roll spot. And yes, the podcaster can adjust those.

How does it get scale from smaller indie podcasters? Because it's inserting ads into the entire catalog of episodes, not just the most recent. Long tail, FTW! 

CPM is set at $20 and the podcaster makes 70% of that. Minimum buy for promoters is currently $100. And yes, I have ads running right now. Let me know if you hear them on another podcast about podcasting! 

And if you want to try it for yourself, go to buzzsprout.com/ads and give it a shot for your own podcast. Let me know how it goes. Full disclosure, Buzzspout is the Branded Benefit Spnosor of this episode. But that $100 I spent was all mine!

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Sponsored by:

• Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast hosting company

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Links

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• buzzsprout.com/ads
• Alban Brooke, Head of Marketing at Buzzsprout

• Got a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.
• Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today!

-----

Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media. New episodes are released weekly, providing ideas and questions every serious podcaster should be thinking about.

It's created and hosted by Evo Terra. Follow him on Twitter for more podcasting insights as they come. Allie Press assists with the production and transcription of the show.

If you received value from today's episode of Podcast Pontifications, return some of that! We call it value-for-value and there are many ways to show your support.

Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.

Politicians get in trouble for flip-flopping on issues. But for podcasters, changing opinions and approaches is a survival tactic. Think about these three questions over the next few months to prep your show for 2023 & beyond. 

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Today I'm sharing with you three challenges on the horizon that will require shifts in your/our ways of thinking. I'm convinced that all of these will leave a mark on podcasting. What shape and what color that mark is I really don't know. Much of that is up to you and how you deal with them for your own podcasting efforts. 

1. Dissing Of Programmatic Has Got To Stop

This ongoing fad of dissing programmatic content is counter-productive. And yes, I have read the exact same studies you read that show how much more "effective" hard-to-buy, baked-in, endorsement-style, host-read ads are. I just don't believe that the majority of companies eager to spend money on easy-to-buy programmatic ads care about those studies. 

So even if you are anti-programmatic ads, at least be open to having your mind changed. I'd hate to see you miss out on opportunities because you thought you protecting your audience. They're probably not as fragile as you think. 

2. Stop Ignoring Video

For the new group of "listeners" coming to podcasting, there is an assumption that video will be and should be a part of their podcast experience. And when they don't find that video component on your podcast, they're going to wonder why you aren't providing that experience for them.

I think the question you need to start asking yourself over the next few months needs to shift away from Do I need a video component? to line up with the question those people are already asking: What's stopping you from having a video component? 

3, Lean Into Paid Subscriptions

"Podcasting should be free and open!", I can hear you shouting at me right now. I'm good with that! But having the majority of podcasting be free and open doesn't preclude a paid-for and closed subset of podcasting. Nor does a paid-for and closed subset of podcasting threaten the free and open majority of podcasting. Not in my mind. I think they can live happily side by side, simply because they are happily living side-by-side right now! 

There's little doubt that the friction for subscriptions is coming down quickly for both listeners and creators. So it's worth your time to consider how you can embrace this as a way to better serve your audience.

Those three are enough for right now. If over the next three to six months you can figure out how to adapt your show to take better advantage of just one of them—I think you'll win. And I think you and your show will sail through the challenges ahead.

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Sponsored by:

• Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast hosting company

-----

Links

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• Podcast Pontifications website
• Podcast Pontifications on YouTube

• Got a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.
• Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today!

-----

Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media. New episodes are released weekly, providing ideas and questions every serious podcaster should be thinking about.

It's created and hosted by Evo Terra. Follow him on Twitter for more podcasting insights as they come. Allie Press assists with the production and transcription of the show.

If you received value from today's episode of Podcast Pontifications, return some of that! We call it value-for-value and there are many ways to show your support.

Mentioned in this episode:

Captivate.fm

Whether you’re a new or veteran podcaster, if you’re serious about audience growth then Captivate unique feature set and proven, deep-dive education should be the next thing you try. Get a 7-day free trial and access to Captivate’s Podcast Growth Labs at Captivate.fm.

Captivate.fm

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.

Big Podcasting seems almost designed to collect advertising dollars, with very little left for small to mid-sized podcasts. Rather than fighting for table scraps, maybe the narrative needs to be changed.

Photo by Rakicevic Nenad from Pexels

Big advertisers like to spend money on big shows simply because it's easier than spending money on smaller shows. Magellan AI tells us the top 15 advertisers are spending more than $1.3 million on podcast ads each month. At an average CPM of $25, that's a lot of M's to manage. About 52 million impressions, in fact. 

If you're that ad buyer, how many podcasts do you want to spread your money around? The answer is as few as possible. 

Put yourself in their shoes, with a $500,000 media budget (1/3 of what the top advertisers are spending). Would you spend it $1000 at a time across 500 shows? No, of course not. How about $50,000 across 10 shows? Maybe. But $100,000 across 5 shows makes it even easier on you. And yeah... for the same return.

That's not good news for shows that aren't generating millions of downloads per episode. How are shows with more modest audiences supposed to compete? 

By not competing, actually.

Good luck trying to justify why spending $500 on your show is worth some insanely high CPM of $50 to $200 or more. That's a fight you're going to lose nine times out of 10. 

Instead, reframe the conversation. Don't even use the language of advertising. None of it! Offer custom sponsorships and partnerships big shows simply won't do because they don't need to.

Branded segments. Branded episodes. Or a series of branded episodes. Each produced in conjunction with the sponsor. Solid, valuable content that you can only make because of the involvement of that sponsor. 

Smaller companies are often looking for ways to outdo (but not outspend) their bigger competitors. Getting creative and providing real value through clever partnering and sponsorships that only your show can deliver sure sounds like that's something worth trying regardless of your show's size.

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Sponsored by:

• Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast hosting company

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Links

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• Team Coco acquired by SXM
• WTF with Marc Maron to let Acast handle ad sales and distribution exclusively
• Magellan AI tells us the top 15 advertisers are spending more than $1.3 million on podcast ads each month
• Article from Digiday

• Got a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.
• Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today!

-----

Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media. New episodes are released weekly, providing ideas and questions every serious podcaster should be thinking about.

It's created and hosted by Evo Terra. Follow him on Twitter for more podcasting insights as they come. Allie Press assists with the production and transcription of the show.

If you received value from today's episode of Podcast Pontifications, return some of that! We call it value-for-value and there are many ways to show your support.

Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.

Captivate.fm

Whether you’re a new or veteran podcaster, if you’re serious about audience growth then Captivate unique feature set and proven, deep-dive education should be the next thing you try. Get a 7-day free trial and access to Captivate’s Podcast Growth Labs at Captivate.fm.

Captivate.fm

Today's podcast landscape is busy. So is it still possible to grow a really big podcast? Yes, but you can't rely on just good content and luck. You have to address these five realities. (And get a little lucky.)

What does it take to have a really, really big podcast in 2022? It'll take more than just making great content. It'll take more than satisfying your audience. If you're not content to let your show grow over time, you have to do more. 

Sorry, there isn't an easy-to-follow recipe to creating a really, really big podcast. If there was, everyone would follow it. But I can, perhaps, help you out with the mindset it takes to have a really, really big podcast today.

Realize That Reality Trumps A BHAG

If your goal is to have the number one podcast in your category, knocking the current leader out of their position, or to just the top 10 list, do you know what it takes to get on that list? Do you know what the shows that are already on the list have done to get there? 

Maybe you've set a goal of 100,000 downloads per episode so you can monetize seriously. Cool. Do you have the first idea of what you need to do to make that happen? How did other shows do it? Are you banking on luck to get you there? 

Become Undeniably Unique

If you want to have a really big podcast that defines the category, it needs to be demonstrably different. You can't sit back and rely on guests or other contributors to do the heavy lifting. You have to put in the work. 

And it doesn't stop with episodes. You have to ensure your undeniable uniqueness carries through to all aspects of your show: your website, your social media shares, heck even the emails you send. If that means changing how you communicate on other channels... well, that's a price to pay for having a really big podcast.

Your Angle Is More Important Than Your Topic 

Why should anyone listen to what you have to say on a topic? Especially if it's a topic that already is well covered, as most topics already are. To break out, you have to develop and pursue an angle that clearly demonstrates why you and your podcast are worthy of being called the authoritative voice. 

This Is Going To Cost Money So Make Sure It's Worth It 

Having a really big podcast today almost certainly means putting a sizeable marketing budget behind it. And by sizeable, I may mean jaw-dropping amounts of money on each of those. What's the payoff? Before you drop $10–15K per episode to engage a top-notch production firm or spend $50,000 per month on a promotional plan, you must have clear measurement systems in place that aren't based on hope.

5. Keep Your Eye On The Prize

If you're investing seriously to get a really big podcast for yourself you need to ensure that your time and money are both well spent. If you're not seeing results quickly enough, or you're not seeing any at all, then prepare to make adjustments. Just because you put it in your plan doesn't mean it's going to work. In fact, many of the tactics and strategies you put in place won't work. So you'll have to adapt constantly. 

That's what think it takes to have a big podcast in 2022. A very different list of things than what it took five years ago, I'm sure you'll agree. And it's completely disassociated from any advice that you might've received 15 years ago back when just keep plugging along was all you had to do to have a really good shot at making a big podcast. 

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Sponsored by:

• Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast hosting company

-----

Links

-----

• Got a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.
• Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today!

-----

Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media. New episodes are released weekly, providing ideas and questions every serious podcaster should be thinking about.

It's created and hosted by Evo Terra. Follow him on Twitter for more podcasting insights as they come. Allie Press assists with the production and transcription of the show.

If you received value from today's episode of Podcast Pontifications, return some of that! We call it value-for-value and there are many ways to show your support.

Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.

Captivate.fm

Whether you’re a new or veteran podcaster, if you’re serious about audience growth then Captivate unique feature set and proven, deep-dive education should be the next thing you try. Get a 7-day free trial and access to Captivate’s Podcast Growth Labs at Captivate.fm.

Captivate.fm

The next few months are looking pretty rough for podcasting. And just about every other industry. Historically, podcasting has proven itself to be rather resilient. But there are lean times ahead. Are you prepared? 

#podcasting

Photo by Robert Bogdan from Pexels

Everything just looks... bad right now. War in Europe. A down market. High inflation. Personal liberties revoked. Even crypto is tanking. So to ask the question outright: can podcasting survive the coming storm? 

Yes. But not because it's too big to fail. Because podcasting is too diverse to fail.

First, some good news: I'm stoked to welcome Tom Webster to the Sounds Profitable team. Both Tom and Bryan share in my commitment to make podcasting better, and you're going to love what we're cooking up. OK. Back to the bad news:

I don't know a single serious podcaster who isn't looking at the world around them and wondering just how their world will change in the coming months. Me included.

But I'm convinced that podcasting will survive simply because I don't see podcasting, or even podcasters, as a monolithic group. But that doesn't mean all podcasters will survive. Candidly, I think "big podcasting" will face the brunt of the onslaught, with casualties expected. 

Faced with financial pressures, businesses start cutting costs. And one of the first line items to be cut is always advertising and marketing. And podcasting is often under that umbrella. 

If you're getting paid to run ads on your show, you may see some of your advertisers pull back. So start having conversations with those advertisers now or your agency rep now. And be ready to be flexible and creative.

If you're pursuing paid campaigns for the growth of your show, start talking to the other shows, sites, and services you advertise on to see what their plans are. And watch your performance metrics!

If people or companies pay you to podcast on their behalf, start talking to your clients and help assuage their fears. And if you get the impression their commitment is wavering...at least you know ahead of time, right?

If you work for a company in the business of podcasting, start talking to your bosses. Don't expect the CFO to lay everything out on the table for you, but it never hurts to ask. Gently, though.

None of us know how this is going to play out. But it will play out, one way or another. Keep your eyes open. Plan for the worst but hope for the best. The coming recession won't kill podcasting, and I hope you, your show, or your services make it through to the other side.

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Sponsored by:

• Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast hosting company

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Links

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• Tom Webster
• Sounds Profitable
• Bryan Barletta

• Got a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.
• Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today!

-----

Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media. New episodes are released weekly, providing ideas and questions every serious podcaster should be thinking about.

It's created and hosted by Evo Terra. Follow him on Twitter for more podcasting insights as they come. Allie Press assists with the production and transcription of the show.

If you received value from today's episode of Podcast Pontifications, return some of that! We call it value-for-value and there are many ways to show your support.

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Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.