Podcasting Experiments

Today’s episode of the Podcast Experiment features Dave Jackson. He’s the host of the School of Podcasting podcast, a podcast consultant, coach, and speaker. You can connect with Dave Jackson on Twitter @davejackson or on his website schoolofpodcasting.com

 

What Does It Mean To Profit From Your Podcast?

 

Most people think it's about money, but there is more than one way to profit from your podcast. Dave mentions that he spoke to someone recently who was super introverted when they started podcasting. And now this same person is doing their podcasts via Livestream. This person now has more confidence. While that's not a form of money, that’s an example of a way to profit from a podcast. You can also grow your network and  share your message with others. You can also helping other people through podcasting. For example, you could provide information that other people find useful, such as self-improvement, losing weight or getting out of debt. 

The Most Common Question About Podcasting

Dave says that the most common question he gets is “How do I get a sponsor?” He says because we are used to hearing ads on the radio, most people think getting a sponsor is a good idea for a podcast too. However, the payment for ads is very low such as $10 for 1000 downloads. In addition, having ads on a podcast can lead to a poor listener experience for what equates to just a few dollars of income. Instead, a better idea--and more profitable idea--to sell podcast listeners your own products such as coaching, a book, or some other product that the audience wants. 

The Most Profitable Step For All Podcasters

One thing Dave recommends is for everyone is to start an email list. No matter what you’re doing, at some point you want to have people to take action by clicking on something. Email invites people to take action. A podcast is just audio, so email is a great way to engage even further with your audience. 

 

Dave built a portion of his email list using lead magnets. His approach was going to Google Analytics and finding the most popular pages on his website. In exchange for an email address, he offered a printable PDF that would be useful to the website visitor. So if you’re just starting out, this is a great way to start building your email list for you too.  

The Number One Way To Market A Podcast

According to Jacobs Media, 70% of people that find a podcast find it through word of mouth. So if you can get on other podcasts as a guest or things like that or have other people on your show those are good ideas. Build your network one person at a time. Have a link to your your podcast when you send out email to your email list. And don’t forget to have links to your podcast on your website. Don’t rely on Apple podcast search or Spotify search. 

Figure Out Where Your Listeners Are

It’s important to find where your listeners are. For example, Dave went to a LinkedIn event at a library, because the people attending were trying to grow their network. He knew he could help because a great way to grow your network is through podcasting. Dave   also goes to events for authors that are trying to grow their listeners or their readers. So figure out who your audience is, and then go where they are. Make friends with those people. Then, at a later point, you can tell them...

We're are getting ready to launch Season 7, where we will be covering everything about how to use podcasting as a marketing tool. Whether that is as a podcast host with your own podcast or going on other podcasts as a guest, this season will provide all the answers you need!

I'm sharing a special announcement that I'm going to be experimenting with some other podcasts. I plan to come back and share my results here, but I can't guarantee a specific time.

Due to an increasing urge to get out of their office and talk about something other than horses on their podcast, Jaime and Glenn went from running Horse Radio Network to traveling across the state of Florida, developing valuable associations, gaining maximum exposure to the local community, establishing partnerships with the local media, and founding a popular local travel show called the Florida Podcast Network.

Barrett Soop, together with his wife Leandra Soop, runs Be Seen Company which is a video and podcast production company. Hoping to improve his marketing skills, he ventured into podcasting. Now, Barrett is able to give people the opportunity to share their own stories through his podcast, Made In Monrovia.

In this episode, Barrett shares great tips and insights for anyone who wants to start a local podcast.

Mark Bologna is the host of Beyond Bourbon Street, a local podcast about New Orleans. He actually talks regularly with Chris Hollifield from the I Am Salt Lake podcast, and they help each other to continue to grow in their podcasts.

Today, we’ll hear:

The best advice for someone starting a local podcast.

The biggest struggle Mark has had on his podcasting journey.

How to go about getting ads and sponsors for the podcast.

And how you can grow a local podcast.

Chris Holifield is the host and producer of the I am Salt Lake podcast. Self taught in the podcasting world, he believes everyone should have an opportunity to share their story. Even though he was born and raised in California, he will always call Utah home. He lives in Salt Lake City with his wife, Krissie, and their daughter Lucy.

In this episode, Chris shares some great tips for people who want to start a local podcast and most importantly, how to grow it.

If you are a podcaster, or a wannabe podcaster, this episode is definitely for you!

Jason Norris of PodcastLocal.com joins us to talk about podcasting – from the startup, recommended equipment, obstacles to building a successful podcast. Jason is a podcast producer, editor, consultant, and advocate. He shows the people how to use the concept of on-the-go learning to teach, train, tell stories, and change lives.

I'm preparing for Season 6 of Podcasting Experiments!

The topic I plan to cover is Geographic Podcasting. This would be like any local (city/county), state, region (i.e. Rocky Mountains), etc. that focuses on a particular geographic region.

I plan to bring people on that can share their experience of why and how they podcast locally. I'm going to compile the tips and advice to help you if you plan to start a local podcast of some sort.

April Ockerman began podcasting about 9 months ago. She had spent about a year doing research into how to start her podcast.

While she worked through figuring out her budget for podcasting, deciding what pieces of podcasting equipment to get, which software to use for recording and editing, April also had to face her fears of getting started by realizing that she can really impact people through her podcast.