Now hear this: NO ONE is turning off your podcast because you don't have enough downloads. So why do you get so consumed by this figure?!

The dreaded download number is a polarizing metric that often times throws new podcasters off their game, inadvertently making them feel like their show isn't good enough. Or, even worse, THEY aren't good enough as a host.

The big problem with the download metric is that its presented by most podcast hosts (and some podcast "gooroos") as THE most important number to track. But in reality, if you don't understand how to evaluate these stats, they become something that plays tricks with your mind and can cause you to lose focus on what's most important with your podcast's development.

In Episode 92 of Podcasting Strategy Simplified, I'm sharing my candid thoughts on download metrics and how you should utilize them in your podcasting plight.

After taking in this episode, you'll understand:

✅ Why you should wait AT LEAST six months before looking at your numbers when you launch your podcast

✅ How download metrics f*ck with your mind and how to overcome it

✅ What you should focus on instead of getting consumed by metrics and statistics

✅ The best way (and best time) to evaluate your download metrics so they become a useful tool

✅ The metric that matters most (and it has nothing to do with numbers)

RESOURCE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

On Episode 13 of my friend and fellow podcasting strategist's show Talking the Talk, her and guest Lori Pine share a take on download metrics you absolutely need to hear. Click here to listen now

📆 Schedule a Free Discovery Call with Jason Cercone

🎟️ Get Your Ticket to The Empowered Podcasting Conference! Use code EPCJASON20 at checkout and save 20% on your ticket

👉 Got a question you'd like featured on Monday's 5-Minute Questions Series? Send it to me via SpeakPipe

🚀 Did a tip or strategy from this podcast change the game for you? Buy Me a Coffee to say thanks


MUSIC CREDITS:

Podcasting Strategy Simplified: Burn The Track (Inspiring Rock Trailer) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Let's Blow This Up: Aggressive Metal Trailer (Dragon Heart) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Thank you for listening and becoming an official member of The Bomb Squad!

Welcome to the first installment of a new series here on Podcasting Strategy Simplified!

Every Monday, I'm going to take five minutes to answer a frequently asked question in the podcast world. These questions will revolve around growth, monetization, skill development, and, of course, podcasting strategy. 

I'll also be featuring questions sent in by you and other members of the Bomb Squad! Simply click on the SpeakPipe link below to submit your question to yours truly.

To kick things off, I'm providing my views on the popular question "Why isn't my podcast growing even though my content is good?"

📆 Schedule a Free Discovery Call with Jason Cercone

🎟️ Get Your Ticket to The Empowered Podcasting Conference! Use code EPCJASON20 at checkout and save 20% on your ticket

👉 Got a question you'd like featured on Monday's 5-Minute Questions Series? Send it to me via SpeakPipe

🚀 Did a tip or strategy from this podcast change the game for you? Buy Me a Coffee to say thanks


MUSIC CREDITS:

Podcasting Strategy Simplified: Burn The Track (Inspiring Rock Trailer) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Let's Blow This Up: Aggressive Metal Trailer (Dragon Heart) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Thank you for listening and becoming an official member of The Bomb Squad!

A few months ago, I rebranded this podcast from its former name Let's Blow This Up to its present iteration: Podcasting Strategy Simplified. The original name, while a great extension of my brand Bombtrack Media, simply wasn't doing enough to make the podcast visible in podcast apps.

Think about it: if you're looking for guidance with YOUR podcast, are you searching the term "podcasting" or "podcasts about podcasting" or are you searching "let's blow this up?"

The change needed to happen. So I pulled the trigger, made some key strategic updates, and within a month, things started to swing in the right direction.

Listenership improved, retention time increased, and the podcast started ranking on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

I have one strategy to thank for this turnaround: Podcast SEO.

Today on Podcasting Strategy Simplified, I have the queen of Podcast SEO joining me to explore this topic on a much deeper level and deliver to you a masterclass on this incredibly important subject. 

Julia Levine, aka The Podcast Teacher, is sharing the mic with me and you're one click away from discovering a ton of great information, including:

✅ Why Podcast SEO has become so important in today's podcasting landscape

✅ The differences between "regular" SEO (Google, etc.) and Podcast SEO (apps like Apple Podcast and Spotify)

✅ Why direct show names are better than cute and clever ones

✅ The elements you need to have in place to build your show's visibility (and it has nothing to do with show notes)

✅ What to do first if you're thinking about rebranding your podcast

A FREE GIFT FROM JULIA: thepodcastteacher.com/seokit

📆 Schedule a Free Discovery Call with Jason Cercone

🎟️ Get Your Ticket to The Empowered Podcasting Conference! Use code EPCJASON20 at checkout and save 20% on your ticket

👉 Got a question you'd like featured on Monday's 5-Minute Questions Series? Send it to me via SpeakPipe

🚀 Did a tip or strategy from this podcast change the game for you? Buy Me a Coffee to say thanks


MUSIC CREDITS:

Podcasting Strategy Simplified: Burn The Track (Inspiring Rock Trailer) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Let's Blow This Up: Aggressive Metal Trailer (Dragon Heart) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Thank you for listening and becoming an official member of The Bomb Squad!

Getting ready to launch a new podcast? Click play on this episode before you do!

Despite a lot of hype, fanfare, and promotion, many new podcasts get launched with only one episode. This simply isn't enough to get listeners and viewers hooked on your content. 

You want to set up a bingeable experience from jump...and you want to treat your podcast launch for what it is: a BIG deal.

In Episode 89 of Podcasting Strategy Simplified, I'm sharing some tips to help you have a memorable, impactful podcast launch. One that drives listenership, boosts visibility, and sets you up for long-term success at the earliest stages of your podcast's availability.

After consuming this episode, you'll understand:

✅ Why an effective launch needs to be part of your initial podcasting strategy

✅ How to treat your podcast launch like a Hollywood premiere

✅ The easiest way to beat the "Most podcasts never reach Episode 10" statistic (this will BLOW. YOUR. MIND.)

✅ How to put your content to work before you launch your show

✅ The best way to generate action around your podcast once it's live (subscriptions, follows, shares, ratings, reviews, and listens)

In this episode, I referenced the blueprint I laid out for acquiring purpose-driven ratings and reviews in Episode 86 of Podcasting Strategy Simplified. Access the episode here

📆 Schedule a Free Discovery Call with Jason Cercone

🎟️ Get Your Ticket to The Empowered Podcasting Conference! Use code EPCJASON20 at checkout and save 20% on your ticket

👉 Got a question you'd like featured on Monday's 5-Minute Questions Series? Send it to me via SpeakPipe

🚀 Did a tip or strategy from this podcast change the game for you? Buy Me a Coffee to say thanks


MUSIC CREDITS:

Podcasting Strategy Simplified: Burn The Track (Inspiring Rock Trailer) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Let's Blow This Up: Aggressive Metal Trailer (Dragon Heart) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Thank you for listening and becoming an official member of The Bomb Squad!

Have you ever been pumped for a new podcast episode to go live...but when it does, your guest doesn't even acknowledge it (let alone share it on their networks)?

It's happened to all of us. But what if I told you it wasn't their fault...it's yours?

Now before you come at me with a flaming pitchfork, hear me out.

How you communicate with your guests AFTER their appearance takes place plays a significant role in how they share your content. 

Even more importantly, how you communicate with your guests after their appearance will determine whether you begin cultivating a relationship that could open up new doors...or whether their contribution to your show (and your practices) becomes nothing more than a one-time transaction.

On Episode 88 of Podcasting Strategy Simplified, I'm breaking down how to get all the meat off the bone when it comes to the guests you feature on your podcast. By implementing these simple strategies, you'll build more meaningful relationships with those you collaborate with while simultaneously creating networking opportunities that could change the game for your brand.

After listening to this episode, you'll understand:

✅ Where most podcasters drop the ball with guest communication (and how to ensure you do things right)

✅ Simple steps to follow that lead to a more meaningful conversation on recording day

✅ Why each guest who joins your show presents a networking opportunity that could change the course of your business 

✅ How to set up plans to dominate the world with your guests

✅ Why you should apply these strategies to your own podcast guest appearances as well

📆 Schedule a Free Discovery Call with Jason Cercone

🎟️ Get Your Ticket to The Empowered Podcasting Conference! Use code EPCJASON20 at checkout and save 20% on your ticket

👉 Got a question you'd like featured on Monday's 5-Minute Questions Series? Send it to me via SpeakPipe

🚀 Did a tip or strategy from this podcast change the game for you? Buy Me a Coffee to say thanks


MUSIC CREDITS:

Podcasting Strategy Simplified: Burn The Track (Inspiring Rock Trailer) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Let's Blow This Up: Aggressive Metal Trailer (Dragon Heart) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Thank you for listening and becoming an official member of The Bomb Squad!

If you're worried you won't have enough to talk about on your podcast (or you don't KNOW enough to START a podcast), believe me, you're not alone.

Too many people sell themselves short when it comes to how much they know about their area of expertise. And typically, a solid podcasting strategy, aligned with the act of actively creating podcast content itself, reveals a totally different story.

In Episode 87 of Podcasting Strategy Simplified, I'm covering why you know WAY more about your focused content area than you give yourself credit for. Additionally, I'm sharing four easy-to-implement strategies that will ensure your content well never runs dry.

After listening to this episode, you'll understand:

✅ Why thinking you'll run out of things to say on your podcast is nothing more than a limiting belief

✅ How thinking Strategy First will keep good ideas flowing

✅ Why timestamps are arbitrary with your podcast content (and what to focus on instead)

✅ How to implement a simple exercise that will not only boost confidence, but get you more in-tune with your expertise

✅ How to use my simple weekly system to ensure you always have a surplus of new episode and content ideas

RESOURCES MENTIONED: Episode 84 of Podcasting Strategy Simplified 

📆 Schedule a Free Discovery Call with Jason Cercone

🎟️ Get Your Ticket to The Empowered Podcasting Conference! Use code EPCJASON20 at checkout and save 20% on your ticket

👉 Got a question you'd like featured on Monday's 5-Minute Questions Series? Send it to me via SpeakPipe

🚀 Did a tip or strategy from this podcast change the game for you? Buy Me a Coffee to say thanks


MUSIC CREDITS:

Podcasting Strategy Simplified: Burn The Track (Inspiring Rock Trailer) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Let's Blow This Up: Aggressive Metal Trailer (Dragon Heart) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Thank you for listening and becoming an official member of The Bomb Squad!

When it comes to ratings and reviews for podcasts, there are many misconceptions - one of the biggest being the more R&Rs you accumulate, the more your show will gain visibility in Apple Podcast's algorithm.

Apple themselves have stated this isn't the case, yet it doesn't stop many, many podcasters from asking you to drop a rating and review on each and every episode they produce.

In my opinion, there's a much better way to acquire ratings and reviews. AND a much better way to get more mileage out of each episode's Call To Action. 

In Episode 86 of Podcasting Strategy Simplified, I'm dropping the truth about ratings & reviews and helping you get more from your Call To Action. 

After consuming this episode, you'll understand:

✅ The real value of ratings & reviews

✅ Some of the misconceptions behind ratings & reviews (and how to overcome them)

✅ Why your podcast will deliver better results if you focus on one clear Call To Action (and by eliminating the blanket ask for R&Rs)

✅ The results I got from conducting a ratings & review experiment (and the blueprint behind it so you can use it on your show, too)

📆 Schedule a Free Discovery Call with Jason Cercone

🎟️ Get Your Ticket to The Empowered Podcasting Conference! Use code EPCJASON20 at checkout and save 20% on your ticket

👉 Got a question you'd like featured on Monday's 5-Minute Questions Series? Send it to me via SpeakPipe

🚀 Did a tip or strategy from this podcast change the game for you? Buy Me a Coffee to say thanks


MUSIC CREDITS:

Podcasting Strategy Simplified: Burn The Track (Inspiring Rock Trailer) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Let's Blow This Up: Aggressive Metal Trailer (Dragon Heart) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Thank you for listening and becoming an official member of The Bomb Squad!

Are you ready to gain clarity on your most pressing podcasting issues...in just two weeks?!

You read that right!

I'm now offering a Podcast VIP Accelerator, a 2-week podcast coaching program and you're invited to check it out!

In this bonus episode of Podcasting Strategy Simplified, I'll break down:

✅ What this program is all about

✅ The inspiration behind this 2-week program

✅ What separates this from other coaching programs 

✅ Why I feel many coaching programs are broken

PLUS: Be one of the first 10 Bomb Squad members to sign up for this program and take advantage of a special $100 discount!

Set up a Free Discovery Call at jasoncercone.com/discoverycall to take the first step.

📆 Schedule a Free Discovery Call with Jason Cercone

🎟️ Get Your Ticket to The Empowered Podcasting Conference! Use code EPCJASON20 at checkout and save 20% on your ticket

👉 Got a question you'd like featured on Monday's 5-Minute Questions Series? Send it to me via SpeakPipe

🚀 Did a tip or strategy from this podcast change the game for you? Buy Me a Coffee to say thanks


MUSIC CREDITS:

Podcasting Strategy Simplified: Burn The Track (Inspiring Rock Trailer) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Let's Blow This Up: Aggressive Metal Trailer (Dragon Heart) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Thank you for listening and becoming an official member of The Bomb Squad!

Let me start off by saying this: NO, I'm not anti-AI. NO, I'm not someone who believes AI is going to destroy humankind a la Terminator fame.

But I am someone who believes if you're using tools like ChatGPT and Claude to churn out generic copy, then posting said copy without injecting ANY of your own brand personality into it, you're headed down a dark path.

A dark path that's slowly (but surely) making you blend in versus stand out.

In Episode 85 of Podcasting Strategy Simplified, I'm putting the hammer down on AI dreck in hopes of helping you use it more responsibly in your life - with your podcasting strategy, your social media, and more.

After consuming this episode, you'll understand:

✅ Why AI tools are just that...TOOLS! (and why you need to use them responsibly)

✅ Why copying and pasting generic slop and passing it off as your own will make you stand out for all the wrong reasons

✅ The ugly truth behind turning EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING over to AI

✅ Rational, impactful ways to use AI to simplify your workload (while injecting your brand personality into things simultaneously) 

✅ Why AI-generated podcasts SUCK (and why you should never produce one)

📆 Schedule a Free Discovery Call with Jason Cercone

🎟️ Get Your Ticket to The Empowered Podcasting Conference! Use code EPCJASON20 at checkout and save 20% on your ticket

👉 Got a question you'd like featured on Monday's 5-Minute Questions Series? Send it to me via SpeakPipe

🚀 Did a tip or strategy from this podcast change the game for you? Buy Me a Coffee to say thanks


MUSIC CREDITS:

Podcasting Strategy Simplified: Burn The Track (Inspiring Rock Trailer) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Let's Blow This Up: Aggressive Metal Trailer (Dragon Heart) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Thank you for listening and becoming an official member of The Bomb Squad!

What happens when two podcast strategists collaborate? Well...as Kenny Bania on Seinfeld would say: "Gold, Jerry...GOLD!"

It's Episode 84 of Podcasting Strategy Simplified and in this installment, I'm sharing the mic with my podcasting strategy twin, Courtney Reimer. 

Courtney is the brainchild behind Sounds Great Create Podcast Strategy, the host of a new podcast known as Talking The Talk, and a certified badass in the podcasting space - bringing over 20 years of experience to the table with work at Audible and Spotify as part of her resume. 

This episode ended up being a near 60-minute masterclass of important podcasting tips and strategies you absolutely need to hear. We went into our recording session with no script and no prepared questions, letting organic conversation steer the ship while we dove into as much good information as we could.

After taking in this episode, you'll understand:

✅ Why it took Courtney so long to launch a podcast (and why you should take the queue that the time to launch yours is now)

✅ The beauty of on-demand content (and why ALL episodes in your podcast catalog are valuable)

✅ Common (and uncommon) mistakes we've both made along the way that you can avoid

✅ That you know WAY more about your subject matter than you give yourself credit for (and how to prove it to yourself)

✅ Why it's OK to be terrible in the beginning (and why you need to give yourself space to grow)

Connect with Courtney on Instagram

Listen to my guest appearance on Courtney's podcast, Talking The Talk

📆 Schedule a Free Discovery Call with Jason Cercone

🎟️ Get Your Ticket to The Empowered Podcasting Conference! Use code EPCJASON20 at checkout and save 20% on your ticket

👉 Got a question you'd like featured on Monday's 5-Minute Questions Series? Send it to me via SpeakPipe

🚀 Did a tip or strategy from this podcast change the game for you? Buy Me a Coffee to say thanks


MUSIC CREDITS:

Podcasting Strategy Simplified: Burn The Track (Inspiring Rock Trailer) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Let's Blow This Up: Aggressive Metal Trailer (Dragon Heart) by Alex Grohl on pixabay.com

Thank you for listening and becoming an official member of The Bomb Squad!