Supercasters

This is our “life is what happens when you’re making plans” episode…

On episode #5 of Supercasters, we spoke to Radiolab co-founder Mikel Ellcessor. It was chocked full of goodness for everyone who’s growing a paid membership plan. Well... a few weeks later, Mikel reached out to say he couldn’t stop thinking about Supercast-- and now he’s joined the team as Partnerships Lead! 

Today, Mikel and Jason Sew Hoy, Co-Founder of Supercast, talk about how it all went down, how to shape the right paid model in 2021, and Mikel's view on the two key things you need to get started with paid memberships.

Timestamps

• 1:37 Building the support role for creative people
• 2:57 The sense of mission before publishing a podcast
• 4:00 What Mikel learned about monetization at WNYC Studios and the two key things you need to start paid memberships

Sign up to the premium feed (premium.supercast.com) and get access to the rest of the conversation below:

• 6:06 Paid podcasting works for many different industries and creators
• 7:15 What Supercast provides behind the scenes
• 8:38 2021 is the time to get the paid membership program up and running
• 9:58 A Thousand True Fans and how you can get that through podcasting
• 11:00 The internet was full of advertisements in the nineties
• 12:21 Getting memberships going for a diverse range of voices
• 14:11 The open ecosystem and paid podcast communities

Links

• Supercast
• Reach out to Mikel
• Reach out to Jason

In this episode, we're talking to Sachit Gupta, who has spent a decade helping creators grow their platforms, from Tim Ferriss to Mixergy's Andrew Warner and Seth Godin.

Now he’s the Program Director for the On Deck Podcaster Fellowship: an 8-week remote program for podcasters who want to grow their audience and build lasting relationships. They combine a world-class curriculum, amazing mentors (like Harry Stebbings, Anthony Pompliano, Laura Shin) and an incredible community to help you find traction online.

We are proud to announce that Supercast is the founding monetization partner for the first cohort of podcasters going through this program!

Apply to the On Deck Podcaster Fellowship (applications close Jan 17th)

Main points:

• How the On Deck Podcaster Fellowship helps you become a more effective podcaster with world-class mentors, a support network and more
• How Sachit grew Andrew Warner’s sponsorship revenue by 4x by ditching CPMs
• Why sponsorships are NOT always the best way to monetize
• Do you want 1 customer paying $100,000 or 1000 customers paying $100/year? 
• Talk to your audience to understand what they want and the value you can offer
• Using paid ads to market your podcast: What should you know?

Enjoy!

Timestamps

• 1:44 How On Deck started
• 4:53 The power of community: On Deck's Directory
• 5:44 Training the next generation of podcasting talent: The Podcaster Fellowship
• 7:17 How Sachit Gupta got into podcasting with Andrew Warner of Mixergy
• 9:15 Podcast advertising doesn't make sense
• 10:11 Growing revenue by 4x on a value basis
• 12:57 Most podcasters don't know who will sponsor them next week
• 15:18 Sponsorships aren't the best way to monetize
• 16:11 What price point do you want to be at? 
• 20:21 You can choose multiple price points
• 21:45 The creative journey is a slow climb
• 22:28 Talk to a niche audience first before broadening
• 24:45 How to use paid ads to market your podcast
• 28:43 Higher price points mean more handholding for customers
• 30:48 Retaining paid subscribers, and the single-digit growth of Supercast customers
• 33:11 Signing up to a premium feed is fast!
• 34:12 Sachit is excited about the proliferation of audio
• 36:22 What you can expect from the Podcast Fellowship
• 37:35 Who should join the Fellowship?

Links

• On Deck Podcaster Fellowship (applications close Jan 17th)
• Sachit Gupta's Twitter
• Sachit's Email

A lot of people say they have writer's block, but not many people say they have talker's block. - Seth Godin

In this episode, we’re having a conversation with the Nicest Guy in Podcasting!

Matt Staudt is the President of Jamstreet Media, a premium podcast production company based in LA that creates original podcasts for brands and the entertainment industry. With previous experience as a Morning Show radio host to the Founding Director of Content at Stitcher and launching 300+ podcasts at iHeartRadio, Matty's a true pioneer in the podcasting industry, as well as being a passionate teacher. He created the nation's first university-level podcasting department for the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. 

Whether it's developing original shows, coaching talent, or planning podcast strategy for hundreds of shows at once, Matty's a wealth of experience. 

We talked about:

• Growing a podcast on a scrappy budget: what are the key levers?
• Podcast mission statements and why you might fail without one
• The Matty Staudt Formula for a successful podcast using the 3 E’s
• Why niche podcasts are more powerful than celebrity shows

Enjoy!

In the premium episode, we do a real life coaching session and get in the hot seat as Matt critiques our own show Supercasters. Don’t miss the teardown! Listen by subscribing to the Supercasters premium feed.

Timestamps

• 1:38 Matt's obsession with radio and swearing on air
• 3:29 Joining Stitcher leading content
• 5:57 The genres that were doing well in podcasting during Stitcher's start
• 7:41 "I could do whatever I wanted with podcasts" Matt's role at Stitcher
• 9:02 Speaking radio and podcasting, and the limits of radio
• 10:35 The potential of radio talent in podcasting
• 12:03 Starting up Jamstreet Media
• 14:22 Meeting Joe Pistone, Vanessa Mdee and other amazing hosts
• 17:40 What Matt is looking for in a successful podcast
• 20:20 Always start with a mission statement
• 21:42 The key levers to growing a podcast
• 23:34 How Jamstreet Media taps into communities and community owners
• 25:36 Celebrity podcasts won't last long
• 27:49 The power of local niche podcasts
• 28:45 Covering diverse and local voices
• 32:02 The future of podcast monetization according to Matt Staudt

Links

• Jamstreet Media Website
• Matt’s Twitter
• Jamstreet Media Facebook Page

Jamstreet Media Instagram

In this episode we are diving into getting your podcast discovered through audiograms, videos and much more, with Co-Founder of Headliner, Oliver Wellington.

Oliver has built this tool to help many podcasters promote their podcasts through video, and grow their listenership. This is an important episode if you are serious about growing your show and want to up your marketing game.

Major points

• Why audiograms are effective for podcasts, and how you can grow your show by 2x-20x
• The best places to use audiograms for your podcast
• 3 levels of podcast marketing with a budget

In the premium episode, Oliver shares what podcasters should do for the first time with video and more. Sign up for FREE here: premium.supercast.com

Timestamps (+23s)

• 1:58 Oliver's musician background and diving into entrepreneurship
• 3:53 The birth of Headliner, the prototype and helping customers
• 7:36 Finding the first few Headliner customers
• 9:39 "We didn't charge for the first year"
• 11:26 Podcast signups ever since COVID hit
• 12:54 How Headliner works
• 14:44 The best platforms to use audiograms
• 16:03 The three levels of podcast marketing with a budget
• 20:28 Podcasters growth from 2x-20x
• 22:13 The Future of Headliner
• 23:53 Oliver's thoughts on using video for podcasting

Links

• Headliner App
• Oliver's LinkedIn

In this episode, we have Eric Siu, the Owner of Single Grain, a multimillion-dollar digital marketing agency that he bought for just $2. Eric doesn't just help his agency clients with content marketing, he actually practices what he preaches.

As a veteran podcaster with over 2000 episodes recorded, he is the host of the Leveling Up podcast, interviewing entrepreneurs and savvy marketers, as well as co-host of the daily podcast Marketing School: Sharing unconventional marketing wisdom with fellow marketing guru, Neil Patel. Starting off Leveling Up with 9 downloads a day for the first year to 30, and now 100k downloads per month, Eric knows perseverance like no other, going through a harsh podcasting journey to get to where he is now.

Major points:

• Eric's strategies for growth hacking, marketing and repurposing your podcasts
• What Single Grain did to land a $800,000/year deal for the daily show Marketing School
• How to leverage relationships from your podcast to become leads for your business and build a community around your brand

In the FREE bonus episode, Eric talks about the power of one-person media companies, building a community through online events and how a podcast benefits from keyword ranking. Just sign up to the premium feed on Supercast by going here!

Enjoy!

If you enjoy the podcast, we’d be honored if you could leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes. Help your fellow podcaster find us!

• Follow Supercast: @supercast
• Follow Jason: @jsewhoy

Timestamps

• 2:35 Taking control of his career: How Eric Siu started in internet marketing
• 3:53 How Eric Siu saved Single Grain
• 5:31 "If I can save this company, I can do anything"
• 8:50 The Single Grain collection of different businesses
• 10:27 Starting the Leveling Up and Marketing School podcast with Neil Patel
• 12:48 Single Grain gets 15% of its clients from podcasting
• 13:55 How Eric helps his podcast guests and interviewing angles
• 15:23 Eric's podcast audience and the peer group
• 16:48 Alley-Ooping relationships and getting clients from your podcast
• 18:20 Eric Siu's growth hacks for marketing podcasts
• 20:45 Hacks can get you banned in podcasting
• 21:48 How Eric repurposes his podcasts
• 22:53 "SEO and content marketing is 50% of our customers"
• 24:35 $800,000 a year for Marketing School and other podcast income streams
• 26:57 If you want to monetize your show, find out what your audience needs
• 28:22 Gauge their interest level and looking at competitors

Links

• Single Grain Website
• Single Grain Facebook
• Eric Siu's YouTube
• Single Grain's Twitter
• Single Grain's Instagram

In this episode, we talked with Mikel Ellcessor, an independent producer who has an incredible track record of helping teams form their original podcast strategy.

As Co-Founder of the critically acclaimed Radiolab podcast, a two-time Peabody award winner that focuses on the investigation of big ideas told through sounds and stories, he was in charge of monetization and helped raise over $6M direct from listeners.

He now helps teams build their content, communication and monetization strategies through his company Limina House. He can be found on Twitter @mikelellcessor.

We talked about:

• The difficulty of attracting advertisers for creators
• The birth of Radiolab, the critically acclaimed podcast
• Why the future is paying for podcasts according to Mikel
• Tips to raise money through fundraising, events and more from Radiolab
• Radiolab's tribe and the power of a podcast community

Subscribe to our FREE premium feed to hear bonus content instantly, including Mikel talking specifics about raising $6 million from listeners, how to figure out what they want and how to create a compelling ask.

Enjoy!

Timestamps

• 2:00 Into the world of radio from 14 years old: Mikel's background
• 4:45 The slow uptake of radio to podcasting
• 7:10 Creators find it difficult to attract advertising
• 8:41 How Radiolab started post 9/11
• 12:46 Radiolab's slow, organic growth
• 14:21 Finding your true self through podcasting
• 17:17 Being in the lives of incredibly talented people and how to share that excitement
• 20:12 The future is paying for podcasts, Mikel Ellcessor explains why
• 22:57 Be clear and specific about what you're fundraising for
• 27:21 Interrogate your own relationship with money
• 29:38 Don't waste your listener's time
• 31:23 The reason why people give you money
• 36:16 Trying out events to monetize Radiolab
• 38:06 Radiolab's tribe and the power of a podcast community

Link

• Mikel Ellcessor's Twitter
• Limina House Website
• Radiolab

In this episode, we talk with Scott Smith, an entrepreneur, creator, and former top 40 DJ who's an expert in converting free listeners to a paid podcast. He is the Chief Motivating Officer of Motivation to Move, a self-help podcast that provides daily 9-minute coaching on the mindset and habits that create happiness, success, and the life you desire.

Launched in 2006 Scott's show Daily Boost has received over 47 million total downloads. His paid product, Daily Boost Premium, provides even more value for his most engaged listeners.

We talked about:

• Converting free listeners to paid members through special offers
• Marketing funnels to drive listeners into an email list
• Getting $88,000 in 20 minutes
• How Scott grew to 47 million total downloads in his podcast

Enjoy!

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Subscribe to Supercasters Premium for FREE to get bonus content with every episode: premium.supercast.com (it’s free, takes 2 mins, no special apps to download).

For this episode, the AMA in Supercasters Premium focuses on Scott's tips on retaining paid customers, the Skyscraper technique for podcasters, and podcast SEO.

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If you enjoy the podcast, we’d be honored if you could leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes. Help your fellow podcaster find us!

Follow Supercast: @supercast

Follow Jason: @jsewhoy

• 1:46 How Scott Smith went from freelance to podcasting
• 3:40 Getting listeners in 2005
• 5:55 Jumping from broadcast to podcast, and personality
• 8:00 Going deep: Scott's membership site
• 9:28 Launching in 2006, and the terminal diagnosis
• 11:08 The motivation to start again
• 13:34 Podcasts are intimate and about the listener
• 14:52 "If you're gonna overtake the island, burn the ship"
• 17:34 Growing memberships: you don't need a ton of listeners to make money
• 19:31 How to get people to pay you through special offers
• 21:45 The psychology behind a product vs. membership
• 23:23 Cancel rate vs. sales rate for memberships
• 24:32 Learning Scott's marketing funnels for his podcast
• 28:11 Driving 1800 opt ins a month through other parts of the funnel
• 29:44 Advanced segmenting and other techniques
• 32:57 The evolution of Scott Smith's products through themes
• 35:41 Getting $88,000 in 20 minutes
• 38:21 Planning out 10,000 episodes' worth of content
• 41:43 Reacting to audience rotation
• 42:56 Building automations as a solo podcaster
• 45:12 How Supercast helps with Scott Smith's membership program
• 46:54 If Scott were to start over

• Motivation to Move

The show was created by Supercast, the easiest way to add a paid membership to your show. Get paid to podcast at supercast.com.

In this episode, we have an amazing conversation with Jesse Brown, Publisher and host of Canadaland, an independent news site and podcast network supported mainly by its audience. Focusing on Canadian media, news, current affairs and politics, Canadaland and its six shows get over a hundred thousand downloads every week.

Throughout this podcast, we talked about:

• Crowdfunding and how it grows the Canadaland podcast network
• Relationship dynamics between journalists and their audiences
• Pitching new shows and documentaries through membership

Enjoy!

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Subscribe to Supercasters Premium for FREE to get bonus content with every episode: premium.supercast.com (it’s free, takes 2 mins, no special apps to download).

For this episode, the AMA in Supercasters Premium focuses on Canadaland’s crowdfunding month, a big annual revenue driver, reducing churn for memberships and tackling controversial stories. 

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If you enjoy the podcast, we’d be honored if you could leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes. Help your fellow podcaster find us!

Follow Supercast: @supercast

Follow Jason: @jsewhoy

Timestamps

• 4:58 The birth of Canadaland and addressing media criticism
• 7:04 What was wrong with the Canadian media
• 8:21 Getting the first listeners and guests
• 9:26 The risk for journalists in Canada
• 12:09 Experimenting with video, reporting and storytelling
• 14:03 "The audience was so distant and represented by the most extreme people"
• 15:17 From free to paid: a deal with the audience
• 18:21 How partnering with the audience influences Canadaland's direction
• 20:25 "I don't agree with Jesse Brown, but I support Canadaland anyhow"
• 21:42 The truth is not always something you want to hear
• 22:45 Keeping a dialogue with the audience: how Jesse Brown does it
• 26:10 Thunder Bay: Launching new shows and documentaries
• 27:34 Pitching to the audience for money and support
• 31:05 Using Supercast to provide more for the audience
• 34:26 De-Jessefying Canadaland: Letting others take charge
• 37:51 Accepting investments, and the million-dollar Tiny Foundation investment
• 38:58 "They have no editorial influence or voting shares."

Premium Timestamps

• 43:03 How crowdfunding is a big driver of Canadaland's revenue growth
• 45:36 Total listens as a network and how crowdfunding helps that
• 49:08 Reducing churns for podcast memberships
• 50:59 Patreon's flaws and how Supercast helps Canadaland
• 53:05 Testing out more ideas for premium content
• 54:34 What drives Jesse Brown to tackle big and controversial stories

Links

• Canadaland
• Support Canadaland
• Jesse Brown's Twitter
• Check out the bonus AMA at our premium Supercast feed!

Credits

Supercasters is a Kelly&Kelly production. 

The show was created by Supercast, the easiest way to add a paid membership to your show. Get paid to podcast at supercast.com.

In this episode, Co-Founder of Double Up and Supercast Aidan Hornsby interviews David Perell on building an audience through Twitter and the impact of writing online.

David Perell is a prolific writer, investor, and founder of Write of Passage, an intensive online writing course to accelerate your career. As host of the North Star Podcast, he interviews successful people such as Neil deGrasse Tyson, Jason Fried, and Ryan Holiday on what drives them.

We talked about:

• The impact of building an audience
• How David’s twitter account is more valuable than his college diploma
• The business school of the future
• How podcasts open David’s mind up to new ideas
• Creating a Personal Monopoly

Enjoy!

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Subscribe to Supercasters Premium for FREE to get bonus content with every episode: premium.supercast.com (it’s free, takes 2 mins, no special apps to download).

For this episode, our bonus section includes David talking through his flywheel business model, which neatly illustrates how his writing, tweeting, podcasting, teaching, and investing all come together and build on each other for compounding effect.

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If you enjoy the podcast, we’d be honored if you could leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes. Help your fellow podcaster find us!

Follow Supercast: @supercast

Follow Jason: @jsewhoy

Timestamps

• 2:08 From television anchor to writer: David Perell's story
• 3:42 Writing is the new networking
• 6:07 Playing with and communicating interesting ideas
• 6:54 Starting the North Star Podcast
• 9:37 "My audience is the single most valuable thing in my life"
• 10:58 Download numbers are not the quality and size of your audience
• 12:14 The unlimited competition for somebody's attention online
• 14:47 Starting out on Twitter, and social media feeds
• 16:08 Twitter is a filter for people who resonate with you
• 17:07 Conversations tear down the mazes of our internal psychology
• 19:22 How podcasts open David's mind up to new ideas
• 20:57 Each medium has a bias
• 22:52 Why we should give lots of free stuff away
• 25:51 Personal Monopoly and intersecting ideas through writing
• 29:17 Testing business models and writing with passion
• 30:27 Being the center of attention paralyzes us
• 32:28 The power of writing pseudonymously
• 34:52 Audience building is a game of compounding
• 37:45 How David Perell became successful on Twitter
• 39:24 Focusing on email, podcasting is a black box
• 40:29 Podcasts are an opportunity for trust
• 42:51 Podcasts coincide the most with ordinary life
• 45:15 Building the business school of the future
• 46:46 Building audience-first products

Premium Timestamps

• 0:49 David Perell's Flywheel business model
• 3:22 The difference between open and closed social platforms
• 6:02 YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world
• 8:42 The book as a business card, and a subscription podcast
• 12:50 David Perell's tips on building your audience

Links

• David Perell's Website
• David's Twitter
• Write of Passage

Credits

Supercasters is a Kelly&Kelly production. 

The show was created by Supercast, the easiest way to add a paid membership to your show. Get paid to podcast at supercast.com.

Pat and Matt share their stories on how Smart Passive Income came to be, partnering up as a team to scale the business, and insights on connecting with fans and listeners alike. From finding new listeners, to earning the ability to generate an income, this episode is packed with insights on how to get to scale, monetize and take your podcast to new heights. Enjoy!

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Subscribe to Supercasters Premium for FREE to get bonus content with every episode: premium.supercast.com (it’s free, takes 2 mins, no special apps to download).

For this episode, our bonus AMA with Pat & Matt covers how to get off the hamster wheel of feeling like you’re beholden to your content business and more.

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If you enjoy the podcast, we’d be honored if you could leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes. Help your fellow podcaster find us!

Follow Supercast: @supercast

Follow Jason: @jsewhoy

Timestamps

• 3:04 How Pat started Smart Passive Income
• 6:24 Joining forces with Pat: Matt's journey in leadership
• 9:17 Growing your listeners: Pat's approach to podcast growth
• 10:28 "Podcasting is the new blogging"
• 12:21 Where you should really focus to grow your show
• 13:36 Connect with the right people and collaborations
• 14:37 Look for pre-existing communities
• 16:04 The business side of things: Monetizing SPI
• 18:08 Patreon, memberships and choosing how to support you
• 18:55 Niche down to find your community
• 22:25 How to justify putting a price on something
• 23:31 Earn the trust of your listenership
• 24:37 "You've earned the ability to generate an income"
• 26:57 Do ads in podcasting still work?
• 29:39 The podcast is a two-way conversation
• 30:47 Survey your listeners, connect with them
• 31:26 Connect with listeners directly through membership
• 35:00 Pat on how to turn your listeners into paying members
• 35:50 The power of social media and following up directly wiith your fans
• 37:27 Every Friday, Pat Flynn sends out 50 messages to fans
• 39:47 Staying as a solopreneur vs. growing with a team
• 41:24 What are the priorities in your business?
• 42:42 "It starts and ends with vision"
• 44:34 Action without vision is an nightmare
• 46:16 Matt shares the Multi-Generational Plan of SPI
• 48:45 Upgrading your mentors and Pat's reflections
• 51:25 Work on your $1000/hr tasks
• 53:24 What to let go when starting over
• 54:32 The 3 lists of freedom
• 56:31 The challenge of stopping something you love doing

Links

• Internet Business Mastery
• Smart Passive Income
• Smart Passive Income Podcast
• AskPat 2.0
• Fusebox
• Pat Flynn's Twitter
• Matthew Gartland's LinkedIn
• Virtual Freedom by Chris Drucker
• Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman
• Australian Birth Stories by Sophie Walker
• Scanner School by Phil Lichtenberger

Credits

Supercasters is a Kelly&Kelly production. 

The show was created by Supercast, the easiest way to add a paid membership to your show. Get paid to podcast at supercast.com.