The Showrunner

This week talk about launching your show — specifically, launching when you don’t have an established audience already.

What are some of the most important steps that you should take — and not take — during the first few weeks after your episodes go live, so that you can generate excitement, get some listeners and subscribers, and build positive momentum for the future?

Among the topics we discuss:

• Why having the right mindset, and realistic expectations, is so important.
• How to approach your launch like … a tropical vacation? (Yes.)
• The importance of having a home base for your show.
• What to consider when submitting your shows to the many different podcast directories.
• Why you need to “transfer enthusiasm” rather than just tell people about your new show.
• The value of thinking small.
• Why you need to maximize every marketing drop out of every episode (and one way in particular that you can’t forget about).
• The power of getting offline when promoting your new podcast.

And more.

[133] How to Improve Your Podcast Description (and Gain More New Listeners)
Your podcast’s description can have a big impact on your ability to attract new listeners.

By including relevant search keywords in your description, it can help you surface in more relevant searches, thus exposing you to additional potential audience members. And by choosing your words strategically, you can answer a few key questions that any potential audience member has when trying to decide whether to give your show a chance or not.

This week, we provide actionable tips and advice that help you improve your podcast description … and gain more new listeners in the process.

Among the topics we discuss:

• The objectives that you need to have for your podcast description
• The different elements of your show that your podcast description should clarify for your audience
• Why Molly Beck’s 3-sentence framework is a great starting place for improvising your podcast description
• The two biggest questions your podcast description needs to answer
• Why you shouldn’t overlook the importance of selling yourself in your podcast description

Here are the two articles we reference in this episode:

• The Template You Need To Write Your Podcast Show Description by Molly Beck (https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollyfordbeck/2018/08/09/the-template-you-need-to-write-your-podcast-show-description/#3b12def35064)
• How to Write a Better Podcast Description That Attracts New Listeners by The Podcast Dude (https://seanwes.com/podcastdude/066-how-to-write-a-better-podcast-description-that-attracts-new-listeners/)

Check out our sponsor Hover for your domain hosting needs. Go to Hover.com/Showrunner and get started today with 10% off your first purchase.

If you find this episode useful, you should also check out these recent episodes:

• [129] Are You Forgetting These Essential Elements of Your Podcast Category Page?
• [128] How to Build an Audience That Transcends Your Content: The 3 C’s Approach
• [124] How to Name Your Podcast for Maximum Listener Attraction

Connect with us:
• Website: Showrunner.fm
• Join the community: http://community.showrunner.fm/

Whether you’ve been building an email list for a while, or still haven’t even collected that first email address, there is something for you in this episode.

Among the topics we discuss:

• 6 reasons why you should build an email list to complement your podcast
• 8 different ways you can use email to deliver valuable content to your audience
• 3 questions to ask yourself to determine which type of email content you should produce.
• 5 rules of thumb to follow when setting up your email list (or reassessing it)

This week we have have a little fun by ranting about our podcasting pet peeves.

We also share some notable pet peeves that were posted by members of the Showrunner Podcasting Community.

And while it’s fun to rant, there is a larger purpose in doing this. If we understand what triggers podcast listeners to have a negative reaction, we can make sure we avoid those elements in our shows.

Here is the rundown:

• (2:12) Showrunner Spotlight: 90 Seconds with Harry Duran from Podcast Junkies and FullCast
• (7:40) How Hover (this week’s sponsor) makes it super simple to complete a domain forward … and other reasons to check them out. Do so at hover.com/showrunner
• (10:22) Main Topic Introduction: How understanding common listener pet peeves can help you craft a better show

And in this week’s main topic, we cover the following:

• We deliver our personal podcasting pet peeves
• We run through the common pet peeves cited in the Showrunner community — which centered around two particular areas: audio quality and respecting the time of your audience
• Steps you can take to analyze your show with an ear toward improving audio quality and getting to the point quicker
• The biggest mistakes interviewers make that annoy listeners
• The two different types of inside jokes that can be included in your show — and why one is to be avoided, but the other can actually help you build a stronger connection

And much more. We discuss a bunch of pet peeves — but more importantly, we provide you with some actionable advice for how to avoid them in your own shows.

Check out our sponsor Hover for your domain hosting needs. Go to Hover.com/Showrunner and get started today with 10% off your first purchase.

If you find this episode useful, you should also check out these recent episodes:

• [123] 3 Pieces of ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ That Will Help You Attract More Listeners
• [115] How to Improve Your Podcast Audio Production (with Toby Lyles)
• [112] 3 Tips for Crafting Thoughtful Interview Questions

Connect with us:
• Website: Showrunner.fm
• Join the community: http://community.showrunner.fm/

This week, we talk about how you can earn a profit from your podcast.

Some of the methods we discuss are about how to earn money from your podcast. Other methods that we discuss have nothing to do with money at all. But they all fall under the umbrella of podcast profitability — and we explain how.

Your challenge as you listen is to identify at least one method you aren’t currently using and figure out how you can incorporate it into your podcast profitability mix.

Among the topics we discuss:

• How we define “profitability” for podcasting
• The differences between direct, indirect, and intrinsic (better described as intangible?) profitability
• 6 ways to earn direct profit from your podcast — including sponsorships, listener support, and … charging GUESTS? (WHAT!?)
• 11 ways to earn indirect profit from your podcast — including lead generation, networking, and building an audience to sell them stuff
• 6 ways to earn intrinsic profit from your podcast — including perks, fellowship, and ego gratification

And so much more.

We also answer some questions from live viewers:

• How much of the pre-selling of a sponsorship should be done on your website? Or do you make your customized pitch to their face?
• How do you get social media followers to actually become listeners?
• What is the lag time between regularly publishing your podcast and monetizing it?

We really jam a lot into this episode. But the most important thing is that you consider the challenge we lay out at the beginning, take it to heart, and follow through on it.

Have you checked out our new podcasting community? We are building the most supportive and helpful podcasting community on the web, and we’d love to have you join us: http://community.showrunner.fm

If you find this episode useful, you should also check out these recent episodes:

• [128] How to Build an Audience That Transcends Your Content: The 3 C’s Approach
• [094] Sponsorships or Affiliate Marketing: Which Is Better for Your Podcast?
• [075] Why Podcast Advertising Works (and How to Get Started), with Glenn Rubenstein

Connect with us:
• Website: Showrunner.fm
• Join the community: http://community.showrunner.fm/

This week we discuss a topic that is easy to overlook: your podcast category (aka archive) page on your website.

But we aren’t overlooking it. Not only is it the topic of this week’s Accountability Challenge in the Showrunner Podcasting Community, but we also recently updated our podcast archive page too.

What purpose does this page serve? What essential elements should it include? We’ll walk you through the basics that every one of these pages should have.

Among the topics we discuss:

• Why the data suggests you shouldn’t overlook the importance of your podcast category page
• The three questions people come to your podcast category page with — which your on-page content needs to answer
• A handful of elements that are must-haves for any podcast category page
• A few additional ideas for helpful, but non-mandatory, elements

We also shine the Showrunner Spotlight on a sextet of members of the Showrunner Podcasting Community. These folks have been the most active members over the first few weeks of the community, and we wouldn’t have achieved the early growth and enthusiasm that we have without them.

Check out our sponsor Hover for your domain hosting needs. Go to Hover.com/Showrunner and get started today with 10% off your first purchase.

If you find this episode useful, you should also check out these recent episodes:

• [128] How to Build an Audience That Transcends Your Content: The 3 C’s Approach
• [123] 3 Pieces of ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ That Will Help You Attract More Listeners
• [117] What Are You Avoiding That You Know You Should Be Doing?

Connect with us:
• Website: Showrunner.fm
• Join the community: http://community.showrunner.fm/

This week we talk about how you can move beyond just connecting with your listeners through your content.

We lay out the step-by-step process you have to go through to actually to build a community that transcends your content, and the benefits that you, as the showrunner, reap when you do.

Among the topics we discuss:

• Why you can’t skip steps in this process.
• The foundational power of the one-to-one connection between host and listener, and how to both provide and seek opportunities to connect.
• The difference between congregation and community, and some ideas for providing opportunities for congregation.
• What “community” really means when it comes to a podcast audience, and how you can facilitate its growth and development.
• The benefits you receive as a showrunner for investing in the long-term process of developing connection, congregation, and community.

We also shine the Showrunner Spotlight on Chris Stanley, the founder of IA Path (http://iapath.com/) and the host of the Independent Adjuster podcast.

Have you checked out our new podcasting community? We are building the most supportive and helpful podcasting community on the web, and we’d love to have you join us. http://community.showrunner.fm

f you find this episode useful, you should also check out these recent episodes:

• [126] Behind the Scenes of Our Recent Community Launch
• [113] Why You Should Podcast
• [84] The Value of Meeting Your Audience in Person

Connect with us:
• Website: Showrunner.fm
• Join the community: http://community.showrunner.fm/

This week we are going to walk you through a simple process that will help you … change the world. Seriously.

Because the only way to change the world is through ideas, but it will never happen with subpar, under-developed ideas, or without knowing how to give your ideas a real opportunity to spread.

While we certainly don’t know all the secrets to how ideas spread, but we do understand how to help you give your best ideas a chance. And we’re going to talk about it this week.

Among the topics we discuss:

• How to capture your ideas, and then filter out the ones worth pursuing further
• The benefits of exposing your ideas and then observing the feedback
• The importance of expanding where you publish
• The consequential difference between repurposing and republishing
• Why you need to systematize your process for repurposing and explore new channels for publishing

We also shine the Showrunner Spotlight on Kathrin Bussman, who is a member of The Showrunner Podcasting Course and the host of The Worldly Marketer Podcast, which supports her business Verbaccino.

Check out our sponsor Hover for your domain hosting needs.

Go to Hover.com/Showrunner and get started today with 10% off your first purchase.

If you find this episode useful, you should also check out these recent episodes:

• [126] Behind the Scenes of Our Recent Community Launch
• [103] What Should I Do with My Archive?
• [097] Are You Doing Enough with Your Best Ideas?

And here is the name of the Copyblogger article referenced in the episode: Quality Over Quantity: Repurpose Your Best Ideas and Distribute Them Far and Wide. (https://www.copyblogger.com/repurpose-distribute/)

Connect with us:
• Website: Showrunner.fm
• Join the community: http://showrunner.fm/community

This week we are going to talk about something very exciting that has been going on over the past six days: the relaunch of the Showrunner Podcasting Community.

We’re less than a week in, and the community already has more than 150 members.

• Where are we hosting it?
• Why did we make that choice?
• What are our goals with the community?
• And how have things taken off so rapidly?

We’ll discuss in this episode — in hopes that you can apply some of what we have learned to your own community-building endeavors.

Oh, and we’ll let you know how you can join for free during this short beta launch window. (It’s easy, just go here: http://showrunner.fm/community)

We also highlight this week’s Showrunner Spotlight on Sally Fox, the host of Vital Presence.

So settle in, turn the volume up, and come along on this week’s path toward becoming a better showrunner.

Connect with us:

• Website: Showrunner.fm
• Join the community: http://showrunner.fm/community

This week we are going to talk about a new framework that will help you think about how you are positioning your podcast.

And if it feels like we’ve been hitting this topic of positioning a lot in recent weeks … good! It should.

The deeper and deeper we delve into one-on-one conversations and consulting with you and your fellow showrunners, the more we are realizing that positioning is one of the areas proving most challenging to identify and define, but also the most rewarding when pinpointed correctly.

So we are going to try to get you one step closer this week.

Here is the overview of the framework, which go in-depth discussion in this episode:

• WHO are you talking to?
• WHAT do they aspire to learn/do/become?
• WHY do they want this?
• HOW do they get there?

Seeing it in bullets like that may make it all seem pretty obvious. But the magic is in the intersection between the bullet points, and that’s what we try to tease out in this episode.

We also learn about Jonny’s daily push-up regimen, something interesting he learned this week, and we shine the Showrunner Spotlight on Andy Wang. Andy is the host of Inspired Money, and he also gave a great talk at Podcast Movement this week. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3z9PhB1eQw

Check out our sponsor Hover for your domain hosting needs. Go to Hover.com/Showrunner and get started today with 10% off your first purchase.

If you find this episode useful, you should also check out these past episodes:

• [005] What Does It Mean to Be a Showrunner?
• [107] Is Podcasting a Good Way to Reach My Target Audience?
• [114] Is Your Podcast Positioning on Point?

Connect with us:
• Connect with Jerod on Twitter: @JerodMorris
• Connect with Jonny on Twitter: @JonNastor
• Website: Showrunner.fm