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When you’re looking around for new listeners, how much time do you spend thinking about the people who are already in contact with you? Today we’re going to look at how we can grow your podcast audience via your mailing list, what to do if you don’t have a big list, and how to use email to deepen the relationship with the listener once they’re following the show. Links MailerLite Hemingway app Remove the guesswork from your podcast's growthGet a podcast audit

Remote recording tools like SquadCast and Riverside are great. But if you can't afford another subscription, you might be surprised at what you can do with Zoom. Remove the guesswork from your podcast's growthGet a podcast audit

Your podcast is like a rope bridge connecting two islands. On one end is confusion, and on the other: clarity. Each episode is a wooden plank that forms part of that bridge. People will listen to your podcast if you can be clear on the transformation you’re offering, but when we’re busy shipping regular episodes, we can lose sight of that island of clarity. Let’s work on describing your show to your next listener, so they know exactly how it’s going to help them cross the bridge, and get the transformation they need. Links ChatGPT Write a letter to your future self Remove the guesswork from your podcast's growthGet a podcast audit

Your artwork is the first thing new listeners see, and if they like what they hear, it’ll take up permanent residence on their phones. Getting stand-out artwork for your show might not be as expensive or fraught a process as you think, and it could mean the difference between someone hitting Play, and scrolling straight past. Links Squoosh 99designs Fiverr Canva Dress: Fancy Remove the guesswork from your podcast's growthGet a podcast audit

It’s Monday, 9pm. You’ve had a long day, and all you want to do is watch the Bake Off and eat M&Ms. But tomorrow’s the day you release your next podcast episode, and you haven’t recorded anything! Sound familiar? Links Episode 21 of The Helpful Podcaster, about the Atomic Episode structure Calendly Zapier Notion Trello Remove the guesswork from your podcast's growthGet a podcast audit

There are three elements of trust: positive relationships, expertise, and consistency. We can show up each week and share our knowledge and insight, but I hear so many podcasters hold their listener at arm’s length, and most of them don’t know they’re doing it. The good news is there’s a really simple fix. Links Good Sound, Good Research: How Audio Quality Influences Perceptions of the Research and Researcher Samson Q2U Røde NT-USB Røde Procaster Heil PR 40 Remove the guesswork from your podcast's growthGet a podcast audit

There are three ways to stand out: be new, be better, or be louder. Being better takes time and is subjective. Being louder just means spending more money on marketing than the next person. Being new doesn’t mean starting from episode one – it could just be about being the first to do something differently. Links World’s Greatest Con Envato Elements Join the Helpful Podcasters community Remove the guesswork from your podcast's growthGet a podcast audit

Your audience will see your podcast name before they hear a word from you. Whether you’re starting a new show or considering a rebrand, could your name mean the difference between showing up first in podcast search results, or not showing up at all? Links You Are Not a Frog How I Built This Latina to Latina Join the free Helpful Podcasters community Remove the guesswork from your podcast's growthGet a podcast audit

What if a single sentence could help you galvanise your team, book the perfect guest, and give you a mile-long head start in branding your podcast? Resources Creating your listener persona: the first step to growing your podcast – Episode 24 Why we all need a ‘Just Cause’ – Simon Sinek Share your Listener Story Remove the guesswork from your podcast's growthGet a podcast audit

The biggest problem podcasters face is getting more listeners. But the first question we have to ask is “who is listener #1?” Who is going to love what you do, recommend it to their friends, and stick around for the call-to-action? Let’s find out. This is the Helpful Podcaster. Links How to create your listener persona – Mark’s free Podcast Canvas eBook Penner Collective Alan Wick The Happy Entrepreneur Podcast Remove the guesswork from your podcast's growthGet a podcast audit

Everything costs a million pounds right now. We’re all tightening our belts, working hard, and feeling the pinch. If your podcast isn’t making you money right now, it might feel like a luxury you can ill afford. But today I want to show you why recommitting, and reinvesting your time and energy into your podcast could be the best thing you do for your business in 2023. And it needn’t cost you any money… in fact, it might save you some. Key points Make your podcast the value centre of your business. Everything you do should be in service of one problem or question that your listener is dealing with. Specificity is key. Your podcast is your most valuable asset because it's at the intersection between utility and personality. Links Calmer Content Marketing The three-act structure for creating podcast interviews that keep listeners coming back Offers that sell during tough economic times – Jereshia Said Remove the guesswork from your podcast's growthGet a podcast audit

The Podcast Owner's Manual has rebranded, and is now The Helpful Podcaster. Register now for my free, invite-only Helpful Podcasters community. If you were already subscribed to the Podcast Owner's Manual, there's nothing you need to do, and new episodes will arrive as usual every Monday. But if you're new to this show, you can follow The Helpful Podcaster in your app now.

It feels good to pass on valuable advice, to change someone’s mind, or to spread an emotion, whether it’s unfettered joy or spine-tingling terror. We don’t share things because we like them – we share them because of what they say about us. So for those of us on a mission to make helpful podcasts, how can we speed up the spread? Links Share this podcast Beyond the Basement, with Chris Kenworthy A Smaller Life, with Saskia de Feijter Solopreneur Podcasting Tips, with Stephanie Fuccio Sal Jefferies Caroline Beavon Rockstar Remodel The A to Z of Happiness, with Anya Pearse

It's easy to fall into the trap of making our interviews all about the guest. Sure it means we get to tick the box that says “I showed up today”. But what value are we really creating for our listener? In this episode, I'm going to show you how you can make your guests feel like a hero while helping your listener overcome a difficult challenge. The more helpful we are to our listener, the more they trust us. The more they trust us, the more they'll want to work with us, buy our products, and join our communities. Key points Structure your podcast interviews around a central question or problem that your listeners are facing. Use a condensed version of the Hero's Journey to structure the interview into three parts: the guest, and how they discovered the answer to the listener’s problem the problem itself, going into more detail or discussing the challenges the listener: how they can apply what the guest has learned, to solve their problem

Is your podcast helping? More to the point. Who is it helping? Today we're gonna dig into the ingredients behind a helpful podcast so that you can build stronger, longer lasting relationships with the people you want to work with. The main tenets of the Helpful Podcast are: They put the listener first Each episode a central question They provide great show notes They form a body of work Links Better Bolder Braver What Google’s helpful content update means for podcasters The A-Z of Happiness

We’re service-orientated podcasters with a body of work behind us. We’re often so focused on the next episode that we don’t take time to look after our back catalogue. Let’s fix that right now, with three ways you can leverage your existing archive. Links Apple Podcasts Connect Notion AI

This groundbreaking AI tool makes writing show notes simpler and more effective, by providing a concise summary of the transcript with the most crucial information at the top. Plus, it adds valuable context and detail, which makes editing and creating show notes a breeze. It can remove the toughest elements of writing show notes, automatically generating summaries and context to make sure the information is accurate.

Podcasting is a powerful way to increase awareness and raise funds in the wake of a humanitarian crisis. We have a megaphone in our hands – do we have a responsibility to use it, and if so, what’s the best way? Links UK DEC American Red Cross Oxfam UNICEF Save the Children Beware of the Leopard

Our job as creators is to help our listeners fall in love with us. Here are three guiding principles to help explain what this means, and how we can do it. Links Free b-roll from Pexels Free stock video from Pixabay Videvo Dareful PodInbox Circle

AI has been heralded as our salvation and our damnation. Chatbots can save us time by creating reams of seemingly sensible text, but when everyone has access to it, aren’t we just creating a race to the middle? I don’t think there’s a simple right answer, so let’s have a play and see what happens. Links Dall-E ChatGPT Capsho – AI-generated show notes Nutrimatic Drinks Dispenser