Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast with Courtney Elmer | Podcasting Strategies for Growing a Podcast That Converts

We all know downloads aren’t the best metric for growing a podcast. And yet we still log into our hosting platform, check our downloads, and use that number to decide if our show is working (or worth continuing).

That’s one of the biggest podcasting mistakes you can make, and the only way to fix it is to start tracking the 4 metrics that show if you’re actually reaching new listeners, keeping them listening, and turning them into le...

If people are listening to your podcast, but not clicking your links, joining your list, or buying your stuff, your listener journey is probably missing a few key steps.

Vance Morris spent years behind the scenes at The Walt Disney Company learning how to engineer user behavior, and he’s about to show you how to apply the same audience psychology principles to guide listener action inside your podcast.

If you’re ready to fi...

What makes Walt Disney World the one place most people can’t wait to go back to? It’s not the rides, the characters, or the fireworks. It’s how every moment is engineered to guide exactly what Disney wants you to do next. 

Vance Morris spent years behind the scenes as a Disney exec learning exactly how they do it, and he’s going to show you the Disney “magic” that’ll help you keep listeners engaged in between episodes, what to say a...

85% of podcast hosts are publishing on the most crowded day of the week, which makes it harder for their show to get seen when a new episode drops. I’m breaking down two truths and a lie about when to release your episodes, why consistency isn’t the key to growing a podcast, and why publishing episodes doesn’t mean people will find them. You’ll also learn the simple way to choose a release day that gives your show a better chance o...

Most podcasters are using CTAs in their episodes and still getting zero clicks, signups, or sales. It’s not because CTAs don’t work. It’s because they’re placed at the wrong time, in the wrong spot, and said in a way listeners ignore. 

If you’re wondering where CTAs belong (and where they KILL listener engagement), how to time them so listeners don’t get ad fatigue, and what to say so they feel like part of the content and not a ran...

Most podcasters think AI speeds things up, when in reality they’re spending more time fighting with the AI and fixing what it writes.

Podcast systems expert Joe Casabona is here to show you the one warning sign you’ve become too reliant on AI and how it’s making you 9% dumber (according to the WSJ). Plus the 3-question test that reveals when AI is helping your workflow or when task automation is the smarter tool to use instead.

If yo...

Most creators are using AI podcasting tools in a way that hurts their podcast’s credibility without even realizing it.

Podcast systems expert Joe Casabona is breaking down what listeners pick up on when you use AI in your podcast content, why "sounding more polished" doesn’t always lead to better engagement or listener action, and exactly where to draw the line so the AI you're using to make your show better doesn&apo...

What makes the difference between a podcast listeners like and one they trust enough to act on? It’s not your episode length, your guest list, or how much “value” you pack into the conversation. It’s how your message makes listeners feel about themselves while they’re hearing it.

I'm breaking down the three psychology-backed communication patterns that help listeners see you as the expert they should follow and make listeners f...

Unless they have a word-of-mouth recommendation, most listeners decide whether your podcast is worth their time before they hit play. And if they can’t immediately tell why your show is relevant to them personally, they’ll choose one of the countless other podcasts competing for their attention instead.

That’s why I’m breaking down the four signs that help you spot whether listeners are skipping your show, what makes a podcast insta...

If no one is sharing your episodes, recommending your show, or mentioning it in their communities, the problem usually isn’t the quality of your content. It’s how (and where) you’re asking people to engage with it.

Podcasting Hall of Famer Arielle Nissenblatt is breaking down the podcasting mistakes that make a show harder to share, from email newsletters that train subscribers to ignore you to podcast pitches that get deleted befor...

Most podcasters think getting new listeners is about promotion: more clips, more posts, more ads. But if people find your show and don't hit follow, your downloads won’t change and “more promotion” won't fix it.

Podcasting Hall of Famer Arielle Nissenblatt is unpacking why not every podcast automatically earns an audience, and what makes a listener decide if a show is worth following in the first place. She exposes what yo...

Apple Podcasts just rolled out a new video experience, and the industry is split down the middle. Some are calling it transformative. Others are calling it irrelevant. But the real question is: what does this actually mean for your show?

I'm breaking down what’s changed inside Apple Podcasts (in plain English), why this update improves user experience but does NOT improve podcast discovery, and when video podcasting makes sense...

It doesn’t matter how good your episodes are if listeners can't find them. You can add video, guest on other podcasts, or post on social media, but if your podcast isn’t showing up in search, you're missing out on 70% of listeners who find new shows that way every day.

I’m breaking down the 3 podcast SEO moves that took this show from ranking #97 in search to consistently landing in the top 1–3 and increasing downloads 41%...

There are the podcasters who publish an episode, close their laptop, and hope the right listeners somehow find it. Then there are ones who understand that if their show doesn’t appear in search, it might as well not exist.

Fellow podcaster Eve Hall knows what it feels like to be invisible to the very listeners you’re trying to serve. But instead of recording more episodes or chasing the next podcast marketing tactic, she made a few ...

You don’t need a massive podcast audience to get media attention, because in the PR world, downloads aren’t what open doors.

Media experts Bridget Sicsko and Lydia Bagarozza are back to break down the exact PR system podcasts your size can use in just 1–2 hours a week to get quoted and featured in top media publications, plus how to turn that visibility into bigger guests and stronger partnerships instead of a one-time win.

If you’re...

If you’ve been telling yourself that bigger downloads are the reason other podcasts land better guests, sponsors, and opportunities, think again. 

PR and media experts Bridget Sicsko and Lydia Bagarozza are breaking down what actually gets small podcasts taken seriously, and how you can get quoted and featured in top media and PR publications to build social proof for your show with fewer than 100 downloads an episode. 

If you want d...

Your podcast might not be invisible. It's also possible that new listeners are seeing it every day but scrolling right past it.

In this Fix My Pod coaching session, I’m sitting down with estate planning attorney Sara Ecklein to pinpoint what her podcast was accidentally communicating to new listeners, where her cover art and show title were losing clicks, and what to change so the right listener instantly thinks, “Holy cow, thi...

If you’ve ever opened your content calendar, stared at a blank doc, and wondered whether skipping a week of publishing would really be that bad, this one’s for you. 

Instead of forcing an idea or recycling old content, I’m sharing 5 stealthy ways to come up with episode ideas fast, plus exactly how I decide what to record when my brain is empty and an episode needs to go live in less than 24 hours.

If you need a way out of the panic ...

Most podcasters think their podcast messaging is clear enough until they realize the listeners they want are scrolling straight past it.

PodLaunch Accelerator grad Anthony Craiker learned this the hard way after launching a podcast that only a handful of people ever listened to. So he rebuilt his show from the inside out, earned an Apple Top 100 spot during his relaunch, and is showing you how to make your show the one listeners cho...