August 26, 2024 • 26 mins
In this episode, Sober Steve breaks down the five distinct zones every podcaster experiences on their journey from launching to generating reliable income. Whether you're just starting out or already seeing momentum, understanding where you are and what steps to take next is crucial for your podcast's success.
- Pre-Launch Zone (Podcrastinating): Struggling to launch? Overcome tech frustration, perfectionism, and pod envy with practical tips to get your podcast off the ground.
- Launch Struggles Zone (Pod-Pouting): Not seeing the downloads you hoped for? Learn how to boost your growth with a 72-hour marketing strategy and more.
- Momentum Building Zone (Pod-Paddling): You’ve got some traction, but how do you keep it going? Focus on building expert positioning, increasing engagement, and refining your offers.
- Business Traction Zone (Pod-Powering): With 500+ downloads per episode, it's time to streamline your offers, raise prices, and invest in further growth.
- Zone of Reliable Income, Impact, and Growth (PodParenting): You're thriving with over 1K downloads and a clear client bridge. Keep your focus on serving your ideal listeners and maintaining work-life balance.
Ready to move to the next zone?
- Free Brainstorm Coaching: If you haven't launched and are Podcrastinating
- Free Tune-Up: If you've launched but aren't a Proud Pod Parent yet
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Steve (00:00):
Hey, they're podcasting that as is it's your host sober
Steve, the podcast guy.
Welcome to another episode ofpodcasting.
Bad-ass this week, we're goingto be jumping right in as I talk
about the five different zonesto podcasting.
The symptoms of where you mightbe able to find yourself in each
stage and tips on how to get tothe next level from there.
So let's jump right in the firststage that I find most of my
(00:24):
clients at is the pre-launchzone.
It's before they've launchedtheir podcast.
I got this from my mentor, wecall it the podcast donating
zone, because it is when youknow, or you think, you know
that you wanted to launch apodcast, but you haven't done it
yet.
So signs and symptoms of being apodcast, Nater would be that you
(00:45):
have pod envy.
When you see other people withpodcasts, you think it's super
cool.
You admire them, but you're alsoa little bit jealous that
they're out there doing thatthing that you want to do, and
they're doing it already.
And it seems like they'rekilling it and you want to be
killing it, but you don't knowwhere to start, And one of the
reasons why you might not knowwhere to start or haven't
launched your podcast yet.
And might be procrastinating isbecause you have a bit of a
(01:08):
perfectionist complex.
I get it.
I can relate.
I've been there multiple timesand I can still get there if I'm
not consciously trying to remindmyself regularly that my
listeners love it when I'mmyself and I am not a perfect
human being, nor are any of myclients or any podcasters I've
ever met out there, we have ourlows, we have our strong
moments.
We have our weak moments.
(01:29):
We have our bloopers and in thatgiant mix of content that we put
out there for our listeners.
It shows our listeners, who weare as humans.
And they fall in love with usand our brand and our content.
And will stay with us no matterwhat.
And that is a beauty ofpodcasting that you get from
this form of media and that youdon't get in a lot of other
mediums.
Where you don't have tonecessarily strive for perfect
(01:49):
each week, as long as you'reshowing up and you're being
yourself.
And so having to shift thatbecause so many times we think
that everything that we need todo needs to be perfect.
I've talked with people whohaven't launched yet, but they
have a dozen episodes recordedor 20 interviews recorded.
And they're just afraid to putthe content out there because
they're afraid of what peopleare going to think about it.
(02:10):
This is also where you run intotech frustrations could be
another big barrier for youbecause you've been overwhelmed
at the idea and concept oftechnology and that the idea of
having to buy a microphone andlearn these programs, or have to
find the help to learn theseprograms or outsource it.
The entire roadmap of thetechnical, how to have
podcasting just overwhelms youso much that you've been afraid
(02:32):
to even open that book and startdiving into looking at what that
actually looks like in astep-by-step kind of way.
And so it's overwhelming andit's scary.
And again, I get it.
So many of my clients start offthat way and I have to work with
them on getting past thatbecause part of it is using my
tools and tips and tricks thatI've learned from my years and
years of doing this.
But part of it is also justrealizing that a lot of these.
(02:55):
Tech frustrations.
And a lot of our desire to beperfect are things that we're
just setting on ourselves thatare not necessarily rules that
exist out in the podcastingworld, but rules that we've
created for ourselves and howwe're supposed to be living our
life.
And that necessarily isn't truefor podcasting, nor is it
necessarily true for living yourown life on a day-to-day basis.
And so that's a great lessonthat I've learned about life
(03:17):
through podcasting.
If you find yourself in that podcrest donating zone, where you
don't know how to get over thosehurdles, you still want
everything to be perfect and youdon't know how to make it.
Perfect.
There are certain ways that youcan work on that.
First of all, is just gettingreally in touch with what your
podcast will be about, who itwill serve, what the purpose of
(03:38):
it will be, because the morethat you're able to then dial
into search engine optimizationwith the names and the
descriptions and the titles andthat podcast at that point, when
you know who you're trying toreach and what that message that
you're trying to give them is.
At that point, your podcast canstart to write itself.
I always recommend for newclients to write out at least a
(04:00):
52 week content list of 52episodes, you can create.
That way, if you're doing itonce a week, it's a full year of
podcasting.
Of course, some of my clients dotwice a week podcast to they'll
hit it there and half a year.
But either way.
It's great to make sure thatyou're able to have that amount
of content, because if you're10, 11, 12 episodes in an
already struggling with findingwhat to talk about next, that's
(04:23):
going to be a real hard roadgetting to episode a hundred at
that point.
But I knew when I was outlining,what I would want to talk about
in this podcast before evenincorporated my guest episodes
that are about two thirds of myepisodes, I had 52 so plus solo
episodes, and I was able to sitdown and write them out in half
an hour, because it was easy forme because I love podcasting.
(04:46):
I love talking about podcastingand these topics for me write
themselves.
And so when you're able to sitdown and know who it is that
you're talking to about whatthat content can write itself.
So write out that content listof your episode ideas.
Focus on launching with aboutfive to different types of
episodes and topics that willfit into that niche and tell
(05:06):
that story in one broad strokeof what your podcast will be
about.
So if you're doing differentformats of episodes, try and
have one of each in your lunch.
It's really show what yourlisteners can expect, and you're
not just giving them one littlepiece and hoping they come back
for future pieces.
And if all else fails and youstill find yourself stuck on, I
(05:26):
know I want to be a podcaster.
I know I have a podcastingbad-ass within me, but I just
don't know how to make itappear.
Help me get over thispodcrastinating.
I remember I have freebrainstorming sessions where you
are able to come on the show.
We talk half an hour.
One-on-one about advice on howto turn your business or brand
or idea for a podcast into ashow and what those formats will
(05:49):
life would look like and how wecan make it a success.
And I take the best parts of it.
And show it to all my listenersout here, as you can hear in a
lot of my brainstorm episodes,but all of that information is
just yours to take with and dowith however, you please.
And it's a great way to getstarted and move from
podcrastinating into being inactual podcaster, which is so
(06:13):
bad-ass my clients, the momentthat they start seeing their
trailers go live and startrecording their episodes and
planning that lunch day.
Not to mention on launch day andbeyond.
It's just so exciting gettingout of that stage and into the
podcasting zones where you areactually releasing content.
So with that, we'll move on tothe first stage that a lot of
(06:35):
new podcasters find themselvesin.
If they've launched.
On their own, especially, andthat would be the launch
struggles zone.
I counter so many of my tune upclients that start off here,
I've teasingly called it the podpouting zone, because it is
where you are releasing yourepisodes out into the universe.
(06:57):
And to you, it feels like allyou hear back is echoes that
you're not getting audienceengagement, that you are hoping
to start in that range of athousand downloads in the first
30 days.
That is every podcaster's dream.
But in reality, you get yourstats and you're maybe at a
dozen, a couple dozen episodes.
You're definitely less than ahundred.
(07:17):
And those 20 to a hundred peoplethat are listening to you each
week, aren't reaching out.
They're not emailing you.
They're not commenting on yoursocial media posts that you're
doing.
They're not with you the waythat you want them to be on this
journey and you're not makingmoney and you're not getting
business out of it.
And so it's causing thisfrustration.
That is understandable becausewe podcasts because we want to
(07:40):
connect with people.
If we wanted to.
Just talk out into a void, wewould make an audio diary and
then just stop it right thereand not go through the process
of editing it and posting it andsharing it on social media.
But we're doing all of thatbecause we have a message we
want to share with people.
And when we feel like it's notbeing heard, it can be
discouraging.
So we find ourselves pod poutingover.
(08:01):
I don't know what I'm doingwrong.
I believe in my content.
And so ways that you can getpast that.
I definitely recommend using a72 hour marketing strategy for
new episodes on social media.
Wherever you'd prefer socialmedia to spend your time, but
having a strategy of knowingwhat type of content you're
going to be posting to promotethese episodes.
(08:23):
A lot of times in the podpouting zone, when I'm talking
about.
People's podcasts and whythey're not getting engagement.
I ask about their social mediaexperiences and there's not much
to report back there becausethey're not posting regularly.
So make sure when you releasecontent that you also know how
you're going to be promoting thecontent and that you're doing
it.
I also recommend if you're notalready doing it as part of your
(08:45):
episode formats to includecoaching style episodes, because
those generally.
Increased listener engagement aswell as the engagement of the
people that you're coaching.
And make sure that you have avery firm and clear call to
action.
And they're wondering why peopledon't respond back, but I say
what are you asking them torespond with?
What's your call to action.
Are you asking them to followyou on social media and talk
(09:08):
with you there?
Or are you asking them to emailyou.
Are you asking them to sign upfor your coaching program?
Are you asking them to sign upfor this?
Free workshop that you're doing,what is it that you want them to
do?
And I hear one of two answers.
Generally, the one that I hearfrom some people in this
podcasting zone is that theyoffer all of those calls to
(09:28):
action that throughout onesingle episode, they will tell
the listener to do five to 10different things.
In addition to listen to theepisode.
Or they don't do any of them.
It is very rare.
I find someone in the podpouting zone that says that they
have one clear call to action.
That people aren't engaging withit's because you either have too
(09:48):
many or you don't have any, somake sure you, your listeners as
well as what your call to actionis.
And that it's the same weekafter week.
I have a lot of different offersand programs in my sleeps, but
the ones that I talk aboutconsistently from episode to
episode are my brainstormingsessions and my tuneups that I
offer for free to my listenershere, because that's the perfect
(10:09):
next step for you all in yourpodcasting journey, to get to
know me better, to start to seewhether we're going to work well
together or not.
So knowing for you, what yourcall to action is for your
listeners and making sure thatyou're consistent with that
messaging will help with thatengagement.
And also.
Investing in podcast player appsthere's a lot of times people
say that they spend money onFacebook ads or Instagram ads or
(10:32):
this ad or this directory orthis thing.
And they don't see the return oninvestment, but my clients that
invest in podcast player, appads, See excellent returns on
their investment.
So this would be a perfectexample of someone in the pod
pouting zone would reallybenefit from one of these free
tune-ups that I just mentioned.
That's when I talked to someonewho already has an existing
(10:52):
podcast, like my brainstormepisodes, but it's for existing
podcasts.
And we talk about what your painpoints are, where you're
struggling, and I audit yourepisodes and podcasts and tell
you how you can grow it.
And you can take all thatfeedback and grow it in five and
10 times, your downloads fromthere.
And I am happy to report thatmost of the time, if people are
listening to these episodesregularly and definitely if they
(11:14):
are my clients, you can skipthis pod outing zone.
It is not.
The natural progression of everysingle podcaster, but this stage
is more of a side effect of whathappens when you launch without
a clear strategy and plan.
My clients almost always skip onpast stage two and jump right
into the momentum building zone.
Which is what I call podpaddling, because they're really
(11:37):
learning how to swim in thiscurrent, a podcasting.
They're getting a hundred tomaybe 500 downloads per episode
in that first month.
So they're already in the top.
50% of podcasting when it comesto stats.
They're getting some incomeproduced, but it's
inconsistently.
Maybe it's one client once in ablue moon or they have a small
(11:57):
Patrion community.
That's just paying thepodcasting dues and fees from
your different apps andprograms.
You're getting some income, butit's not the income that you
were dreaming of when youstarted the podcast, your
content flow is consistent.
You are releasing your episodesregularly.
Most people can't get to ahundred or more.
(12:17):
Downloads in those first 30days, if they're not being
regular with their content.
So that right content flow isconsistent and their social
media is consistent.
And you might sometimes hearsome engagement with your show
in those little bits, reallymake your day and keep you
going.
But you again want more becauseyou did this to get that
engagement.
And so the engagement isstarting, but could be stronger.
(12:40):
So in this pod paddling stage.
You're really starting to do allthe right things, but there are
shortcuts that you can take tolearn how to tread and paddle
and swim a little bit faster.
That includes continue to focuson building an expert position
with your coaching episodes andyour solo episodes, making sure
that you are the expert on yourshow, two thirds of the time,
(13:03):
and do your best to try and bemore engaging, not just with
your episodes on your podcast,but also with things like live
streams on social media.
Instagram is huge with that aswell as Tik TOK.
If either one of those apps areyour cup of tea, my.
Clients that use those apps forlives have great listener
engagement.
(13:23):
You can also then go into doing.
Audience engagement through yourpodcasts, like using the bus
sprout texts, the show to starteach episode with an audience,
mailbag of questions or answersand engagement.
Get things going where there'scontests for reviews, where they
might win a freebie or agiveaway or some of your
(13:44):
services or trial or whateverworks for your podcast in your
niche, but do these things thatwill get people to be engaging
with your content, both withyour podcast and your social
media, that really make themfeel like they're a part of the
show and contributing to thiscommunity that you're building.
If you are using this to buildyour revenue, which most of my
clients are, is to simplify youroffers down to one or two and
(14:08):
consider raising your prices.
This is the point where you'vestarted to get some engagement
and people are asking you aboutyour offers and you're getting a
client here, a client there.
But because they're so few andfar between these clients
contend to make special requestsof can I have this little thing
where it's a little bitdifferent instead?
And client and my clients, mypodcasters say, I said yes to
(14:31):
that person, next thing I knew,my one or two offers that I had
grew into five or six or 10offers.
Just like how back when you werein the pod pouting zone
potentially.
And you had to make sure thatyou had that one clear call to
action.
In the pod paddling zone, youneed to make sure that if you're
making offers to your clientswho listened to your podcast or
your listeners, that you'rehaving the one or two.
(14:53):
Offers that you're able to have.
So you don't get that overwhelm.
And consider raising your pricesbecause with this experience
that you've been building, youdo have that experience to be
able to raise it and create thatvalue in your program that
you're offering these peoplebecause it works.
And keep on investing back intoyour podcast, not only with ads,
but with other growthstrategies.
(15:13):
And sign up for a tune-up.
If you haven't already.
It's excellent.
If you're past the pod poutingzone and you don't need me to
help you cover the basics, thatmakes it even more exciting for
me because when we meet for yourtune-up and you already have
your vision and your socialmedia and everything, like all
the basics already covered,that's when we can really get
into the nitty gritty of thesecreative and unique ways to
(15:35):
really start growing your showin a way that's unique to you
and your audience.
That's going to wow.
People, because this is whereyou really need to start working
on making your show unique andstanding out against the crowd,
because that's, what's going toget you from the pod paddling
zone.
Into the next zone, the stagefor the pod powering zone.
Because this is when yourbusiness is really gaining
(15:56):
traction.
You are getting anywhere from500 to just under a thousand
downloads per episode, andyou're creating a meaningful but
inconsistent income.
So you're getting more clientsthan in the pod.
Paddling zone bills are startingto get paid.
You're not having to worry everynight about where that next meal
will come from or what yourpartner might say about your
(16:17):
podcasting journey or yourbusiness journey.
You're not worried about thatnecessarily, but you're not
going to be retiring on yourpodcasting and business income
that you're making right now.
There's room to grow still.
And we can help do thattogether.
You're also having thisconsistent content flow, not
only with your podcasts, butwith your social media, your
(16:39):
audience knows who you arebecause you've been engaging
with these people consistently.
Through social media, as well asthrough whatever offers in
contest and mail bags thatyou're doing with your show and
your Patrion communitypotentially, or wherever you're
connecting with your people.
You're connecting so regularlythat you built this entire
community around you.
That's helping you pod powerthrough the next stage.
(17:02):
And so ways that you cancontinue to work on that.
Yes.
To build your expertpositioning.
Not only making sure that you'redoing this on your show every
single week, because at thispoint.
Let's face it.
If you are getting this manydownloads and getting that much
of a conversion, your audienceknows you very well, but make
sure that you're also being onother podcasts and, doing social
(17:22):
media on other platforms.
Make sure that you're guestingon other podcasts and not just
the podcasts that come to yousaying, Hey, we love you so
much.
Come on our show, but go lookingfor podcasts that are bigger
than yours that have largeraudiences.
Knowing that you have somethingunique and special to offer them
and get landed on those shows inthe top 200 that are going to
launch you into the top 200 aswell.
(17:45):
And then from there, it's just,sky's the limit with podcasting.
So you want to make sure thatexpert positioning isn't just on
your show, but everywhere.
And that you're engaging morewith these live streams and Q
and A's.
And you're again, just assimplifying these offers as
you're building your brand andyour business more, because your
one-on-one time is becoming moreand more valuable.
(18:06):
So if you are at your capacityof one-on-one clients at this
point, And your podcasting feelslike you're ready to cap out and
you can't take on any newclients.
That's when you need to startalso being like, all right, how
can I take these offers that Ihave right now that have a lot
of one-on-one time and scale itback to something where I'm able
to do something else and be ableto offer group classes, group
(18:27):
programs workshops, videos of medoing what I do best that they
can access instead, you want tomake sure that your time is
being spent meaningfully so thatyou can really graduate onto the
final phase of podcasting, thepodcasting phase that everyone
always dreams about.
And the final way to do that asalso be constantly reinvesting
(18:48):
in podcast growth.
You had to spend money to makemoney.
So at this point, if you don'talready have a podcasting
mentor, or a podcast community,a hive-mind of some sort that
you're using to help you growand push yourself to get onto
the next level, you need to befinding that.
Getting these ad strategiesgoing where you know exactly
where your podcasting dollarsare coming in, where they're
(19:10):
going out more is coming in andthat's going out, which is nice.
But that, that going out intoadvertising.
Never stops because that's whatfeeds that wheel.
That's going to keep yourbusiness and brand growing as
your podcast continues.
So make sure that you arecontinuing to reinvest in your
podcast growth, if you are acoach or a service provider who
(19:31):
offers a product or an offer, Wealready talked about simplifying
your offers that you're offeringon your podcast.
You also want to make sure thatif you're doing.
Any sort of business whereyou're offering a one-on-one
time with these clients.
If you find yourself getting tothe point where your one-on-one
time is maxing out.
Figuring out how you can adjustthat so that you do more group
work or online video tutorials.
(19:53):
And that you're able to shift itso that as your business is
growing and expanding, and yourschedule is filling up, that
you're able to readjust thatschedule and shift your offers
around to make sure that.
Your time is being spent in thebest way possible.
And that oftentimes includesswitching those offers around a
little bit, tweaking them andraising prices and continuing to
(20:15):
reinvest in your podcast growth.
Keep that wheel of advertisingto new listeners, to clients,
taking those clients andreinvesting some of that revenue
back into ads and keep thatwheel turning.
Never let it stop because themoment that you stop the wheels
slow down and then people arelike why did my download stop?
And I'm like how's youradvertising going?
And they're like I was getting500, 600 downloads a week.
(20:38):
So I stopped.
And I'm like What happened afteryou stopped?
The download slowed down.
You want to keep on doing thatif you want those results to
continue.
So keep that going.
As you're making more money,spend more money in those ads.
And then you'll find yourself inthe.
Zone that every podcaster dreamsof it is the zone of reliable
income impact and growth.
(21:00):
So I like to call this the stagewhere you are going to be pod
parenting for me, I would saypod parenting is at that point
where you are at the top of thepodcasting.
Community, not only with yourown show, but other podcasters
look at you and say wow, becausenot only does your show have
over a thousand downloads eachnew episode within its first 30
days, but you're steadilyincreasing income month after
(21:22):
month.
Not only are you not having toworry about where the bills are
being paid, but you're payingoff debt and making investments
into your future.
And you're doing grownup shitthat you never thought you'd be
able to do with money.
That's coming from your businessand the business.
Is growing because of yourpodcast or your podcast has
become your business or whereverthat little orobourous of
(21:44):
podcasting to business, torevenue, to growth works for
you.
The way that you're buildingyour podcast and your brand,
it's beautiful.
And you get to this stagebecause you have clearly define
your community to client bridge,exactly.
When people find you, how theyfind you.
When they find you, the firstthing that they do.
(22:05):
Which is oftentimes listening toyour show.
And, the second thing that theydo, which is then signing up for
your newsletter or doing atune-up or a brainstorm in my
case, or, you know what theirnext steps are as they go
through the journey, after theydo X, Y, Z, that's around the
time that most people sign upand then once they graduate from
this program or do this, thenthis is the next stage that they
go on to.
(22:26):
And you have this client journeythat you have very clearly
defined and it's working inbuilding itself.
You're having a lot of fun whiledoing it.
Because this all feels verynatural.
If you're into the Japaneseconcept of icky guy, it's very
much a dat where you are knowingthat like your podcast is
helping people and it's makingyou money and it's helping
(22:46):
people make money or changingtheir life.
However, your podcast isdesigned to change lives like
you're changing lives whileliving out the life that you
were destined to have whilebeing able to support yourself
and your loved ones.
Is this perfect blend of, aharmony of life that we all
dream for with podcasting.
And the best thing that you cando to keep it forward, and at
(23:07):
that point, your business andbrand feels so dialed into who
you are and who you're meant tobe working with.
This is Whole symphony ofpodcasting has built up this
foundation of a life for you.
That's going to continue onbuilding itself and you know
that because you're not going tostop anytime soon at that point,
it's about being a pod parentand paying it forward.
(23:27):
Not only do you want to continueserving your ideal listeners,
but you want to make sure youavoid chasing shiny objects that
take away time from what'sworking.
This is when you get so big andso amazing that these huge
opportunities will startpresenting itself.
And you're going to have to askyourself is this serving my
ideal listener?
Is this serving my brand?
(23:47):
Is this serving my business?
Is this like ad read that I'mgoing to be doing right for my
listeners is this side projectgoing to take away time and
energy from working with myclients.
You're going to have thesethings that are going to be a
very shiny and very sparkly andvery appealing.
And that you're going to have tomake sure that you sometimes
avoid because they're notserving the greater good.
And as things change as youravailability and time change, as
(24:10):
you learn new programs.
There's no harm in a littlethoughtful, experimenting at
times without chasing shinyobjects.
If it's all in the name ofserving your listeners and your
main goals as a podcasting,bad-ass better.
Always challenging the ideas ofcreating new offers, but also
challenging the ways that you dopodcasting.
(24:31):
Podcasting is growing so muchthat every year there's a new
app or a new way that theseprograms that you might already
have these new functions andfeatures, especially with AI
right now, where you can do newthings.
And if you're not taking thetime when your app has a new
update and releases a newfeature to learn how that
feature can help you.
You won't learn how it can helpyou.
So even at this point, eventhough you're kicking ass and
(24:53):
taking names every week on yourshow, don't stop learning new
things.
Keep connected, paying itforward and being able to help
other podcasters as they'regetting started.
Being involved in communitygroups, we're able to share your
experience and paying it forwardis a great way to give back.
And be mindful of that work-lifebalance and reverse FOMO as
well.
(25:13):
At this point you might be soinvested in how your business is
growing and that it's hard foryou to take time for yourself to
make sure you continue to dothat.
But also you might start beinglike I remember when I had more
time for this or more time forthat's a sign that you need to
take that time, because guesswhat?
You can.
And you said, keep connected andkeep that balance.
Keep that wheel going.
(25:35):
And you'll be pod parentingthrough the next decade as the
podcasting bad as I'm sure youcan.
So those are the five stages.
I'd love to hear.
If you were able to identifywith these stages, what stage
you're in and how I might beable to help you get to the next
stage.
If you're interested in abrainstorm or a tune-up that
information and link is in theshow notes as well as on my
(25:57):
website, sober steve.com.
Thank you again for listening toanother episode of podcasting
bad-ass it's your host soberSteve signing up.
Thank you.
And keep on podcasting.
Hey, they're podcasting that as is it's your host sober
Steve, the podcast guy.
Welcome to another episode ofpodcasting.
Bad-ass this week, we're goingto be jumping right in as I talk
about the five different zonesto podcasting.
The symptoms of where you mightbe able to find yourself in each
stage and tips on how to get tothe next level from there.
So let's jump right in the firststage that I find most of my
(00:24):
clients at is the pre-launchzone.
It's before they've launchedtheir podcast.
I got this from my mentor, wecall it the podcast donating
zone, because it is when youknow, or you think, you know
that you wanted to launch apodcast, but you haven't done it
yet.
So signs and symptoms of being apodcast, Nater would be that you
(00:45):
have pod envy.
When you see other people withpodcasts, you think it's super
cool.
You admire them, but you're alsoa little bit jealous that
they're out there doing thatthing that you want to do, and
they're doing it already.
And it seems like they'rekilling it and you want to be
killing it, but you don't knowwhere to start, And one of the
reasons why you might not knowwhere to start or haven't
launched your podcast yet.
And might be procrastinating isbecause you have a bit of a
(01:08):
perfectionist complex.
I get it.
I can relate.
I've been there multiple timesand I can still get there if I'm
not consciously trying to remindmyself regularly that my
listeners love it when I'mmyself and I am not a perfect
human being, nor are any of myclients or any podcasters I've
ever met out there, we have ourlows, we have our strong
moments.
We have our weak moments.
(01:29):
We have our bloopers and in thatgiant mix of content that we put
out there for our listeners.
It shows our listeners, who weare as humans.
And they fall in love with usand our brand and our content.
And will stay with us no matterwhat.
And that is a beauty ofpodcasting that you get from
this form of media and that youdon't get in a lot of other
mediums.
Where you don't have tonecessarily strive for perfect
(01:49):
each week, as long as you'reshowing up and you're being
yourself.
And so having to shift thatbecause so many times we think
that everything that we need todo needs to be perfect.
I've talked with people whohaven't launched yet, but they
have a dozen episodes recordedor 20 interviews recorded.
And they're just afraid to putthe content out there because
they're afraid of what peopleare going to think about it.
(02:10):
This is also where you run intotech frustrations could be
another big barrier for youbecause you've been overwhelmed
at the idea and concept oftechnology and that the idea of
having to buy a microphone andlearn these programs, or have to
find the help to learn theseprograms or outsource it.
The entire roadmap of thetechnical, how to have
podcasting just overwhelms youso much that you've been afraid
(02:32):
to even open that book and startdiving into looking at what that
actually looks like in astep-by-step kind of way.
And so it's overwhelming andit's scary.
And again, I get it.
So many of my clients start offthat way and I have to work with
them on getting past thatbecause part of it is using my
tools and tips and tricks thatI've learned from my years and
years of doing this.
But part of it is also justrealizing that a lot of these.
(02:55):
Tech frustrations.
And a lot of our desire to beperfect are things that we're
just setting on ourselves thatare not necessarily rules that
exist out in the podcastingworld, but rules that we've
created for ourselves and howwe're supposed to be living our
life.
And that necessarily isn't truefor podcasting, nor is it
necessarily true for living yourown life on a day-to-day basis.
And so that's a great lessonthat I've learned about life
(03:17):
through podcasting.
If you find yourself in that podcrest donating zone, where you
don't know how to get over thosehurdles, you still want
everything to be perfect and youdon't know how to make it.
Perfect.
There are certain ways that youcan work on that.
First of all, is just gettingreally in touch with what your
podcast will be about, who itwill serve, what the purpose of
(03:38):
it will be, because the morethat you're able to then dial
into search engine optimizationwith the names and the
descriptions and the titles andthat podcast at that point, when
you know who you're trying toreach and what that message that
you're trying to give them is.
At that point, your podcast canstart to write itself.
I always recommend for newclients to write out at least a
(04:00):
52 week content list of 52episodes, you can create.
That way, if you're doing itonce a week, it's a full year of
podcasting.
Of course, some of my clients dotwice a week podcast to they'll
hit it there and half a year.
But either way.
It's great to make sure thatyou're able to have that amount
of content, because if you're10, 11, 12 episodes in an
already struggling with findingwhat to talk about next, that's
(04:23):
going to be a real hard roadgetting to episode a hundred at
that point.
But I knew when I was outlining,what I would want to talk about
in this podcast before evenincorporated my guest episodes
that are about two thirds of myepisodes, I had 52 so plus solo
episodes, and I was able to sitdown and write them out in half
an hour, because it was easy forme because I love podcasting.
(04:46):
I love talking about podcastingand these topics for me write
themselves.
And so when you're able to sitdown and know who it is that
you're talking to about whatthat content can write itself.
So write out that content listof your episode ideas.
Focus on launching with aboutfive to different types of
episodes and topics that willfit into that niche and tell
(05:06):
that story in one broad strokeof what your podcast will be
about.
So if you're doing differentformats of episodes, try and
have one of each in your lunch.
It's really show what yourlisteners can expect, and you're
not just giving them one littlepiece and hoping they come back
for future pieces.
And if all else fails and youstill find yourself stuck on, I
(05:26):
know I want to be a podcaster.
I know I have a podcastingbad-ass within me, but I just
don't know how to make itappear.
Help me get over thispodcrastinating.
I remember I have freebrainstorming sessions where you
are able to come on the show.
We talk half an hour.
One-on-one about advice on howto turn your business or brand
or idea for a podcast into ashow and what those formats will
(05:49):
life would look like and how wecan make it a success.
And I take the best parts of it.
And show it to all my listenersout here, as you can hear in a
lot of my brainstorm episodes,but all of that information is
just yours to take with and dowith however, you please.
And it's a great way to getstarted and move from
podcrastinating into being inactual podcaster, which is so
(06:13):
bad-ass my clients, the momentthat they start seeing their
trailers go live and startrecording their episodes and
planning that lunch day.
Not to mention on launch day andbeyond.
It's just so exciting gettingout of that stage and into the
podcasting zones where you areactually releasing content.
So with that, we'll move on tothe first stage that a lot of
(06:35):
new podcasters find themselvesin.
If they've launched.
On their own, especially, andthat would be the launch
struggles zone.
I counter so many of my tune upclients that start off here,
I've teasingly called it the podpouting zone, because it is
where you are releasing yourepisodes out into the universe.
(06:57):
And to you, it feels like allyou hear back is echoes that
you're not getting audienceengagement, that you are hoping
to start in that range of athousand downloads in the first
30 days.
That is every podcaster's dream.
But in reality, you get yourstats and you're maybe at a
dozen, a couple dozen episodes.
You're definitely less than ahundred.
(07:17):
And those 20 to a hundred peoplethat are listening to you each
week, aren't reaching out.
They're not emailing you.
They're not commenting on yoursocial media posts that you're
doing.
They're not with you the waythat you want them to be on this
journey and you're not makingmoney and you're not getting
business out of it.
And so it's causing thisfrustration.
That is understandable becausewe podcasts because we want to
(07:40):
connect with people.
If we wanted to.
Just talk out into a void, wewould make an audio diary and
then just stop it right thereand not go through the process
of editing it and posting it andsharing it on social media.
But we're doing all of thatbecause we have a message we
want to share with people.
And when we feel like it's notbeing heard, it can be
discouraging.
So we find ourselves pod poutingover.
(08:01):
I don't know what I'm doingwrong.
I believe in my content.
And so ways that you can getpast that.
I definitely recommend using a72 hour marketing strategy for
new episodes on social media.
Wherever you'd prefer socialmedia to spend your time, but
having a strategy of knowingwhat type of content you're
going to be posting to promotethese episodes.
(08:23):
A lot of times in the podpouting zone, when I'm talking
about.
People's podcasts and whythey're not getting engagement.
I ask about their social mediaexperiences and there's not much
to report back there becausethey're not posting regularly.
So make sure when you releasecontent that you also know how
you're going to be promoting thecontent and that you're doing
it.
I also recommend if you're notalready doing it as part of your
(08:45):
episode formats to includecoaching style episodes, because
those generally.
Increased listener engagement aswell as the engagement of the
people that you're coaching.
And make sure that you have avery firm and clear call to
action.
And they're wondering why peopledon't respond back, but I say
what are you asking them torespond with?
What's your call to action.
Are you asking them to followyou on social media and talk
(09:08):
with you there?
Or are you asking them to emailyou.
Are you asking them to sign upfor your coaching program?
Are you asking them to sign upfor this?
Free workshop that you're doing,what is it that you want them to
do?
And I hear one of two answers.
Generally, the one that I hearfrom some people in this
podcasting zone is that theyoffer all of those calls to
(09:28):
action that throughout onesingle episode, they will tell
the listener to do five to 10different things.
In addition to listen to theepisode.
Or they don't do any of them.
It is very rare.
I find someone in the podpouting zone that says that they
have one clear call to action.
That people aren't engaging withit's because you either have too
(09:48):
many or you don't have any, somake sure you, your listeners as
well as what your call to actionis.
And that it's the same weekafter week.
I have a lot of different offersand programs in my sleeps, but
the ones that I talk aboutconsistently from episode to
episode are my brainstormingsessions and my tuneups that I
offer for free to my listenershere, because that's the perfect
(10:09):
next step for you all in yourpodcasting journey, to get to
know me better, to start to seewhether we're going to work well
together or not.
So knowing for you, what yourcall to action is for your
listeners and making sure thatyou're consistent with that
messaging will help with thatengagement.
And also.
Investing in podcast player appsthere's a lot of times people
say that they spend money onFacebook ads or Instagram ads or
(10:32):
this ad or this directory orthis thing.
And they don't see the return oninvestment, but my clients that
invest in podcast player, appads, See excellent returns on
their investment.
So this would be a perfectexample of someone in the pod
pouting zone would reallybenefit from one of these free
tune-ups that I just mentioned.
That's when I talked to someonewho already has an existing
(10:52):
podcast, like my brainstormepisodes, but it's for existing
podcasts.
And we talk about what your painpoints are, where you're
struggling, and I audit yourepisodes and podcasts and tell
you how you can grow it.
And you can take all thatfeedback and grow it in five and
10 times, your downloads fromthere.
And I am happy to report thatmost of the time, if people are
listening to these episodesregularly and definitely if they
(11:14):
are my clients, you can skipthis pod outing zone.
It is not.
The natural progression of everysingle podcaster, but this stage
is more of a side effect of whathappens when you launch without
a clear strategy and plan.
My clients almost always skip onpast stage two and jump right
into the momentum building zone.
Which is what I call podpaddling, because they're really
(11:37):
learning how to swim in thiscurrent, a podcasting.
They're getting a hundred tomaybe 500 downloads per episode
in that first month.
So they're already in the top.
50% of podcasting when it comesto stats.
They're getting some incomeproduced, but it's
inconsistently.
Maybe it's one client once in ablue moon or they have a small
(11:57):
Patrion community.
That's just paying thepodcasting dues and fees from
your different apps andprograms.
You're getting some income, butit's not the income that you
were dreaming of when youstarted the podcast, your
content flow is consistent.
You are releasing your episodesregularly.
Most people can't get to ahundred or more.
(12:17):
Downloads in those first 30days, if they're not being
regular with their content.
So that right content flow isconsistent and their social
media is consistent.
And you might sometimes hearsome engagement with your show
in those little bits, reallymake your day and keep you
going.
But you again want more becauseyou did this to get that
engagement.
And so the engagement isstarting, but could be stronger.
(12:40):
So in this pod paddling stage.
You're really starting to do allthe right things, but there are
shortcuts that you can take tolearn how to tread and paddle
and swim a little bit faster.
That includes continue to focuson building an expert position
with your coaching episodes andyour solo episodes, making sure
that you are the expert on yourshow, two thirds of the time,
(13:03):
and do your best to try and bemore engaging, not just with
your episodes on your podcast,but also with things like live
streams on social media.
Instagram is huge with that aswell as Tik TOK.
If either one of those apps areyour cup of tea, my.
Clients that use those apps forlives have great listener
engagement.
(13:23):
You can also then go into doing.
Audience engagement through yourpodcasts, like using the bus
sprout texts, the show to starteach episode with an audience,
mailbag of questions or answersand engagement.
Get things going where there'scontests for reviews, where they
might win a freebie or agiveaway or some of your
(13:44):
services or trial or whateverworks for your podcast in your
niche, but do these things thatwill get people to be engaging
with your content, both withyour podcast and your social
media, that really make themfeel like they're a part of the
show and contributing to thiscommunity that you're building.
If you are using this to buildyour revenue, which most of my
clients are, is to simplify youroffers down to one or two and
(14:08):
consider raising your prices.
This is the point where you'vestarted to get some engagement
and people are asking you aboutyour offers and you're getting a
client here, a client there.
But because they're so few andfar between these clients
contend to make special requestsof can I have this little thing
where it's a little bitdifferent instead?
And client and my clients, mypodcasters say, I said yes to
(14:31):
that person, next thing I knew,my one or two offers that I had
grew into five or six or 10offers.
Just like how back when you werein the pod pouting zone
potentially.
And you had to make sure thatyou had that one clear call to
action.
In the pod paddling zone, youneed to make sure that if you're
making offers to your clientswho listened to your podcast or
your listeners, that you'rehaving the one or two.
(14:53):
Offers that you're able to have.
So you don't get that overwhelm.
And consider raising your pricesbecause with this experience
that you've been building, youdo have that experience to be
able to raise it and create thatvalue in your program that
you're offering these peoplebecause it works.
And keep on investing back intoyour podcast, not only with ads,
but with other growthstrategies.
(15:13):
And sign up for a tune-up.
If you haven't already.
It's excellent.
If you're past the pod poutingzone and you don't need me to
help you cover the basics, thatmakes it even more exciting for
me because when we meet for yourtune-up and you already have
your vision and your socialmedia and everything, like all
the basics already covered,that's when we can really get
into the nitty gritty of thesecreative and unique ways to
(15:35):
really start growing your showin a way that's unique to you
and your audience.
That's going to wow.
People, because this is whereyou really need to start working
on making your show unique andstanding out against the crowd,
because that's, what's going toget you from the pod paddling
zone.
Into the next zone, the stagefor the pod powering zone.
Because this is when yourbusiness is really gaining
(15:56):
traction.
You are getting anywhere from500 to just under a thousand
downloads per episode, andyou're creating a meaningful but
inconsistent income.
So you're getting more clientsthan in the pod.
Paddling zone bills are startingto get paid.
You're not having to worry everynight about where that next meal
will come from or what yourpartner might say about your
(16:17):
podcasting journey or yourbusiness journey.
You're not worried about thatnecessarily, but you're not
going to be retiring on yourpodcasting and business income
that you're making right now.
There's room to grow still.
And we can help do thattogether.
You're also having thisconsistent content flow, not
only with your podcasts, butwith your social media, your
(16:39):
audience knows who you arebecause you've been engaging
with these people consistently.
Through social media, as well asthrough whatever offers in
contest and mail bags thatyou're doing with your show and
your Patrion communitypotentially, or wherever you're
connecting with your people.
You're connecting so regularlythat you built this entire
community around you.
That's helping you pod powerthrough the next stage.
(17:02):
And so ways that you cancontinue to work on that.
Yes.
To build your expertpositioning.
Not only making sure that you'redoing this on your show every
single week, because at thispoint.
Let's face it.
If you are getting this manydownloads and getting that much
of a conversion, your audienceknows you very well, but make
sure that you're also being onother podcasts and, doing social
(17:22):
media on other platforms.
Make sure that you're guestingon other podcasts and not just
the podcasts that come to yousaying, Hey, we love you so
much.
Come on our show, but go lookingfor podcasts that are bigger
than yours that have largeraudiences.
Knowing that you have somethingunique and special to offer them
and get landed on those shows inthe top 200 that are going to
launch you into the top 200 aswell.
(17:45):
And then from there, it's just,sky's the limit with podcasting.
So you want to make sure thatexpert positioning isn't just on
your show, but everywhere.
And that you're engaging morewith these live streams and Q
and A's.
And you're again, just assimplifying these offers as
you're building your brand andyour business more, because your
one-on-one time is becoming moreand more valuable.
(18:06):
So if you are at your capacityof one-on-one clients at this
point, And your podcasting feelslike you're ready to cap out and
you can't take on any newclients.
That's when you need to startalso being like, all right, how
can I take these offers that Ihave right now that have a lot
of one-on-one time and scale itback to something where I'm able
to do something else and be ableto offer group classes, group
(18:27):
programs workshops, videos of medoing what I do best that they
can access instead, you want tomake sure that your time is
being spent meaningfully so thatyou can really graduate onto the
final phase of podcasting, thepodcasting phase that everyone
always dreams about.
And the final way to do that asalso be constantly reinvesting
(18:48):
in podcast growth.
You had to spend money to makemoney.
So at this point, if you don'talready have a podcasting
mentor, or a podcast community,a hive-mind of some sort that
you're using to help you growand push yourself to get onto
the next level, you need to befinding that.
Getting these ad strategiesgoing where you know exactly
where your podcasting dollarsare coming in, where they're
(19:10):
going out more is coming in andthat's going out, which is nice.
But that, that going out intoadvertising.
Never stops because that's whatfeeds that wheel.
That's going to keep yourbusiness and brand growing as
your podcast continues.
So make sure that you arecontinuing to reinvest in your
podcast growth, if you are acoach or a service provider who
(19:31):
offers a product or an offer, Wealready talked about simplifying
your offers that you're offeringon your podcast.
You also want to make sure thatif you're doing.
Any sort of business whereyou're offering a one-on-one
time with these clients.
If you find yourself getting tothe point where your one-on-one
time is maxing out.
Figuring out how you can adjustthat so that you do more group
work or online video tutorials.
(19:53):
And that you're able to shift itso that as your business is
growing and expanding, and yourschedule is filling up, that
you're able to readjust thatschedule and shift your offers
around to make sure that.
Your time is being spent in thebest way possible.
And that oftentimes includesswitching those offers around a
little bit, tweaking them andraising prices and continuing to
(20:15):
reinvest in your podcast growth.
Keep that wheel of advertisingto new listeners, to clients,
taking those clients andreinvesting some of that revenue
back into ads and keep thatwheel turning.
Never let it stop because themoment that you stop the wheels
slow down and then people arelike why did my download stop?
And I'm like how's youradvertising going?
And they're like I was getting500, 600 downloads a week.
(20:38):
So I stopped.
And I'm like What happened afteryou stopped?
The download slowed down.
You want to keep on doing thatif you want those results to
continue.
So keep that going.
As you're making more money,spend more money in those ads.
And then you'll find yourself inthe.
Zone that every podcaster dreamsof it is the zone of reliable
income impact and growth.
(21:00):
So I like to call this the stagewhere you are going to be pod
parenting for me, I would saypod parenting is at that point
where you are at the top of thepodcasting.
Community, not only with yourown show, but other podcasters
look at you and say wow, becausenot only does your show have
over a thousand downloads eachnew episode within its first 30
days, but you're steadilyincreasing income month after
(21:22):
month.
Not only are you not having toworry about where the bills are
being paid, but you're payingoff debt and making investments
into your future.
And you're doing grownup shitthat you never thought you'd be
able to do with money.
That's coming from your businessand the business.
Is growing because of yourpodcast or your podcast has
become your business or whereverthat little orobourous of
(21:44):
podcasting to business, torevenue, to growth works for
you.
The way that you're buildingyour podcast and your brand,
it's beautiful.
And you get to this stagebecause you have clearly define
your community to client bridge,exactly.
When people find you, how theyfind you.
When they find you, the firstthing that they do.
(22:05):
Which is oftentimes listening toyour show.
And, the second thing that theydo, which is then signing up for
your newsletter or doing atune-up or a brainstorm in my
case, or, you know what theirnext steps are as they go
through the journey, after theydo X, Y, Z, that's around the
time that most people sign upand then once they graduate from
this program or do this, thenthis is the next stage that they
go on to.
(22:26):
And you have this client journeythat you have very clearly
defined and it's working inbuilding itself.
You're having a lot of fun whiledoing it.
Because this all feels verynatural.
If you're into the Japaneseconcept of icky guy, it's very
much a dat where you are knowingthat like your podcast is
helping people and it's makingyou money and it's helping
(22:46):
people make money or changingtheir life.
However, your podcast isdesigned to change lives like
you're changing lives whileliving out the life that you
were destined to have whilebeing able to support yourself
and your loved ones.
Is this perfect blend of, aharmony of life that we all
dream for with podcasting.
And the best thing that you cando to keep it forward, and at
(23:07):
that point, your business andbrand feels so dialed into who
you are and who you're meant tobe working with.
This is Whole symphony ofpodcasting has built up this
foundation of a life for you.
That's going to continue onbuilding itself and you know
that because you're not going tostop anytime soon at that point,
it's about being a pod parentand paying it forward.
(23:27):
Not only do you want to continueserving your ideal listeners,
but you want to make sure youavoid chasing shiny objects that
take away time from what'sworking.
This is when you get so big andso amazing that these huge
opportunities will startpresenting itself.
And you're going to have to askyourself is this serving my
ideal listener?
Is this serving my brand?
(23:47):
Is this serving my business?
Is this like ad read that I'mgoing to be doing right for my
listeners is this side projectgoing to take away time and
energy from working with myclients.
You're going to have thesethings that are going to be a
very shiny and very sparkly andvery appealing.
And that you're going to have tomake sure that you sometimes
avoid because they're notserving the greater good.
And as things change as youravailability and time change, as
(24:10):
you learn new programs.
There's no harm in a littlethoughtful, experimenting at
times without chasing shinyobjects.
If it's all in the name ofserving your listeners and your
main goals as a podcasting,bad-ass better.
Always challenging the ideas ofcreating new offers, but also
challenging the ways that you dopodcasting.
(24:31):
Podcasting is growing so muchthat every year there's a new
app or a new way that theseprograms that you might already
have these new functions andfeatures, especially with AI
right now, where you can do newthings.
And if you're not taking thetime when your app has a new
update and releases a newfeature to learn how that
feature can help you.
You won't learn how it can helpyou.
So even at this point, eventhough you're kicking ass and
(24:53):
taking names every week on yourshow, don't stop learning new
things.
Keep connected, paying itforward and being able to help
other podcasters as they'regetting started.
Being involved in communitygroups, we're able to share your
experience and paying it forwardis a great way to give back.
And be mindful of that work-lifebalance and reverse FOMO as
well.
(25:13):
At this point you might be soinvested in how your business is
growing and that it's hard foryou to take time for yourself to
make sure you continue to dothat.
But also you might start beinglike I remember when I had more
time for this or more time forthat's a sign that you need to
take that time, because guesswhat?
You can.
And you said, keep connected andkeep that balance.
Keep that wheel going.
(25:35):
And you'll be pod parentingthrough the next decade as the
podcasting bad as I'm sure youcan.
So those are the five stages.
I'd love to hear.
If you were able to identifywith these stages, what stage
you're in and how I might beable to help you get to the next
stage.
If you're interested in abrainstorm or a tune-up that
information and link is in theshow notes as well as on my
(25:57):
website, sober steve.com.
Thank you again for listening toanother episode of podcasting
bad-ass it's your host soberSteve signing up.
Thank you.
And keep on podcasting.
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Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.