October 5, 2025 • 25 mins
In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what podcast growth really looks like in 2025. From reworking my SEO titles (yes, I’m still tackling them one by one) to doubling down on the social platforms I actually enjoy, I’ll share the strategies that feel both sustainable and effective for long-term podcast growth. I also talk about my “mini podcast tour” this past summer, why I’m circling back to YouTube Shorts, and how AI supports my workflow without ever replacing the soul of my brand. Plus, I’ve got thoughts on the latest industry report from PodMatch—and what it means for indie podcasters like us who are focused on real, steady growth. Somewhere in there, I’ll also share an old stat that reminded me why small beginnings matter more than you think.
//Links I shared on this episode:
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/unGUrKA8DC/
//Links I shared on this episode:
- Episode 79- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/79-lets-talk-about-your-podcast-voice/id1657879891?i=1000729132826
- Episode 70- https://soulpodcasting.com/julie-marty-pearson/
- Guest Interviews I Appeared on- https://soulpodcasting.com/media/
- Leadership and Success Podcast with Bob Zinga- https://www.leadershipandsuccesspodcast.com/
- My speakpipe (pink tab on right side of the screen)- http://www.soulpodcasting.com
- Launch confidently podcasting checklist- https://soulpodcasting.com/resources/
- ☕ Ready to take your podcast from idea to impact?
Book a Coffee Chat with me! Let’s get clear on your vision and make your voice heard.
👉 Schedule your session now! - 🎁 Download the Launch Confidently Podcasting Checklist here: https://soulpodcasting.com/resources/
- Contact us for your Podcast Coaching
- Book your podcast audit- https://websuccesscoach.systeme.io/podcast-audit-sales
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/unGUrKA8DC/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Hey, hey friend, Welcome back to another episode of the
Soul Podcasting Podcast, where passion, purpose, and podcast strategy come
together to help you amplify your voice without all the burnout.
I'm Dimitria Zinga, founder of The Soul Podcasting Collective, a
podcast production agency where I help solopreneurs who launch and
grow their podcasts. Confidently, I'm also a podcast coach and strategist,
(00:35):
and I'm here to give you the tools, encouragement, and
strategy that you need to build a podcast that's not
just popular but purposeful. So last time on the show,
we dug into what it means to find your podcast voice,
and if you miss that one, you can go back
and listen on episode seventy nine. It'll really shift how
you think about downloads and long term impact. But today
(00:56):
we're talking about something that every podcaster wants, and that's growth.
And if you've noticed, I haven't talked a lot about
podcast growth on this show, just because I felt like
my main piece of advice and intention for the year's
twenty twenty three until now have been really to encourage
you to start a show and to help you to
(01:18):
be motivated to launch one if that's in your heart. Now,
many of you that I've talked to have started your podcast,
you're about to, and I've been hearing some great news
from friends and those of you who have connection with
me and are starting your own show, or maybe you're
in the beginning stages of it, and so I'm really
happy for you, and I want you to keep growing
(01:39):
your show. So we're going to talk about podcast growth
and what that means. It's not just quick hacks or
viral moments, but it's the kind of intentional growth that
actually sustains your podcast and moves your mission forward. This
is the difference between starting a show and stopping within
six months, or creating a podcast that lasts for the
long haul because you're excited about what you're talking talking
(02:00):
about and because you know that you're gaining the kind
of traction with listeners that you set out to do.
I'm not about sharing quick hacks and quick overnight success
growth strategies because I don't believe they exist, and I
don't believe that it's practical for the average podcaster. And
so I'm here for those of you who are your
everyday podcasters, and I talk to solopreneurs, but I also
(02:23):
talk to those who have a heartbeat in ministry and
nonprofit organizations, who are not necessarily trying to make a
quick buck but really want to get your message heard.
And so we're going to talk about what it means
to grow your podcast and as many ways as are
practical for me, and how I can share with you
on a reality basis, because again, I'm not a guru
(02:46):
and I'm not perfect at it. Even though I've been
podcasting for two decades, I'm still learning new things and
new strategies because podcasting is always evolving and there's always
going to be something new, whether it's AI or another
tool or a statistic that comes out to let us
know where the wave of podcasting is going and how
(03:08):
things are shaking out for podcasters in general. All of
this is going to shape the way we show up
on the microphone and the strategies that we use. So
there is no, in my opinion, podcasting guru, because we're
all just really figuring things out as we go. That said,
I do have all these years of podcasting under my
belt and experience where I really want to help you
(03:30):
figure out how to do these things, how to show
up on the microphone, how to show up with integrity,
how to show up with boldness and conviction about your message,
and also how to utilize these tools that are best
for your workflow, how to create a workflow that works
around your schedule. These are the kinds of things that
I like to share with your everyday solopreneur, business owner,
(03:55):
thought leader, podcaster. Right. And so again, I'm not is
sharing quick hacks. I'm sharing things that I think are
really going to help you. These are strategies that you've
probably already heard in the podcasting world. But also I'm
going to share with you how I'm personally applying these.
So let's dig a bit deeper into what this podcast
(04:17):
growth means for me, because this is the part that
podcasters ask me about the most. And after the questions
about launching and what tools do I use and how
do I get started, it's about how do I maintain
and how do I grow? So let's get something out
of the way. There is absolutely no magic button. There's
no one growth hack that's going to skyrocket your show overnight.
(04:39):
But what actually works is layering strategies and being consistent
long enough to see those results and the ones that
I've been leaning into and why they matter right now
for me. The first one is going to be SEO,
which is hands down, this is my long game for
everything I do online. I run multiple brands which consist
of typically a blog and a podcas and an audience
(05:02):
that gets their own unique newsletter for me on a
monthly basis, sometimes every week depending on the audience. And
these different brands range from homeschooling to this particular show
which is podcasting, the sole podcasting collective. And then there
is one that I run called Her Business Elevated, which
is for women's solopreneurs. Take all of these different brands
(05:23):
and what I've done is create small ish communities that
revolve around the growth strategy of SEO, which has been
my foundation for over a decade or so. So I
truly believe that search engine optimization is important for everything
we do online, and it is changing as well. Just
(05:43):
so you know that SEO is important. But we are
going to have to really start looking at SEO as
it relates to AI. But that's another topic for another day.
But your podcast episode is not just a conversation. It
is content. And this content can either disappear into the
algorithm void or it can live on and keep working
for you. And that's where SEO comes in. And I'll
(06:06):
be honest, I used to slap on whatever title felt
catchy and just move on. I'm guilty of having done
that up until recently. In fact, as of lately, I've
been going back into my back catalog and reworking my
episode titles because I realized that when I created those titles,
I was just in a hurry to get those episodes
up so that we can move on to the next
thing in my workflow pipeline. But I do understand and
(06:30):
believe in the importance of SEOS, So we're going back
and my team and I are working on creating those
new episode titles, making sure that the show notes include
keywords that people actually search for. This is not something
that's fun. Is it glamorous work? Absolutely not, But it
is worth it because podcast directories and Google are search
(06:50):
engines and if your episode is called episode fifty seven
my thoughts on branding, probably nobody will find it right.
But if it's how to build a soulful brand, that
are tracks your ideal client, If in fact, your keyword
strategy is to use ideal client throughout your content, suddenly
that's searchable. It's something that when someone types in ideal
(07:10):
client in Apple podcasts, they're more likely to find your
particular episode about that topic. And that's something people are
actively typing in when they're looking for content. This is
where AI also comes in handy. I will personally run
all my transcripts through AI tools, pull out key phrases,
brainstorm possible titles, and then I use my judgment to
(07:32):
pick the one that sounds the most natural for my voice.
So I am using AI, but I try to be
strategic about how I use it. So we've all been
told to be everywhere, right, I personally have my brands everywhere.
I have a presence on Google, a presence on Instagram,
LinkedIn YouTube, and I have tried a little bit of
(07:55):
TikTok that hasn't fleshed out for me. But I do
have a presence in most places, and even have a
Twitter account for one of my other brands. But again,
these are not things that I'm using regularly. And even
if we're told to be everywhere or have our presence everywhere,
the reality is that most of us don't have the
bandwidth for that, and even if we did, being stretched
(08:16):
across too many platform space, you're not really connecting deeply anywhere.
There are agencies who are large enough who are able
to make sure that there's content and multiple facets and
pieces of content in a variety of places all over
the web, and all they're in all the places, and
that works for a huge agency, but it does not
(08:38):
necessarily work for a solopreneur or for an independent solo podcaster.
So I recommend that you choose one or two platforms
that you will connect with and engage deeply in that space.
And that's why my main platform for twenty twenty five
has been Instagram, and it's where I've felt comfortable. It's visual,
(09:00):
and it's where my audience naturally hangs out. I haven't
always liked Instagram, to be honest. It kind of had
to grow on me, but I like it now and
I do like being on LinkedIn as well. I'm also
not really trying to be a LinkedIn thought leader, but
I think it's a great place for me to put
my energy, and so that's what I do. And then
(09:21):
there's also YouTube. Earlier this year I posted a handful
of shorts just experimenting. I wasn't consistent, unfortunately, but even
with a few uploads, my channel did start growing, and
that's when I realized, Okay, YouTube rewards you for showing
up even just a little bit. So I think for
the upcoming year in twenty twenty six, I'm going to
swing back around to YouTube again because that platform itself
(09:44):
has a built in search engine. That's where your content
can live forever. So the point is, what I'm trying
to say is stop chasing trends and just ask yourself,
where do I want to show up consistently, kind of
keep the idea of SEO in mind as well, and
making sure that you're establishing a foundation for your business,
(10:05):
your podcast wherever you are right so that it's not
just getting caught up in the algorithm and in the
feed and maybe people see you, maybe they don't, but
that you also have a place where you're creating a
digital footprint online and that's where search engine optimization helps
out tremendously. And I'll be talking more about SEO throughout
(10:25):
the upcoming year as I share more about the nuts
and bolts of podcasting. I'm really excited to share more
for those of you who are wanting to get into
the nitty gritty of how do I do this, how
do I make this sustainable for me? And as much
as I love sharing about thought leadership and what it
means to think like a CEO, I realize that there's
(10:46):
so much behind the scenes of podcasting where we do
need that micro information to help us become the CEO
that we want to be with our podcast. And so
I'll be spending a bit more time in twenty twenty
six and beyond talking about those micro details that help
you with your podcasting endeavors and hopefully creating a community
(11:07):
around that. So we'll see how that goes the definitely
you'll be the first to know when that is released.
But the next thing I want to share with you
is about guesting, becoming a podcast guest as a strategy
for growth. And this is a strategy that I don't
think it's talked about enough. We do have a few
people who'd focus on sharing about podcast strategy. I follow
(11:29):
them on Instagram and I had a guest here on
Soul Podcasting that shared a bit about what she does
for a podcast strategy growth, and you can go back
and listen to that episode. It would be doctor Julie
Marty Pearson and that was on episode seventy. But these
are things that we can do to help us build
(11:51):
our own audiences as well as being a mutual benefit
to other podcasters. So when you're a guest on another
podcast or not just borrowing their audience, you're building a
relationship with that host, and those relationships often lead to
collaborations and referrals and opportunities that you honestly could not
have planned for. And that's why I think being a
(12:11):
podcast guest can really just kind of level the playing
field for you, especially if you're start just starting your podcast.
This summer, I did what I like to call a
mini podcast tour. It was just a few podcasts that
I decided I wanted to be on the show and
they wanted me, and so it was nothing formal, just
a few guest spots on shows in my niche. So
(12:34):
I found some podcasters that I admired or really wanted
to have a deeper conversation with them, and it was
super refreshing and I wasn't worried about my own production
schedule in those moments. I just got to show up,
share my story and connect, and listeners who resonated with
me followed me back here to my show. So if
(12:55):
you're looking for growth, you don't just obsess over your
own feed. You get yourself onto other people's feeds and
into other people's earbuds. So some of the shows that
I was on, and I'll go ahead and share that
with you real quick, just in case you're curious, and
then of course i'll leave a link to those in
the show notes if you want to take a look
at the interviews. But I was a guest on the
(13:15):
how To podcast series with Dave Campbell. It's his episode
four fifty eight, so i'llly link to that. It was
also a guest on Rory Paquette's The Podcaster Nation episode
one thirty. I shared with Elise Halcomb on the Peaceful
Mompreneur podcast as well as on Wisdom's podcast. His podcast
is called My Podcast Story. And I also shared with
(13:38):
Carol Klegg's podcast which is Connect, Inspire, and Create. So
those are just a few shows that I was on
this past summer, just to share and to kind of
be on the other end of things so that I'm
not always the one who is running the interview and hosting,
but getting used to being on the other side as
a guest as well. All right. And the next thing
(14:00):
I want to share with you is about using AI
as your assistant and not your identity. So I'm going
to say this, AI is not the enemy and it's
not the savior. Those are two things that I feel
like as podcasters, we need to constantly remind ourselves that
we're not fighting AI. But we're also not relying on AI.
It's just a tool. And when I say we don't
(14:21):
rely on it, we use it of course, which you know,
it becomes part of our routine, but we don't rely
on it for everything. Remember, we're using it to do
the things that helps us to be more productive. For example,
I use it for outlining my episodes, for writing drafts
of show notes. I pull my transcripts so I can
(14:42):
find those golden keyword phrases that make a perfect YouTube title.
But the boundary for me is is that AI doesn't
touch the soul of my podcast. It doesn't replace my voice.
It just helps me move through the admin parts faster
so I can stay in my creative lane. And you know,
for those of you who are interested in maybe exploring
(15:03):
the boundaries, pushing the boundaries a bit and seeing what
new and engaging things you can do with AI by
all means, go for it, enjoy the journey. My husband
is actually doing that right now with his podcast, and
I find it fascinating. I wouldn't want to do it
quite the way he does it, and he wouldn't want
to podcast the way I do. We have very different
(15:23):
ways that we podcast. But I admire what he's been
doing using AI, and I just think it's very cutting
edge and I just can't even wrap my brain around it.
But he does a great job with his show, which
is Leadership and Success podcast. He is doing recaps for
all of his guests, and in his recap episodes, he
uses AI to recap what he and his guest talked about.
(15:47):
He uses the AI bots and they are fed a
script and they are having a full conversation about the
previous episode. So for those who don't have time to
watch the full thirty minute or hour episode, they can
listen to the ten or fifteen minute recap with the
AI who are talking with one another, and it looks
(16:10):
very much like they're in a studio and they're having
this conversation together. And so I just find that so
cutting edge and engaging, and yet it's not something that
I would want to implement in my show, but super
glad to see my husband trapes into that area. And
so again, you know, I don't see AI as replacing
what he's doing. I see it as integrated into the
(16:33):
whole of what he's doing because he shows up consistently
every single day to put out an episode. He's a
daily podcaster and he's there in person, and then there's
also the AI that's there maybe a few times a week.
So I love that that he's doing this new thing
that I never would have had the guts to or
(16:54):
the courage to. But again, you know, you do podcasting
the way that is best for you and that fits
your personality and the soul of your brand and who
you are. So the big four growth moves right now
for me are SEO, intentional platforms, right, finding the right
places to be, podcast guesting, and AI support. For me,
(17:18):
the AI support and all of this together is nothing
too shiny or flashy, but they all work together, integrated
into this system that works for me. Now. One of
the biggest mins in podcasting is that your success equals
your download numbers. And I know it's tempting because we
want to log in and check the stats every single day,
we keep refreshing the chart positions. That's normal to feel
(17:39):
like we want to keep checking. But if that's all
you're chasing, you're setting yourself up for disappointment, honestly, because
the truth is podcasters with thousands of downloads per episode
who aren't making a dime. I know these people, Okay,
they're sometimes not actually able to build real relationships with
their audience and they're feeling burned out. I know podcasters
(18:02):
with just a few hundred loyal listeners who are thriving.
They're landing speaking gigs, they're attracting clients, they're being invited
into spaces that they never have imagined, and so it's
not necessarily about the numbers, and so we're going to
talk about impact instead of those numbers. So I was
invited to speak on a panel because the organizer had
(18:22):
listened to an episode one episode of mine. They didn't
care about my download account, they weren't asking me any
questions about how many people listen. They only cared about
the clarity of my message. And so that opportunity was
open to me because of one show, and then several
coaching clients have also found me through my podcast. They
(18:43):
told me they listened to one or two episodes, whether
it was through a podcast platform or Spotify or Apple podcasts,
or they found me on YouTube. They found me somewhere
and they knew that I would be the right fit
for them in coaching because of listen to just a
few shows. And that is relationship building. You can't measure
(19:04):
it in stats alone. So again, client trust is something
that happens when you're able to build a relationship with
your audience. And then there's thought leadership. Every time you
publish an episode, you're essentially putting a little brick down
in this house of your credibility and people start quoting
you back to yourself, they recommend your show to other people.
(19:25):
That is authority and impact. And then let's not forget
sometimes your podcast is exactly what someone needs in that moment.
You can change lives. Maybe it encourages them to start
their own business, maybe it helps them feel less alone.
And that is transformation, and transformation does not require being viral.
I've talked about that in a previous episode as well.
(19:46):
Go back and check out episode sixty. Why visibility isn't
about going viral, but it's about staying relevant. So if
you're staring at your stats and you're thinking, oh, I
need to be further along than where I am right
now to say to you that your numbers are not
the full story. It's your consistency, your clarity, and your alignment.
(20:08):
Those are the real metrics that matter. One of the
biggest shifts that I've made recently is really paying more
attention to my SEO titles. So again I'm going back
to that, tightening things up in my older episodes, making
sure my episode titles actually match what people are searching for.
Because the truth is, discoverability is a growth strategy all
on its own. And alongside that, I'm keeping my energy
(20:30):
focus on the platforms I really enjoy, mainly Instagram right now,
and when I can, I'll get back into YouTube shorts.
But these little actions really do stack up if you
give them time. So that's what I'll be working on
in twenty twenty six. And something personal I don't talk
about often is that a few years ago, I remember
looking at my podcast stats, and this is back when
(20:50):
I first started soul podcasting, so around maybe twenty twenty two,
near the end of that year I started this podcast,
and I realize that I had over a few years
multiplied my growth by over seven thousand percent. So that
means I went from this tiny handful of the listeners
monthly maybe three to five. Like I didn't have very
(21:13):
many listeners the first couple of months that I started podcasting,
and I just kept going and kept going, and then
before long we were averaging a few hundred every month.
That moment when I saw that percentage growth showed me
that I shouldn't dismiss the small beginnings. Even when it
feels like no one's listening. That effort compounds in ways
(21:33):
that you can't always predict. And since then the growth
has even continued. I'm still growing here and I'm just
along for the ride and enjoying this journey. So if
you're sitting there thinking, Okay, I only have ten listeners
right now, or fifty, maybe one hundred, don't discount it.
Don't discount it. Each one of those listeners is a
(21:54):
real person choosing to spend their time with you, and
that's where the foundation is built. My friend, all right,
we're gonna shift gears for just a moment, and it's
time for our podcasting in the news segment. And this
(22:19):
is something that I started doing at the beginning of
the summer but have not continued. So I thought, Hey,
I need to bring the podcasting in the news segment back,
So here we go. According to pod Matches twenty twenty
five podcast industry report, won't we about ten percent of
independent podcasters are considered actively established. The kicker is that
(22:43):
ten percent produces ninety five percent of all the podcasts listening.
The translation here is that most people quit way too soon,
but if you stick it out long enough to hit
milestones like one hundred episodes, you move into that more
established category, and that's where the real growth and the
real listenership happens. So that hit home for me because
(23:04):
I've seen how much consistency matters, even when I take
breaks or if I rebrand. It's the fact that I
keep showing up that creates results. And honestly, it's not
just about stats. It's about community. And that's been true
since the early days when I ran a Facebook group
just for women podcasters. That group, unfortunately doesn't exist anymore,
but today I still see the same sense of community
(23:27):
through your emails, your replies to my newsletters, and the
voice notes. Even that you leave me on speak pipe
speaking up which I want to give a special thank
you to Sylvie from France. She left me the sweetest
voice note about her future podcasting plans and with some
words of encouragement even a little song. So Sylvie, you
made my week and I will ask you for permission
(23:50):
to see if it's okay if I play your voice
note on my podcast next time. But side note for
you guys, if you want to leave me a voice note,
head over to podcasting dot com. There is a little
tab on the right side of the screen. It's pink
and there's a microphone there. It says leave me a voicemail.
Click on that and just start talking. And if you're
(24:12):
okay with me playing it on the show, I'd be
happy to as well as leave a link back to
your podcast. So here's what I want you to take
away from today's episode. Growth isn't about being everywhere, It's
about being consistent where it counts. Remember that SEO guesting
at strategic platform use and platform strategy matter more than
(24:33):
just chasing trends. Remember that downloads don't define your success,
your impact does. And the community that you build around
your podcast is your most valuable asset all right, my friend.
That is a wrap for today. And if you're ready
to grow your podcast with intention, I've got a free
resource just for you. It's called the Launch Confidently Podcasting Checklist.
You'll get it when you sign up for my free
(24:55):
newsletter over atsoul podcasting dot com. I'm leaving a link,
of course, and if you'd like some personalized insight, I'm
also offering podcast audits right now. It's a great way
to see where you can level up your show. Don't
forget leaving me that voice, not that soul podcasting. I
love hearing from you. Might feature you on a future episode,
and so again, thank you for hanging out with me today,
(25:17):
Keep showing up, keep sharing your voice, and as always,
my friend, keep podcasting with soul Happy podcasting.
Hey, hey friend, Welcome back to another episode of the
Soul Podcasting Podcast, where passion, purpose, and podcast strategy come
together to help you amplify your voice without all the burnout.
I'm Dimitria Zinga, founder of The Soul Podcasting Collective, a
podcast production agency where I help solopreneurs who launch and
grow their podcasts. Confidently, I'm also a podcast coach and strategist,
(00:35):
and I'm here to give you the tools, encouragement, and
strategy that you need to build a podcast that's not
just popular but purposeful. So last time on the show,
we dug into what it means to find your podcast voice,
and if you miss that one, you can go back
and listen on episode seventy nine. It'll really shift how
you think about downloads and long term impact. But today
(00:56):
we're talking about something that every podcaster wants, and that's growth.
And if you've noticed, I haven't talked a lot about
podcast growth on this show, just because I felt like
my main piece of advice and intention for the year's
twenty twenty three until now have been really to encourage
you to start a show and to help you to
(01:18):
be motivated to launch one if that's in your heart. Now,
many of you that I've talked to have started your podcast,
you're about to, and I've been hearing some great news
from friends and those of you who have connection with
me and are starting your own show, or maybe you're
in the beginning stages of it, and so I'm really
happy for you, and I want you to keep growing
(01:39):
your show. So we're going to talk about podcast growth
and what that means. It's not just quick hacks or
viral moments, but it's the kind of intentional growth that
actually sustains your podcast and moves your mission forward. This
is the difference between starting a show and stopping within
six months, or creating a podcast that lasts for the
long haul because you're excited about what you're talking talking
(02:00):
about and because you know that you're gaining the kind
of traction with listeners that you set out to do.
I'm not about sharing quick hacks and quick overnight success
growth strategies because I don't believe they exist, and I
don't believe that it's practical for the average podcaster. And
so I'm here for those of you who are your
everyday podcasters, and I talk to solopreneurs, but I also
(02:23):
talk to those who have a heartbeat in ministry and
nonprofit organizations, who are not necessarily trying to make a
quick buck but really want to get your message heard.
And so we're going to talk about what it means
to grow your podcast and as many ways as are
practical for me, and how I can share with you
on a reality basis, because again, I'm not a guru
(02:46):
and I'm not perfect at it. Even though I've been
podcasting for two decades, I'm still learning new things and
new strategies because podcasting is always evolving and there's always
going to be something new, whether it's AI or another
tool or a statistic that comes out to let us
know where the wave of podcasting is going and how
(03:08):
things are shaking out for podcasters in general. All of
this is going to shape the way we show up
on the microphone and the strategies that we use. So
there is no, in my opinion, podcasting guru, because we're
all just really figuring things out as we go. That said,
I do have all these years of podcasting under my
belt and experience where I really want to help you
(03:30):
figure out how to do these things, how to show
up on the microphone, how to show up with integrity,
how to show up with boldness and conviction about your message,
and also how to utilize these tools that are best
for your workflow, how to create a workflow that works
around your schedule. These are the kinds of things that
I like to share with your everyday solopreneur, business owner,
(03:55):
thought leader, podcaster. Right. And so again, I'm not is
sharing quick hacks. I'm sharing things that I think are
really going to help you. These are strategies that you've
probably already heard in the podcasting world. But also I'm
going to share with you how I'm personally applying these.
So let's dig a bit deeper into what this podcast
(04:17):
growth means for me, because this is the part that
podcasters ask me about the most. And after the questions
about launching and what tools do I use and how
do I get started, it's about how do I maintain
and how do I grow? So let's get something out
of the way. There is absolutely no magic button. There's
no one growth hack that's going to skyrocket your show overnight.
(04:39):
But what actually works is layering strategies and being consistent
long enough to see those results and the ones that
I've been leaning into and why they matter right now
for me. The first one is going to be SEO,
which is hands down, this is my long game for
everything I do online. I run multiple brands which consist
of typically a blog and a podcas and an audience
(05:02):
that gets their own unique newsletter for me on a
monthly basis, sometimes every week depending on the audience. And
these different brands range from homeschooling to this particular show
which is podcasting, the sole podcasting collective. And then there
is one that I run called Her Business Elevated, which
is for women's solopreneurs. Take all of these different brands
(05:23):
and what I've done is create small ish communities that
revolve around the growth strategy of SEO, which has been
my foundation for over a decade or so. So I
truly believe that search engine optimization is important for everything
we do online, and it is changing as well. Just
(05:43):
so you know that SEO is important. But we are
going to have to really start looking at SEO as
it relates to AI. But that's another topic for another day.
But your podcast episode is not just a conversation. It
is content. And this content can either disappear into the
algorithm void or it can live on and keep working
for you. And that's where SEO comes in. And I'll
(06:06):
be honest, I used to slap on whatever title felt
catchy and just move on. I'm guilty of having done
that up until recently. In fact, as of lately, I've
been going back into my back catalog and reworking my
episode titles because I realized that when I created those titles,
I was just in a hurry to get those episodes
up so that we can move on to the next
thing in my workflow pipeline. But I do understand and
(06:30):
believe in the importance of SEOS, So we're going back
and my team and I are working on creating those
new episode titles, making sure that the show notes include
keywords that people actually search for. This is not something
that's fun. Is it glamorous work? Absolutely not, But it
is worth it because podcast directories and Google are search
(06:50):
engines and if your episode is called episode fifty seven
my thoughts on branding, probably nobody will find it right.
But if it's how to build a soulful brand, that
are tracks your ideal client, If in fact, your keyword
strategy is to use ideal client throughout your content, suddenly
that's searchable. It's something that when someone types in ideal
(07:10):
client in Apple podcasts, they're more likely to find your
particular episode about that topic. And that's something people are
actively typing in when they're looking for content. This is
where AI also comes in handy. I will personally run
all my transcripts through AI tools, pull out key phrases,
brainstorm possible titles, and then I use my judgment to
(07:32):
pick the one that sounds the most natural for my voice.
So I am using AI, but I try to be
strategic about how I use it. So we've all been
told to be everywhere, right, I personally have my brands everywhere.
I have a presence on Google, a presence on Instagram,
LinkedIn YouTube, and I have tried a little bit of
(07:55):
TikTok that hasn't fleshed out for me. But I do
have a presence in most places, and even have a
Twitter account for one of my other brands. But again,
these are not things that I'm using regularly. And even
if we're told to be everywhere or have our presence everywhere,
the reality is that most of us don't have the
bandwidth for that, and even if we did, being stretched
(08:16):
across too many platform space, you're not really connecting deeply anywhere.
There are agencies who are large enough who are able
to make sure that there's content and multiple facets and
pieces of content in a variety of places all over
the web, and all they're in all the places, and
that works for a huge agency, but it does not
(08:38):
necessarily work for a solopreneur or for an independent solo podcaster.
So I recommend that you choose one or two platforms
that you will connect with and engage deeply in that space.
And that's why my main platform for twenty twenty five
has been Instagram, and it's where I've felt comfortable. It's visual,
(09:00):
and it's where my audience naturally hangs out. I haven't
always liked Instagram, to be honest. It kind of had
to grow on me, but I like it now and
I do like being on LinkedIn as well. I'm also
not really trying to be a LinkedIn thought leader, but
I think it's a great place for me to put
my energy, and so that's what I do. And then
(09:21):
there's also YouTube. Earlier this year I posted a handful
of shorts just experimenting. I wasn't consistent, unfortunately, but even
with a few uploads, my channel did start growing, and
that's when I realized, Okay, YouTube rewards you for showing
up even just a little bit. So I think for
the upcoming year in twenty twenty six, I'm going to
swing back around to YouTube again because that platform itself
(09:44):
has a built in search engine. That's where your content
can live forever. So the point is, what I'm trying
to say is stop chasing trends and just ask yourself,
where do I want to show up consistently, kind of
keep the idea of SEO in mind as well, and
making sure that you're establishing a foundation for your business,
(10:05):
your podcast wherever you are right so that it's not
just getting caught up in the algorithm and in the
feed and maybe people see you, maybe they don't, but
that you also have a place where you're creating a
digital footprint online and that's where search engine optimization helps
out tremendously. And I'll be talking more about SEO throughout
(10:25):
the upcoming year as I share more about the nuts
and bolts of podcasting. I'm really excited to share more
for those of you who are wanting to get into
the nitty gritty of how do I do this, how
do I make this sustainable for me? And as much
as I love sharing about thought leadership and what it
means to think like a CEO, I realize that there's
(10:46):
so much behind the scenes of podcasting where we do
need that micro information to help us become the CEO
that we want to be with our podcast. And so
I'll be spending a bit more time in twenty twenty
six and beyond talking about those micro details that help
you with your podcasting endeavors and hopefully creating a community
(11:07):
around that. So we'll see how that goes the definitely
you'll be the first to know when that is released.
But the next thing I want to share with you
is about guesting, becoming a podcast guest as a strategy
for growth. And this is a strategy that I don't
think it's talked about enough. We do have a few
people who'd focus on sharing about podcast strategy. I follow
(11:29):
them on Instagram and I had a guest here on
Soul Podcasting that shared a bit about what she does
for a podcast strategy growth, and you can go back
and listen to that episode. It would be doctor Julie
Marty Pearson and that was on episode seventy. But these
are things that we can do to help us build
(11:51):
our own audiences as well as being a mutual benefit
to other podcasters. So when you're a guest on another
podcast or not just borrowing their audience, you're building a
relationship with that host, and those relationships often lead to
collaborations and referrals and opportunities that you honestly could not
have planned for. And that's why I think being a
(12:11):
podcast guest can really just kind of level the playing
field for you, especially if you're start just starting your podcast.
This summer, I did what I like to call a
mini podcast tour. It was just a few podcasts that
I decided I wanted to be on the show and
they wanted me, and so it was nothing formal, just
a few guest spots on shows in my niche. So
(12:34):
I found some podcasters that I admired or really wanted
to have a deeper conversation with them, and it was
super refreshing and I wasn't worried about my own production
schedule in those moments. I just got to show up,
share my story and connect, and listeners who resonated with
me followed me back here to my show. So if
(12:55):
you're looking for growth, you don't just obsess over your
own feed. You get yourself onto other people's feeds and
into other people's earbuds. So some of the shows that
I was on, and I'll go ahead and share that
with you real quick, just in case you're curious, and
then of course i'll leave a link to those in
the show notes if you want to take a look
at the interviews. But I was a guest on the
(13:15):
how To podcast series with Dave Campbell. It's his episode
four fifty eight, so i'llly link to that. It was
also a guest on Rory Paquette's The Podcaster Nation episode
one thirty. I shared with Elise Halcomb on the Peaceful
Mompreneur podcast as well as on Wisdom's podcast. His podcast
is called My Podcast Story. And I also shared with
(13:38):
Carol Klegg's podcast which is Connect, Inspire, and Create. So
those are just a few shows that I was on
this past summer, just to share and to kind of
be on the other end of things so that I'm
not always the one who is running the interview and hosting,
but getting used to being on the other side as
a guest as well. All right. And the next thing
(14:00):
I want to share with you is about using AI
as your assistant and not your identity. So I'm going
to say this, AI is not the enemy and it's
not the savior. Those are two things that I feel
like as podcasters, we need to constantly remind ourselves that
we're not fighting AI. But we're also not relying on AI.
It's just a tool. And when I say we don't
(14:21):
rely on it, we use it of course, which you know,
it becomes part of our routine, but we don't rely
on it for everything. Remember, we're using it to do
the things that helps us to be more productive. For example,
I use it for outlining my episodes, for writing drafts
of show notes. I pull my transcripts so I can
(14:42):
find those golden keyword phrases that make a perfect YouTube title.
But the boundary for me is is that AI doesn't
touch the soul of my podcast. It doesn't replace my voice.
It just helps me move through the admin parts faster
so I can stay in my creative lane. And you know,
for those of you who are interested in maybe exploring
(15:03):
the boundaries, pushing the boundaries a bit and seeing what
new and engaging things you can do with AI by
all means, go for it, enjoy the journey. My husband
is actually doing that right now with his podcast, and
I find it fascinating. I wouldn't want to do it
quite the way he does it, and he wouldn't want
to podcast the way I do. We have very different
(15:23):
ways that we podcast. But I admire what he's been
doing using AI, and I just think it's very cutting
edge and I just can't even wrap my brain around it.
But he does a great job with his show, which
is Leadership and Success podcast. He is doing recaps for
all of his guests, and in his recap episodes, he
uses AI to recap what he and his guest talked about.
(15:47):
He uses the AI bots and they are fed a
script and they are having a full conversation about the
previous episode. So for those who don't have time to
watch the full thirty minute or hour episode, they can
listen to the ten or fifteen minute recap with the
AI who are talking with one another, and it looks
(16:10):
very much like they're in a studio and they're having
this conversation together. And so I just find that so
cutting edge and engaging, and yet it's not something that
I would want to implement in my show, but super
glad to see my husband trapes into that area. And
so again, you know, I don't see AI as replacing
what he's doing. I see it as integrated into the
(16:33):
whole of what he's doing because he shows up consistently
every single day to put out an episode. He's a
daily podcaster and he's there in person, and then there's
also the AI that's there maybe a few times a week.
So I love that that he's doing this new thing
that I never would have had the guts to or
(16:54):
the courage to. But again, you know, you do podcasting
the way that is best for you and that fits
your personality and the soul of your brand and who
you are. So the big four growth moves right now
for me are SEO, intentional platforms, right, finding the right
places to be, podcast guesting, and AI support. For me,
(17:18):
the AI support and all of this together is nothing
too shiny or flashy, but they all work together, integrated
into this system that works for me. Now. One of
the biggest mins in podcasting is that your success equals
your download numbers. And I know it's tempting because we
want to log in and check the stats every single day,
we keep refreshing the chart positions. That's normal to feel
(17:39):
like we want to keep checking. But if that's all
you're chasing, you're setting yourself up for disappointment, honestly, because
the truth is podcasters with thousands of downloads per episode
who aren't making a dime. I know these people, Okay,
they're sometimes not actually able to build real relationships with
their audience and they're feeling burned out. I know podcasters
(18:02):
with just a few hundred loyal listeners who are thriving.
They're landing speaking gigs, they're attracting clients, they're being invited
into spaces that they never have imagined, and so it's
not necessarily about the numbers, and so we're going to
talk about impact instead of those numbers. So I was
invited to speak on a panel because the organizer had
(18:22):
listened to an episode one episode of mine. They didn't
care about my download account, they weren't asking me any
questions about how many people listen. They only cared about
the clarity of my message. And so that opportunity was
open to me because of one show, and then several
coaching clients have also found me through my podcast. They
(18:43):
told me they listened to one or two episodes, whether
it was through a podcast platform or Spotify or Apple podcasts,
or they found me on YouTube. They found me somewhere
and they knew that I would be the right fit
for them in coaching because of listen to just a
few shows. And that is relationship building. You can't measure
(19:04):
it in stats alone. So again, client trust is something
that happens when you're able to build a relationship with
your audience. And then there's thought leadership. Every time you
publish an episode, you're essentially putting a little brick down
in this house of your credibility and people start quoting
you back to yourself, they recommend your show to other people.
(19:25):
That is authority and impact. And then let's not forget
sometimes your podcast is exactly what someone needs in that moment.
You can change lives. Maybe it encourages them to start
their own business, maybe it helps them feel less alone.
And that is transformation, and transformation does not require being viral.
I've talked about that in a previous episode as well.
(19:46):
Go back and check out episode sixty. Why visibility isn't
about going viral, but it's about staying relevant. So if
you're staring at your stats and you're thinking, oh, I
need to be further along than where I am right
now to say to you that your numbers are not
the full story. It's your consistency, your clarity, and your alignment.
(20:08):
Those are the real metrics that matter. One of the
biggest shifts that I've made recently is really paying more
attention to my SEO titles. So again I'm going back
to that, tightening things up in my older episodes, making
sure my episode titles actually match what people are searching for.
Because the truth is, discoverability is a growth strategy all
on its own. And alongside that, I'm keeping my energy
(20:30):
focus on the platforms I really enjoy, mainly Instagram right now,
and when I can, I'll get back into YouTube shorts.
But these little actions really do stack up if you
give them time. So that's what I'll be working on
in twenty twenty six. And something personal I don't talk
about often is that a few years ago, I remember
looking at my podcast stats, and this is back when
(20:50):
I first started soul podcasting, so around maybe twenty twenty two,
near the end of that year I started this podcast,
and I realize that I had over a few years
multiplied my growth by over seven thousand percent. So that
means I went from this tiny handful of the listeners
monthly maybe three to five. Like I didn't have very
(21:13):
many listeners the first couple of months that I started podcasting,
and I just kept going and kept going, and then
before long we were averaging a few hundred every month.
That moment when I saw that percentage growth showed me
that I shouldn't dismiss the small beginnings. Even when it
feels like no one's listening. That effort compounds in ways
(21:33):
that you can't always predict. And since then the growth
has even continued. I'm still growing here and I'm just
along for the ride and enjoying this journey. So if
you're sitting there thinking, Okay, I only have ten listeners
right now, or fifty, maybe one hundred, don't discount it.
Don't discount it. Each one of those listeners is a
(21:54):
real person choosing to spend their time with you, and
that's where the foundation is built. My friend, all right,
we're gonna shift gears for just a moment, and it's
time for our podcasting in the news segment. And this
(22:19):
is something that I started doing at the beginning of
the summer but have not continued. So I thought, Hey,
I need to bring the podcasting in the news segment back,
So here we go. According to pod Matches twenty twenty
five podcast industry report, won't we about ten percent of
independent podcasters are considered actively established. The kicker is that
(22:43):
ten percent produces ninety five percent of all the podcasts listening.
The translation here is that most people quit way too soon,
but if you stick it out long enough to hit
milestones like one hundred episodes, you move into that more
established category, and that's where the real growth and the
real listenership happens. So that hit home for me because
(23:04):
I've seen how much consistency matters, even when I take
breaks or if I rebrand. It's the fact that I
keep showing up that creates results. And honestly, it's not
just about stats. It's about community. And that's been true
since the early days when I ran a Facebook group
just for women podcasters. That group, unfortunately doesn't exist anymore,
but today I still see the same sense of community
(23:27):
through your emails, your replies to my newsletters, and the
voice notes. Even that you leave me on speak pipe
speaking up which I want to give a special thank
you to Sylvie from France. She left me the sweetest
voice note about her future podcasting plans and with some
words of encouragement even a little song. So Sylvie, you
made my week and I will ask you for permission
(23:50):
to see if it's okay if I play your voice
note on my podcast next time. But side note for
you guys, if you want to leave me a voice note,
head over to podcasting dot com. There is a little
tab on the right side of the screen. It's pink
and there's a microphone there. It says leave me a voicemail.
Click on that and just start talking. And if you're
(24:12):
okay with me playing it on the show, I'd be
happy to as well as leave a link back to
your podcast. So here's what I want you to take
away from today's episode. Growth isn't about being everywhere, It's
about being consistent where it counts. Remember that SEO guesting
at strategic platform use and platform strategy matter more than
(24:33):
just chasing trends. Remember that downloads don't define your success,
your impact does. And the community that you build around
your podcast is your most valuable asset all right, my friend.
That is a wrap for today. And if you're ready
to grow your podcast with intention, I've got a free
resource just for you. It's called the Launch Confidently Podcasting Checklist.
You'll get it when you sign up for my free
(24:55):
newsletter over atsoul podcasting dot com. I'm leaving a link,
of course, and if you'd like some personalized insight, I'm
also offering podcast audits right now. It's a great way
to see where you can level up your show. Don't
forget leaving me that voice, not that soul podcasting. I
love hearing from you. Might feature you on a future episode,
and so again, thank you for hanging out with me today,
(25:17):
Keep showing up, keep sharing your voice, and as always,
my friend, keep podcasting with soul Happy podcasting.
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