What are people really wondering about when they want to start a podcast? Well, would it shock you to know that most people, like yourself, are wondering the same exact things, but are too afraid to ask for fear of sounding silly. Well, I’ve compiled a list of the eight most common questions I get asked about podcasting and will give you the answers right now. It’s time to take the guessing and wondering out of the equation. Let’s get started.
Question: Format… Would you suggest I choose to do a solo-based OR an interview-based show?
Answer: I tend to lean towards combining both types into your show’s format. I typically suggest producing two interviews a month and one solo episode. The final episode I like to add to the rotation is a listener response show where you can answer listener submitted questions. Why do I suggest mixing up the format? Podcasting is a great way to establish yourself as an expert in a given area. When you talk for 45-minutes to an hour, you quickly establish authority. However, people also respect you more if you do interviews with people that can share their perspectives, discussions and expertise. You also open yourself up to learning something new from your podcast guests.
Question: What is the best way to increase podcast subscribers?
Answer: Honestly, check out my podcast launch formula. In addition, make sure your podcast has a keyword-rich title (be sure to check out my podcast episode on keyword stuffing), set yourself up with a launch team (ask people to rate, review and subscribe), go onto other podcasts and be interviewed in order to borrow those audiences, and finally, get your podcast episodes transcribed. Once transcribed, place the content on your website in some way; doing so will help with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and help grow your podcast in organic ways.
Question: When starting a podcast, which podcast hosting service should I use?
Answer: I love Libsyn and full disclosure, I am a Libsyn affiliate (use code “Danny” at https://signup.libsyn.com/ to get a free month). They offer many features, great support and are an established podcast host. If not Libsyn, then I suggest choosing one of the other two major podcast hosts, Blubrry or Podbean. It’s better to use a podcast host that has staying power, many features and support over one like Anchor FM or Pippa.
Question: On average how many downloads does a great podcast get?
Answer: The “Joe Rogans” and “Dan Carlins” of the podcast world are getting hundreds of thousands if not millions of downloads per episode. But, they makeup the top 3% of podcasts. The average podcast gets 150 downloads per episode. Yes, you heard that right! Only 7.8% of podcasts get more than 5,000 downloads per episode. The top 20% of podcasts get 1,200 downloads or more per episode.
Question: How many downloads do I need to get paid sponsors?
Answer: At last check, once you are averaging 1,000 to 2,000 downloads per episode after 3 weeks of air time you can secure pretty good sponsors. That’s typically when the larger advertisers are open to discussion with you. Around 1,000-2,000 downloads, you can anticipate getting sponsorships of about $500 a month for a weekly 60 second ad read. At about 5,000 downloads per episode, the ad buy is around $1,000 per month for a 60 second ad read. Check out http://truenativemedia.com or https://advertisecast.com to start exploring advertising.
With that said, I always tend to lean towards sponsoring yourself – your own products, your own services and even affiliate links. When you sponsor yourself, you don’t need to worry about the “download numbers game.”
Question: I am launching a podcast, where should I list my podcast?
Answer: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio (after 3 months). Plus, if you are in a niche industry, search for industry specific directories to include your podcast.
Question: What are some best practices for appearing on podcasts and guesting?
Answer: This is a great question and I have some tips for you.
- First, be sure to have a podcast one-sheet or page that includes: the topics you are an expert on, top 5 common questions you can be asked, your lead magnet link, quick bio and headshot to present to people.
- Be relatively well-spoken.
- This is one that nobody ever thinks about: come to the interview with a few questions for the host. This shows you care about the host, the interview, and their show.
- Finally, be clear and concise with your answers. Answer the question, share a story and then summarize the answer.
Question: What is the best length of time for a podcast episode?
Answer: It really depends on your audience, the content you are sharing and whether or not the episodes are interview or solo-based. You can take a dripping it out approach like I do for my podcast about podcasting, with a 10-minute or less episode. If you are helping people with personal growth, you might want to have a 30-minute or hour long episode where you can share stories and answer questions. It truly depends on your audience and the content you are providing them. Think about whether they are commuters or busy executives. How much time do they have to listen?
There you have it. The 8 most common questions I get asked about podcasting.
Still have questions? You might want to consider applying for my upcoming session of my live course Podcast Supercharger OR applying to join my podcaster mastermind. You can apply a…
https://dannyozment.com/podcastsupercharger
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