Short Podcasting Tips: Simple Advice To Help Your Podcast Succeed

Stay Consistent And Patient

Welcome to Short Podcasting Tips by Podcast Branding. Simple advice to help your podcast succeed. Episode 20: Stay Consistent and Patient:  I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Rome wasn't built in a day.” Neither is a successful podcast. Very few shows hit their stride right out of the gate. But if you go into this with the right expectations, you’ll do fine. Building a successful show takes time and effort, which can stretch into months and even years. That’s why there are so many dead podcasts with only a handful of episodes. Those people failed to consider the dedication required to create a successful show. But not you. You’re doing your homework because you want to do it right. The trick is to stay consistent with your content and be patient.  That means sticking to your release schedule, whether that’s monthly, weekly or, if you’re ambitious, daily. And give your audience content they can expect. That’s why determining your niche is so important. It’s hard for a listener to remain loyal if you change things up every episode.  You may want to talk about sports on one episode, raising toddlers on the next, and follow up with an episode reviewing a movie you saw. It may be interesting for you, but not so much for your listeners. Without a topic or niche to focus your episodes around, people will abandon your show, that’s if they even check it out in the first place. The best way to grow your show is through word of mouth. To do so, you must produce good content that resonates with your audience’s interests, making them want to share it with like-minded people, and release episodes on a predictable schedule so they know when to expect them. Success in podcasting is a journey, not a sprint. Keep pushing forward, and your hard work will pay off. Stay consistent and be patient. Another way to grow your show is with attractive podcast cover artwork.  If your artwork looks cheap and amateurish, people will presume your show is cheap and amateurish.  Luckily, professionally designed podcast cover artwork is one of the services I offer at Podcast Branding.  Visit podcastbranding.co [https://podcastbranding.co], to learn more about my podcast cover artwork service and see everything else I offer, including podcast logos and websites. I would love to work with you to develop your podcast’s brand. After all, they see you before they hear you. Mark Des Cotes Podcast Branding Specialist

Collaborate With Other Podcasters

Welcome to Short Podcasting Tips by Podcast Branding. Simple advice to help your podcast succeed. Episode 19: Collaborate with Other Podcasters:  Expand your horizons! One of the best ways to grow your podcast is by collaborating with other podcasters. You do this by appearing on other podcasts or inviting experts to your show.  When you’re a guest on someone else’s podcast, you are introduced to their audience. Those who like what you have to say may decide to follow your show. Having guests on your show can have a similar effect. Make it easy for your guests to share the episode once it’s released, and they’ll expose it to their network, which may lead to more people checking out your show. You can start by contacting podcasters in your niche to explain the benefits of working together. This cross-promotion introduces your podcast to new audiences, creating valuable connections in the podcasting community. And do you know what would make these connections even easier? Having professionally designed podcast artwork. The better your podcast looks, the more agreeable guests will be to appear on your show, and the more willing podcasters will be to have you on theirs. Luckily, professionally designed podcast cover artwork is one of the services I offer at Podcast Branding. In fact, I’ve created artwork for over 400 shows. Visit podcastbranding.co [https://podcastbranding.co], to learn more about my podcast cover artwork service and see everything else I offer, including podcast logos and websites. I would love to work with you to develop your podcast’s brand. After all, they see you before they hear you. Mark Des Cotes Podcast Branding Specialist

Monitor Analytics And Feedback

Welcome to Short Podcasting Tips by Podcast Branding. Simple advice to help your podcast succeed. Episode 18: Monitor Analytics and Feedback:  Every podcaster wants to know how they’re doing. Luckily, there are many sources to help you monitor download numbers, listener demographics and feedback, consumption rates, and so much more. These are great, but let me give you a bit of advice. Don’t obsess over them. Your time is better spent focusing on improving your next episode than worrying about how the last one is doing. But that doesn’t mean these stats can’t be useful. Knowing if your episode download numbers are increasing or decreasing can help you monitor the trajectory of your podcast. Knowing how far into an episode listeners start dropping off can help identify less popular sections of your show. And knowing the demographics of your listeners can help you develop content that resonates with them. Feedback is another great way to measure the appeal of your show. Ask pertinent questions of your audience and give them an easy way to reply via email, voice messages or a form on your website. You can gain valuable insight from their comments. Podcasting should be fun, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be serious. Monitoring analytics and feedback helps keep you on track with that serious side. Stay informed! Monitor download numbers, listener demographics, and feedback. Understanding your audience and the performance of your episodes helps you refine your content and grow your podcast effectively. Now, in order to get downloads and all these stats, you need listeners. And what better way for listeners to discover your show than through professionally designed podcast cover artwork? Luckily, podcast cover artwork is one of the services I offer at Podcast Branding. In fact, I’ve created artwork for over 400 shows. Visit podcastbranding.co [https://podcastbranding.co], to learn more about my podcast cover artwork service and see everything else I offer, including podcast logos and websites. I would love to work with you to develop your podcast’s brand. After all, they see you before they hear you. Mark Des Cotes Podcast Branding Specialist

Respect Copyright Laws

Welcome to Short Podcasting Tips by Podcast Branding. Simple advice to help your podcast succeed. Episode 17: Respect Copyright Laws:  Podcasting may seem like the wild frontier. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t rules you need to follow, especially when it comes to copyright. Before you embark on your podcasting journey, be sure to protect yourself from potential lawsuits. The first rule to remember is if it’s popular, it’s probably protected. That means you can’t play your favourite song from AC/DC, Beyoncé, Tim McGraw or Hans Zimmer on your show. Doing so can land you in costly trouble. Even short clips are not allowed. And don’t fall for the “Fair Use defence” trap. Fair use is not permission; it’s a defence you use in court after you’ve been sued, which is risky and can be costly. Once again, the best rule to follow is that if it’s popular, it’s probably protected. But copyright isn’t just about music.  You should do your due diligence to ensure the title you chose for your show isn’t already copyrighted.  You do not want to build up a successful podcast only to receive a letter from a lawyer telling you to stop using your title. The same applies to your artwork. Some less reputable “designers” have no qualms about using copyrighted material in the artwork they charge you for. I know several good designers who have had their work stolen for this very purpose. And should something come of it, you’re the liable one, not the designer.  If you design your own artwork, be sure you have the proper licences for the assets you use. This means you should not copy images from Google searches. Play by the rules! Respect copyright laws by avoiding using copyrighted material without proper licensing or permission. Protect your podcast from legal issues and maintain ethical content creation. Luckily, when you hire Podcast Branding, you don’t have to worry about copyright issues. Everything I design is unique and properly licensed. Visit podcastbranding.co [https://podcastbranding.co], to see everything I offer, including podcast cover artwork, logos and websites. I would love to work with you to develop your podcast’s brand. After all, they see you before they hear you. Mark Des Cotes Podcast Branding Specialist

Optimize For SEO

Welcome to Short Podcasting Tips by Podcast Branding. Simple advice to help your podcast succeed. Episode 16: Optimize for SEO:  You’re creating a great podcast—something you can be proud of—and you want to share it with the world. A great way to be heard is to ensure your show is discoverable. That’s where SEO comes in—Search Engine Optimization. You need to Optimize your podcast for search engines and directories by using relevant keywords in your show and episode titles and descriptions.  Naming an episode “Unicorns, Fairies, and Waterfalls” may sound like a cute episode title for a child-rearing podcast, but it doesn’t tell the listener what the episode is about, and its vagueness is useless to search engines. On the other hand, naming the episode “Introducing your child to fairytales” gives your audience a clear idea of what to expect.  It can also help you be discovered via search engines like Google, Yahoo, or Bing, should someone search for a related topic about children and fairytales. Remember that search engines don’t refer only to Google, Yahoo, and Bing.  Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all the other directories your podcast is listed in are also search engines where people can discover your show when searching for their topic of interest. Improve your chances of being found by the right audience with strategic SEO, regardless of where they’re searching. Now, to get the most benefits from SEO, you need an SEO-optimized website. Luckily, I can help you with that. It’s one of the services I offer at Podcast Branding.  Visit podcastbranding.co [https://podcastbranding.co], to see everything I offer, including podcast cover artwork and podcast logos. I would love to work with you to develop your SEO-optimized website. After all, they see you before they hear you. Mark Des Cotes Podcast Branding Specialist