The Podcast Fast Track

Your podcast intro is one of the first things a listener hears. So it's essential that it is written well and conveys the emotion, info, and calls to action that will make people continue listening and subscribe.I go thought my process of crafting an intro in this episode.

Your podcast intro has 7 seconds tohook listeners or lose them forever. Most podcasters blow it withgeneric music and boring introductions. Let's talk about the sounddesign psychology that separates amateur podcasts from the onespeople actually binge.*The Brutal Truth About FirstImpressionsYou've got brilliant content.Game-changing insights. Stories that could transform lives. Buthere's the thing - if your intro sounds like garbage, nobody willstick around to hear any of it.Bad sound design pushes people awaybefore they even get to your brilliance. It's like showing up to abusiness meeting in pajamas. Sure, you might be a genius, butnobody's going to take you seriously.After 13 years of producing podcasts,I've seen it all. The good, the bad, and the "oh dear Lord, makeit stop." Let's make sure yours falls into the first category.Watch along as I show you how to do this yourself on this video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxiP2w1LI00&feature=youtu.be

A podcast could revolutionize your business, fill your client funnel, and help you network like never before.

The brutal truth about your failing content strategy (and the 3-second rule that changes everything) The 3-Second Death Rule That's Killing Your ContentYour reel has exactly three seconds to live or die. Three seconds before viewers scroll past, potentially lost forever. And here's what makes it worse: when viewers swipe past, the algorithm doesn't forget about it—it actively punishes you.It's a brutal truth!  While you've been making content, successful creators have been making something completely different. There's a massive distinction that's costing you hundreds of thousands of views. Gone are the days when you could simply pull highlights from your podcast and expect them to perform. The game has completely changed, especially in the last year.Those creators getting 200,000 views understand a fundamental shift in how short-form content works—a shift that most creators completely miss. It's not about better content or fancier editing. It's about understanding what your reels actually are (hint: they're not what you think).The Content Creator's Secret WeaponWe're not content hopers. We're content creators. But most creators are hoping for viral moments instead of engineering them. The difference between 200 views and 200,000 views comes down to specific techniques you can implement before you even hit record.There's a pro technique I use with interview guests that turns boring responses into viral gold—without making your guest look bad. In fact, it makes them look even more expert while giving you complete control over the viral potential of your content. This single technique has transformed how my clients approach their podcast interviews.But here's the thing: none of this works if you don't understand your audience's deepest pain points. I've developed a specific questionnaire that digs through the layers to find your true niche and audience. Once you have this clarity, creating scroll-stopping content becomes almost automatic.You can check that out right here.The Framework That Changes EverythingThe worst content mistake you can make isn't what you think. It's not about poor quality or bad audio. It's something that makes viewers ignore you forever and triggers the algorithm to bury your content even deeper.I've developed a specific framework for creating what I call "scroll-stoppers"—content that doesn't just get views but builds an empire. It involves scripting certain elements (but not what you'd expect) and understanding the three types of headlines that actually make people stop scrolling.In the full episode, I break down:- The exact 5-hook method I use before every recording- Two different recording strategies (one saves time, one maximizes viral potential)- How to pull 10 viral reels from a single piece of content- The spokesperson technique that saves boring interviews- Why giving away your best content actually makes you more money---Subscribe to the podcast or Watch the Full EpisodeReady for the complete system? This blog post only scratches the surface. In the full episode, I'm revealing everything—including actual examples of hooks that work and live demonstrations of how to implement them.📺 Watch the Full Video Tutorial🎧 Or prefer to listen? Get the complete breakdown on the Podcast Fast Track podcast, where I go even deeper into the psychology behind viral content and share client case studies you won't see anywhere else.Connect with AaronGet daily content tips and behind-the-scenes...

Remote recording for interviews and the like has always been a bit tricky and the platforms that provide recording of this type are always trying to improve.2022 brings us a lot of contenders for the title of "best remote recording platform."This episode is a handful of recordings of me and my right-hand audio-man, Aaron as we test out the top 11 platforms. You're going to hear about...BoomcasterCastCleanfeedClearcastIrisRemotelyRiversideSquadcastWelderZencastrZoomAnd we also tried Ringr, which has been around for some time but we got so frustrated trying to get it to work that we dropped the attempt. It could have been a bad day (for both of us?) but we made the call not to move forward with that portion of the recording and moved on.RESOURCES MENTIONEDBoomcaster - https://Boomcaster.com Cast - https://tryca.st Cleanfeed - https://Cleanfeed.net Clearcast - https://clearcast.io Iris - https://iris.fm Remotely - https://remotely.fm Riverside - https://riverside.fm (affliate link here)Squadcast - https://squadcast.fm (affiliate link here)Welder - https://GetWelder.com/remote-interview-recording Zencastr - https://zencastr.com Zoom - https://Zoom.us 

I have LONG wanted a Podcast Newsletter that provides content for me — an INDEPENDENT PODCASTER.I mean, it's OK to have industry news about who moved from what bigwig company to another biggerwig company in a higher profile industry-speak position... no problem there.But it's not relevant to me at all.So I've created an Indie Podcast Newsletter FOR Indie Podcasters, BY an Indie Podcaster. Abraham Lincoln would have said something like that if he were a podcaster.I'm calling it "Podawan" (hat tip to the Star Wars universe).I LOVE the idea of Podawan Learner... and since we are all bootstrapping, do it yourself kind of folks, we can be Podawans.Each episode or installment of the Podawan newsletter will include...An Education section that highlights stuff you need to learn or do betterA Success Stories section that tells of Indie podcasters who have actually done it.An Industry News section where I frame happenings in ways that matter to you.And an Editorial section... where I write an opinion piece based on issues within the podcast industry (and shock... it will be RELEVANT to Indie podcasters).Finally... I'll be taking LETTERS TO THE EDITOR... you can write your input about my opinions, industry stuff, something else. I don't care what it is. Send it to me.I hope you'll subscribe. It's going to be a fun and RELEVANT ride.Oh yeah... you can also find some fun, Podawan swag here.

Daniel J. Lewis has been building authority in the podcasting space since 2010.That’s when the very first episode of his show (a podcast about podcasting) “The Audacity to Podcast.” You can hear it here.Daniel has already been podcasting for about three years when I first came across his content and I can’t express the number of ways he’s helped me personally, both through his content and via personal email interactions we’ve had together.He’s a regular guy who is as genuine in real life as he seems on his show.THIS episode featuring Daniel J. Lewis features the story of how Daniel has used his podcast as a launching pad for SERVICES-based businesses - from website development to plugin development, to podcast consulting, Daniel has tried his hand at a wide variety of things — with varying levels of success. On this episode he shares...▷ His path into podcasting from a job he loved▷ How he built authority in a niche that was new to him▷ Choosing from the wide variety of income models▷ The power of perseverance in finding what fits youI hope you take the time to listen. Daniel doesn’t hold back and if you apply what he shares, you’ll move WAY forward in your attempts to monetize your show.

How successful can a niche podcast be?The answer likely depends on the niche. For example, back on episode 154 of this podcast Glenn Hebert, the personality and power behind The Horse Radio Network said this about his niche:”(Annually) We are well into five figures, and you know, in our niche, we’ll probably never get to six figures. I don’t see us ever doing that.”But his comments are about an expensive and specific niche, horses. What about if the niche in question is broader but very popular?Like Bourbon?While he was still in college, Kenny Coleman became a fan of bourbon (makes sense) and got into the “Bourbon Culture” from there. His interest became a passion and his passion has turned into a multi-six-figure business, all built on the back of a podcast that happened to become very, very popular.My theory? Kenny pursued something he loved that many others were growing to love at the same time, and he saw an opportunity to serve people like himself.Kenny and Ryan started their podcast from scratch, just like the rest of usGo back and listen to episode 1 of The Bourbon Pursuit podcast (you can find it here). There was nothing super special about it. Just two guys with a mic (maybe two) who were talking about something they enjoyed — bourbon. They set the stage, gave listeners an idea what to expect, and asked for feedback. I love what they said at the end of that episode...“If we suck, let us know, if it’s good, let us know. If you think something else would be cool, let us know. We just want to learn and grow as we go.”That is KEY: Ask for feedbackNo matter what your niche is, you won’t be able to serve your audience well until you know what they want. So figure out ways to ask them...What do they want to learn?Who do they want to hear from in the niche?What kind of skills do they need?What are the pains they feel related to the niche?These days Kenny and Ryan do that through a community that is managed, run, and kept alive by members of their Patreon supporters. But back at the beginning, they had to figure out ways to do it. Annual surveys were a tool they used. Soliciting listener feedback episode to episode helped. And little by little, they were able to dial-in their demographic and know how to serve their audience better.Quality matters, both technically and in skill levelKenny and Ryan started their podcast about bourbon back in 2015. Bourbon back then was NOT the thing it is today. Today it’s cool, hip, trendy, etc. , but back then, it was just a hobby for enthusiasts. But that began to change. More bourbon-related podcasts started showing up and Kenny (the Executive Producer of the show) realized he’d have to figure out ways to make their show better than all the rest.So he up-leveled the equipment they used. He improved their interviewing skills. He shot for higher-level guests and topics listeners said they wanted to hear.And the podcast continued to grow.Burnout happens to all podcasters at some pointThere was a turning point when Kenny felt he was going to have to give up the podcast. He was working a full-time job, was married, and had a child, and he felt that he was being pulled in too many directions. Between his job and the podcast he was working 80 hours a week and knew that without any payoff coming from his efforts, it didn’t make sense to keep making the kind of sacrifices he was making.He was open about the situation on social media and a fan reached out and suggested they start a Patreon. Kenny didn’t even know what it was. If you dont, here’s the nutshell: Patreon allows fans to support you on a donation level. You can set it up in a way they donate monthly, or per-episode you...

Do you EVER have issues coming up with new topics to cover on your podcast?If not, it’s only a matter of time. Every podcaster runs into the issue eventually - asking the question, “What ELSE am I going to talk about on my podcast?”It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out or if you’ve been podcasting for a long time. It WILL happen to you.What then?How are you going to move forward and continue to serve your audience?I’ve got a content development exercise you’re going to LOVE!On this episode, I want to teach you a process I’ve implemented time and time again that enables anyone to have 10 to 15 interesting, helpful, immediately usable topics that can be recorded for individual podcast episodes, in JUST 30 MINUTES.If it sounds too good to be true, just listen. You’ll see the magic (but it’s NOT magic, just common sense) of taking this approach.It’s tapping into the knowledge you already have inside that noggin of yours and putting it to work for the sake of your audience.Ready? Hit the play button!If you’d like to take the DEEP DIVE into this approach, you can find it outlined in detail on this blog post: https://podcastfasttrack.com/podcast-workflow-step-2-generate-topics-bulk-record/

Every podcaster is looking for ways to grow her audience. Why? Hopefully, it's for reasons bigger than our own ego (if it's not, please — STOP podcasting right now).The best reason to work toward podcast audience growth is to better serve those who find our show interesting and or helpful. I know you agree with me, right?Scott Johnson is a guy who does that through a couple of podcasts, but the one we focus on in this conversation is what he calls his "passion project" — "What was that like?" It's an intriguing show that interviews real people about the bizarre and sometimes painful experiences they've had in life. (Check out this episode, "Robert was in a gunfight with pirates" to get a taste for yourself).Scott and I discuss the MAIN thing he's done to keep his audience growth heading upward — and it comes in THREE forms. He breaks it down on this episode.You'll enjoy this episode if you're interested in...the best ways to discover what kind of people listen to your podcasthow to find other podcasts that have a similar audience (listen to understand why this is important)making connections with the podcasters who host those showspartnering with other podcasters to grow your respective showsreal-life results that come from this strategypodcast mastermind groups: their benefits might surprise youMentioned on this episode"What was that like?" - Scott's podcast discussed on this episode: https://whatwasthatlike.com/Scott's The Computer Tutor podcast: https://computertutorflorida.com/MIDROLL: Podcast MastermindIf you're interested in growing your podcast by joining forces with other podcasters who are on their way to success (just like you), consider applying for the next Podcast Fast Track Podcast Mastermind. It's one of the best investments you can make in your podcast, hands-down. Not to mention the great ongoing cooperative relationships you'll make with other podcasters like yourself. APPLY FOR THE NEXT GROUP HERE.Other podcasters who share your audience are NOT your competitionOne of the things I've loved about podcasting ever since I started is the reality that it's a very cooperative space. Unlike other industries, podcasters seem more than generous to help others who are trying to grow a show just like they are. This conversation with Scott is an example (he's a very generous guy).Scott banks on that fact as part of his podcast audience growth strategy. It's an easy assumption to make because you know that other podcasters who your audience finds intriguing or interesting are attempting to grow their listenership just like you. Reaching out to them to investigate cooperative partnerships makes perfect sense.But it's not easy to do with all the SPAM hitting our inboxes these days. For that reason, I was super interested in finding out how Scott makes the most of his opportunities to partner with other podcasters. As I suspected, he doesn't use a copy-and-paste email template that can be modified for pseudo-personal outreach. He does the hard work required to ensure he's coming across genuinely and that his communication is cutting through the noise. Listen to find out the details because I ask him all the questions.What elements contribute to your audience growth outreach pitch being noticed?As I mentioned above, SPAM...