[140] Podcast Listener Life Cycles (Why You Need to Let Go of Your Audience)

Whoa.We're back!Jerod Morris and Jonny Nastor and reunite to talk podcasting ... for the first time in almost 18 months! We are actually killing two birds with one stone: a Lunch & Learn for folks in the Unemployable Initiative (a community that Jerod runs) and a new episode for this long-dormant Showrunner feed.Learn more about the community: http://unenployable.com/communityWe cover:• Takeaways from the annual Infinite Dial survey on the podcasting industry.• Why our four pillars of successful are still just as important now as when we developed them; in fact, they are probably more important.• What authenticity in podcasting actually means.• Why it's not just about connection anymore, but about developing something on top of that.• Umm ... what is a "podcast" anymore?• What impact with Spotify and other streaming services have on listening habits and the way we should think about our podcasts.• A few technological advancements worth considering.• A massive podcasting opportunity that not a lot of people are considering.We also answer several questions from the live folks:• How do you promote a new podcast and drive attention to it?• What should you consider if you have a thick accent?• Are short-form podcasts a good option for hyperlocal websites?And more. It was a jam-packed conversation. And you know what? It was just really fun. The Showrunner podcast worked because Jonny and Jerod have a lot of respect for each other, good chemistry, and different viewpoints. I think all of that was still there 18 months later. :-)

With the holiday season now in full swing, it's time to ask yourself a very important question: should you take a holiday break from your show?Here is answer: yes, we are.This will be our last episode of The Showrunner until January 9th, 2019. But before we go, we describe some important reasons why you should consider taking a break too, and offer up a few steps for how to execute a holiday break the right way so that you get the most out of the experience.

This week, we react to two articles that caught our eye — each of which deals with a topic we’ve discussed recently here on The Showrunner.First, we discuss this article from Nieman Lab (http://www.niemanlab.org/2018/11/consumers-love-smart-speakers-they-dont-love-news-briefings-on-smart-speakers-at-least-not-yet/): Consumers love smart speakers. They don’t love news on smart speakers. (At least not yet.)You may recall in episode we discussed a handful of reasons why short-form podcasts are a major growth opportunity. This article lends further credence to that idea … though we both urge caution before you think about just jumping right into producing one.Then, we discuss this article from Ahrefs (https://ahrefs.com/blog/podcast-advertising/): Podcast Advertising: $51,975 Spent. Here’s What We Learned.In episode 138 we discussed tips for striking a win-win-win deal with a new sponsor. This article provides a unique view of the sponsorship process from the perspective of the sponsor.

We talk a lot about the importance of building your email list and nourishing your subscribers — but what do you do when you are struggling to get anyone to join your email list in the first place?You need to examine (or reexamine) your lead magnet. And in this week’s episode of The Showrunner, we describe a simple 5-step process for creating a lead magnet that will lead to consistent conversions.Among the topics we discuss:• How to define the problem your lead magnet will solve (and why being able to complete this step is foundational for your ability reach your audience).• Why you need to provide ONE specific solution.• How to choose the best format for your lead magnet, with a handful of different types you should consider.• How to approach creating the content itself.• What steps you should take to make it look snazzy.And we use an example lead magnet Jonny created for Hack the Entrepreneur to walk through each of the steps. Click here to download it: https://www.dropbox.com/s/waztnafl5huz06u/10%20FILL%20IN%20THE%20BLANK%20HEADLINES.pdf?dl=Check out our sponsor Hover for your domain hosting needs. Go to Hover.com/Showrunner and get started today with 10% off your first purchase.If you find this episode useful, you should also check out these recent episodes: • [130] 23+ Ways to Earn Profit From Your Podcast• [132] 22 Tips to Help You Avoid Costly Mistakes With Your Email List• [137] How to Market a Podcast: 7 Ways to Get More Listeners

As we mentioned near the end of last week's episode, this week we're talking about listener life cycles -- because not all listeners are created equally, and without a proper understanding of your podcast’s listener life cycles you will find yourself fighting an unwinnable fight to keep every new listener who comes your way.We publish remarkable podcasts on a consistent basis and new listeners discover our shows each and every day. So why do new listeners not stick around? Is it something we did or didn’t do, or is it something deeper than this?Today we are going to expand upon a private conversation we had. We found them ourselves dissecting the growth of our podcasts -- and more importantly, the life cycles of our podcast listeners.A fair bit of warning: this discussion is not as tight and buttoned-up as some of our other discussions. We meander a bit, and even struggle to explain things at times. But it really comes around at the end, and the calls to action we suggest are extremely useful (and potentially fruitful) thought processes that you should go through to get to know your audience better, so you can serve people more appropriately at whatever part of the listener life cycle they are in.Among the topics we discuss:• Why all listeners have unique jumping in and out points• Three types of podcast listeners: passers-by, advocates, and fans• How to help listeners cross over to the next life cycle

There are audience members — the kinds of people who auto-download your show, listen consistently, and even share an episode every once in a while.And then there are AUDIENCE MEMBERS — the kinds of rabid, loyal folks who show up for your live broadcasts, participate in live chats, support your show with donations, offer to help out, reach out to you when they are visiting your area to ask you to coffee, and just generally go the extra mile (maybe even many extra miles) to show you how much they love your work and the community you’re building.In this week’s episode, we’re going to talk about how you go from having the first kind of audience members to the SECOND KIND. Because when you develop a small but tight-knight group of the second kind, you really take your audience, and your show, to the next level.Jerod leads this episode, sharing lessons he’s learned from his experience with The Assembly Call. And Jonny rides shotgun providing the essential context so you know how to apply these ideas to your show even if it’s a totally different type of show than Jerod’s.Among the ideas we discuss:• What Jerod learned from his recent experience with the #ChatMob on The Assembly Call that inspired this episode.• The essential purpose of offering consistency and quality over time.• The power of a great domain name! (Hover sponsor section.)• Why you should take every opportunity to create one-on-one connections.• Why you should find ways to recognize audience members during your show.• The compounding power of hosting a consistent live event with an open live chat.• What it means to “go the extra mile” for your most intense fans.• How you can give your audience the opportunity invest in your growth (and why it’s so powerful).• Why you should consider empowering your audience members within the universe of your show.• How to organize ways for the conversation to go on with you (and why you should).Check out our sponsor Hover for your domain hosting needs. Go to Hover.com/Showrunner and get started today with 10% off your first purchase.• [128] How to Build an Audience That Transcends Your Content: The 3 C’s Approach• [64] No. 064 Listener Life Cycles: A Podcaster’s GuideConnect with us:• Join the Showrunner community with a free 30-day trial: http://community.showrunner.fm

Sponsorships are one of the most common and potentially reliable ways to monetize a podcast. But especially for podcasters with smaller audiences -- those who don't have access to the bigger networks of corporate podcast advertisers -- getting conversations going with potential sponsors isn't easy, and knowing how to propose terms and set up deals isn't always clear.We hope to shed some light on that with this episode, in the wake of Jerod signing up a new sponsor for The Assembly Call. He learned a few things from the experience, and you know Jonny always has plenty of advice to provide when it comes to sponsorships.Among the topics we discuss:• The unique story of how Jerod's latest sponsorship deal came out.• An underrated source for potential sponsors.• The importance of having "ad spots" in your show even before you sell your first ad.• The three parties that any sponsorship deal always has to be a win-win-win for.• What to use as a starting point for terms and negotiations.• The benefits of a sponsorship/affiliate blend.• The importance of not being an asshole.• Why you need to be organized and take the lead.• What data to present to potential sponsors and how to respond to their requests.And much more.

If you’re struggling to build the audience you want, it may be time to shift some of the time you’re investing into your podcast’s content over to the marketing — because no matter how great your content is, you’ll never build an audience if the right people aren’t being exposed to your show.In this episode, we provide you with seven proven tactics (plus three bonuses!) that will help you get more listeners.Among the topics we discuss:• The reality that most podcasters aren’t investing enough time in marketing their shows.• Why you should never make value judgments about the quality of your content based on download numbers.• The first place you should always start when it comes to finding new listeners: target people who already listen to podcasts!• A few set-it-and-forget-it strategies that will pay off in the long run.• Plus a few other strategies that will require a significant time investment, and that don’t scale, but that can deliver huge benefits over time.Check out our sponsor Hover for your domain hosting needs. Go to Hover.com/Showrunner and get started today with 10% off your first purchase.

Emerging distribution channels like Amazon Alexa's Flash Briefing, plus the ever-expanding proliferation of "normal" longer-form podcasts, are creating an interesting opportunity for podcasters.Is it time to consider publishing shorter, more regular episodes? There are several examples of this working in a variety of different markets. And Jerod has done his own experiment resulting in some pretty surprising (at least to him) results.Among the topics we discuss:• Some of the success Jerod has experienced over the last two months with his "Banner Morning" experiment.• 7 reasons why there is an emerging opportunity for short-form podcasts ... when they are done well.• A few caveats about the obvious difficulty in doing such podcasts well.• 9 practical tips to help you get started on the right if you decide to try a short-form podcast yourself.

The people we admire who seem to launch new books, youtube channels, and podcasts endlessly — they aren’t braver, smarter or stronger than you. They have just gained control over their thoughts and feelings towards their fears.They have learned how to use their inner voice to overcome fears and move forward.Let’s learn how to create fearlessly — which will in turn enable you to become the showrunner you want to be.Check out our sponsor Hover for your domain hosting needs. Go to Hover.com/Showrunner and get started today with 10% off your first purchase.