As the year comes to a close and people start setting goals for the new year, I wanted to offer advice to anyone aiming for podcast success in 2019. The following personal tips and ideas are based on my own podcasting success story, but your mileage may vary. /1

SCHEDULE IS KING. You need to pick a release schedule and commit to it. This is about listener expectations. If you promise an episode every Friday morning, you better make sure you deliver with integrity. No excuses, no delays. Broken expectations frighten off listeners. /2

AUDIENCE OVER MONEY. Don’t aim for revenue; aim for audience growth. You can’t monetize a show that no one listens to. So build a fantastic podcast, wait for that podcast to attract a very large audience, and THEN (and only then) start thinking about making money off it. /3

I see far too many podcasts launch right out the gate with a crowdfunding campaign, or high expectations for immediate sponsorship interest. Don’t do that. Focus 100% on making a damn good show. Your listeners want to support a podcast that values great content over revenue. /4

Also, be professional about monetization. Don’t beg; just include the support options in your show credits, and leave it at that. And certainly don’t shame your listeners on social media for not contributing financially. I’ve seen shows do that, and it’s gross. /5

EVERYTHING IS STORYTELLING. Whether your podcast is an interview show, a 4-person panel, investigative journalism, or raw narrative story, it’s all storytelling. /6

Here’s what I mean: every time a listener taps Play on an episode, they expect you to have a “point”, to take them from A to B on a journey. That’s storytelling. /7

So whether you interview people, moderate a discussion, or tell tales, you need to plan out your story and stick to it. Focus is your friend. /8

Listeners will reward you for your focus on story by staying subscribed. If you lack focus or have trouble getting to the point, they’ll unsubscribe. /9

RESPECT YOUR LISTENERS’ TIME. Related to focus and planning, remember that every listener makes a choice I spend their limited time on your show. Respect that. /10

No 10-minute random small-talk mess before the real topic begins. No 5-minute ad reads. No verbal diarrhea. Get to the point and deliver on your topic. /11

KNOW YOUR STATS. Think of your show stats as your car dashboard. Watching trends can tell you how healthy your show is, or what impact big changes have on your audience size. /12

You should be tracking key stats regularly, and recording them in a spreadsheet. Because when you finally try to sell ads, sponsors will want info about how your show performs. /13

Track these things: New episode launch day download total. Monthly show downloads. Single-episode 30-day download total. Track them and know them well. /14

DISCIPLINE. If you want your podcast to become your full time job, treat it like one. Show up every day, so the work, and be responsible. Work your ass off. /15

GENRE LIMITS GROWTH. Chances are good that your show won’t appeal to 100% of the listeners out there. But it will appeal to a sub-set who enjoy your genre. That’s your max audience. /16

So don’t compare your podcast stats to other shows without taking the genre into account. If you’re making a sports talk show, don’t set expectations in line with Serial. Be logical about it. /17

NOT ALL MARKETING WORKS. Don’t get distracted by all the shiny marketing products out there. Some might work, but most wont. All all of them pale in comparison to word of mouth. /18

Your best marketing tool will be your listeners. Give them content to be excited about, and they’ll naturally tell others about it. All you need to do is ask. /19

If you use other marketing tools and attract new listeners, but your content is bad, they won’t stay. So focus on great content first, THEN marketing. That way the new listeners will stick around. /20

BE PROFESSIONAL. Don’t use your official podcast social media accounts to be unprofessional. That’s what your personal accounts are for. Keep them distinct. /21

Don’t use your official accounts to spam people online begging for listens, or to insult your critics, or to be divisive. Be professional, and it will help you grow your audience faster. /22

HAVE FUN. If you really want to do this podcasting this professionally, make sure the show you make is fun for you to create. You’ll be spending a *lot* of time on it. /23

HAVE A PURPOSE. Don’t make a podcast just because you think it’s a quick way to make money, or because others are doing it. Make a podcast because your idea is best fulfilled through audio. /24

DON’T COPY OTHERS.

I know this sounds like DUH advice, but you’d be surprised by how many people just create knock-offs of popular podcasts, expecting it to be the easier path. It’s not. It’s actually harder. /25

It’s harder to mimic someone else’s personal style and tastes. It’s harder to play within the constraints set by someone else. It’s harder to surgically copy what others are doing. /26

The easier path is actually doing your own thing your own way. It’s more authentic and honest, and listeners can “smell” that. They know if it comes from the heart, or if it’s just a carbon copy. /27

Finally, STICK WITH IT. Don’t give up after six episodes. Growing a podcast from zero to success isn’t an overnight thing. It takes patience and courage. You need to hold on and work hard. /28

There are a TON of other podcasts out there, and it’s going to take a lot of time and hard work to float toward to top. Refine, improve, and get better. You don’t have to be 100% perfect in the very first episode. /29

One last thing: follow me if you think you’ll ever start a podcast. Bookmark me or something. And when you hit a wall or have a question, ask me. I’m happy to help. And good luck! /30

You can follow @amahnke.

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