There’s a hard truth most podcast experts will dodge, but I don’t have the energy or patience for avoiding it - there’s a reason your podcast audience isn’t growing, and it’s not because you haven’t been hustling hard enough on LinkedIn or spamming your socials.

Look, I see it over and over; brand new podcasters with all the energy in the world, launching their show and immediately going full throttle with promotion before even figuring out whether the content’s actually any good.

In this episode of Podcasting Insights, I lay out why that’s a sure-fire way to set yourself up for repeated disappointment and burnout.

Instead, I’ll walk you through my entire approach for building podcasts people actually want to talk about, and not just because you begged them to on LinkedIn.

We get into why promotion isn’t the lever you pull first, what actually matters to develop a show that holds attention, and what I make every client face up to before they spend a penny (or another hour) trying to chase down listeners.

00:00 Why Your Promotion is in Reverse!

04:53 Integrity and Strategic Success

07:34 "Building Loyal, Valuable Audiences"

12:57 Silent Launch Strategy Advice

13:59 Proof Before Promotion Strategy

Useful links:

Get your audit - https://podmastery.co/lite

See your Apple Podcasts retention data: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/

Spotify dashboard: https://podcasters.spotify.com/gateway

Find all episodes of Podcasting Insights: https://www.podmastery.co/

Tom Webster's The Audience Is Listening: https://audienceislisteningbook.com/

Mentioned in this episode:

A Podknows Production

Podknows helps brands and creators to build their podcasts into virtual sales and marketing teams which get them results even when they're sleeping. Find out more at https://podknows.co.uk/

Show Notes Simplified

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Rapper's Delight might be the anthem we often think of when it comes to hip hop's origins, but let me hit you with a plot twist – it wasn’t the first. That honor actually goes to a gospel group called the Jubilees, who dropped a rap-like hit back in 1946! Wild, right? This kick-off leads us into a deep dive about the real essence of being ‘first’ in the podcasting world. It’s not just about who got there first; it’s about who can break through the noise and grab attention. We’ve all seen the podcasters vying to become the next ‘Diary of a CEO’ but spoiler alert: that’s a one-way ticket to nowhere. Instead, let’s focus on carving out our unique space. How do we find our own ‘Rapper’s Delight’ moment? It’s all about framing our conversations in a way that makes our audience stop, listen, and think, ‘wow, this is fresh!’ We chat about flipping the format, leading with tension, and showing up authentically. The takeaway? Don’t worry about being first or copying others; instead, aim to be the one who resonates. Let’s turn those critiques into stepping stones and make our voices heard in this crowded podcasting arena!

Links referenced in this episode:

• podmastery.co
• rockflight.co
• podmastery.co/contact
• podmastery.co/voicemail

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Sugar Hill Gang
• Jubilaires
• Diary of a CEO
• Stephen Bartlett
• Primark
• Rock Fight
• Podmastery.co
• Apple Podcasts

Every podcaster dreads it: that brutal one-star review, the public comment that rips your hard work to shreds. But what if your harshest critic is actually your greatest growth tool?

In this episode of Podcasting Insights with The Podmaster, I'm sharing the real story of how a vocal hater went from blasting my radio morning show to becoming one of my biggest advocates, even booking me for private gigs.

You’ll learn how I made that happen, and how you can use the same methods for your podcast and any critics you get along the way.

Also, I'll share the four ways critics can sharpen your podcast, and the simple rules that stop you from losing your mind when trolls strike.

If you’ve ever felt crushed by negative feedback, this episode will change how you see it forever.

Don’t fear your haters.

Love them, learn from them, and watch how fast your podcast grows.

Mentioned in this episode:

Book your Podmaster audit

Wanna get unstuck from the sub 100 downloads per month doldrums. Fancy getting closer to top 2% podcaster glory? Sounds like you need one of my Podmaster audits. Go to podmastery.co/lite and within 5 business days you’ll get a full video and written report on my findings. That's podmastery.co/lite

Podmaster audit