STANDARD PRACTICE Take advice from the experts, and keep production super simple
sessions or webinars, performing in live events or even charging guests to be on the show.” Gosch agrees that it pays to get imaginative: “So many people focus on advertising and sponsorships without looking at other revenue paths. Your listeners want to support you, and giving them multiple ways to do so increases the likelihood of them contributing, especially when it comes to merch. “One of our best suggestions for starting off is using a company that makes the item and ships it out for you, so all you have to provide is the design. As you grow, look into ordering in bulk and shipping things out yourself, but having another company do it at first is a great way to start.” BEYOND THE TECH The technology platform a podcaster chooses will go a long way in creating a stable base for building success. But podcasting is a marathon, not a sprint. Starting one enthusiastically, only for it to sputter out and vanish in a few months – or weeks – is a phenomenon so common it has acquired its own snappy label: podfade. “New podcasters sometimes feel they need to put out as many episodes as possible to grow quickly. This is a recipe for burnout,” says Blair. “The top podcasts in the industry don’t share the same publishing schedule – some are daily, others drop an episode once a month. Being consistent and maintaining passion are the most important things for your podcast’s growth.” “It’s so easy to get carried away with a new idea,” agrees Gosch. “Everything seems brighter and easier when we’re spinning it in our minds. We start listing everything we’re going to do – weekly, hour-long, perfectly edited episodes, custom graphics for each episode, a highly engaging social media presence – without thinking ahead about the work that’s going to take.”
yourself, ‘What do I want to do with my podcast? What are my goals? What can a podcast host do to help me reach them?’ Just saying that your goal is success isn’t really much of a starting point, as success looks different to everyone. Do you want to be invited as a guest speaker to conferences? Do you want to join a network? Are you aiming for specific guests? Ask yourself what success looks like and what a podcast host can do to help reach that success, then look for the one that best fits your needs.” POD ME THE MONEY From a simple toolkit, a thriving content offering can blossom, and there are many who have made their podcasts the core of a successful business. Podcast platforms have not only grown with the years, but with the demands of their customers’ success. “Just like the podcasting industry itself, Buzzsprout customers have been maturing in their podcasting journeys,” notes Blair. “It started with the simple need to distribute. Then they got more serious about the audio quality and cover art design, exploring more marketing tools to grow their show. Now, with money rolling in, podcasters need to have access to every possible method of monetising their hard work.” Buzzsprout has implemented multiple features for podcasters to link to donation platforms, affiliates and sponsors, recently rolling out Buzzsprout Ads, which allow for dynamic ad insertion in episodes. The methods of monetisation are as wide as a podcaster’s vision. “There are revenue streams that will work great for some, and not so great for others,” explains Blair. “The most common methods are listener support and donations, offering bonus content behind a paywall, affiliate marketing, sponsorships and merch. Some podcasters have boosted their revenue through writing a book, offering private
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