PodMov Daily: Monday, October 18

Episode 522: Your Monday Mix

Why ‘1000 True Fans’ is More Relevant Than Ever

After over 1,050 episodes of The Unmistakable Creative, author and podcaster Srinivas Rao knows this: “What’s been true since the beginning of time is just as true today: mastery not metrics is what leads to a sustainable creative career.” In a fragmented media landscape, only quality work will earn dedicated listeners.

In 2008, Wired editor Kevin Kelly wrote that 1,000 true fans would enable one to make a living on the internet. “You can reach a million people, but if they don’t give a sh*t, don’t come back, or wouldn’t miss you if you were gone, then you’re not going to build a career,” Rao says. Loyalty still has nothing to do with size or volume.

When virtually everyone has access to a microphone, an individual voice can only hope to resonate with a select few. As Edison Research SVP Tom Webster told podcasters at the start of this year, “Being ‘known’ is out of your control. Start with being known for something. And have that something be excellence.”

Negative Reviews: Take Action or Forget About It

The reviews that feel the worst to receive may end up being the most helpful, writes Stephanie Fuccio for The Podcast Host. The founder of Geopats Podcast Network suggests a structured approach to “help you get some emotional distance from this sting and help you gain more listeners at the same time.”

Is the criticism constructive or is it based on personal preference? When is it worth addressing a comment? Fuccio’s ‘Mean Review Utilization Workflow’ makes it easier to stop fixating and start processing. A negative review is not a reason to be held back from improving your show: “Either take action or forget about it.”

If anything, reacting to ‘personal preference’ reviews can be fun. “Share it as a creatively vulnerable moment with your listeners and/or podcasting communities. Use it for its comedic value,” Fuccio suggests. “If you're comfortable with self-deprecating humor, do that.” Below, the internet’s classic example.

Audiosignals.io: AI-Powered SEO for Podcasts

With the power of AI, Audiosignals.io enhances podcast SEO using the content you’ve created. It’s a powerful tool built specifically to increase engagement, reduce ‘bounce rate,’ and grow your show. Audiosignals helps with six of the 10 steps to podcast SEO for impactful benefits, fast.

A podcast’s description is just the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface, each topic within the audio is an opportunity. Audiosignals creates tailored clips to attract new visitors — and extend time spent on your page. High-quality clips are more likely to be shared, producing backlinks to boost your traffic.

With an innovative internal linking structure, Audiosignals gives Google full access to your content’s text. Simply insert a podcast link, and AI builds clear summaries of its most relevant material. Ready to leverage smarter SEO?

Here's what else is going on:

• California dreamin’: Speaker and moderator applications for Podcast Movement Evolutions will be accepted until October 31. Is your best session or panel idea ready for the stage? The in-person Los Angeles event is coming up March 23-26, and decisions will be made in mid-December.

• Matinee Q&A: Tomorrow film and podcast sound designer Mike Migas (Casefile) will lead a Podcast Pay It Forward session. The live Q&A series with expert audio producers is presented by Content is Queen, a London-based indie agency. Free registration. 12:00 pm CT/6:00 pm BST.

• Trail mix: Where are podcasters finding fascinating guests with storytelling chops? Even Pacific Content producer Miriam Johnson struggles with the search. She offers eight tips including “foogling,” a technique for finding wild stories from Stephanie Foo (This American Life, Snap Judgment.)

• Special sauce: This Thursday at 3:00 pm CT, SquadCast will host “How to turn your podcast into a product your listeners will pay for.” In the free virtual workshop, Supercast CEO Jason Sew Hoy will share a “step-by-step playbook” of how audience-supported models succeed. RSVP required.