PodMov Daily: Wednesday, August 11

Episode 481: Your Midweek Update

A Growing Podcast Gives Listeners the Unexpected

In the concept of surprising and delighting your customer, Evo Terra points out, “and is as important as the other two words, as both have to work together.” As a podcaster, knowing what your listeners expect is the key to giving them something unexpected that they’ll love — which makes your show recommendable.

“When your podcast audience growth reaches a plateau, it means you’re consistently satisfying your existing audience,” Terra writes in Podcast Pontifications. “Audience retention achieved!” But is ‘satisfaction’ exciting to share? Will a film or TV episode that just ‘checks the boxes’ make it into your next social post?

Finding out what listeners expect is a multifaceted process. Terra uses consumption analytics, Twitter, and the community he’s built around his show, none of which quite cut it. Fortunately Edison Research has provided free keys to the holy grail: a detailed audience survey. Here’s how to make the most of the opportunity.

Does Your Hosting Platform Understand RSS?

A popular tool for entrepreneurs recently added podcast hosting to the mix, and Dave Jackson is not impressed. The consultant and School of Podcasting creator has been in the space since 2005, and knows an ill-fated bandwagon when he sees one:  “I’m not saying they are evil. I feel they are ‘uninformed.’”

It’s not just the plan’s $159/month price tag. Jackson points out many ways in which this type of hosting could result in a podcaster losing their audience. When he asked the company if it offered 301 redirects (essentially a change of address for an RSS feed), a massive gap in basic podcasting concepts became clear.

Jackson has seen companies jump into podcasting time and again, and “ends up cleaning the mess when people decide the company is not a good fit.” Ask questions like these, and you’re golden: “Does your podcast guru have a podcast? Are you going to take swimming lessons from a coach without a pool?”

The Ramsey Show: 1 Billion Downloads and Counting

Out of 2 million podcasts, only a handful have reached the 1 billion download mark. This year, The Ramsey Show became the fourth ever to earn the title. For 29 years on the air, financial expert Dave Ramsey has helped dedicated listeners navigate money and life. 

Each week, his impactful advice is trusted by millions and counting. “We’re teachers at the core,” said Brian Mayfield, Executive VP of Ramsey Network. “We’ve never seen anything grow the way the podcast world has grown, so we see tremendous opportunity there to continue to increase our audience.” 

Since The Ramsey Show began 15 years ago, callers have paid off a calculated $500 million. Ready for practical answers to the questions that matter most? Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.

Here's what else is going on:

• New beginnings: This week’s PM update includes the Podcast Movement 2021 recap video, as well as discounted sessions on-demand. Special rates for a Virtual Pass will be in place until this Friday at midnight. Read on for details on the next three events: Tu Voz, PM Evolutions, and PM22.

• Quality check: Using AirPods as a podcast microphone will detract from your message, says audio engineer Marcus dePaula. In Sounds Profitable, he insists that the type of mic we use (and how we use it) is too critical to dismiss. A video demonstration on common mics has more.

• Four seasons: NPR is hiring a Senior Producer for a mysterious one-year assignment. The full-time position will focus on the development of “a new, weekly interview podcast with a high-profile host that will explore the ways we overcome obstacles in our personal and professional lives.”

• Barrier reef: Podcasting behind a paywall is tough, even for Slow Burn host Leon Neyfakh. Fiasco, his political history show on Luminary, hasn’t gotten the kind of traction he wants so far. The cost is part of it, he says. “People will catch up, but for now it’s pretty tough sledding out there.”