Scale Your Podcast Archives - Elizabeth McCravy

5 Tips for Better Podcast Interviews (That Actually Grow Your Show) with Akua Konadu

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 10 minutes

Today we have another lovely guest training on the podcast, this time with Akua Konadu. Akua and I met a few years ago when we were both speaking at the Creative Educator Conference. She’s the host of two incredible podcasts, which you’ll hear her talk about as she introduces herself. When I was planning these guest trainings (originally for my maternity leave, though I’ve been airing them more sporadically now), Akua immediately came to mind as someone who could offer such a valuable perspective on interviewing as a podcast host and hosting better podcast interviews. She is a truly strong interviewer, and storytelling is something she teaches in her business — so she lives and breathes this stuff.

If you’ve started a podcast and have done even a handful of interviews, you know interviewing is a real skill. It’s not as simple as reading questions you wrote ahead of time. It’s a conversation. And it can feel overwhelming at first, and sometimes, it can feel like you’re asking a question but already thinking ahead to the next one and not fully hearing their answer. There are a lot of little pitfalls like that that new (and even seasoned!) podcasters can fall into.

Akua is here to help you avoid those traps and grow your show by becoming a better interviewer. She’s sharing five powerful tips for better podcast interviews, plus some storytelling strategies that are absolute gold. Storytelling is her specialty, and you’ll really hear that shine through.

So whether you’re brand new to podcasting or you’ve been interviewing guests for years, these are the kinds of things we can all easily miss. I know you’re going to learn so much from her.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

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Search for episode 327!

Hello, hello! I am so excited to be tapping into the Breakthrough Brand Podcast this week. My name is Akua Konadu, and I'm a host of not one, but two podcasts. Number one, the Unbreakable Business Podcast, powered by HoneyBook, where we lean into the untold stories of entrepreneurship. And then my other podcast, which is all about life, Here’s the Tea with Akua, where we are all about making uncomfortable conversations more comfortable.

So as somebody with two podcasts, I have done countless interviews, and it has been such an incredible and really fun experience, and we have seen a lot of success. I’m really excited today to be talking with you all about how to become more strategic with interviewing. As I have learned about myself, I’ve naturally fallen into the podcasting realm, but what I’ve learned is that interviewing is definitely a skill.

As you lean more into that journey, it’s really about refining these skills and exercising that muscle so that you feel more confident in your interviews, but also so that your interviews make a major impact that will actually grow your show. I’m really excited to share some tips with you that I think have been so phenomenal for me in my podcast journey and have really made a difference in my growth. That’s what we’re going to dive into.

So here are some interview tips that are going to lead to breakthrough conversations. Are you ready? Let’s get into it.

1. You Need To Research Your Guest & Prep Like a Pro

My number one tip is to research your guest. You want to prepare like a pro. Now, prepping for everybody can really depend on your personality. For example, if you are type A, maybe you are somebody that’s really thorough, you like to have a lot of questions laid out. It really just depends on your personality and the goal of your show.

For me, I am not like that. I’m actually type B. Most of my interviews, naturally, I have winged, but I have prepped in a way that has allowed me to really kind of just wing my episodes. I’ll have questions, but naturally, depending on their answer, I’ll end up not using my questions.

Here are some examples of how I prep for my shows.

First, what is the main goal of your show?

Really go back and revisit that. For me, with my personality and for both of my shows, the underlying goal is I love to have really raw, real, unfiltered conversations. So I know that about myself and that’s the main goal of the show.

I also do a really deep dive into getting to know the guest.

I listen to past interviews, number one, see how they do on video, see how they do in interviews in general, but also to really get a good feel for their personality and how they answer questions. We do deep dives into their social. I’ll try to go and find some really old social media posts where they’ve shared little hints of their story but maybe haven’t fully emphasized it.Then I think, “Okay, we can lean into that.” I Google them, read articles if they’ve been featured in anything—really taking that time to get to know who they are as an individual and also who they are as a business owner. That prep is super helpful.

In my prep documents, we always have their bio, of course, but I’ll also have an outline. And then, if there are any notes where I’m like, “Ooh, I really want to lean into this specific piece of their story,” I’ll bring it up.

An example of this in action

So, for example, we had an episode on the Unbreakable Business Podcast with a woman who’s a PR expert. That is mainly what she is known for. If you Google her name, it’s PR. If you Google interviews, it’s all about PR. That’s great, that’s what we wanted her on the show for, but I wanted to come at it from a more unique angle, where people are either able to learn something completely different from what she generally talks about with PR, or we can tie more of her personal journey into that.

So we dug deep into her social media and found this really random social media post where she was featured in a magazine at nine years old and we opened with that. That was immediately the hook of the episode: asking her about that specific moment when she found out she was in this magazine and how she got into the magazine. I knew we’d be able to capture our listener’s attention right away by bringing that up.

On top of that, when you catch them a little bit off guard like that, it lets down the guest’s nervousness, and then you start to see the real person—who they are, not the more buttoned-up interviewee. I get to see them as their whole person and their humanity, and that’s why I research in the way that I do.

2. Lead with Curiosity, Not Control

The next tip that I want to share is to lead with curiosity, not control. Like I said before, I’m a type B, so no conversation is ever the same. Always stay open to where the conversation naturally flows.

Even if you’re someone who’s like, “Okay, I can’t do that, Akua,” maybe just start with one question, and then depending on their answer, let that lead into another question or a follow-up. Really stay flexible, because one thing that I don’t enjoy as a listener of a show is when it’s just very “interview-y.” I really want it to be a conversation.

So come in with strong openers and direction—just not with super rigid questions. Because sometimes when you ask rigid questions, they’ll just give you one straightforward answer and that’s it. And of course, it’s okay if you ask follow-ups, but I want to see them as an individual. I want them to share as much as they can that’s relevant to the question.

That’s what I do: I lead with curiosity and really follow the conversation. A lot of the time I’m like, “Ooh, I really like what this person just said here, let’s lean more into that,” and I’ll take the conversation in a different direction. And that’s okay, because that will honestly lead to a much richer, deeper conversation that can truly go very far.

Let those emotional moments really land before jumping into the next question or the next topic. Really give that person the space to share whatever it is that they’re feeling or whatever it is they want to share. And then, if you want to know more about it, lead in with curiosity—because then you get to know more about the person, and that helps your audience get to know more about them as well.

Tips from a Storytelling Strategist

If you don’t know this, I’m a storytelling strategist. I love helping business owners lean more into their story and lean more into their gifts to actually create content that aligns with who they are, connects with their audience, and makes it easier for them to sell their products and services. So it would be unjust for me not to share any storytelling tips with you.

These are some storytelling tips I use to really pull out depth in interviews because, again, that’s what I’m looking for: untold stories of entrepreneurship, making uncomfortable conversations more comfortable. So you really have to focus on stories.

Instead of having people share a story that starts at the very beginning, I always ask a question that’s in the moment. So instead of saying, “What’s your advice for somebody starting out?” or “How did you get started in your business?” I’ll say, “Can you share with me a time in your business where you felt like you were going to give up?” or something like that.

It forces them to be in a moment, like what I said earlier, where they’re now placing themselves back in that situation (how they felt, what they were thinking), and that’s what they’re going to share.

That is what I always, always want to do: how can I bring out the emotions and the transformation? That’s what I love to talk about and really lean into as I’m doing these interviews. The way I do that, like I said, is by inviting them into a question that starts in the moment and isn’t very generic. Because when they answer a question that starts in the moment, they’ll remember something else that’s been stored away in their brain and think, “Oh my gosh, I want to talk about this as well.”

And again, it just leads to such a beautiful flow of the conversation. That’s something that has been really impactful for me as a storytelling strategist—really starting in that moment.

3. Make It Feel Like a Conversation

If you’ve been podcasting for a while, this is likely not new to you. But what I love so much is when guests ask me as the host questions as well. There have been times I’ve had episodes that absolutely caught me off guard, but those have led to some of my best-performing episodes because it feels like a conversation. It’s not just a one-way conversation. It’s not just me asking the question and them replying.

When they’re also asking me questions, or I give my reaction and add to the conversation, that makes such a big difference. It makes it feel so much more natural and so much more meaningful.

So remember that you, as the interviewer, are also a person who can equally contribute to the interview you’re giving. Because again, it starts to naturally turn into that conversation where, when you’re giving that feedback, it will prompt that person to either ask you a question or also add more to the conversation, where it feels like two friends who are just chatting it up.

I mean, I’ve had guests where it was my first time meeting them, and some people would think that I actually have a relationship with this person, but I really don’t. That really helps lower the person’s defenses (like their nervousness, if that’s how they’re feeling).

4. Don’t Get Caught Up In “Insider Talk” Or Jargon

Remember to ask those clarifying questions. For example, on the Unbreakable Business Podcast, we obviously focus more on service providers, B2C. We had a guest come on the show who’s mainly B2B. And so he was saying lingo and things that may not be completely relevant, or maybe people working in the B2C realm may not know. So I made sure to stop and then give people that additional context, and then he continued to go on.

Anytime I knew there was going to be a gap in what he was saying, where our audience might not understand, I would always follow up or pause him in the middle while he was sharing his answer, where I could tell he was going to take a second. You can tell, when you’re giving the interview, where you’re like, “Ooh, I can interject here,” because I could tell he was about to give a pause.

So then I said, “Okay, just some added context,” and then I would share that. And he would be like, “Yes, yep, absolutely,” and then he would continue on with the story, so it was really easy for our listeners to follow along with what he was sharing.

Don’t be afraid to ask those clarifying questions. Don’t be afraid to just take a pause and say to them, “I just want to make sure that our listeners understand here,” and then lay it out for them so they understand, and then the person can pick up where they left off.

I always do that, and it has made such a great difference, because I want to make sure that every single person listening to the show really does feel like they got something out of it.

So always lead with that clarity. If you have to pause, that’s okay. If you have to ask them clarifying questions, that’s okay. If you need to have them stop for a second, that’s okay too. As you interview more and really exercise those skills, it’ll become a lot more natural to you.

5. Have a Really Clear CTA (Call-to-Action)

Make sure to end strong. Have a really clear CTA. I know it’s simple, but it’s just so important.

I really like to have guests hold themselves accountable, whether it’s asking them questions for reflection, or saying, “If you remember one thing from today…” And I always say, “Head to my socials so we can continue this conversation.” I absolutely love that. I think it’s super helpful.

Leave listeners with clarity and not just with the content. That’s where you can ask for reviews, or I’ve seen some people do a quick episode recap at the end. Whatever it is, don’t just leave them with the content—leave them with some form of action they can take.

So those are all of my tips that have really made such a big difference and have led to breakthrough conversations on the podcast. Thank you all for tuning in.

Advice from a Storytelling Strategist for Better Podcast Interviews

As a storytelling strategist, what has helped me become such a strong interviewer is really understanding what my storytelling style is. I have a quiz called “What Is Your Storytelling Style?” This quiz is personalized to your type and gives you incredible tips, resources, and podcast episodes to listen to that reflect your storytelling style.

I really want to encourage you to take that quiz because it’s going to help you figure out what your natural strengths are, especially as an interviewer, and help you learn how to use them more intentionally.

You can connect with me at @akuakonadu_ on Instagram. I love chatting in the DMs. My website is here and you can also find me on the Unbreakable Business Podcast, powered by HoneyBook. We have new episodes that come out on Wednesdays.

Links Mentioned:

Take Akua's storytelling quiz

Follow Akua on Instagram

Listen to Akua's Podcast: The Unbreakable Business Podcast hosted by Honeybook and Here's the Tea with Akua

Shop Showit Website Templates

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

Listen to the Breakthrough Brand Podcast

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram

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Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

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The post 5 Tips for Better Podcast Interviews (That Actually Grow Your Show) with Akua Konadu appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

2.3 Million Podcast Downloads Later: How This Mama Built Her Dream Business with an Online Course and Podcast with Stephanie King of My Essential Birth

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 8 minutes

Today, I’m bringing on Stephanie King from My Essential Birth to the podcast. Stephanie has been instrumental in my pregnancy and birth journey with both of my boys. I discovered her online course and podcast early in my first pregnancy and have been a dedicated listener ever since. Her content, courses, and guidance have been invaluable. It's amazing how our paths crossed through social media, and we've since collaborated in a number of ways. Today, I'm excited to dive into a topic she doesn't often discuss: her business smarts and the journey behind My Essential Birth podcast. Welcome, Stephanie!

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

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Search for episode 280!

Who is Stephanie King?

My name is Stephanie King, and I am a childbirth educator and doula, but I’m also an online course creator. I have a top-rated podcast for birth called Pregnancy and Birth Made Easy, and then my company, or the name of my birth course, is My Essential Birth. It’s online birth education, and I get to serve women all over the world doing that. I’m also a mom of five and I’m really active in my church, a follower of Christ. Faith is a big part of my journey as well.

When you were teaching in-person classes, how did people find you?

I attended every birth-related event, made cards, and networked extensively. I would go to birth centers, attend any birth meetings, and show up at La Leche Leagues so that people could tell their friends. If there were homeschool meetings nearby where kids got together for playgroups, I talked about it there. I went to any kind of birth get-together, including showings of "The Business of Being Born." It was a lot of showing up, making cards, and talking to people. Once I established a presence, word-of-mouth referrals also helped. It was a mix of networking and providing a great experience that kept people coming.

When you and your former business partner decided to take your education online, what was your process? Did you create the course first or start the podcast?

We created the course first, which I don't recommend now. We had no audience when we launched, which was a hard lesson. Our vision was clear and the production quality was high, but without an audience, it didn't sell initially. After the course, we started the podcast, which helped build our audience. It took a while, but eventually, we started making enough sales to cover our expenses.

Initially, our vision was very clear, and we wanted to ensure the quality of the content and the video was top-notch. We also went into a lot of debt over that, which I highly recommend you do not do. We did all the things that you could do wrong. We did that the wrong way. We launched it and nobody was interested in what we had because they didn’t know about it. We beta tested and did discounts but had no social media following. Then we started the birth course six months later. We had taken out all of that debt, probably at least $20,000 in debt for creating the course, which is so silly.

At that point, we were using debt to pay debt hoping that the birth course was going to start selling. When that didn’t happen, I was ready to quit. I prayed about it and had a clear answer to keep going. By August, we finally made enough sales to cover the debt payment and then always made enough sales to cover the debt and then some from that point. You should not have to go into debt to create, it's not that you don’t make sacrifices, but you do not have to go into debt to create a business. We didn’t have to do that professional video and all of these things. We could have built it up slowly. We should have also built our social media while creating the course.

If you were to redo it, would you start the podcast first and then make the course filmed with slides at home and record it yourself? Or would you still do the professional recording the first time, but just start with the podcast first?

I think it depends on where your budget is at. I could see it going either way, but I think it makes complete sense that while you are just getting started to not have to spend a bunch of money in the beginning. Start some kind of social following, whether you're going to choose Instagram, a blog, or a podcast, whatever you're going to use to start your email list and nurture them every week. Create the content while you're doing it and do something that is cheap and accessible and also full of really great content. Then when you have money coming in, you can put some into re-recording with a better camera or hire somebody.

There are lessons to be learned once you start recording too. Part of the reason it cost us so much is that the first time we recorded, we didn't know what we were doing. We did a pretty good job, but we missed things and had to hire them again for a second day, and then two rounds of editing. It gets expensive.

How do you approach updating your course content? Knowing you spend a lot of money on the production.

Initially, I felt intimidated about updating our professionally done course. Now, I've invested in equipment to record updates at home, allowing more flexibility. This setup helps me to make necessary updates without the high costs of professional studio time. So now, instead of hiring someone to come in and professionally do this, I set up a nice, clean, and pretty space at home with good lighting, cameras, and sound equipment. I spent about $6,000 on this setup, which allows me to record high-quality content at home and send it to an editor. This way, I can make updates as needed without the hefty price tag.

Spoiler alert for our listeners: Stephanie has had over 1,500 students and 2.29 million podcast downloads! What tips do you have for growing an online course and podcast listener base?

Understanding your ideal customer is key but also make your content fun, interesting, and informative. I've used a podcast headline analyzer to improve titles and make sure they’ll capture attention. Your first few episodes might feel awkward, but keep going. Also, engaging your audience through testimonials and consistent, quality content helps build a loyal following.

When we started, we recorded three episodes, and the first one was so bad we couldn't put it up. The second one referred to the first, so we had to figure out how to engage our audience from the start.

The headline analyzer helps with that by suggesting improvements to make titles more personal and engaging. It's important to keep your audience in mind and make your content relatable. And make sure you are showing up in search!

Having someone to host with me initially made the podcast more engaging, like friends talking about birth at a table. When I switched to solo episodes, I had to pretend I was talking to a friend to keep that personal touch.

Knowing your ideal customer and speaking directly to them helps create content that resonates. It's also about understanding their pain points and addressing those in your episodes. As you get more comfortable, it becomes easier to create valuable content.

EM: Yeah, I feel like I followed your customer journey in the way you would hope: I listened to your podcast, downloaded your freebie, got your emails, and ultimately purchased the course.

Why did you choose NOT to monetize your show with ads and promote your own stuff instead?

Yeah, I was going back and forth with that. In fact, I think it was probably about this time last year when I was considering maybe putting some sponsors on and/or adding some affiliate revenue streams. But I realized, honestly, just crunching the numbers and looking at what made sense financially, but also for my listeners and thinking about what's going to benefit them the most, I just didn’t want to do ads.

How do you target new listeners at the exact right time? Because there is only a short window between when someone’s pregnant and when they’re ready for your birth course or postpartum course.

The nice thing about that (pregnancy and women being involved in that experience in their life) is they really go searching within those nine months. They are searching for everything. They want to learn all the things. How big is my baby this week? Why do I have this symptom? Some people dive in right away with the first baby, and I absolutely love that, but a lot of times it really is those second babies. So a lot of my first-time moms, it's like they're finding me around 30-32 weeks, I'll have people jump into the course at 35-37 weeks, and it's because it's like we've ignored it long enough and now all of a sudden it's like, oh yeah, baby has to come out.

Because of this, every six to nine weeks, I have new people looking at my stuff. Which in turn, gives me an opportunity to reuse content more often, put it into a new light, say it a little bit differently, or something like that. When you get started with podcasting, I don't know if you felt this way, but I was like, oh my gosh, I'm six episodes in and I feel like I've shared everything. Now we're coming up to 300 episodes at this point, and I feel like I have new things to say all the time. I know my ideal client and I speak directly to her.

How do you convert podcast listeners into course customers without being too salesy?

Now, I incorporate testimonials and birth stories from course students in the podcast. If someone shares their birth story in our Facebook group, and we think it will be impactful, we will reach out and invite them to share their experience on the podcast. I also use dynamic ads through Buzzsprout during key promotional periods.

On top of that, I mention the course naturally within the content, emphasizing its value and how it complements the free content. For instance, when I share a birth story, I ask the students how they prepared, highlighting how the course helped them. I feel like this naturally showcases the course's value without being overly salesy.

How do you balance giving away valuable content on your podcast while ensuring people still see the value in your paid courses? Have you ever been concerned that you're giving away too much on your show?

I used to worry about giving away too much, but I realized the value of having everything organized in a course format. People appreciate the structured learning a course offers. Occasionally, someone might feel they've learned enough from the podcast alone, but the majority find immense value in the course's structure.

It's like this: you can get a lot of information from free resources, but the course provides a step-by-step, organized approach that’s hard to replicate through podcasts alone. Plus, I include bonuses and exclusive content in the course that aren't available anywhere else. So, while the podcast is valuable, the course offers a deeper dive into the topics.

You had only one main lead magnet for a long time. Can you explain your email marketing strategy for moving people from the freebie to the course?

Our welcome sequence has changed over time. Initially, it spanned several weeks, but now it’s a week-long series with daily emails and videos. This sequence introduces our content and leads to weekly emails that tie into our podcast topics. We also share more freebies to keep people engaged and provide value. For example, we have hospital tour questions, questions to ask your provider, and the "Find it and Flip it" exercise.

When guests have higher profiles, they will also often provide branded PDFs for our email list. This benefits both of us as it promotes their work and helps us grow our email list. It's a win-win because the guest gets exposure, and we get to offer valuable content to our audience. We've had great success with this, and it helps keep our email list growing with engaged subscribers.

Lastly, how do you balance motherhood and your business, especially with homeschooling? What tips do you have for other moms in similar situations who might want an online course and podcast business?

It varies by season. Right now, I'm working a lot because it's summer and I have the time. During the school year, I scale back to focus on homeschooling. Flexibility is key. Having a strong support system, like my virtual assistants, allows me to adjust my workload as needed.

With four teenagers and one almost-teen, life is busy. We recently adopted two of our nieces, so the dynamics have changed, but we’re managing. My business allows me to be present for my family while still working. Some weeks, I can work just a few hours, and others, I dive deep into projects. It's all about finding that balance and prioritizing what's important.

Connect With Stephanie

You can listen to my podcast, "Pregnancy and Birth Made Easy," on any podcast platform. You can also find my website here or come find me on Instagram here!

Links Mentioned:

Watch the Episode on Youtube

Join me inside Podcast Success Blueprint

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram

Connect with Stephanie on Instagram

Check Out My Essential Birth

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3 Advanced Podcasting Tips That Will Boost Your Downloads, Save You Time, and Make More Money

Elizabeth McCravy — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Today, I’m sharing three advanced podcasting tips - one for show growth, one for boosting efficiency, and one for making money for your podcast. Sounds pretty good right? It was SO hard to narrow it down to just one tip from each category because I really do have SO many that I share inside Podcast Success Blueprint (which the doors are officially open to, if you’re reading this in real time, until February 2nd!).

If podcasting is one of your goals for 2024, or you already have a show that you want advanced podcasting tips for growing your show (and seeing real results from it), this is the course for you.

The truth is that this course became far more advanced and extensive than I had originally planned. I don't hold back when I'm teaching. Podcast Success Blueprint ended up becoming a true “A to Z” of starting, running, and scaling a successful podcast. It is a nine module course with over 75 total lessons in it. It’s definitely not your average podcast course.

From what I've seen out there, there are so many podcast courses literally just focusing on getting your show launched and then they leave you hanging after that. This isn’t that. Podcast Success Blueprint is designed to teach you how to really scale to make money from your show.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

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Search for episode 252!

1. Growth Tip: Write SEO-Friendly Episode Titles

Great episode titles help you get found by cold audiences, meaning people aren’t familiar with you or your podcast yet, because they get in front of people who are searching for things related to your episode topic somewhere like Apple, Spotify or Google.

By writing really amazing titles (and putting effort and energy into this), you get to rank and then they can download your episode, listen, and then KEEP LISTENING to future episodes after they love the one they first found!

This is actually a big way I have personally grown my podcast. I’m big into SEO on my website, as you know, but I’m also into podcast SEO.

3 advanced podcasting tips for making your podcast titles SEO friendly

1. Say what the episode is about and why people need it

I know that seems obvious, but I see this mistake all the time on podcasts that I love and listen to regularly. Too often titles fall flat because it’s just WHAT and not WHY it matters. So take your podcast titles a step further with a why.

2. Group keywords together

To explain this one, if my search term I’m hoping to rank for is “Showit Website Templates” and the title concept is “Showit website template hacks” then I want to group those words together.

To see this in action, a title like “5 Hacks to Make Customizing Your Showit Website Template Easier” is perfect. Whereas, “Showit Hacks for Customizing Your Website Template” is less ideal because we’re breaking up the key phrase we want to be found for.

3. Come up with more than one title idea!

Typically, your first title is not going to be the best one. So for me, I will have what I call my “working title” that's basically what I know the episode's going to be about. For example, I have a working title for this exact episode I'm recording right now, but I'm going to stretch my brain to try to come up with a different title and just see if there is anything better that we could use besides this first one.

There’s a lesson inside Podcast Success Blueprint that’s about 15 minutes long where we go DEEP into crafting show titles where people can’t help but listen. There’s also a lesson on writing strategic show notes to rank for SEO and really engage your audience well. You know I’m passionate about SEO and it really is a great way to help your show grow.

2. Efficiency Tip: Create a Shared iCloud Folder With Your Podcast Team Where All Your Graphics/Videos Go.

This one is one of the easier advanced podcasting tips but a true game changer if you have people who work with you on your show. If you don’t have a team, this is still something that I think would be really helpful though!

Basically, all you need to do is create an iCloud folder that has you and anyone else on your podcast team who might need the graphics and videos from episodes. Make it so you can all access and add to it. Then, whenever the person who makes the graphics for your episodes creates them, they’ll add them to this folder. This makes it so easy when it’s time for you as the host to share about them!

I should say - this is not the ONLY place you should be storing your graphics. But that’s a whole other conversation. I should note here too — efficiency tips and organizational stuff is a big focus of Podcast Success Blueprint. I am an organization type of gal. I love systems. I love strategy. I love making complex things that are too time consuming become more effective. I’m teaching both quick tips like this one and much BIGGER strategies that will help you completely overhaul the way you run your podcast so that you finally feel on top of things when it comes to the many, many moving parts in running a podcast.

Personally, my podcast last year was the number one revenue generator in my business (in terms of referring people to buy things from me). It was also the most fun thing, so it felt low stress, and a lot of that is due to really good systems.

3. Money Making Tip: Create Strategic Outros To Go At The End of Your Episodes That Sell Your Products or Promote Your Freebies

I have about a million money making tips for your podcast (in fact, this module is one of the biggest in the whole course). I teach 16 total ways to make money for your podcast inside Podcast Success Blueprint, covering everything from how to align your launch schedule with your podcast content to how to make money from affiliate marketing on your show (and so much more).

BUT - this final one of the advanced podcasting tips, on creating a few different strategic outros, is an easy one that you need to be doing ASAP. I personally have 2-4 options that I choose and change out depending on what the episode’s topic was. For example, this episode will have an outro promoting Podcast Success Blueprint.

These are pre-recorded, so this strategy is really “set it and forget it”. Now, does everyone listen to the end? NOPE. But engaging those listeners who do go all the way to the end is so worth it and so important! This is not something to skip. Especially because it’s easy.

Again, this is a small strategy among many strategies that I share in the course about how to make money podcasting. You also get a “make money podcasting” playbook, in addition to the module that goes over everything that serves as a “cheat sheet” so you don’t miss anything!

Let’s Recap These Three Advanced Podcasting Tips

As I recap these, think about which one you want to try on your podcast. Or, if you are a new podcaster, which one might be a big focus for you as you get rolling.

Growth Tip: Write SEO-Friendly Episode Titles
Efficiency Tip: Create a Shared iCloud Folder With Your Team Where All Your Graphics Go
Money Making Tip: Use Strategic Outros (More Than One!) That Sell Something

I hope this gives you just a tiny, tiny glimpse into the course (like a half a percent glimpse) that shows you that Podcast Success Blueprint isn't just for beginners. So if you're a beginner, great, I'm going to teach you how to do the “beginner stuff” like getting your show going from the start. But overall, this IS a more advanced course, which I'm really proud of. So if you feel like you've got the basics of podcasting down, but you're not really seeing results from it or it's taking a lot of your time, this course is for you! Even if you've already done another course on podcasting where you learned the basics.

Links Mentioned:

Join Podcast Success Blueprint Now!

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram

Become a Booked Out Designer

Shop Showit Website Templates

Join my FREE Breakthrough Brand All Access Facebook Group

The post 3 Advanced Podcasting Tips That Will Boost Your Downloads, Save You Time, and Make More Money appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

3 Easy Hacks To Grow Your Show With Podcast Guests

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 8 minutes

Even on mainly solo podcasts like mine, podcast guests are so important, not only for your show growth, but also just for giving your audience someone else's perspective. Not to mention - it gives you a break from being the brains behind all the content in your business. Podcast guest interviews are also a fun and exciting way to meet other people, network, make strong connections, and potentially even make lifelong friendships through people you meet.

On top of all that, podcast interviews can also help your audience grow exponentially on your podcast. But here’s the problem. You as the host are stoked. You love it and you (obviously) hope your guests will share when it airs. But then you look at their social media, their email marketing, wherever, and you see that not only did they not post about the episode themselves, but then maybe they're not even re-sharing what you've posted.

And then you wonder:

Did they dislike the interview?
Did they just get too busy?
Did I not help them enough?

Besides any disappointment you might feel, the bigger thing that's worth noting here is that guest interviews are a way to grow your show BECAUSE when your guest shares, you're getting your podcast and your business in front of that guest audience.

So when they don't share, that disappointment is natural. Plus, in some ways, it makes the episode less effective for you from a marketing perspective. In today's episode, I'm going to share three hacks for how to get your podcast guests to actually share about the episode when they air, so that you are not the only one promoting things. You want them to be promoting it alongside you. This way, you can make these guest episodes work harder for your business, so that you see more results on your podcast.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 251!

Before I get to these three hacks that I'm so excited to share with you, I want to say this is stuff I actually teach in my course Podcast Success Blueprint, and good news - It is opening next week. Podcast Success Blueprint will be open to the public for you to join starting on Monday, January 29th. So mark your calendar. I've actually already had around 65 people in the program who are already taking the course and getting results. It’s been so fun to see!

Here’s what Gabriela, a student inside Podcast Success Blueprint, has to say!

Thank you for really peeling back the layers of how you successfully podcast and delivering such value. I've been in the course creation world for some time and I've seen hundreds of courses and most are fluff, not yours. I give it five stars and recommend it to anyone wanting to start or improve their podcast. Podcast Success Blueprint is one of the most well thought out and meaty courses I've taken, and it propels immediate action.

My podcast is the one thing I’ve been consistently doing in my business for years that has led to:

More templates and course sales
More email subscribers
Over $280,000 in affiliate revenue
Opportunities to speak on stages and guest on massive podcasts
More confidence in myself as a business owner

That’s right. The Breakthrough Brand Podcast has become my number one lead source, driver of affiliate revenue, my “SEO-Secret,” and the center of the effective content marketing web I’ve built over the years.

And now I’m sharing everything (if you’ve ever learned from me, you know I don’t hold back on anything!) I know about building a successful, streamlined, sustainable podcast.

I started creating Podcast Success Blueprint as a mini-course (LOL), but it quickly grew into a robust, value-packed course that truly covers EVERYTHING you need to know to start, produce, market, and monetize your podcast!

Get on the waitlist now!

1. Make quality graphics/videos that work with their branding

You have to give them something to share. I know this seems obvious, but too often, we don’t provide any assets and instead just expect the guest to willingly share when we say to without giving them anything to share. You want to make it as easy on them as possible, and even more specifically I usually will mold my graphics to fit their branding colors a little, especially if it’s super different from my own brand colors.

In my opinion, this also typically makes the graphics just look better overall because if they give you photos of them where they are wearing brown and blue, but then your brand colors are hot pink and yellow fonts, it’s not going to look good. PLUS - it makes them more likely to share because they don’t have to change anything to make it work.

I also think we’re in a time in the world where video content is so key for podcast interviews. Giving your guests a quality short video where they are presented as an expert being interviewed by you is amazing, and will likely make them want to share. I love it when I am on someone else's podcast, and they give me this really cool strong video that's showing me teaching on something that I care about, and again, is setting me up as an expert. It makes me very likely to want to share that

You can do this easier than you might think. I used to do these for IGTVs back when that was a thing, and it took so long. We were using professional video editing software (two different ones!), and then adding text that we were physically typing onto the video. I also had to pay super close attention during interviews to what time-stamp things were said that I wanted into clips.

Using Riverside for Podcast Video Content

Now, it’s so much easier. I record interviews on Riverside, a podcasting software. During recordings, whenever my guest says something that I feel is super impactful, I mark it with a clip marker in Riverside. Typically, I end up with 10 to 15 clip markers per interview. I also keep a note on paper about specific markers, like the one at 26 minutes, which might be particularly good for future use. My podcast editor then selects some clips too. So we have a LOT of video content for each episode and I can share multiple clips with my guest.

On top of that, Riverside now has a feature called Magic Clips, which uses AI to select clips and automatically create everything for you. You can add text to the video, rearrange, cut, and correct transcription captions for accuracy, including fixing misspellings. It’s such a time saver. If that’s something you want to try, use code ELIZABETH for a discount on your subscription.

And just as a reminder, why do we want our guests to share? Because when they share to their Instagram stories, collaborate with you on a reel, post about it themselves, share to their whole email list, you are getting your podcast in front of their audience. Then, you’ll be getting new listeners who are coming to your show to hear that guest, but then will hopefully stick around and keep listening to all your episodes. Eventually, they might even buy from you! It's a whole cycle that is so worth pursuing.

2. Share those graphics with your guest in advance of the episode airing

Next, you need to share those graphics and videos in advance. Your guest probably doesn’t know when it’ll air )or if you told them an estimated date, it’s unlikely they marked it on their calendar). As a podcast host, often we do interviews that don’t air for weeks or months… so you need to tell your guest this is coming!

I’ve been a guest on many shows, so I feel pretty confident in saying that too often podcast hosts just email the day of the airing. Or worse, they just share and want you to repost it. That’s really not enough lead time to really work it into your promotion strategy.

What I teach (and do) in Podcast Success Blueprint is email the guest one week prior to the airing date, and share everything they need to know (with graphics provided). At the same time we do this, we also schedule in advance another email to go out to them on the day the episode goes live. We also ASK them to share!

In Podcast Success Blueprint, I give you exact examples of how to do this and the steps in the process so you know what to say and so there’s no confusion! For us and other Podcast Success Blueprint students using my processes, this really does just become a part of your podcast process that you or a team member will do. When it’s part of your process, it won’t be skipped, and that really helps the episode get promoted.

3. DM Your Guests the Day Of With The Graphics!

I think this is literally one of my favorite podcast hacks, but on the day that it airs, you want to DM the guest with the graphics and videos on Instagram (or wherever you're hoping the guests will share). You don’t have to DM all of them, but this makes it nice and quick for them to post! I usually say something along the lines of, “I wanted to go ahead and send you these so you can easily just save them to your phone and post them on Instagram if you want. I'd love to see you share about it.”

On top of that, I'll often even tell the guests, I'm going to post a reel about this at noon today, and I'm going to invite you to collaborate on it. It really just makes for a nice touch point and a reminder on the podcast air date. It makes it a lot less work for them.

Also, always tag them in everything so they can choose what to re-share (and what they don't want to) from what you've posted. If you're using Instagram stories to do this, you could actually tag them and then drag it off the screen and it still works. So if you're thinking, I don't want their handle on every single graphic, you can make it really small and then drag it off the screen and it still counts as a tag. That's another thing I feel like people often miss. Sometimes I go on shows myself and the host of the podcast has posted a bunch of great videos of them talking about the episode, but they don't tag me in any of them. I wish I would have been able to share them!

That's where we really bring this back to the first tip of doing things in their branding. When I'm inviting a guest to collaborate on the reel, for example, I will try to make sure that the reel cover is something that I think they would like to show up on their feed. The collaboration means that this reel that you've created is going to go on their profile permanently, so they need to like the way it looks.

Growing your podcast by having podcast guests share about the episode

So that’s it! Three hacks to get your podcast guests to actually share (and you can tell I actually shared more than three in all of that because again, there's a whole lesson in Podcast Success Blueprint on this).

Here’s a quick recap of the three hacks that will encourage your podcast guests to share:

Make quality graphic and videos (and make them work with their branding)
Share the graphics and videos with your guests IN ADVANCE of the episode airing
DM your guests the day of with the graphics and videos (and invite them to collaborate on what you share!)

I love interviews and while I don’t do a TON of interviews, but when I do, I do them really intentionally with a lot of strategy and research behind them. I teach all that in detail in Podcast Success Blueprint so if you are someone who already has a podcast and things are going well but the guest interviews are getting to me, or the systems are hard and it's taking too much time, or you’re ready to learn how to get help with a team, I teach ALL of that inside. It really is an advanced podcast course. I would love to see you inside!

Links Mentioned:

Get on the waitlist for Podcast Success Blueprint!

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram

Become a Booked Out Designer

Shop Showit Website Templates (Use Code BBPODCAST for 10% off)

Join my FREE Breakthrough Brand All Access Facebook Group

The post 3 Easy Hacks To Grow Your Show With Podcast Guests appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

3 Real Ways to Actually Make Money from Your Podcast

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 10 minutes

Most podcasters aren't earning as much as they could from their show. In fact, I imagine many smaller podcasts aren't making any money at all, which is one of the reasons so many podcasters quit. Making money from podcasting goes beyond just getting sponsors to put ads on the show (although that’s often the first thing people think of, right?). While sponsorships can bring in revenue, especially for larger podcasts, relying solely on this can lead to a continuous hunt for new sponsors who may not pay as much as hoped. For smaller podcasts with less than a thousand downloads per episode, expecting more than a hundred dollars per ad spot is often unrealistic (and I might be being generous here). Today, I want to share three real ways to ACTUALLY make money from your podcast.

Before we dive in, let me just say this: I believe sponsors are a legitimate and great way to monetize your podcast. While I also include sponsors in my own podcast, I want you, as a podcaster or someone considering starting a podcast, to know that there are alternative ways to generate income.

In today's episode, we will explore three different methods, including sponsorships, to make money from your podcast. I will share my thoughts on sponsorships, but I want to emphasize that you can make money from your podcast without having a huge audience. As we go through these methods, I believe at least one will be new to you, and you likely have not tried at least two of them on your own show.

Once you finish reading (or listening), I also want to encourage you to take action on one of these methods that resonates with you. Or if you are a new podcaster, consider implementing all three right from the start!

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 237!

Podcast Success Blueprint

Want to dive even deeper into making money from your podcast? In my course, I cover a ton of different ways to make money from your podcast, with a focus on creating a big impact, generating more sales, and expanding your platform. While podcasting is enjoyable, it does require financial and time investment, so it's important to not just focus on downloads and chart rankings, but also on how your podcast connects with your business and makes a meaningful impact.

In this episode, I’m sharing THREE ways to make money through your podcast but there are actually TEN ways I make money through my show that I discuss in detail in Podcast Success Blueprint.

Why podcasting? Podcasting is a great way to make money in your business as a form of content marketing

Podcasting is a great way to directly generate income for your business. It's a form of content marketing that offers a more intimate connection with your audience compared to traditional methods like email marketing (people are listening to you as a part of their day!). By creating your own podcast, you not only have your own stage but also open doors to other opportunities such as speaking engagements and collaborations with other podcasts and people. It's a powerful tool for audience growth and expanding your reach on platforms like Instagram and through your email list (podcasting is a big part of how I grew my Instagram and email list!). The impact of podcasting goes beyond one avenue - it's a multifaceted approach that yields a ton of benefits. Whether you have a show or not, I’d love to see you inside the course here!

Now, let’s talk about three ways to make money from your podcast!

1. Traditional Ads Through Sponsorships

This is the one most people think of, but it's not necessarily the easiest to do or the most financially smart thing if you're a brand new podcaster or a smaller show.

For me, I love getting sponsorships, but it's actually not my personal favorite way to monetize my show. Here's the thing: if you have products or services to sell, which I understand not all podcasters do, but many of you listening are small business owners like me with something to offer. So, if given the choice, wouldn't you prefer to promote your own stuff rather than someone else's? And let's not forget, most of the time, your own offers provide higher value and generate more revenue per customer compared to what a sponsor would pay for each episode. It’s likely a better ROI for you to sell your OWN products or services instead.

With that said, I do want to share some things to consider if you are going to pursue paid sponsors for your show. As someone who has had sponsors on my show, there are a few different ways they can come about. Sometimes, you pursue the sponsor, and you're in the driver's seat, making the contract and setting the terms. Other times, sponsors come to you with their own contract and terms. I've experienced both scenarios, each with its own merits. Regardless of how it comes about, think about your goals and what packages you want to offer.

If there's one takeaway from this episode, it's highly recommended to avoid selling one-off episode ads. Instead, consider offering packages where sponsors can purchase a set number of episodes or opt for 90 days of dynamic ads across all episodes.

Dynamic ads are especially beneficial for podcasts with a larger catalog. When ads are dynamic, they are temporarily baked into the episodes within a specified timeframe, automatically including all episodes in the catalog.

On the other hand, you can opt for permanently baked-in ads where you record an ad and bake it into five episodes in a row, for example, and those stay in the episode forever.

Going through a network for your ads

When considering monetizing your podcast, you have two options to consider. Will you rely on a network to connect you with sponsors, or will you take charge by pitching and negotiating your own contracts? Joining a podcast network means they may place ads for you, but you might not have control over the content. There are pros and cons to either option.

Choosing ad placements for your podcast

You also need to consider the available slots for your podcast ads and which parts you want to sell. Don’t forget - you can also advertise your own products, which we'll do next.

In my opinion, it's important to find a balance between placing sponsors in the best spot and promoting your own stuff. Consider how many ads you can realistically include per episode too. This may vary based on episode length, but you need to be cautious not to overwhelm listeners with excessive ads. You need to avoid becoming one of those podcasts that receive negative reviews due to ads taking up a significant portion of the episode. Yes, podcasting is a free thing we're putting out there, but there's still an expectation that we're not going to advertise to someone the entire time they're listening. People do get mad!

Final Thoughts on Working with Advertisers

I also recommend having a media kit that you can send as a PDF or as a page on your website, both ways work. This will help when you pitch your show to sponsors. On this page, include reviews that highlight why sponsors should pick you. My media kit personally has strong reviews where people say they never miss an episode and listen all the way through, which is what sponsors want to hear. You can also include your audience demographics, downloads, and listener data. That's crucial because sponsors won't support you without it.

Next consider the other platforms where you have an audience and will potentially promote this sponsor. That’s one of the great aspects of podcasting - it's not just about your podcast downloads or audience; it's about your entire network and business. In my case, the sponsor will be featured in a dedicated section of my blog post as well as mentioned in the episode. For each sponsored episode, there will be a designated area on the blog. In your packages, you can also include mentioning your sponsor on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and others. A package can be created to include a 90-day baked-in promotion, sponsor mention in the show notes and on the blog in the five most recent episodes, as well as Instagram stories and TikTok videos talking about their product. You really do have the flexibility to design a package that offers high value to your sponsor.

Lastly, you’ll want to include your package options in the media kit and clearly outline what's included. Avoid doing one-off deals as they aren't worthwhile for either of you. For the advertiser, multiple episodes and more opportunities for people to hear about them (and build trust). It also benefits you by reducing the workload with the same ad each time. In my course, I dive deep into this topic, as it's one I'm passionate about. I'll also cover how to create effective ad reads that are seamless and engaging, ensuring that listeners actually pay attention to the ads so that your advertisers see an ROI. This is important for ongoing relationships!

2. Ads for Your Own Products

Here's what I'll say: If you're not currently doing ads for sponsors on your podcast, that's totally okay. I don't do it much myself. However, at the very least, you should consider doing ads for your own stuff, or even better, do both, which is what I personally prefer.

You don't have to include an ad in every single episode. In fact, it may not make sense in every episode of your podcast. There are some episodes where you talk enough about your products that an additional ad slot may not be necessary. Nevertheless, using an ad slot to talk about your own relevant products and services can be a great opportunity to make money from your podcast. Making ads listenable for people is important, and a big part of that is making sure that it feels relevant.

Especially if you have a multifaceted business with different products and services for different target audiences or stages of your business, it's important for the ads to align with the episode content. For instance, if I'm talking about website tips for non-designers in an episode, I might do an ad for my templates. You’ll also find that I like to get specific with my ads. If you want examples, just listen to some episodes and hear how the ads are integrated.

One approach I've enjoyed this year is being intentional about taking an interesting angle on my own product ads instead of just talking about the product itself. For example, instead of saying "I sell shop website templates, here's what they are," I relate a specific template to the episode content.

While you don’t need to record a custom ad for every episode, I'm actually personally a big fan of custom ads if you have time for it. I think they convert better when you're able to say, “Hey, I know we were just listening to so-and-so talk about this, and that relates to this product.” It's so powerful that way and makes people less likely to skip it.

Don’t forget to advertise your freebies too!

You also promote your freebies on your podcast instead of directly advertising products, which is something I love. I didn’t talk about it in this episode, but in my podcast course I’m going to be sharing how to “sell” a freebie and create a funnel so that the selling happens there.

Ultimately, don't be afraid to make the ask. We often forget to do that and instead just focus on providing amazing free content. But then we forget to tell people how they can work with us. Just remember, people who listen to your podcast are at different stages of finding you.

Your episode 55 might be the first one they've ever listened to. They liked the title and found your voice engaging, but they don't really know what you sell or who you are. So, it's important to remind them and let them know what it looks like to take the next step with you.

You can include ads for your own products, especially in post-roll. It may seem like most people don't listen to it, but it's worth a try. Remember, there are people on the other side of the mic who want to know more about you (whether that’s 50 people or 1000 people right now).

3. Promoting Companies That You Are An Affiliate For

Now, the third method I want to share to earn real money from your podcast is by promoting affiliate companies. Unlike traditional ads, you can directly share affiliate links and codes with your podcast audience without needing official sponsorship or permission. Personally, I did the math and I have generated over $270,000 in affiliate marketing revenue in the past three years alone. This figure doesn't even include revenue from my podcast's first year in 2019 so it might be more like $300-$350K since I started my show. The podcast has been a major contributor to these earnings, not to mention the additional benefits of accessing free things as an affiliate (ie. not paying for Instacart when people use my link). That number only includes actual cash that came into my bank account!

Affiliate links can be great because you aren’t saying, “this podcast is sponsored by ___”, you’re saying, “here are three ways I'm making my life easier as a busy mom”. And then in some of those ways, you're mentioning an affiliate link.

And if you're not already, keep an organized bank of affiliates. It could be a spreadsheet, or it could be in your project manager like ClickUp (that's where mine is). But keep track of all the companies you affiliate with, what the deals you have with them, what the code and link are, and what the deal is for you and what the deal is for the customer.

Create Pretty Links for Your Affiliate Links

Then you want to create a short link for each affiliate using your domain name. For example, elizabethmccravy.com/instacart redirects to my affiliate link for Instacart. I have this set up for many companies like Flodesk and Showit. Having it at my domain name gives me control and ensures that even if someone types something in wrong, they will still end up on my website. This is particularly useful when you have a large catalog of podcast episodes like I do (over 230 episodes). If I mention Showit in episode 5, 6, 30, 40, or any other episode, the link will still work even if they have changed their affiliate link program because you just need to update ONE pretty link instead of all the links where it was mentioned.

I also want to add to this, when you use affiliates to make money from your podcast, it's not just limited to the episodes themselves. You can expand your earnings through your blog, social media, email list, and more. For example, if I promote an affiliate product in an episode, I'll also mention it in the corresponding blog post to increase visibility through search engine optimization. Additionally, I can leverage platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, as well as engage with my email list. The possibilities are endless!

Which one of these ways to make money from your podcast are you going to try next?

Let’s recap the three ways you can make money from your podcast (and remember, I’m covering at least ten ways to make money from your podcast in my course, so sign up here.

Traditional Ads Through Sponsorship
Creating Ads For Your Own Products
Promoting Companies You Are An Affiliate For

Podcast Success Blueprint is packed with in-depth content that you won't find on Google or in other podcast courses I've researched. We dive deep into various topics, such as solo episodes, interviews, time-saving processes for your show, templates to improve execution, hiring podcast help, podcast name selection, show distribution, artwork, SEO techniques for both episode titles and overall show visibility and the importance of monetization and marketing.

My goal is for you to leave the course feeling confident in your show, supported by our community as you grow and scale, and ultimately are able to make money from your podcast. While it's great to have a chart-topping podcast, what's even better is consistently generating sales from people who discovered you through your show. It doesn't matter how many downloads you have; this is absolutely achievable. Sign up now!

Links Mentioned:

Steal My 3 Hacks for Making Affiliate Income Easier

Shop All of My Showit Website Templates (use code BBPODCAST for 10% off!)

Not Sure Which Template is Right For You? Take The Quiz!

Join my FREE Breakthrough Brand All Access Facebook Group

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram

Join me inside Booked Out Designer

The post 3 Real Ways to *Actually* Make Money from Your Podcast appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Why We Need to Share Boldly in Our Faith (and How Podcasting Can Help) With Brooke Jefferson

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 06:00:18 +0000

Reading Time: 17 minutes

Today, we're talking about how you can bring your faith into your business as a Christian business owner. You may not run a ministry or a specifically Christian business, but you feel a calling to integrate your faith into your work. But - how do you do that? If you are a copywriter, photographer, designer, or online course creator, it can be hard to see how you can really infuse your faith on a daily basis into your business.

A little behind-the-scenes: this is always an interesting discussion that I often enjoy having with friends privately and frequently think about in my own life. When my friend Brooke suggested talking about this on the podcast, I was so excited to hear her perspective and I can’t wait to share all of our insights on the blog here today.

I'm chatting with Brooke Jefferson, a business coach for moms with small businesses. She's also a photographer, podcast host, and an absolute expert in helping business owners get clear on their ideal client, offers, and marketing strategy for consistent clients and sales. With her experience building multiple six-figure businesses, Brooke's passion lies in teaching other moms to do the same.

In this episode, we talk about how to infuse your faith into your businesses and feel confident when boldly sharing about it AND we also explore the ins and outs of podcasting and talk about what it takes to grow a successful podcast in 2023 (even if you feel the podcast landscape is oversaturated). We are both passionate about both which makes this a really fun two-in-one interview.

If you're interested in faith in business and/or starting/growing a podcast, this episode is for you.

Before we dive in - are you in the Breakthrough Brand All Access Facebook Group yet? It’s free to join, and it’s where we take conversations like the one I had with Brooke today further. Pop in and ask questions, share insights, and get the inside scoop into what I’m trying lately. I’d love to see you inside!

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 236!

First - Who is Brooke Jefferson?

Brooke Jefferson is a business coach for moms with small businesses and the podcast host of the Business Mamas Tell All Podcast. Brooke helps business owners get clear on their ideal client and offers and create a marketing strategy that results in consistent clients and sales. After building multiple six figure businesses, she truly enjoys teaching other moms to do the same.

Brooke is a believer, wife, and mama to two. When she's not teaching or photographing, you can find her reading a good book, hanging out with her family outside, or planning her next trip.

Why should we infuse our faith into our businesses versus just letting business be business and faith be faith?

First, I used to think the same way. I used to compartmentalize my life, thinking that marriage, motherhood, businesses, and faith should be separated into different boxes. However, I've come to realize (more and more!) that they are all intertwined and affect one another. For example, a bad mood can impact how I serve my clients. And as I've grown in my faith, integrating it into every area of my life has had a positive impact. I used to struggle with the term "Christian entrepreneur," fearing that it would alienate potential clients, but I've found that sharing my faith attracts like-minded individuals who value the same principles. So ultimately, while you might think that your faith is a completely different thing, your faith and values spill over into every aspect of life.

How do you talk about your faith in a way that's not alienating to someone who does not share the same faith?

So, this can look very different, but initially, I started by sharing small glimpses of my values and faith. In 2020, I became more bold about it. Faith has now become one of my brand pillars, something I am known for. I share it through snippets of me reading the Bible in the morning or if I listen to a church sermon or worship song then I share it. There are always one or two people who say, "I needed this today."

By sharing my faith little-by-little and eventually bringing it into my business, I gained confidence. I was initially scared and worried about alienating people or losing clients but really, it's important to remember that in business, you are always going to be attracting and repelling people. Not everyone will love you, and that's okay. Yes, you may lose followers or clients who don't resonate with the idea of faith, but remember that there are dream clients waiting to say "yes" to you.

EM: I would add that as personal brands, we are given a platform to speak about what matters to us, thanks to the Lord. Sharing our faith may not be for everyone, but if it's on your heart as part of your business, it's worth doing. I agree with what you said, Brooke. I love and respect and learn from many business owners (and friends) with different beliefs. When it comes to business, maybe someone else is into more new age and woo woo stuff, but I still feel like I can learn from them and buy from them and not have the same faith as them.

And I think many people aren't there in life. We have a lot of cancel culture vibes going on and taking sides. But for those who can get to the point of saying, "Hey, we don't have the same opinions on this, and that's fine," it's important. Remember that just because someone disagrees with you on one thing, doesn't mean they wouldn't want to buy from you or work with you in other ways.

How can we infuse our faith into our client experience?

I love this question because I believe that the options are truly limitless. If you're afraid to share your faith but want to, I want to encourage you to start small. It begins with how you treat people and your company values. In today's world, bad experiences are common, and human connection is often lost. Watching business owners bash their clients breaks my heart because this world is too small for that behavior to not get back to them.

Leading by example is important. I like to think of Mathew 5:15-16 where it says “don't hide your light. Let it shine for all. Let your good deeds glow for all to see so that they will praise your heavenly father”. You don't have to shout from the rooftops that you're a Christian, people can sense it through how you treat them. Infusing faith in your business starts with your actions, you don’t need to feel like you need to have a banner saying that you’re a Christian.

Do you have any thoughts about digital products or product based businesses where we might have less touch points with our customers?

Yeah, so I've actually been the customer in these situations, and I didn't even realize it was a Christian company necessarily. But it made me want to spend more money with them. Not that I don't spend money with non-Christian businesses, as we touched on earlier. But for me, I prefer to spend my money where people have the same values as me (and I know I’m not alone - that's how society is these days).

I've seen people go the extra mile in their thank you cards. If I order something from Etsy, they often include a personalized business card or a thank you note with a verse on it. They might even mention that they prayed over the candle for me. It's so touching! There are different ways you can do this, even if you don't have physical products. It all comes down to follow-up. Sending a letter or a handwritten card with something meaningful to share is a great example. Another way is to simply pray for your clients without them knowing. I've had mentors who offered to pray for me in person, but I know others who prayed for me in private. It makes a world of difference to me.

How can we invite God into our business and bring him intentionally into our business and even into our marketing?

So first, I want to make it clear that I am not a perfect Christian. In fact, I am probably the most imperfect person on Earth. The ideas I'm about to share are things I strive to do every day, but I don't always succeed. I believe the first step is prayer. Before giving anything else your attention, take a moment to pray, whether it's for ten seconds, two minutes, or five minutes. Connect with God, whether through journaling or simply spending time in conversation. This helps you realign yourself with His plan and stay focused throughout the day. Inviting God into your daily life is as simple as maintaining an ongoing conversation through prayer.

EM: Yeah, I love that. It can be easy to fall into a routine of doing a morning devotion, going to work, and then coming home at five. It's like we're almost putting God away during non-quiet times, which can make it hard to stay connected. But bringing God into our everyday situations, praying throughout the day, and talking to Him is so helpful. Also, as you mentioned earlier, it's important to represent God well and show up as the Christians we call ourselves. I love that.

I know many people who are building personal brands may feel nervous about sharing their faith. What advice would you give them?

My biggest advice for gaining confidence in sharing your faith is to surround yourself with people who are already doing it. Watching and listening to others have made a major impact for me. You don't have to start big; you can begin with small steps like sharing on your Instagram stories or in an email. It could be a story about leaving church or something meaningful from your day. In the beginning, I used to share a picture or boomerang from my Bible time and add a caption about what was coming up for the day. Starting small with bite-sized ways will help you gain confidence and boldness in sharing your faith.

What advice do you have for someone who's wanting to balance doing the work God calls them to, and also feeling pressure from society to work really hard and make a lot of money?

Yeah, so I got caught up in the hustle culture, chasing six figures, and feeling like a failure when things didn't happen quickly in my new businesses too. But I'm grateful that I've grounded myself and grown from where I started. It's just so different now. The biggest thing was going through a season where I questioned myself. One day, I had a breakdown and felt God ask, "Do you trust me?". I had to ask myself if I was placing more trust in Him or in sales and my bank account number.

And again, this goes so deep. To truly understand it, you would need to bring on a neuroscience coach, going all the way back to our childhood stories. But my biggest struggle in life has been feeling like I always had to take care of myself. I couldn't depend on anybody. I couldn't let a man provide for me. Doing it myself was a big part of my story.

Bringing that mentality into business and learning how to balance it is truly upside down and backwards from what the world tells you. But as a Christian, I believe in God's upside down kingdom. So you have to do things a little differently. If you're struggling with finding balance between chasing after money, hitting sales goals, and trusting God, the answer, honestly, is surrender. It may not make sense, but that's what you have to do on a daily basis.

EM: You are right it doesn't necessarily make logical sense. But once you experience the need in your business to do that and realize that your success is not all your own, it becomes a lot easier. Living in the false reality that everything is because of our own efforts makes it harder to do what you're saying. But once you recognize where your strength comes from and how God blesses your business, it can be truly helpful.

How would you encourage Christian business owners to show up bigger?

Yeah, I think we could all ask ourselves that. So, let's ask ourselves, how can I take my next step? How can I go bigger if I'm already talking about it? And for me, it's about being more bold. My biggest ask is for you to stay true to your values and not be ashamed of what you believe in. Because the world is crazy out there, guys. It's only going to get worse. The Bible preaches and teaches that persecution is a natural part of this journey because you are walking the narrow path. So, I just want to encourage you to be bold.

And on those days when it feels like people are tearing you down or you get a nasty message in your DMs (which by the way, has only happened twice in the entire 10 years I've been online), I want to encourage you guys that I'm here for that. I mean, it just doesn't happen. Maybe it's because I don't have a million followers, I don't know, but I'm prepared for that when it does happen. And on those days when you feel really lonely and you're in your own corner, know that there are many Christian business owners who are here with open arms to support you, encourage you, and cheer you on. So yeah, just be a little more bold today. That's my big ask.

EM: Yeah, and that's a good point. It's going to look different for everyone, and maybe even asking God, like, "Hey, what are you calling me to specifically?" It might look different than Elizabeth and Brooke, or different than this other business owner over here. But how is God calling you to show up in your business with your unique clients and customer situation and your unique platform too?

Before we switch gears and talk about podcasting - are you looking to upgrade your website without redesigning everything from scratch?

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When you make a purchase, you'll get access to tutorials where I'll show you exactly how to set everything up and customize your new pages with ease in under an hour. Head here to see all the add-ons and the full site templates now!

Can you share a little bit about your podcast journey?

I wasn't really into podcasts when I started mine. I would listen to a show here or there, and I was very new to the podcasting world. It was a year after I left the classroom when I started my podcast in 2019. No one asked for it or begged me to do it. I just felt compelled and called to start. So, I did. I began with zero audience and grew it from there. In the first three months, there were probably a maximum of 10 to 12 listens per episode. Then, I started doing guest interviews, which helped grow the audience and gain traction.

The first podcast I built was the “Book More Clients Photography podcast”. It's like your hub for all things photography, business, and marketing. I grew that show consistently, unlike anything else. If only I could be as dedicated to fitness as I am to podcasting, I would be in great shape right now. But that show is now approaching half a million downloads, which is pretty exciting to see how far it's grown.

More recently, I started a new podcast called the “Business Mamas Tell All Podcast”. The whole reason behind this show was to provide short and actionable episodes for busy moms who don't have time to listen every day. It features solo episodes with quick and practical tips, as well as interviews with other moms in business discussing their entrepreneurial journeys. I wanted to create this podcast to encourage moms and provide them with practical business strategies.

Why did you decide to start a new podcast instead of rebrand your old podcast?

Yeah, that's a great question. I really struggled with it and had to spend some time journaling, praying, and sorting through all my confusion. There are actually two reasons behind this decision.

First, as I prayed and journaled about it, I strongly felt that God was telling me to start fresh. He wanted me to clear the bench and begin anew. He promised to guide me through this new business pivot if I put my trust in Him.

Secondly, I wanted to avoid any confusion among my current listeners. Not everyone in my photography audience is female or a mom. I didn't want to do them a disservice. Although they could still benefit from the business strategy, I know my niche and my ideal client so well that I wanted both podcasts to remain valuable resources.

It basically came down to conviction and doing market research.

What did you do differently (and what did you do the same) when you started your new podcast?

The biggest mistake, or rather a learning lesson, was waiting too long to pitch an offer on the first podcast. For the entire first year and a half of the Book More Clients podcast, there wasn't a single pitch. It was all about providing free value. But now, I see selling in a different light. I understand that I serve through coaching and selling. So, on my episodes this time, I won't wait as long to make a pitch. Moreover, I'm using the first podcast as a model for building a successful one. I'm following the same structure to create this second podcast and using it as a benchmark for comparison.

You mentioned interviews really helped grow your podcasts, can you talk about that more?

I've noticed some podcasters who are willing to host anyone and everyone on their show and so I do want to caution that a little. Personally, I've always been careful about who I invite to be a guest on my podcast. Whether someone is pitching me or I'm reaching out to them, I make sure that they align with my audience. If the topic is too advanced or irrelevant to my clients or business, I decline. My podcast's success comes from mutually beneficial collaborations, where we share each other's audiences and provide valuable content that aligns with the overall theme of the show. In my opinion, it's important to be mindful of who you invite and what you discuss, as that greatly contributes to the success of the podcast.

EM: I love that! Guest interviews can be hard, in my opinion. Some people prefer only doing guest interviews because it feels easier to them, but personally, I find solo episodes easier both for planning and at first I felt interviewing people a little intimidating. It took me a while to have a guest on my podcast because I was afraid to interview someone. Everyone has different perspectives on this, but I can totally see it. I've also witnessed how interviews help grow shows on my own podcast.

What would you say to someone who wants to start a podcast but is worried it’s oversaturated?

So saturation is a topic I can riff on all day long. But here's what I'll say: podcasting is growing because there is a demand for it. If you desire to have a podcast, there's a demand for it. My biggest golden tip is to get specific about what your podcast is about and who it's for. Many people think that being broader will attract more listeners, but I invite you to use podcasting as a revenue generator in your business.

The Book More Clients podcast is the number one sales generator in my other business because I have been specific about the target audience and the topics we discuss, keeping everyone on the same page. Don't be afraid to be specific, you don't need a broad show.

Another point I want to make: don't start a podcast if you can't commit to it. Consistency is what builds trust with your audience. I want my listeners to expect a new episode from Elizabeth every Tuesday. That's the kind of anticipation you want your podcast to create. So make sure you're ready to commit before you start.

That isn’t to deter you either! It's cool that we can do incredible things like batching podcast episodes to be more strategic and consistent. Many industry peers and friends start and stop, feeling like they have to recreate the wheel and momentum each time. So, with that being said, I wanted to give that caveat. But, yes, there aren't too many podcasts out there, and you could be someone's next favorite show. Your people are out there waiting for what you have.

Elizabeth’s Thoughts on Starting a Podcast

I agree with you - there's a podcast graveyard of so many shows that have stopped after just maybe 10 or 15 episodes. And you know what? There's no shame in that. Podcasting is harder than people think. Sometimes people are like, "Oh yeah, I'll start a podcast, just record a little bit and that's it." But let me tell you, it's an investment of your time and your business finances. I mean, I'm spending probably a couple thousand dollars a month just for the production between my team and software for my podcast. And we're not even talking about the time I spend on it. It truly is work.

But you know what, don't let that intimidate you. I hope you won't be afraid to start or try it, even if they're not sure if they can fully commit. Remember that you have the flexibility to choose your podcast release frequency - be it monthly, bi-weekly, or even by seasons. My recommendation is to start with a minimum viable product concept, committing to a specific number of episodes (e.g., 10 or 6). Then only after this period, evaluate if it aligns with your business goals and schedule. If it does, then commit to a consistent schedule, whether it's every Tuesday or every other week.

My recommendation is to start with a minimum viable product concept, committing to a specific number of episodes (e.g., 10 or 6). Then only after this period, evaluate if it aligns with your business goals and schedule. If it does, then commit to a consistent schedule, whether it's every Tuesday or every other week.

In my case, I release episodes every Tuesday. However, during my postpartum phase, I had to adjust due to the added responsibilities and did every other week for a while! It worked well for me. I didn't make a big announcement or anything, just did it and thought, "Hey, you all can deal with this." I became more intentional about the episodes I put out, but consistency took a hit. It still worked, and I liked that. It's not oversaturated; there's room for you in podcasting.

With your podcast, do you batch record in advance?

So it depends on the season. My ideal schedule is to batch episodes in advance, which would be the absolute ideal situation. However, sometimes in the past I would overly batch episodes, already having them scheduled and edited, and then decide to throw in a random promotion which I then couldn’t talk about in real time on the podcast. Now about 30 days in advance works well for me, with a couple of extra episodes that are not yet edited, just in case I need to pull from something during a busy season. Other than that, it's too far and too much. And if COVID taught me anything, it's that life is no longer predictable.

Rapid Fire Questions with Brooke Jefferson

What’s an unpopular opinion about podcasting?

Okay, so here's a pet peeve of mine. I can't stand when I tune into a podcast and have to endure 15 minutes of unrelated riffing and ranting. This isn't storytelling or life updates. It's simply complaining about dinner or bad customer service. Can we get on with it? Just my personal preference, but I don't enjoy shows like that.

What are your favorite tools for podcasting?

The tools I currently use are Buzzsprout for hosting my podcast. I started with Buzzsprout and absolutely love them. It's a paid tool. Another tool I use is Fathom, it's a free AI tool. There are many tools out there, I know the one you use is Riverside which has cool production features. But for my podcast interviews and coaching clients, I use Fathom. It records the entire conversation and summarizes it better than I could. I find it helpful for planning bullet points and show notes. Recently, I discovered a new paid tool called Cast Magic. It allows you to upload your podcast or YouTube and it creates newsletters, show notes, episode titles, blog titles, and keywords. It's like having a virtual assistant for podcasting.

You just bought the Carrie template! What would you say to someone considering an Elizabeth McCravy template?

Yes. I recommend your templates all the time because when photographers switch from something like Pixie set, which is easy but not customizable, they often feel overwhelmed. But with your templates, it's easier because they come with instructions, videos, and a little course on how to use them. You provide everything they need. I also love how different each template is. You can even combine multiple templates to create your own website. I've done that a lot. I take sections from older templates, mix them with new ones, and customize it. It's amazing to see how unique each website looks. By the time this airs, my website should be done, and you can see what I did with the Carrie template.

Any last words of encouragement about sharing our faith bolding our business?

Yeah, for you, it's all about deciding how much you want to infuse your faith and being bold about it. As for me, it's been a journey. I used to share very little because I feared what people would think or say, worried about losing clients. But in the last three years, I have become super bold about expressing my faith. I'm not afraid to go against the norm or share my opinions. My advice to you is to feel encouraged that you can have a successful business while embracing your faith. In fact, I've never lost any clients due to it. I even gained a client who appreciated that I could still serve her through coaching, despite our different beliefs. So, don't let the fear of being open about your faith hold you back. You can still be successful and attract clients, regardless of their beliefs. Remember, this is just one of the enemy's tactics to taunt us. Stay strong and stand firm in your values.

Want more from Brooke Jefferson?

You can find and chat with me on Instagram! Also, don't miss out on my podcasts: "Book More Clients: Photography" for photographers and "Business Mamas Tell All" for all the mamas in business. I’d love to connect!

Links Mentioned:

Watch this episode on Youtube

Listen to Elizabeth’s Episode on Brooke’s Podcast

Scripture mentioned: Matthew 5:16

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram

Connect with Brooke on Instagram

Check Out Brooke’s Website

Shop Elizabeth McCravy Templates

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The post Why We Need to Share Boldly in Our Faith (and How Podcasting Can Help) With Brooke Jefferson appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

3 Podcast Systems I Use to Save Me Time and Energy with my Show

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 06:00:10 +0000

Reading Time: 10 minutes

Should you start a podcast? Listen - I believe that podcasting can be a powerful way to grow your business. It can be enjoyable too, and then it really becomes a win-win situation. However, many podcasters struggle to achieve their business growth goals because they lack effective marketing strategies and systems. The reality of podcasting may not live up to their initial expectations, with content and production and all the steps it can quickly become overwhelming. Podcasting requires a lot of work and time, but with the right podcast systems in place, it CAN be done well. And that’s what I’m here to talk about today!

The reality is that while podcasting does have a lot of moving pieces, it's also my #1 lead generation source for my business. Podcasting and SEO are the top two ways people find me. And guess what? The great SEO on my website is primarily due to podcasting and all the blog posts I put out based on past episodes (like this one!). On top of that, even four years later, it truly is the joy of my business. If I were to drop something, it would never be this. So today, I want to talk about podcast systems that will save you time and energy while you start and grow your show. The truth is that if you're going to stick with podcasting, you need passion for it, but you also need systems in place. So let’s get into it!

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

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This blog post is brought to you by our friends at Sticker Mule. I'm a BIG FAN of on-brand stickers whether they're stickers to gift your podcast listeners, customers, or clients. Sticker Mule is our team's go to spot for high-quality, custom stickers for your brand. Check them out!

The Need for Podcast Systems

I think the main reason people quit their show is because they struggle to keep up with everything. Managing your business and your podcast can be challenging, but it's definitely manageable with the right systems in place. You don't have to be the biggest podcast in the world to make your show a top lead source for you. Personally, I love creating and implementing strong systems and processes in my own business (which you’ve likely noticed if you are a longtime Breakthrough Brand listener.

Even if systems are not your strong suit, I’m going to share three specific systems that I have in my business, to help me run this show behind the scenes! These systems allow me to focus on other aspects of my business without working a full 40 hours a week. Just to give you an idea, I work about 20-25 hours a week in my business, and it has been like that for the past two years. Even before that, I wasn't working a full 40 hours, but I have still managed to create and release this show every week and do so many other business things on the side. I run a multiple six-figure business and earn a multiple six-figure salary. So, what I’m saying is: it’s all possible.

Sign Up for the Waitlist for my New Podcast Course

Now, before we move on to the content, I want to mention that I'm currently working on a course just for podcasters. It’s going to cover topics like scaling, monetizing, and growing your show to align with your business goals. I’m also going to include topics like podcast organization, recording skills, outlining skills, creating great content, and optimizing your launch. If you want to dive deeper into what this course is and who it's for, head here. On that page, you can sign up for the waitlist (I'll be doing a beta launch in mid-October with limited spots), and you can fill out the survey to let me know what you want from me in the course. It’s going to be amazing!

#1 I'm Always Generating Podcast Ideas (And Yes - This is a System)

Give me a second and I'll explain how it's a system, not just a statement. Basically, I keep ideas everywhere and constantly think of new episode ideas. It may sound overwhelming, but I promise it's not. Life experiences and random moments in your day spark ideas, which I then jot down in ClickUp. We even have an Ideas Bank area for the podcast, where they're organized into categories.

For example, "Hey, I have an idea to do a podcast about this." Then, sometimes, there's a little description section where we write, “here are the points we'd make”. So that’s in ClickUp, but the truth is that most ideas start as notes on my phone's notes app. You have to do what works best for you, but it works well for me because inspiration strikes at all hours. My best solo episode ideas or interview ideas often come when I'm not working. They come to me during a walk, in the shower, or in a meaningful conversation with a friend. They even come during my quiet time, while reading a random book, playing with Colin, running errands, or just driving in the car. Ideas rarely come to me when I'm sitting at my computer working. So, I recommend having a spot that is always with you to jot down ideas. It could be an idea for a solo episode, someone you want to interview, or a topic you want someone to interview you about on your own podcast.

I'll be honest: my note system isn't super organized. The other systems I'll mention are, but this one isn't. And you know what? I actually kinda like it that way. It feels more creative to me. It's all very searchable, and I have a separate note for every idea. That's why I say it's not very organized, but it works great for me. But seriously, I cannot stress enough the importance of having a dedicated place on your phone for your ideas. And yes, I would choose a phone over a notebook or a project management system because your phone is always with you. Your notes app is right there.

Honestly, even after 230 podcast episodes (or whatever number I'm at now), there are never moments where I need to record something and have zero inspiration for what to talk about next. And this podcast is mainly solo episodes so I think that says a lot! I don't think that's because I'm super, super special with content. I think it's a combination of the fact that I cover a lot of topics on the show, so I could talk about a variety of things that fall under the realm of business and it will all work, but also that I'm seeking inspiration in every corner in my life and then jotting ideas down. So anytime it's time for me to record something and don’t have a topic in mind, I just look at my phone.

#2 I Have a Very Robust Podcast System in my Project Management Tool

Unlike the notes app on my phone, this one is VERY organized. We have a very built out podcast system in ClickUp, and this is where the meat of the systems lie for me. It doesn’t need to be ClickUp either, before that I was on Basecamp and before that I was on Trello. It all works.

If you run a podcast, I highly recommend using a project management tool to keep your show organized. Podcasting involves a lot of moving parts, which can be overwhelming and like I said at the beginning - I think this is why most podcasters actually quit.

In our podcasting area within ClickUp, we create a main task for every episode with the episode number and title. If the episode number is not known yet, we use 0X. as a placeholder. These tasks move through different stages and areas depending on their progress. For example, is it on deck to be recorded, in progress, or in editing mode? We track if it's scheduled for release, already published, or in any other relevant stage.

In ClickUp, we also have a clear calendar view to see our podcast schedule holistically. This view helps us plan and make strategic decisions. For instance, if we notice we're talking about website design too frequently, we can switch it up by airing an interview about content creation instead. We also align our episodes with other activities we're doing, like product sales or promotions, to create a cohesive multi-platform strategy. It’s not just based on inspiration.

Each episode has a main task, with eight subtasks for interviews or four subtasks for solo shows. These subtasks further break down into 36 sub-subtasks for interviews and 17 for solo episodes. It’s a lot!

And if you're thinking, “Elizabeth, your ClickUp system for your show sounds amazing”, I would say it is. I've been using a version of this system since the beginning of my podcast, and it's become so well-organized that I no longer have to manage my show frantically. It syncs with my Apple calendar too, so I can easily see what's happening there. Everything is right there for us to see, and we can always know what needs to be done and what's happening with the show.

If this sounds helpful to you, I have exciting news about the podcasting course I'm working on. In that course, you'll receive my exact podcast system as a ClickUp template (or Notion template - if you prefer) that you can simply download or use for your own show!

If you prefer using something other than these two options, that's perfectly fine. I will provide a tutorial where I walk you through the steps, explaining their meaning so you can adapt them to your own project manager. Additionally, if many people in the course are using a different tool than ClickUp or Notion, I may create another template version to ensure everyone has alternative options. I'm really excited about including this in the course because I genuinely believe it can be a game changer and business transformation for your show.

And course, you can edit and adapt it to fit your needs and the way you and your team work. We have been using this specific ClickUp podcast system for over a year now. It has truly been perfected. It even has tasks for putting your shows on Youtube because we put our interviews there as well!

#3 We Have a Strong Podcast System for Promotion to Maximize Our Efforts

Here's something not many people mention about podcasting, but it's a key focus of this course and should be for your show too. Many podcast courses neglect effective promotion beyond the basics like making graphics and writing blog posts. Let me tell you about my show, the Breakthrough Brand podcast. It serves as the content hub for our business.

Almost everything I do marketing wise stems from the episodes that air on this show. To explain what I mean by that, each episode has:

A blog post
A YouTube video of the interview (if it was an interview)
YouTube shorts with clips from the interview
A reel with either clips from the interview or me promoting the episode
A TikTok video doing the same! This one I have not been that consistent with, but it is something I'm working on.
A Facebook post for my page (usually twice)
An engagement post in my podcast Facebook group
A LinkedIn post about the episode
Instagram stories about the episode (usually twice)
Pinterest pins about the episode (about 10 to 15 pins per episode)
An email to my list about the episode (this is something new we are trying!)
Then, with guest interviews, we create promo material for them as well!

It’s a LOT. And that doesn’t even include the social media content that is inspired by a past episode but isn’t actively promoting an episode. So when I'm making a TikTok or a reel and I'm teaching something, I might literally go to my own blog and be like, “okay, I'm trying to teach something on this topic”, let me see what I've written about on this, and then I will pick one of the points and talk about it. So you can really use it for content in a lot of ways.

Now, all those things listed, I haven’t always done all of these. Some of these are things we added just this year, and then some of those things did not even exist when I first started my show. Some things have also been removed overtime (like IGTV).

The bottom line is though, one episode becomes MANY different things. In my case, it’s 12 different pieces of content! Which is pretty insane when you think about it. But we have great systems in place where I'm basically starting the chain of events by recording the episode and then everything happens from there on a great timeline until it's done and promoted everywhere. These are the ways that this podcast becomes the number one lead gen source for my business while still being something I super, super enjoy.

So just to recap, here are three strategies you can use to enhance your podcast systems. They're part of the larger course I'm developing, but you can start implementing them today.

1. Idea Generation: Always be in the mindset of generating podcast ideas. If you're contemplating starting a podcast, begin by noting down any topic that strikes your interest in your notes app. As you accumulate these, you'll have a rich reservoir of ideas ready when you start your podcast. If your podcast will primarily feature interviews, these ideas can serve as potential discussion points with your guests.
2. Organized Workflow: We employ a comprehensive system on ClickUp for managing our podcast. It's detailed and covers all the stages of our process and you’ll need it as your show grows.
3. Promotion Strategy: We also have an effective promotion strategy to ensure we maximize the reach of each episode. Each episode goes on to be about 12 different things!

Lately, if this is interesting to you, I want to encourage you to join the waitlist for my upcoming podcast course. This course is designed for both new and seasoned podcasters. For beginners, we'll cover the basics such as distribution, defining your niche, creating captivating artwork, and selecting an engaging title. But the primary focus of the course is on advanced topics. I’ll share how to monetize your podcast and develop effective systems for creating high-quality content. You'll learn strategies for producing great solo episodes from outlining to recording, developing a unique podcast voice, keeping your voice fresh for your show, and honing your interview skills. I'll also discuss how to encourage your guests to share about their interview experience afterwards. On the marketing front, I'll share the strategies I use to maximize the impact of my own show. Additionally, we'll touch on team management, including hiring and working effectively with your podcasting team. So yeah - this course is going to be packed with valuable insights and practical tips, so if you're eager to elevate your podcasting game, make sure you join the waitlist!

Lastly, there are 2.5 million podcasts listed in Apple Podcasts, (and that's actually a slightly old stat, so it might be even more than that now), which is a ton of podcasts, but only around 450,000 podcasts are actually active. So despite the fact there's so many, only about 20% of podcasts are considered an active podcast. And again, I think that's what I want to address in my new course: I think the problem for people is not getting their podcasts live, it's not getting those first two or three episodes live, it's keeping it going and keeping it an active show so that you can actually see results from it.

I believe many podcasters tend to abandon their show due to the significant amount of work involved and the lack of immediate results. It can often feel like an uphill battle, with efforts not translating into increased sales or bookings. Furthermore, low-value sponsorship offers can make the endeavor seem unrewarding. My goal is to help you transform your podcasting journey into a profitable and enjoyable venture that significantly adds to your business revenue. If that all sounds good to you, make sure to jump on the waitlist now!

Links Mentioned:

Get on the Waitlist for my New Podcast Course!

Shop All of My Showit Website Templates (use code BBPODCAST for 10% off!)

Join my FREE Breakthrough Brand All Access Facebook Group

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram

Join me inside Booked Out Designer

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