What is Your Biggest Challenge? – PTC 483

Podcast Talent Coach

OVERCOMING YOUR CHALLENGE

What is your biggest challenge? I asked that recently to podcasters on my email list. On this episode, I'll help you through a few of them.

DO THE WORK

Whatever your challenge, do the little work daily to build your foundation.

Country artist Chris Young is a great example.

The first time Chris Young came to town was around 2009. He played in the radio station conference room to about 20 people.

This was shortly after he was the winner of the 4th season of the TV show "Nashville Star" in 2006.

The next time here in town, he played to a small club with a few other artists for a few hundred people.

Over the next few years, Chris returned to town as the opening act for a variety of other artists. Each time he played to a few more people than the last.

Finally in 2019, Chris came to town to headline his own show for about 5,000 people. He has done that a few other times since then.

Here is a guy that got great exposure on a television singing competition with a big audience. He has put in the consistent and methodical work over time to get where he is today.

Other artists on the singing shows don't make it, because they haven't put in the work to create the relationship over time.

Just look at the winners of American Idol, like Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Taylor Hicks and Jordin Sparks. They didn't put in the work.

Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson have been working for years to get where they are today even after their American Idol start.

You can't create a relationship in 20 weeks of a tv season. It takes years.

Do the work. Get rich slowly.

Whatever your challenge, give it time.

Let's look at a few of these questions.

THE DOWNLOADS CHALLENGE

I’m trying all the things to increase downloads. I send out a weekly email and post on social media. I also mention my podcast when it’s applicable on music teacher Facebook groups. I’ve been a guest on a few podcasts. I guess my biggest challenge is not knowing what else I can do to grow downloads. They are increasing but very slowly. Maybe that’s normal?

Thanks,

- Jeanette

Yes, Jeanette, that is normal. I know we don't like to hear that it takes time. But, it takes time.

Rarely will you see your downloads grow at a huge rate unless you get in front of a large pool of your ideal clients.

Greg Payne is one of my clients. He hosts the Cool Grandpa podcast.

As he was growing his podcast, he was able to get mentioned in an article in the New York Times.

Who reads the New York Times? Typically a lot of people who are grandparents.

Greg doubled his downloads overnight.

Getting into the New York Times isn't something we can do everyday. However, you can find other influencers who speak to your ideal clients. Those influencers make great partners.

To find the influencers who have the attention of your ideal target listener, begin by defining your listener. You can do that quickly and easily by downloading my Ideal Target Listener Worksheet here: www.podcasttalentcoach.com/listener.

Keep working both sides of the growth equation.

First, keep your current listeners coming back. Your email and social media tactics will help remind your fans to listen.

Then, find those new ideal clients and invite them into your world. Get them on your email list, so you can email them as well.

The podcast interviews you are doing should help. Let's find other areas to ramp it up.

Above all else, create great content, share yourself, and be consistent.

THE GUEST CHALLENGE

My biggest challenge is getting the guests to share the episode.

- Kate

This is another common challenge, Kate. We can't expect our guest to share, but it is always great when they do.

There are two things you can do. First, select better guests. Next, make it incredibly easy for them.

Let's talk about better guests.

Dave Jackson at the School of Podcasting is a great guest. When he is interviewed on a podcast, he will play a clip of that interview on his own show.

Dave will give a shout out to the host of the show. He will also tell people where to find it. He is a great guest.

If you want guests to share your episode, find guests that share episodes. If you see someone mentioning they were interviewed on a podcast, get those people as guests. They know how to share.

When you book your guests, let them know up front before the interview that you would appreciate if they would share the assets you send them. Make the expectations clear from the start.

MAKE IT EASY

Next, make it easy for your guest to share.

I was on a call with a client this week. She was telling me her guests weren't sharing the episodes as much as she would like.

She told me that when the episode is published, her team sends the guest a link to a folder containing all the graphics and assets along with a link to the show. They then ask the guest to share.

The guest has to do too much work in this scenario. As a guest, I need to sift through the graphics, write an email, craft a social post, determine which asset to post, and link to the episode.

To make it easier for the guest, write the email for them. Craft the social post for them. Make is as easy as possible with as few steps as possible.

Tag your guest in your social posts and ask them to repost it.

You are much more likely to get your guest to share if you make it super easy.

But at the end of the day, not every guest will share. These steps should help you get a few more to spread the word.

THE COURAGE CHALLENGE

My biggest barrier is lack of courage to put myself out there.

- Leah

Impostor Syndrome is real, Leah. We all struggle with it a bit.

Regardless of what we are doing, we want people to like us. It's natural.

When we understand that there will always be someone who doesn't like what we do, it makes it much easier to do it anyway.

We were discussing this the other day with my coach. He was talking about the importance of celebrating our wins.

When we review and celebrate our wins, it puts our minds in the right space to do what needs to be done.

Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the assessment that something else is more important than fear."

Nelson Mandela said, "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it."

Having the courage to do anything is recognizing the fear is there and then taking action anyway.

I find it most helpful to have a written list of successes and feedback from others.

Many people have sent me great reviews and testimonials. But like many people, one negative comment can derail everything.

That list of positive feedback can help me get and stay in the right frame of mind regardless of what others say.

People want what you have, Leah. Take action in spite of the fear.

BUILDING A COMMUNITY

Learning to build an interactive community around the podcast is my biggest challenge.

- Dot

Community comes from relationships. Are you sharing yourself on the podcast to build those friendships?

Make real connections.

When you share yourself, you will find other will tend to share themselves with you. Over time, you community will grow.

Next, give listeners a reason to engage along with a benefit of engagement. What's in it for them?

Finally, make it easy for them to engage. Tell them exactly what you want your listener to do.

On a recent coaching call, my client told me their podcast was not generating any feedback or response.

I listened to the podcast to review it. When I got to the end, the host said, "You can email me at the email address, and follow me on social media."

Why would I email you?

Remember the last time you ran into an old friend? You caught up and had a good chat. When it ended, one of you said, "I'll give you a call sometime."

Has "sometime" ever come? I doubt it. You have no reason to call, so the call never happens.

We all tell ourselves we need to do a better job staying in touch with our friends. Then we realize a year has passed since we last talked.

If you want your listeners to engage, give them a real reason to engage.

I have a free resource that will help you. It is called "75 Ways To Drive Engagement With Your Podcast". You can download it for free at http://www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/engage.

THE STRATEGY CHALLENGE

I'd love to have a strategy in place before I launch, then I know what I'm aiming for!

- Ruth

Don't let perfection prevent you from starting.

If you wait for all the lights to turn green before you step on the gas, you'll never move.

On the other hand, having a strategy is wise decision.

Start with the end in mind. What do you hope to accomplish with your podcast? Be specific.

Let's say you want to grow your coaching business with the podcast. How do people become clients? That might be your discovery call.

How do people get to the discovery call? That could be through your lead magnet. Maybe you're a life coach and your free resource is "6 Steps to a Successful Life".

When people download your lead magnet, they discover the six steps. You then invite them on a call to see how to implement the six steps.

Next, we need to determine how people get your lead magnet. We promote the lead magnet on the podcast. But, we must also create content that drives demand for the lead magnet.

Create great content that shows your listeners what is possible when they take the six steps. You might interview people who have done it. You could take a deep dive into one of the steps.

The content should demonstrate why people need to take the six steps. Get listeners to envision the transformation.

Finally, you need to block out time on your calendar each week to record the show. Treat that block of time with respect. Be consistent.

Now you have a strategy. So, let's get started.

You can refine the strategy as you go along. But you can't refine anything until you start.

THE PODCAST NAME

How do you choose a podcast name? How can you verify that that name is not already in use? Is it necessary to trademark your podcast name?

Sincerely,

- Gordon

This is a really gray area, Gordon. Let's take each part separately.

The purpose of the podcast name is to get people to think the show looks interesting and might be for them.

The Gordon Show doesn't tell me anything about the content or make me think the show might be for me. It would take a lot of marketing and explanation to get that across.

You also don't want to be too cool for the room with a show nobody understands. Shows like More Perfect and The Drive really tell us nothing.

More Perfect is an NPR podcast about stories from the Supreme Court of the United States. Could you have guessed that?

The Drive is about maximizing longevity, including physical, cognitive and emotional health. I was thinking football.

On the other hand, it is pretty clear what Your Money Briefing and Secrets of Wealthy Women are all about.

The name of your show should make people think the show is for them.

ALREADY IN USE

Is your name already in use? Google is the easiest way to determine that.

There are many podcasts that use the same name.

I searched for the Money Magic podcast. Here is the list I found.

• The Money Magic Podcast with Vangile Makwakwa

• Money Magic with Patrick von Finanzzauber

• The Money Magic Podcast with Brady Wade

• The Magic, Money and Marketing Podcast with Jennifer Donovan

• Practical Money Magic with Audrey Heesch

• Magic Internet Money with Brad Mills

• Mindset, Money, & Magic with Nadeen Martinez

• Money & Magic with the Witchy Bookkeeper

• Love Money Magic with Christy Teloh

Those are just 9 that are close. There are a ton of other varieties.

When choosing a name, be unique to help you get discovered in search.

See if your show name is available for purchase as a website URL. That's a good place to start.

TRADEMARK WITH FIREMARK

Finally, is it necessary to trademark your podcast name?

No, it's not necessary. Yes, it is beneficial.

A trademark can help you protect your intellectual property. It can also save you from someone else suing you for using their intellectual property if they were to obtain the trademark.

There are plenty of benefits to getting the trademark. But it isn't required.

Keep in mind that having a trademark and defending a trademark are two different things.

Once you have the trademark, you must prevent others from using it. That may sometimes include legal fees.

If you don't defend the trademark consistently, it can be difficult to defend if the time comes. That's why many big businesses go after little guys infringing on a trademark.

You need to defend it against every use or put an agreement in place that allows for the use by others.

I am no legal expert. Consult an attorney before making any decisions. If you want solid podcast legal advice, see my buddy Gordon Firemark. He is the Podcast Lawyer™.

You can find Gordon at http://www.gordonfiremark.com. Tell him I sent you over.

QUESTIONS

Great questions this week. If you have a question, you can always email me at [e-mail].

If you would like a little more personal and powerful guidance, and you don't have a mentor who can take your hand and walk you every step of the way, apply for my free strategy call.

Go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/apply, click the button and apply to have a chat with me. There is no charge. We will develop your plan and see how I can help and support you to achieve your podcast goals.