Podcasters have a lot of jobs. One we don't often think of is being ambassadors for podcasting. But it's an important job if we're to grow the entire podcasting pie. Start by having some IHNIs at the ready.

Growth and monetization are at the top of every podcaster's wish list. At least every podcaster who's yet to achieve those two things. Or perhaps not at the level said podcaster is happy with for their own show.

Today's podcast landscape is busy. So is it still possible to grow a really big podcast? Yes, but you can't rely on just good content and luck. You have to address these five realities. (And get a little lucky.)

Fishing where the fish are is a solid strategy, so using similar podcasts to promote your podcast is obviously a good idea, right? You bet! But like any marketing effort, what you put in determines what you get out.

Figuring out what type of podcaster you want to be is important to establishing your podcast. But have you thought about and established what kind of interviewee or guest you want to be on other podcasts?

Your podcast is more than just your audio file. And as podcasting continues to mature, the not-just-audio parts of your show will become more important factors that influence your podcasting success.

It’s said that money can’t buy happiness. Well...it can’t buy podcast listeners either, according to the data generated from a Facebook Ad experiment I funded for 76 days and have just terminated.

Worrying about growth, new tech, and other podcasting distractions can cause you to forget that your audience is your audience, not a nameless pool you have to fight for week after week. Lean into them.

Podcasting is easy. For like five minutes. Then reality sets in. The reality of making great content that people can’t help but share. Podcasting doesn’t come with guarantees. So is it worth it?

Glowing podcast reviews feel really, really good. Getting any benefits from them beyond a warm, fuzzy feeling is questionable. Unless you have a plan for celebrating reviews for your podcast, that is.

Can spending $5 a day on ads really add 10,000 or more new listeners to your podcast? I highly doubt it. But I am crazy enough to put up the money to see if I’m right or if I have 10,000 new listeners.

I’ve never heard a podcast listener say: I wish my favorite podcaster cared less about their show. Instead, they tend to be appreciative and reward those podcasters who work to master their craft.

In reality, it’s hard for podcast listeners to recommend podcasts. If your show’s growth has stalled, there are some steps you can take to make it easier for your most loyal fans to recommend your show.

Begging your listeners to tell others about your podcast will only get you so far. Getting more people to do it starts by understanding what people love about your podcast and why they keep listening.

Sustaining podcast growth week after week is really hard. And while there are plenty of consultants, plans, or methods that promise to fix it for you, the root cause may be something frustratingly simple.

On your next podcast, will you follow a trend and take your fair share? Or do you have an idea that’s never or barely been tried before? Both have their rewards and challenges, so which is right for you?

Podfaded or inactive shows are seen by some as a drain on podcasting, cluttering up indexes, and frustrating listeners. But in reality, they could be used as a material resource for podcast growth.

The most popular podcasts on Spotify are now on public display. Getting your show ranked on that page could be a huge boon. But are you willing to pay the steep price?

Podcasting is a great creative exercise. But with more shows than ever, a smart podcaster finds time to do the less exciting things required to keep their show fresh and attract new listeners.

Low startup costs get people as excited today about podcasting as was the case 15 years ago. But with the rise in some podcasts’ popularity, are you considering the real costs to compete at the top?

Market research & analytics show interest in your podcast’s topic is huge, but your audience growth is modest at best. Before you blame your content or marketing, the problem may be a lack of desire.

Congrats! Your podcast is starting to earn real money. Or has the promise of doing so. Before you rush to hire for a sales or content position, consider picking up a business manager first.

It doesn’t take much looking to find podcasters grumbling about how hard it is to grow the audience of their shows. Most of the time, that’s an internal, not external, problem.

If nominations for “busiest podcaster” or “most stressed out podcaster” awards opened, we’d all probably want one. Or a vacation from our podcast. But are these extremes healthy for us or our shows?

After 16 years, the amount of misinformation - some intentional, some misguided - around podcast promotion continues to grow. Before you spend any money or effort promoting your podcast, make sure your house is in order.

Don’t stop podcasting because you feel you can’t compete with big media podcasts. You can. Maybe not on marketing dollars. Maybe not on talent acquisition. But the only thing stopping you from competing on sound quality is you.

What term do you want your show to rank #1 for? OK, other than “podcast”. Business podcast? Political Podcast? Hey, someone has to do it, so why not you? But are you ready for the realities of life at the top of the list?

Never underestimate the power of helping people fix what’s broken in their lives or their business. Not only is it the right thing to do, it’s a heck of a way to grow your podcast.

Even if you’re turned off by the whole affair, podcasting can learn valuable lessons from America’s political primary process. When you swap out “voters” with “listeners”, the similarities snap into focus.

The future of podcast discovery is bright; but only because the present of podcast discovery really sucks. But before you cheer too much for the future of podcast discovery, it might be a bit more dystopian than you want.

If you want your podcast to grow, obsessing over downloads, trying to influence social media metrics, or fretting over when people bail on your episodes won’t move the needle much. To track growth, you have to understand your show’s Conversion rate. Here’s how.

When podcasters think about random discovery, we assume people are looking specifically for podcasts. But in reality, people are just looking for topics. How do you make sure that your podcast (or better yet, your podcast’s episodes) a part of that discovery set?

The people who you (or your business) communicate with on a regular basis may be the perfect people to listen to your show. You’d think getting your contacts - business or personal - to listen to your show would be easy. It's not.

Podcast discovery is getting a shot in the arm. Search results that are actually good for podcasts, and in-app human-curated lists. Neither is fully released, but history can help us understand how these two competing methods of podcast discovery may shake out.

Algorithms will soon infect podcasts just as they’ve infected every other digital medium. How “fair” will these algorithms be to your podcast? Or how drastically will you need to change your show to stay relevant?

Podcasting is the next big revolution. Or is it? Maybe the word big, and all the assumptions that come with that word, is holding more than one podcaster back.

Zuck & Co seem committed to killing your Facebook Timeline. That's gonna leave a mark on your podcast promotional efforts.

How to build a "DIY network" to gain more of the right listeners to your podcast.

Want your podcast to succeed as a business? Treat it like one.

Why short-term spikes might do more harm than good for your show.

Stop hiding your business' podcasting efforts. Showcase it to your customers and the world!

Probably not in the way you think. But there are better ways.

More people don't listen to podcasts than do, so don't think podcasting experts have all the answers.

Part 4: Know Your Podcast, Know Yourself

Podcast hosting companies didn't mean to become gatekeepers, but here we are.

How companies and producers can join forces to make an instant podcast hit.

Businesses have a built-in community just waiting to be "activated" -- their customers!

How can you build your audience to 50,000 listeners?

Smart ways for business podcasts to grow their audience.

How to get strategic insights with free tools.

Did your podcast grow in 2019? It’s surprisingly hard to answer that question. And the answer find might be less meaningful than you imagine. Luckily, there’s a way out.

By now, you’d think it would be easy to find new listeners for your podcast. But it’s anything but easy, even as podcasting approaches its 16th birthday. Maybe we’re going at it all wrong?