Building a Highly Engaged Audience

The number one question I receive from podcasters is how do they become an ad-supported podcast?  While the answer may be simple, the process takes hard work, consistency, dedication, amazing content and a host that people want to hear from and connect with on a regular basis.

Best practices if you want to become ad-supported podcast:

• Be consistent and release your show weekly at the same time and on the same day of the week (weekly podcasts outsell daily, bi-weekly, and monthly podcasts)
• Have amazing content
• Engage your audience
• Build your audience as podcasts with over 50,000 downloads per show will attract advertisers
• Establish a Patreon page to have your fans support you financially while you are building an audience
• If you offer your podcast in both audio and video formats then post to YouTube and monetize your podcast until you sign sponsors
• Reach out to your contacts in your industry and offer an exclusive advertising deal for your podcast at a flat rate that makes sense to you and them (check out TWiT host-read ads at Artisanal Agency)
• Host-read ads outshine commercials as highly engaged audiences want to hear from the hosts they trust
• Have fun, love what you do, and be as passionate about your ad reads as you are your content

Security Now 600th Episode

Congratulations Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte on your 600th episode of Security Now!  I recall skipping over this show when I first started at TWiT.tv because I didn't understand the content and after a few years it became one of my favorite shows.  I look forward to listening to it each and every week, and I look forward to another 600 episodes.

Podcast Advertising Advice

Now that podcasts are hot I've noticed the rise of "podcast sales experts" that have minimal sales experience but tout themselves as experts and sell their advice for profit. It's sad that so many people are trying to profit from podcasts without actually working and my best advice it to speak to someone who really sells for a living. I've worked with Podtrac, now Authentic, for years, and they had sound advice and inspired me to create Artisanal Agency.  My boutique agency super-serves tech podcast audiences by working closely with tech networks, sales brokers, sales agencies, and direct clients.  I continue to work with Authentic today, and they don't charge for their sales advice, and neither do I.