May 8, 2020

Podcasting Trends, Advice for Starting A Podcast, and Tips For More Downloads | Alban Brooke on The Smart Passive Income Podcast with Pat Flynn

Check out the Smart Passive Income podcast Episode Page and Show Notes

Podcast trends in early 2020:
- Overall podcast listenership decreased 10% since early March
- However, listenership is up 70% for news podcasts
- There’s also been an uptick in comedy and sports podcasts
Podcasting has grown significantly over the past 5 years
- There are over 1 million podcasts in Apple podcasts
- “Over the next 5 years we’re going to see another 4 million podcasts being added to Apple” – Alban Brooke
The average podcast listener is subscribed to 7 different shows
Have a good website with embed players with links to all the different directories
- Have all of the podcasting apps available: Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, and so on
The #1 way people learn about podcasts is through word-of-mouth, so:
- Have a unique show with valuable content
- Provide helpful tips
- Build a community around your show

Podcast trends in early 2020:
- Overall podcast listenership decreased 10% since early March
  - One reason: people are commuting less now
    - In April, podcast listenership rose. Not to pre-March levels, but it’s higher than March levels.
- However, listenership is up 70% for news podcasts
- There’s also been an uptick in comedy and sports podcasts
Listening habits:
- People are listening to podcasts around lunchtime now
- More people are listening to podcasts on desktop rather than mobile
  - To get more listens, build a new website with an embedded player
Podcasting has grown significantly over the past 5 years
- There are over 1 million podcasts in Apple podcasts
  - There’s been an acceleration in new podcasts over the last few months
    - “Over the next 5 years we’re going to see another 4 million podcasts being added to Apple” – Alban Brooke

Nope. Compared to YouTube, it’s still the early, early, days of podcasting.
- As the number of podcast shows has grown, so have the number of listeners
  - The rate of listenership is increasing faster than the rate of new podcasts being started
The average podcast listener is subscribed to 7 different shows
Why start a podcast during the pandemic?
- People want advice from experts
- People want to learn new hobbies and skills
- People want an entertaining escape
Power-Up Podcasting 2.0: Pat Flynn’s course for anyone who is serious about starting their own podcast
Amp’d Up Podcasting: Pay Flynn’s course to monetize and grow your podcast

Define your podcast and its purpose: Is it to grow your business, to entertain people, or something else?
Choose a title that describes your podcast clearly
- It can be the name of your blog or book
- If you’re well-known, you could use your name
  - However, if you aren’t well known, it’s probably better to choose an informative title
Pat uses Buzzsprout to host his podcast
Think of your podcast as a long-term game, not short-term
- Creating content will provide value for years to come

Where do you find listeners?
- The #1 way people learn about podcasts is through word-of-mouth, so:
  - Have a unique show with valuable content
  - Provide helpful tips
  - Build a community around your show
Have a good website with embed players with links to all the different directories
- Have all of the podcasting apps available: Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, and so on
Google includes podcasts in its SEO rankings
- Try adding a transcription of your episode to get ranked higher
- Write great show notes
Ads have gotten cheaper so consider running ads on social media and podcast platforms such as Overcast, Castbox, and PlayerFM