Claim OwnershipInsider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast with Courtney Elmer | Podcasting Strategies for Growing a Podcast That Converts
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Description
Named the best podcast on podcasting, this isn’t another “share great content and stay consistent” podcast. We’re breaking down 15,000+ hours of study into what today's top hosts are doing to create bingeworthy podcasts that convert.
Hosted by Forbes and Rolling Stone–featured podcasting psychology expert, Webby Awards judge, and PodLaunch® founder Courtney Elmer, you’ll get the podcasting tools and strategies other shows won’t dare to share (backed by 70+ Top 100 podcast launches).
Expect unfiltered coaching, behind-the-scenes breakdowns, and “why didn’t anyone tell me this sooner?!” podcasting advice to help you master growing a podcast your future listeners can’t stop bingeing (and buying from).
So if you’re ready to break out of less-than-200-download-per-episode jail and stop settling for downloads that don’t reflect your effort...
Or you want a podcast launch strategy that positions you as an authority in your category and drives revenue...
Welcome to the podcast that’s about to change the game for you. Hit follow and let’s dive in.
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Popular Guests Include: Adam Adams, Alex Sanfilippo, Dave Jackson, Ellie Puckett, Gay Hendricks, Grant Baldwin, Hal Elrod, James Cridland, James Wedmore, Jeremy Enns, John Lee Dumas, Jordan Harbinger, Kevin Chemidlin, Seth Silvers, Stacy Tuschl, Tom Rossi, and more.
Popular Episode Topics: How to Start a Podcast, Podcast Launch Strategies, Growing a Podcast, Podcasting for Business Growth, Podcasting Psychology, Podcast Messaging, Creating Bingeworthy Podcast Content, Increasing Listener Engagement, Ranking Your Podcast in the Top 100, Podcasting Tools, Podcasting Trends, Podcasting Mistakes, Monetize Your Podcast, Podcast Listener Conversion, Podcasting Advice, Video Podcasting, Podcast Marketing
399 Episodes
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85% of podcast hosts are publishing on the most crowded day of the week, which makes it harder for their show to get seen when a new episode drops. I’m breaking down two truths and a lie about when to release your episodes, why consistency isn’t the key to growing a podcast, and why publishing episodes doesn’t mean people will find them. You’ll also learn the simple way to choose a release day that gives your show a better chance of being seen. If you want to give your podcast a real shot at ...
Most podcasters are using CTAs in their episodes and still getting zero clicks, signups, or sales. It’s not because CTAs don’t work. It’s because they’re placed at the wrong time, in the wrong spot, and said in a way listeners ignore. So if you’re wondering where CTAs belong (and where they KILL listener engagement), how to time them so listeners don’t get ad fatigue, and what to say so they feel like part of the content and not a random commercial for Better Help, this episode will hel...
Most podcasters think AI speeds things up, when really it creates more work through rewriting, tweaking, and fixing some more. Podcast systems expert Joe Casabona is here to show you where AI slows your workflow, where automation does the job better, and how to stop using the wrong tool for the right task. You’ll find out the one sign you’ve become too reliant on AI and how it’s making you 9% dumber (according to the WSJ). And you’ll also learn the 3-question test to know if the AI tool you’r...
What if the very thing you’re using to make your podcast better is the reason people are skipping it? Sure, AI has changed how we work. But without realizing it, most creators are using it in a way that hurts their podcast’s credibility. Podcast systems expert Joe Casabona is back to break down what listeners pick up on when you use AI in your podcast content, why "sounding more polished" doesn’t always lead to better engagement or listener action, and exactly where to draw the line so ...
What makes the difference between a podcast that’s interesting to listen to and one that actually moves listeners to act? Find out the three psychology-backed communication patterns that help listeners see you as the expert they should trust and follow, and make your message impossible for the right listeners to ignore. So if you want your podcast to do more than entertain (and start becoming the show people turn to for answers), hit play and let’s dive in. 0:30 – Why Listeners Enjoy Yo...
Find out why some podcasts get chosen while others get overlooked, even when your content is great. In this episode, you’ll learn the four signs that tell you if listeners are scrolling past your podcast, the signal listeners use to decide whether your show is worth their time, and why that signal needs to show up in the five places listeners encounter your podcast before they ever hit play. If you want to understand how listeners decide whether your podcast is worth listening to (and what to...
Most podcasters say their content is valuable. But if no one is sharing your episodes, recommending your show, or mentioning it in their communities, the problem usually isn’t the quality of your content. It’s how (and where) you’re asking people to engage with it. Arielle Nissenblatt (Podcast Hall of Fame inductee and founder of EarBuds) is back to break down the small but common mistakes that make a show harder to share. We talk about the number one mistake podcasters make with their email ...
Most podcasters think getting new listeners is about promotion: more clips, more posts, more ads. But if people find your show and don't hit follow, your downloads won’t change and “more promotion” won't fix it. In this episode, Arielle Nissenblatt is here to unpack why not every podcast automatically earns an audience and what actually makes someone decide a show is worth following in the first place. As a Podcast Hall of Fame inductee and founder of the EarBuds Podcast Collective, Arielle s...
Apple Podcasts just rolled out a new video experience, and the industry is split down the middle. Some are calling it transformative. Others are calling it irrelevant. But the real question is: what does this actually mean for your show? In this episode, we’re breaking down what’s changed inside Apple Podcasts (in plain English), why this update improves user experience but does not improve podcast discovery, and when video *might* make sense for your show (and when it absolutely doesn’t). So...
It doesn’t matter how good your episodes are if listeners can't find them. You can add video, guest on other podcasts, or post on social media, but if your podcast isn’t showing up in search, you're missing out on 70% of listeners who find new shows that way every day. In this episode, I’m breaking down the 3 podcast SEO moves that took this show from ranking #97 in search to consistently landing in the top 1–3 and increasing downloads 41%. The same moves you can implement immediately to help...
There are two types of podcasters: The ones who publish an episode, close their laptop, and hope the right listeners somehow find it. And the ones who understand that if their show doesn’t appear in search, it might as well not exist. Fellow podcaster Eve Hall knows what it feels like to be invisible to the very listeners you’re trying to serve. But instead of recording more episodes or chasing the next marketing tactic, she made a few strategic changes to the content she was already creating...
You don’t need a massive audience to get media attention. In the media world, downloads aren’t what open doors. That’s why PR experts Bridget Sicsko and Lydia Bagarozza are back to break down the exact PR system podcasts your size can run in just 1–2 hours a week to get quoted and featured in top media and PR publications, even with fewer than 100 downloads an episode. You’ll also learn what to do after you get featured so that visibility turns into bigger guests, stronger partnerships, and b...
If you’ve been telling yourself that bigger downloads are the reason other podcasts land better guests, sponsors, and opportunities, think again. PR and media experts Bridget Sicsko and Lydia Bagarozza are in the studio to break down what actually gets small podcasts taken seriously, and how you can get quoted and featured in top media and PR publications to build massive social proof for your show (even with fewer than 100 downloads an episode). So if you want dream guests, sponsors, a...
Your podcast isn’t stuck at the same download count each week because you “need more marketing.” In most cases, it’s because when marketing does send people your way, new listeners don’t see a reason to click, and scroll right past. In this episode, we fix that. In this Fix My Pod coaching session, I’m sitting down with estate planning attorney Sara Ecklein to pinpoint what her show is accidentally communicating to new listeners, identify where her cover art and show title are keeping people ...
If you’ve ever opened your content calendar, stared at a blank doc, and wondered whether skipping a week would really be *that* bad, this one’s for you. But instead of forcing an idea or recycling something old, I’m giving you five stealth moves you can use when episode topic ideas run dry and showing you (in real time) how I decide what to record when my brain is empty and an episode needs to go out in less than 24 hours. So if you need a way out of the panic spiral when an episo...
Most podcasters are convinced their show is “clear enough,” that listeners will eventually find them, and that growth is just a matter of time and consistency. Anthony thought the same, until he realized his “clear enough” message was actually confusing people and the listeners he wanted were scrolling straight past his show. So he rebuilt his show from the inside out, transformed it into something listeners actually wanted to click on, and earned an Apple Top 100 spot during his relaunch. An...
Most podcasts lose listeners in the first 15 seconds. Not after the first ad. Not halfway into the episode. Right at the start. In this episode, we break down what’s actually happening in your listener’s brain the moment they hit play, and why top podcasts obsess over their opening lines like the rest of the episode depends on it (because it does). You’ll hear the five most common episode openings that make listeners click out of your show (even when your content is really good), see the diff...
Some podcast networks promise exposure and end up limiting how you monetize and how much you control your content. This episode will help you spot those red flags and figure out whether a network even belongs on your radar. Stephen Perlstein from Libsyn is back to break down how podcast networks make money, what they’re actually looking for in a show, and how to tell the difference between a partnership that genuinely supports growth and one that comes with strings attached so you know when j...
If you think getting picked up by a podcast network is the fast track to podcast growth, this episode will save you from disappointment (and probably a bad contract). Stephen Perlstein, Senior VP of Business Development at Libsyn, joins me to break down how podcast networks actually work (and when the right one can be a smart move for your show). We’re unpacking what networks do well, what they don’t do, and the biggest red flags to watch for when evaluating a potential deal. So if you’ve bee...
Podcast platforms are changing what gets seen and what gets shared, and if your show is still built for how podcasting *used* to work, it’ll get skipped, buried, or replaced. That’s why I brought together five industry experts to break down what’s actually shifting inside podcasting right now, and why creators who adapt early have a real advantage. Because this next era won’t reward the biggest shows. It’ll reward the ones built for how listeners behave today, which is great news for in...
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enjoyed Courtney!