Good Morning Podcasters!

Good morning, Podcasters! This is a rather introspective episode. You'll have to listen to get the full experience (though the transcript is below). In the episode, I talk quite heavily about a few books and blogs: The Creative Act: A Way of Being, by Rick RubinMake Noise: A Creator's Guide to Podcasting and Great Audio Storytelling, by Eric NuzumThe Interestingness of Everyday Experiences - a post by Jeffrey SaddorisThank you for listening to Good Morning, Podcasters!

On yesterday's episode, I spoke the need to collect first-party data since third-party data is not long for this Earth. On today's episode, I talk about some simple ways you can update your website in order to optimize it for growing your email subscriber list. Here are 9 ways you can optimize your podcast's website in order to grow your email subscriber list: Make sure your sign-up form is prominent. A lot of people bury their newsletter sign-up at the bottom of the page or on the “Contact Us” page. Give it the prominence it deserves.Reduce the fields in your sign-up form. Research shows that the more fields you have, the fewer people will sign up. Unless you require specific information to segment your audience, I recommend starting with just the email address OR name and email address.Give something away for every subscriber. If you want to grow your list fast, offer something like a free sticker, custom piece of art, shout out on the pod, etc. for signing up. Remember that if you go with something physical that you have to mail, you’re going to need to mail it. And in the U.S., postage is at 60¢ plus the cost of the envelope, sticker, and your time. It can get pricey, but it may be worth it depending on how you monetize your show and your email list.Add a timed pop-up or exit-intent pop-up on your homepage. You’ve all seen this before. The box pops up after a few seconds on the site asking you to sign up for the newsletters. You’ve seen them so often because they work. An exit-intent popup works by triggering when the site detects the mouse moving to the top of the screen (signaling that the visitor is about to bounce).Add pop-ups on your most popular content. If you don’t want everyone getting hit with a pop-up, you could only put it on pages that are high performers.Require registration for blog comments. If you take comments on the show, you could require that the visitor registers first. In that registration process, you could include an opt-in box. Just be sure you’re following GDPR/CCPA/etc. guidelines.Test & update your CTAs. Have you not been getting many sign-ups? Maybe the copy isn’t landing with your audience. Try changing up your Call-to-Action and button copy.Make a quiz. People like to interact with fun quizzes and polls. Put one on your website and require the user to sign up in order to see the results.Create a survey. Ask your listeners to give you feedback about your show and at the end, give them an opportunity to sign up for your email list.There you go! Nine ways to grow your subscriber list. Thanks for listening to GMP!

Man, I've been waiting to use this title for a long, long time! What are Third-Party Cookies?Third-party cookies have been a vital tool for advertisers and websites for years. These cookies are used to track users, gather data, and help advertisers provide more targeted ads to the right people. However, many consumers feel that data tracking is an invasion of privacy, and the increasing trend towards data privacy has led to the sunsetting of third-party cookies.What's Happening?In 2024, Google plans to eliminate third-party cookies on Google Chrome, the world's most popular browser, with a 68% market share. This move will make it harder for advertisers to get their ads in front of the right audience and almost impossible to retarget users. First-party cookies, on the other hand, will not be affected. These cookies are set by the website that the visitor is on and include preferences such as dark mode and shopping carts.How Will It Impact Marketers?This change will have a significant impact on advertisers and marketers, as there will be a new focus on gathering as much first-party data as possible. The emphasis will be on email newsletters and other data-gathering promotions, and creating useful, authentic content that people will want to interact with and share.Large websites with massive datasets will still benefit from first-party cookies. For example, Facebook has a lot of first-party data because people provide them with every bit of information about who they are and what they like. This means that advertising on the platform will still be an easy way to reach people. However, it won't be possible to retarget people who visited your website on Facebook.This is going to be a significant change that will impact the world of online advertising and marketing. However, it also provides an opportunity for you to focus on gathering more first-party data and creating authentic, useful content that people will want to interact with and share.

I absolutely love trying new social media platforms. When Bot Sentinel's new social media platform, Spoutible, became available to the public, I signed up as soon as I could.For those who have used Twitter, Spoutible has a very familiar interface: Tweets = SpoutsRetweets = EchoesQuote Tweets = Quote SpoutsLikes = LikesSpouts are limited to 300 characters, but your are able to edit your Spouts for up to 7 minutes after they've been, uh, Spouted. You can only edit a Spout once.Unlike Twitter, there is no algorithm. Everything is currently chronological. Only "Echoing" a Spout will make it seen by others that aren't currently following you. Also, since it is run by Bot Sentinel, each Spout has a bot score. So far, I've only seen "Normal 0%" on posts.At the moment, Spoutible lacks the ability to create Lists, upload videos, and there is currently no mobile app—but they're working on it.Will Spoutible be a viable alternative to Twitter? Time will only tell. But for now, I'm having fun in the social media platform du jour.Links to the things we discussed this episode:SpoutibleFollow UsTwitter: @GMPodcasters | @FuzzMartin | @Podcast_Father Good Morning, Podcasters! is a product of Snoring Dog Media, LLC. Podcasting Sucks! is a product of Snoring Dog Media, LLC & Jeff Townsend Media.

Have you ever wanted to send out a press release and thought, "Hey, there are distribution services that can push this out to all the news outlets. I could be on CNN! I could be in the New York Times! I could be EVERYWHERERERERE!!!" Before you go wasting your money on a wire service distribution, let's talk about what newswire releases are and whether or not they're worth it. On today's episode, I'm joined by EPIC Creative's Content Director and Head of PR, Scott Covelli.What is a Newswire?A newswire is a tool you can use to distribute press releases to media outlets and journalists. These distributions come with a fee that is usually determined by the size of the audience, number of images or logos accompanying your release, and often by word count. Wires are typically used to send news to large audiences of journalists—though they often are themed by industry (e.g., automotive, oil & gas, food & beverage, etc.) and geography.What Does a Newswire Release look like? If you're sending a newswire release, it should be written in a standard press release format. This will ensure it's easy for journalists and news outlets to quickly assess whether the information you're sending them is relevant to their audience. The release typically includes a headline, a dateline, a lead paragraph, the body of the release, and media contact information. On Episode 6 of GMP, I walk you through the standard format of a press release.As with any press release, the information included in the release should be newsworthy and not just an ad written in a press release format. What Are the Benefits of a Newswire Distribution?The biggest benefit of a newswire service is the wide reach it can provide. Newswire services have established relationships with a variety of media outlets, making it likely that your release will be picked up and published by multiple sources. This can help to increase the visibility of your news, and can also give you the appearance of credibility by landing placements on multiple sites.What Are the Limitations of Newswire DistributionsNewswire releases certainly have their limitations. Since they are sent out to such wide audiences, it can be difficult to ensure that your release is targeting the right news organizations.Distributions are "pay-to-play." Your news will most likely get picked up, possibly on hundreds of sites, but it will generally be a straight copy/paste of your press release. The placement of these releases, however, is usually in the utter depths of hell of a news site. Even if you are getting picked up on MSNBC or the NYT, it's almost always in a place that is not ever going to be seen by a human. Also, the links in your release will likely be given the rel="nofollow" HTML tag, stripping you of the possible SEO benefits from the host site.News releases sent via a wire service are also quite costly. Even the most basic services charging a few hundred dollars at a minimum. If your release includes additional elements such as images and your podcast's logo, the cost can easily exceed $1,000. It's important to keep in mind that the cost of the service does not guarantee that your release will be picked up by specific media outlets.It may be worth exploring other cost-effective options for distributing your release, such as sending it directly to targeted media contacts or posting it on your podcast's website and social media channels.However, if that $1,000 is burning a hole in your pocket, you could spend it on Facebook or Instagram ads and potentially reach even more people than you would with a newswire distribution. Down to The WireNewswire-distributed press releases are popular for a reason—but that reason is mainly self-gratification. If...

As a podcaster, you want to engage your audience and keep them coming back for more. Running promotions is a great way to do this, but it’s important to know the difference between a contest, sweepstakes, and an illegal lottery. You don't want to end up getting sued, so let's dive into the world of promotions and how to run them legally.In case you're wondering, I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice.First and foremost, let's get one thing straight—gambling is illegal unless you are a licensed casino. When you make someone exchange something of value for a chance to win something, that is considered a lottery or, simply put, "gambling." The rules are in place to ensure fairness and to prevent people from starting their own illegal casinos.The Three Elements of a PromotionThe three key elements that determine whether a promotion is gambling or an illegal lottery are Prize, Chance, and Consideration. Prize is the thing that a person (or people) wins.Chance means there are odds involved in winning. Consideration is the requirement that something of value be given up in order to be “considered” for the promotion. If you have all three elements, you risk legal trouble.Playing By the RulesTo avoid holding an illegal lottery, simply eliminate one of these elements. Prize is the hardest element to remove since you want to be incentivize your listeners to enter. You could skirt the prize by having a prize with no value. For instance, you might name one of your random paid subscribers as, "The Good Morning Podcasters listener of the week."You can remove Chance by turning the promotion into a contest where winners are chosen based on certain criteria rather than by chance, or into a giveaway where everyone who enters wins a prize. Consideration is the easiest to get rid of - just don't require that listeners pay to play.The Types of PromotionsSo what exactly are the different types of promotions? Sweepstakes: A sweepstakes is a promotion that has Prize and Chance but no Consideration. Contest: A contest is a promotion where there is Prize and could be Consideration but no element of Chance and winners are chosen based on certain criteria. Giveaway: A giveaway is similar to a contest, but with the element of Chance removed by giving everyone a prize.Other Things to ConsiderWhen running a promotion, it's important to have official rules detailing how a listener can win and how the prizes will be distributed. To reduce the appearance of impropriety, it's best to have a third-party draw the random drawings. Don't forget to put an end date for the contest and consider asking a lawyer for advice, as rules vary by location.Running promotions is a great way to engage your audience and keep them coming back for more. Just make sure to know the difference between a contest, sweepstakes, and illegal lottery, and to follow the rules and regulations to avoid any legal trouble. And remember, never refer to your promotion as a raffle or lottery unless you are properly licensed to run one.As a podcaster, you should really know the rules and regulations surrounding promotions, so you can run them legally and fairly for your listeners. Don't risk getting sued—follow these guidelines and the advice of your actual legal counsel, and you'll be able to run successful and exciting promotions for your audience.

If your podcast has some news to share, figuring out the right journalist to pitch to can seem daunting, but it's a crucial part of getting your news in front of the right people. The last thing you want to do is spam journalists, as this will result in them blocking you faster than an NFL offensive tackle. Instead, you need to have a strategic approach to PR list building.Finding Your Target AudienceStart by determining who your target audience is and make a list of journalists and podcasters who cater to that audience. If you have a strong niche, you likely already have an idea of who those journalists are. For example, if you are a podcaster focused on renewable energy, you would want to target journalists and podcasters in the renewable energy space, as well as those who write about sustainability and the environment.In this example, let's say your solar energy podcast just raised $100,000 to put a solar roof on an underprivileged school. Reaching OutNext, contact the right people at the right media outlets. For TV stations, you want to reach the news desk. Find the email addresses of the local TV stations near the underprivileged school that you want to put a solar roof on, and reach out to the news desk. If it's for a specialty like sports or weather, reach out to the specific reporter. For radio stations, reach out to the news director, a morning show producer, or the radio personality if it's a small local station. For newspapers, reach out to the education reporter in a bigger city or the general news reporter in a smaller paper. For blogs, reach out to the writer of similar stories, and for podcasts, reach out to the podcaster.Find Other AudiencesBut that's not all. In this example, you'll also want to make a separate list of journalists in the solar space and in the broader renewable energy space. This includes magazines, industry websites, and podcasts in those categories. For magazines, pitch the editor in charge of your topic, and for websites, look for the people who wrote articles in your niche.If it's really big news, you can also pitch journalists in the podcasting industry. However, your goal is to get more listeners in your niche, not more listeners who are podcasters.PR list building is a strategic approach to getting your news in front of the right people. Start by determining your target audience and make a list of journalists and podcasters who cater to that audience. Reach out to the right people at the right media outlets and make a separate list of journalists and publications in your niche. By following these steps, you'll increase your chances of getting noticed and building credibility for your website and brand.

I don't know if you know this, but sometimes people aren't nice on the internet. Mind-blowing, right? So what do you, as a podcaster, do when someone leaves a really bad comment? Dealing with Negative Social CommentsHow handle negative comments on social media as a podcaster:Stay active: Regularly monitor your social media pages; your Slack, Discord, subreddit, or Patreon comments; and other forums and respond promptly to inappropriate comments.Have a policy: Establish clear guidelines for appropriate and inappropriate comments, and use them as a reference for moderation.Handle criticism professionally: Don't delete comments that are critical to you or your show, but instead address them in a polite and professional manner.Remove offensive comments: Delete comments that are racist, homophobic, bullying, or otherwise offensive to your listeners.Don't allow political comments: Unless you have a political podcast, delete comments that are overly political, contain misinformation, or are meant to be inflammatory. Ban repeat offenders.Eliminate spam: Delete spam comments as they make it appear that you don't pay attention to your page.Avoid commenting about deleted comments: Unless the community is actively talking about it, don't make a big deal about it when you delete a comment as it may attract more trolls and bullying. Besides, most trolls love the attention.To Delete Or Not To DeleteHere's my general rule of thumb: If you're deleting a comment for YOU - don't delete it.If you're deleting a comment for YOUR COMMUNITY - delete it.Follow UsTwitter: @GMPodcasters | @FuzzMartin | @Podcast_Father Good Morning, Podcasters! is a product of Snoring Dog Media, LLC. Podcasting Sucks! is a product of Snoring Dog Media, LLC & Jeff Townsend Media.

Good morning, Podcasters! I want to introduce you to a new podcast, today, from Arielle Nissenblatt & Tim Villegas. ---Welcome to the Park! Trailer Park is a podcast that showcases podcast trailers. Whether those trailers never became fully-realized podcasts, were made as creative proof, are part of a larger body of work, or were created just for fun, they're welcome here at the park! On each episode, hosts Arielle Nissenblatt and Tim Villegas hit 'play' on a podcast trailer. Why the trailer park?As a podcast discovery toolTo help creators get their projects fundedTo create learning opportunities for audio creatorsListen here: Trailer Park: The Trailer Park Podcast (podlink)Learn more here: Trailer Park: The Trailer Park Podcast (website)

Welcome to the 43rd episode of "Good Morning, Podcasters!" Today, we are going to dive into the analytics of the show and see if there is a specific day of the week that performs better in terms of downloads. My name is Fuzz Martin, and I took over the show on Halloween in 2022. In this post, I'll share my analysis of the performance of the episodes, and how you can apply these insights to your own podcast.The show is posted three times a week - Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. There are five main content pillars that the show is sorted into - marketing, social media, public relations, advertising, and general podcasting topics. To perform these analytics, I used a Google Sheet to analyze my release date, release day of the week, episode title, episode content category, and downloads within 3 days, 7 days, and 30 days of publication.Days of the Week Performance AnalysisLet's start by looking at the day of the week performance. First, I sorted the data by the number of downloads within 3 days of publication. Wednesday was the most downloaded day, followed by Monday, and Friday had one episode in the top 10.Next, I pulled the data for 7 day downloads. In the top 10, Monday and Wednesday each had 4 downloads, and Friday had 2. When I increased the sample size to the top 20 episodes, Wednesday had 9 downloads, Monday had 6 episodes, and Friday had 4 episodes.In the top 20 7 day downloads, Wednesday had 8 downloads, Monday had 6, and Friday had 5. Although Friday was in last place, the sample size may have been small. To find out, I'm going to change my launch schedule to Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday for the next month or two to see if it affects listenership.Content Pillar Performance AnalysisNext, I analyzed my content pillars. It was difficult to analyze because some technically cross over between categories, like advertising and social media, or marketing and pretty much anything. So far, I've posted 14 episodes about general podcasting, 8 about marketing, 10 about social media, 5 about advertising, and 5 about public relations. In the top 20 7 day downloads, general podcasting, marketing, and social media had the most downloads, while PR was almost non-existent. However, this may not be a scientific conclusion as there are too many variables to consider and only 5 PR episodes were posted.To find out, I'm going to experiment by creating some more PR episodes this month and see if they continue to underperform or if it's just a result of when they were posted.Discovering Most Popular EpisodesFinally, I took a look at my most discovered episodes. These are the episodes that had low early downloads but increased the most from week 2 through today. Episodes on Podcast Trademarks, Merchandise, and What Gen Z is listening to all underperformed upon launch but were later discovered. This data can be used to create more episodes like these, as they might perform better with time.Analyzing the performance of your episodes can give you valuable insights into your listenership and how you can improve your podcast. If you're interested in checking out my OP3 analytics, I've made them public. You can view them at gmp.fm/stats. Don't forget to stay tuned for the next episode, and let me know how you're using analytics to improve your podcast.

Good morning, Podcasters! Amazon is rolling out a new feature in their Amazon Shopping App called, "Inspire." What is Amazon Inspire?Inspire is a TikTok-like feed that will show Amazon shoppers content from influencers, reviewers, and brands. Shoppers can then click on the video or photo and buy the products that are being shown off by the influencer. This is a great opportunity for podcasters like you to feature products that are related to your niche. For instance, I could create videos on all of the podcasting products that I love, and then I might be able to earn some of that sweet Bezos money without cluttering my website with affiliate links (not that there's anything wrong with that). Where is Amazon Inspire Available?Amazon Inspire is currently only available to select Amazon app users in the United States. It first rolled out in December of 2022, and more and more users will be getting it soon. The feature is only available in the mobile app and will not be available in desktop. Who Can Post on Amazon Inspire?Amazon has said that three categories of users may be eligible to be viewed on Amazon Inspire. Amazon Influencers Certain regular users who create reviewsBrands enrolled in the company's Brand RegistryThe content will have like and share features like TikTok and Instagram Reels. Why Is Amazon Inspire Good for Podcasters?Amazon Inspire might be a revenue generator for podcasters. If you create great content that gets picked up on Inspire, it could bring you a new revenue stream. And since it's a new program, you might be able to get in early and make a big splash in a small pond. If this seems like something that will interest you, get after it. Links to the things we discussed this episode:Amazon InspireWhat is Amazon Inspire?Follow UsTwitter: @GMPodcasters | @FuzzMartin | @Podcast_Father Good Morning, Podcasters! is a product of Snoring Dog Media, LLC. Podcasting Sucks! is a product of Snoring Dog Media, LLC & Jeff Townsend Media.

Look, we may or may not be heading for a recession. But whether we are or not, it's always a good idea to be prepared. So, on today's episode of Good Morning, Podcasters, we're talking about podcasting during a recession, and moreover how a recession may impact podcast advertising spends.The Unfortunate TruthAs a marketing agency owner, it hurts to say this, but marketing and advertising budgets are usually the first things to get cut when an economic downturn hits the market. It's not the best practice to cut those budgets. Many recommend actually hitting the marketing gas pedal during a downturn since the competition might be easing up, but there are a lot of people to please—including shareholders.What to ExpectPodcasters will likely see advertisers cut back on spending, leading to a decrease in demand for advertising on podcasts. You as a podcaster may expect to see fewer advertising opportunities, lower rates for advertising, and a competitive market of those competing for the limited ad bucks. Additionally, sponsors may prioritize more established or high-performing podcasts, leaving smaller or newer podcasts with fewer options. Brands that continue advertising may be more interested in your show’s performance and metrics than they historically have been. They will likely take a more focused look at their Cost Per Acquisition for each show. There may be more time spent proving your show’s worth to your brand partners.The good news is that podcast advertising is still very affordable, fans are typically loyal, and podcast advertising is typically pretty easy to track - through download metrics, promo codes, and unique links. That said, it’s a lot easier for a brand to bail on a marketing budget with a number of podcasters and podcast networks than it is to cancel a national network ad buys. Podcasts are also a lot less easy to track than search and social ads. So, if you start hearing more about big brands canceling their podcast ad plans, if you start to hear “no” from partners who typically say “yes,” or if, you know, we enter a full-blown recession, you’re going to need to be more flexible, prepare to offer more information about your audience and show performance data, and look for creative opportunities in the market to connect brands with your audience. Hopefully none of that happens. But if it does happen, hopefully you’ll be prepared.

One of the tricks of public relations is making journalists' jobs easier. They're under a lot of deadlines, and being timely with your information is sometime the trick to winning a pitch or getting scrapped. A media kit—sometimes called an electronic press kit (EPK) but that's usually more in the music industry—is a place on your website that has all of the typical information that a journalist, producer, or podcast host may ask for when including your in a story or show. Some of that typical information includes: Your show's bioYour name, title, and credentialsYour contact infoYou and your co-hosts' bios Links to high-res images of you and your co-hosts (it's good to include some sort of release with it soYour show's logo and cover artSocial proof (e.g., shows you've been on, awards, testimonials)Links to your trailer and popular episodesDownload stats (but be sure to update these regularly if you use them)Professional credentials & education if relevantand a link to your booking software (e.g., Calendly, Google Cal Appointment Scheduling)Your goal is to take away any barriers to your show getting picked up, so make it easy for journalists as possible. You can see what I'm working on at https://gmp.fm/pressAnd above all, make sure to get back to journalists quickly if they reach out. They're doing you a favor, not the other way around. 😉

Good morning, Podcasters! On today's bonus episode of Podcasting Sucks, Jeff and Fuzz talk about some of their audio horror stories. Whether it's antics from a guest or a bumbling boss who would give Michael Scott a run for his money, Jeff and Fuzz talk about some of their most memorable horror stories of podcasting (and radio).

Good Morning, Podcasters! We're all here trying to find new ways to increase our listenership. We want to find new ways to reach your audiences where they're at. Reddit is a great place to find niche audiences because the audiences set up their own channels called, "subreddits." For example, if you're trying to target people interested in Podcasting, there are some great subreddits like: r/podcastingr/podcastersr/podcastr/podcastsr/podcastguestexchangeand some other audio-related subredditsYou can also target people who have an interest that is closely related to your show, set geographic targeting, and a number of other demographic features. My Reddit Ad Campaign ExperimentsCampaign 1: My first campaign was optimized toward getting website clicks. I targeted users in the US, Canada, the UK, and Ireland. My ads featured the Good Morning, Podcasters logo, ran only in the news feed, and I targeted users in the above subreddits. I set a cost per click cap at $1 and I ran it for 7 days. Results: Impressions: 43,205eCPM (effective cost per thousand): $1.41Clicks: 89Cost Per Click: $0.68Click Thru Rate: 0.206%Amount Spent: $60.80Campaign 2: The second campaign was also optimized for website traffic, targeted users in the US, Canada, the UK, and Ireland, and featured the Good Morning, Podcasters logo (albeit in a more optimized aspect ratio). I targeted users in the above subreddits. I set a cost per click cap at $0.50 and I ran it for 16 days. These ads ran in both the news feed and in conversations (comment threads).Results: Impressions: 243,791eCPM (effective cost per thousand): $0.65Clicks: 586Cost Per Click: $0.27Click Thru Rate: 0.240%Amount Spent: $158.62Overall, the campaigns would get an upvote from me. The second campaign obviously performed better - not just because of the extra spend, but because of running in-conversation and adding a more optimized, landscape aspect ratio on the ads.If I run again, I will add another ad or two in order to A/B test the creative. I will also experiment with some of the other ad styles. Wrapping it upReddit Ads are great because you can target very specific audiences whose interests are made very clear. The ad interface is clean and mostly straightforward with the exception of a couple of hidden important tools (like adding new ads to an ad group). It's much easier to navigate than Facebook's Ad Manager, LinkedIn's campaign creator, and Twitter's ad platform. However, Facebook and Instagram give you many more ad options. I also feel like Reddit users are more skeptical about ads and less likely to click than they are on Facebook or Instagram, but that's just anecdotal... I've been a Reddit user for a long, long time. If you have any questions about my experience, don't hesitate to email me or DM me. Thanks for listening!

Good morning, podcaster! Today we explore what is best for promoting your podcast in 2023. Should you have a Facebook Page or a Facebook Group? Facebook PagesA Facebook Page (aka a "Brand Page") acts kind of like your personal profile page on Facebook. You can use it for putting content like Reels, photos, other videos, and text updates to the world. It's public and open. Anyone can view it. And any interaction with the page comes by way of comments, likes, or messages. You can get in front of your audience through those organic (unpaid) posts as well as through sponsoring posts or "boosting" posts—but I recommend sticking with sponsoring instead of boosting. Note: Organic brand page posts have not performed as well as personal pages as of late, so your reach may be difficult without any paid efforts.That said, you need a Facebook Page in order to buy Facebook Ads. You can advertise in a bunch of different ways, including driving traffic to your website, using ads to increase your follower count, driving newsletter subscriptions, OR getting people to join your Facebook Group.Facebook GroupsGroups are a sort of community within Facebook. You—or people from your show—act as moderators for the page. You can have an open Group that anyone can join, or a closed Group where people have to fill out information and you approve their membership. You set the rules for your Group. It's a great place to interact with listeners, promote episodes, and really skirt the algorithm challenges that Brand Pages face. Managing a Facebook Group can be a bit daunting in that you need to be active and respond to your listeners - but you also need to police posts and sometimes drop the ban hammer down on those getting out of line. Why Not Both? To get the most juice out of your Facebook experience in 2023, I would recommend both a Facebook Page and a Facebook Group, with your goal to be to drive people from the Page to the Group so that they see more posts and can closely interact with your show. Don't neglect either, but you likely won't have to put a ton of work into your Facebook Page. In the end, it's about being authentic and creating a community for your listeners that grows brand affinity and loyalty to your show.

It is no secret that I am inflicted with colorblindness. Colorblindness affects 1 of 12 men in the world and 1 of 200 women. While my dreams of being a fighter pilot were dashed at a young age, it hasn't stopped me from doing things like building websites or photography. There are tools out there that make these tasks a little more accessible for people like me. Adobe created a website called, "Kuler," sometime around 2010. They then rebranded to Adobe Color in 2014. The site allows you to find color combinations that look great. You can explore trending colors. It gives you the ability to upload an image and it will then give you a number of different color sets that would look good with that image. It is a really powerful tool for everyone—colorblind or not. Adobe Color for PodcastingHow does this affect podcasting? I thought you'd ask. Adobe Color is great for any branding projects. Whether you're creating new podcast graphics, cover art, social graphics, a website, or basically anything for your brand, you can use Adobe Color to find a color palette and then save that palette so they're always handy. It also imports your palettes - or "libraries" - into Photoshop, Illustrator, or Adobe Express. If you use Canva, you can easily copy and paste the color hex codes into your brand kit so that your color use is consistent there, too. It's a fun tool that is also productive and FREE. Check it out at color.adobe.com.

On this bonus episode of Podcasting Sucks!, Jeff Townsend and Fuzz Martin talk about the industry, where they are with their careers and podcasts, and their plans for the future. The episode is fun, lighthearted, and goes deep into their decision-making process.

Website Buyer's RemorseGood morning, podcasters! When I took over this show, I immediately decided I didn't want to spend a bunch of time editing a website, so I built a Squarespace site. The site itself took about a full day to make and it looked pretty good. However, it took forever to create a separate blog post for the website and make sure that the episode had the latest player on it. After about 20 episodes using Squarespace, I decided I couldn't take it anymore. So, I moved over to PodcastPage.io. PodcastPage.io automatically creates a new page when a new episode it published to my RSS feed. It will also do this for YouTube videos. They have beautiful templates, a drag-and-drop editor, and all of the customization you need to make your site fit your brand and your listeners' needs. On today's episode, I go through some more of those details and tell you how to you can have a great website while also saving time by using PodcastPage.io.

Improv'ing Your PodcastGood morning, Podcasters! Being able to think on your feet and react quickly to your guests, co-hosts, or hosts of shows you're guesting on is an important life skill. On today's episode, Scott Covelli, an agency content director and member of the Fish Sticks Comedy improv troupe, joins me to talk about the important skills that improv can lend to your show. Scott talks about: How he got startedThe basic tenets of improvWhat it's like performing on stageThe skills that improv will bring to your showand how you can get startedI've posted some links below to the different improv programs discussed on this episode. I studied The Second City online comedy writing program sessions 1-4. Though you probably couldn't tell by reading the above.