Becoming happier in a year of devastation and anxiety
I was rather proud of how well I held up in 2020 despite everything thrown my way. The loss of my job was a silver lining. Family illnesses taught me the importance of the present. Staying home allowed me to grow my business.
Yet, we entered into autumn and changed our clocks. More darkness, cooler weather, and the imminent “how do we celebrate the holidays this year?” settled into my anxiety-prone brain.
I about lost it.
Something needed to change because I was right on track for burnout and an anxiety attack. …
Solopreneur | Podcast Manager | Cat Mom
Bio
Hi there! I’m Kristi Jacobsen — a solopreneur, podcast manager, traveler, Canadian, equestrian, and cat mom. I’m also currently a Senior Customer Service Manager, but I’ll be breaking free from the customer service life in March 2021 to become a content creator and podcast consultant.
I’m a 34-year old Los Angeles resident with a passion for travel and a desire to become a digital nomad (when it’s safe, of course). My family and I moved to the United States in 1994 and I grew up in New Jersey. …
There’s no one-size-fits-all podcasts
As you begin your podcast launch process, you should ask yourself how long you want your episodes to run.
You might see podcasts that run an hour-long or only five to ten minutes, but each podcast is different, even those in the same niche or industry. So how do you determine what length is right for you and your podcast?
The length of your podcast depends on certain factors, and it’s not one-size-fits-all podcasts. It might even take some trial and error and testing to determine the correct length for you and your audience.
Here are the factors to consider…
Increase your downloads and grow your listener base
“No one’s listening!”
Do you feel like that some days?
It can happen. Maybe an episode didn’t hit it off with your audience, or perhaps something else happened in the world that took their attention away.
Here are three things to think about when you notice a dip in downloads or when you’re looking to grow your audience:
What is the Focus of Your Content?
Is your content consistent?
It’s not just about publishing the same day and time each week (though that does have an impact!) but creating content consistent with your brand, message, and content pillars.
Consistent content will have your audience coming back for…
Four phases to launching your podcast
Podcasting is growing by leaps and bounds. 2021 already holds the record for the number of hours spent listening to podcasts at 15 billion hours (semrush.com), and it’s not even halfway through the year!
It’s also an excellent content marketing tool and a way to connect with your audience authentically. 60% of listeners searched for a product after hearing about it in a podcast (semrush.com), so if that’s not an indication of the effectiveness of podcasting as a content marketing tool, then I don’t know what is.
As a business owner or professional looking to establish yourself as an expert…
Learn the history of the systems that got us here before you criticize our avocado toast habit
My friend forwarded me an op-ed from the Chicago Tribune the other night. Bleary-eyed from working my second job of the day, I had to look again to make sure I read the headline right.
Post-pandemic, some millennials finally decide to start #adulting
I usually roll my eyes and let these things go, but not this time. I’m not going to let yet another person take down an entire generation because they witnessed a group of friends eating avocado toast while out to brunch or a single 30-something moving home. After all, our society set us up for failure.
Millennials…
Creative ways to monetize your podcast
One of the first questions I receive as a podcaster and podcast manager is, “how does your podcast make money?”
It’s what everyone wants to know when they start a podcast because, for one, podcast production can cost money and two, isn’t everyone making money from podcasting?
When I first started my podcast, I thought the money would flow. I ignored the jokes and remarks about podcasters not making money and persevered with my podcasting as a career idea.
I quickly learned that a podcast wasn’t the business, that it was simply a piece of the content marketing puzzle, and…
How the new podcast app and features will impact podcasters and listeners
Apple Podcasts is the podcast distribution platform to be on as a podcaster. It’s where hosts tell their listeners to subscribe (sorry, follow) and rate the podcast. The analytics are what advertisers and sponsors want to see. And podcasters covet Apple’s top podcast charts.
As a listener, though, the Apple Podcasts app left something to be desired. It was glitchy and often didn’t download episodes when asked. I left it last year for Spotify and never looked back. It baffled me that a company that started the podcast revolution wasn’t continuously innovating as the podcast industry exploded.
I watched acquisitions…
Benefits include increased productivity and a greater pool of talent
The corporate landscape changed drastically in 2020. Remote work went from an option for small startups to being forced on nearly all office workers in America and worldwide.
Work from home was hardly a blip on the radar for me, and actual remote work (or digital nomadism) was out of the question. I assumed I would spend the rest of my working life commuting to and from an office.
Sure, my company had a few remote employees, but it was rare to see such a request approved. …
Attract your ideal audience through increased SEO
Podcasts are an incredible tool to connect authentically with your ideal customer. They hear your voice, get to know you on a different level than blog posts, and easily consume episodes on the go.
Yet, they can be time-consuming. You spend time planning, recording, and editing each episode, not to mention sharing on social media and marketing it each week. Why spend your time on something written that takes up more of your time, especially if it’s audio-based?
The “audio-only” mindset can limit your podcast’s success and inhibit it from reaching your ideal customer. Yes, audio is important and is…
