Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast with Courtney Elmer | Podcasting Strategies for Growing a Podcast That Converts

Courtney Elmer | PodLaunchHQ.com
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Named the best podcast on podcasting, this isn’t another “share great content and stay consistent” show doling out generic podcasting advice. We’re breaking down 30,000+ hours of study into what today's top hosts do differently 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 podcasting insights, behind-the-scenes breakdowns, and “why didn’t anyone tell me this sooner?!” advice so you can master growing a podcast that listeners can’t stop bingeing (and buying from). When 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 if you want a podcast launch strategy that positions you as the 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.  ... Popular Guests Include: Adam Adams, Alex Sanfilippo, Dave Jackson, James Cridland, James Wedmore, Jeremy Enns, John Lee Dumas, Jordan Harbinger, Kevin Chemidlin, Seth Silvers, Tom Rossi, and more.  Popular Episode Topics Include: Podcast Messaging, Podcasting Psychology, Podcast Marketing, Creating Bingeworthy Podcast Content, Listener Engagement Strategies, Podcasting Mistakes to Avoid, Podcasting Tools, Podcasting Trends, Growing a Podcast, How to Monetize Your Podcast, Podcast Listener Conversion, Video Podcasting, Ranking Your Podcast in the Top 100, How to Start a Podcast, Podcast Launch Strategy

  1. 4d ago

    I Audited the Modern Podcast Tech Stack. Here’s What You Actually Need

    Whoever said podcasting was as simple as plugging in a mic and hitting record was wrong. A hosting platform was only the beginning. Today you need remote recording. Editing tools. Transcription software. AI tools. Podcast SEO. Websites. Analytics. Marketing. Monetization. And Zapier to duct-tape half of it together. And somewhere in there, you’re also supposed to make a good podcast. So, I audited the modern podcast tech stack for you to find out what you need, what you’re probably overpaying for, and how much of your stack can realistically exist in one place. Turns out, we may be making this a lot more complicated (and expensive) than it needs to be. Hit play and let’s dive in. … 6:00 – The 5 Jobs Your Podcast Tech Stack Needs to Perform 12:00 – When to Consolidate Your Tools vs. Pay for Specialized Software 15:00 – The Right Way to Compare the Cost of an All-in-One Platform 20:00 – A 3-Step Audit to Find Out What Your Podcast Tech Stack Is Really Costing You 23:00 – The Question That Reveals Which Podcast Tools You Actually Need … Episode Links: Ready to simplify your podcast tech stack? Try Beamly free → … Other Episodes You’ll Love:  What Your Podcast Metrics Aren’t Telling You … Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here. Support the show Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends. Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners. Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7. Apply for a spot on the show to get live podcasting help from me. Want more podcasting advice? See what I’m testing on Substack ... Special thanks to Resonate Recordings, our implementation partner for PodLaunch® Accelerator. If your podcasting efforts aren't bringing you the listeners or sales you expected, book a strategy call for help to fix it. Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com ©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

  2. Sep 22

    94% of Your Listeners Will Keep Listening When You Get This Right | George Lejnine, PodAnalyst

    If a listener makes it through the first 30 seconds of your podcast episode, there’s a 94% chance they’ll still be listening a quarter of the way through. Which means what happens in those first 30 seconds can make or break your show's listener retention. PodAnalyst co-founder George Lejnine is back to reveal what your retention curve can tell you about why listeners stay, skip, or leave so you can keep more of the listeners you've worked so hard to earn. Hit play and let’s dive in. … 2:07 – Why 94% of Listeners Who Make It Past 30 Seconds Keep Listening 4:14 – The Episode Opener Mistake That Can Push New Listeners Away 5:25 – Why Pre-Roll Ads Cost You Listeners 7:55 – How to Tell When Listeners Are Hitting the Skip Button vs. Leaving for Good 16:55 – Why You Should Wait 7–14 Days Before Judging an Episode’s Performance … Episode Links: Meet George Lejnine: PodAnalyst.com | LinkedIn … Other Episodes You’ll Love:  What 100,000 Podcast Episodes Reveal About Listener Drop-Off 5 Podcasting Metrics (No One’s Teaching) That Reveal Your Podcast’s True Health … Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here. Support the show Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends. Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners. Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7. Apply for a spot on the show to get live podcasting help from me. Want more podcasting advice? See what I’m testing on Substack ... Special thanks to Resonate Recordings, our implementation partner for PodLaunch® Accelerator. If your podcasting efforts aren't bringing you the listeners or sales you expected, book a strategy call for help to fix it. Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com ©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

  3. Sep 21

    What 100,000 Podcast Episodes Reveal About Listener Drop-Off | George Lejnine, PodAnalyst

    What does “good” podcast retention actually look like? And how many listeners should you expect to lose before the end of an episode? Data from more than 100,000 podcast episodes reveals some surprising patterns in why listeners stay and why they leave when they do.  PodAnalyst co-founder George Lejnine joins me to unpack how to read your retention data, what these patterns reveal about your content, and how to spot the problems that may be costing you the listeners you worked so hard to attract. Hit play and let’s dive in. … 0:25 – Why Higher Podcast Downloads Don’t Equal Better Podcast Performance 7:18 – The Podcast Retention Number You Should Be Watching 9:22 – What 100,000 Podcast Episodes Reveal About “Good” Listener Retention 12:04 – What to Look for When an Episode Underperforms 16:55 – When a Smaller Podcast Audience Is Actually a Good Sign … Episode Links: Meet George Lejnine: PodAnalyst.com | LinkedIn … Other Episodes You’ll Love:  94% of Your Listeners Will Keep Listening When You Get This Right  The One Metric Podcasters Should Track Instead of Downloads  … Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here. Support the show Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends. Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners. Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7. Apply for a spot on the show to get live podcasting help from me. Want more podcasting advice? See what I’m testing on Substack ... Special thanks to Resonate Recordings, our implementation partner for PodLaunch® Accelerator. If your podcasting efforts aren't bringing you the listeners or sales you expected, book a strategy call for help to fix it. Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com ©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

  4. Sep 14 ·  Video

    Why "Just Keep Going" Might Be the Worst Podcasting Advice | Dave Jackson

    One of the most common pieces of podcasting advice might also be one of the most misleading. And if you've ever been told to "just keep podcasting," this episode will help you know when that advice is right for your show and when it isn't. Podcast Hall of Famer and School of Podcasting host Dave Jackson joins me to unpack why the best podcasting advice isn't universal and how to avoid following advice that sounds right but leads you in the wrong direction. Hit play and let's dive in. … 1:23 – The One Question You Should Answer Before You "Just Keep Going" 3:28 – Why Every Podcast Needs Its Own Definition of Success 8:03 – Why Your First Recording Shouldn't Be Your First Episode 12:27 – The First 30 Seconds That Can Make or Break Your Podcast 18:55 – Why Feedback Is Every Podcaster's Competitive Advantage … Episode Links: Meet Dave Jackson: schoolofpodcasting.com | LinkedIn Listen to Dave’s Podcast: School of Podcasting Ask the Podcast Coach with Dave Jackson & Jim Collison What Was That Like? with Scott Johnson The Jefferson Fisher Podcast … Other Episodes You’ll Love:  How to Monetize Your Podcast Even With a Small Audience How Do You Measure The Success of Your Podcast (And You Can't Say Downloads)  … Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here. Support the show Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends. Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners. Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7. Apply for a spot on the show to get live podcasting help from me. Want more podcasting advice? See what I’m testing on Substack ... Special thanks to Resonate Recordings, our implementation partner for PodLaunch® Accelerator. If your podcasting efforts aren't bringing you the listeners or sales you expected, book a strategy call for help to fix it. Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com ©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

  5. Sep 7 ·  Video

    5 Reasons New Listeners Aren’t Clicking on Your Podcast

    Before a new listener gives you 20, 30, or 60 minutes of their time, your podcast has to convince them it’s worth it. And if your cover art, podcast name, description, episode titles, or show notes fail to do that job, you can drive more traffic to your show all day long without seeing much growth. I recently joined Jordan Blair on Buzzsprout’s Buzzcast to put their show to the test using the five Podcast Content Gatekeepers® that determine whether a potential listener clicks, scrolls past, or hits play. And in this episode, you can score your podcast right alongside us to pinpoint what could be costing you listeners before they ever hear your content. Hit play and let’s dive in. … 2:00 – Why Your Podcast Metrics Can’t Tell You What to Fix 11:04 – What New Listeners Decide Before They Ever Hear Your Voice 13:42 – Is Your Podcast Cover Art Costing You Listeners? 17:01 – Is Your Podcast Name Making You Harder to Find? 25:46 – Why Your Podcast Description Isn’t Getting People to Listen 35:45 – How to Write Podcast Episode Titles That Make People Click Play 45:41 – The Biggest Mistake Hosts Make When Writing Show Notes 54:06 – What Your Score Reveals About Your Podcast’s Growth Potential … Episode Links: Get Your Podcast Health Score® Listen to the aftershow on Buzzcast Download the Bingeworthy Episode Title Cheat Sheet Check out Courtney’s Airbnb … Other Episodes You’ll Love:  The 0.5 Second Decision That Makes Listeners Hit Play (or Not) … Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here. Support the show Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends. Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners. Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7. Apply for a spot on the show to get live podcasting help from me. Want more podcasting advice? See what I’m testing on Substack ... Special thanks to Resonate Recordings, our implementation partner for PodLaunch® Accelerator. If your podcasting efforts aren't bringing you the listeners or sales you expected, book a strategy call for help to fix it. Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com ©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

  6. Aug 31

    The Story Behind the PodLaunch OS

    Ever wonder why optimizing one part of your podcast doesn’t always improve its performance as a whole? That question is at the heart of what we’re building with the PodLaunch OS®, and in this special episode, my eight-year-old son takes over the microphone to ask why I spend so much time studying podcasts, how host decisions shape listener behavior, and why, according to him, it involves a lot of “scribble scratch circles” and possibly some undercover spy work. For a behind-the-scenes look at what we’re building next, plus what “working from home” looks like through the eyes of an eight-year-old, hit play and let’s dive in. … 2:35 – Why Strategy Alone Can’t Grow Your Podcast 9:24 – What Your Listener Behavior Reveals About Your Podcast Performance 12:09 – How 30,000 Hours of Research Led to the PodLaunch OS® 14:08 – The Industry Blind Spot the PodLaunch OS® Is Built to Solve 27:40 – The PodLaunch Health Score vs. PodLaunch OS® … Episode Links:  Elmer's CheeWees ... Other Episodes You’ll Love:  5 Reasons New Listeners Aren’t Clicking on Your Podcast How to Pinpoint Where Your Podcast Performance Is Breaking Down … Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here. Support the show Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends. Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners. Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7. Apply for a spot on the show to get live podcasting help from me. Want more podcasting advice? See what I’m testing on Substack ... Special thanks to Resonate Recordings, our implementation partner for PodLaunch® Accelerator. If your podcasting efforts aren't bringing you the listeners or sales you expected, book a strategy call for help to fix it. Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com ©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

  7. Aug 24

    How to Pinpoint Where Your Podcast Performance Is Breaking Down

    The hardest part about growing a podcast isn't knowing what to do next. It's knowing what to fix first. That's why so many hosts spend months chasing better titles, stronger SEO, bigger guests, or more content. Every one of those could be the right answer. Every one of them could also waste the next six months of your life.  In this episode, I'll show you how to pinpoint exactly where your podcast performance is breaking down right now, so you can go from hoping your podcast grows to engineering growth you can predict. Hit play and let’s dive in. … 0:02 – How to Pinpoint Where Your Podcast Performance Is Breaking Down 5:59 – Why Most Podcast Audits Diagnose the Wrong Problem 9:52 – Symptom-Based vs. Systems-Based Thinking 18:53 – The 5 Systems Behind Every High-Performing Podcast 23:46 – What to Fix First on Your Show to Create Predictable Growth … Episode Links: Get Your Podcast Health Score® → See the PodLaunch Performance Model™ … Other Episodes You’ll Love:  This Changes Everything We Know About Growing a Podcast What Your Podcast Metrics Aren't Telling You … Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here. Support the show Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends. Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners. Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7. Apply for a spot on the show to get live podcasting help from me. Want more podcasting advice? See what I’m testing on Substack ... Special thanks to Resonate Recordings, our implementation partner for PodLaunch® Accelerator. If your podcasting efforts aren't bringing you the listeners or sales you expected, book a strategy call for help to fix it. Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com ©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

  8. Aug 17

    What Your Podcast Metrics Aren't Telling You

    If your podcast isn't growing, your metrics are the last place you should look. Every download, play, and retention graph only tells part of the story. Which means you can spend months improving your podcast without ever knowing whether you're fixing the right problem. Every podcast's performance is shaped by two key decisions. Once you understand how they work, you'll never think about growing a podcast the same way again.  Ready to find out what your podcast metrics aren't telling you and why most podcast growth strategies never deliver the results they promise? Hit play and let's dive in. … 0:51 – The 2 Decisions That Determine Your Podcast's Performance 2:25 – What Your Podcast Metrics Aren't Telling You 10:40 – Why Most Podcast Growth Strategies Fail 17:13 – The PodLaunch Performance Model Explained 21:53 – The Difference Between Measuring Performance and Driving It … Episode Links: See the PodLaunch Performance Model® … Other Episodes You’ll Love:  This Changes Everything We Know About Growing a Podcast How to Pinpoint Where Your Podcast Performance Is Breaking Down … Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here. Support the show Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends. Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners. Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7. Apply for a spot on the show to get live podcasting help from me. Want more podcasting advice? See what I’m testing on Substack ... Special thanks to Resonate Recordings, our implementation partner for PodLaunch® Accelerator. If your podcasting efforts aren't bringing you the listeners or sales you expected, book a strategy call for help to fix it. Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com ©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

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Named the best podcast on podcasting, this isn’t another “share great content and stay consistent” show doling out generic podcasting advice. We’re breaking down 30,000+ hours of study into what today's top hosts do differently 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 podcasting insights, behind-the-scenes breakdowns, and “why didn’t anyone tell me this sooner?!” advice so you can master growing a podcast that listeners can’t stop bingeing (and buying from). When 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 if you want a podcast launch strategy that positions you as the 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.  ... Popular Guests Include: Adam Adams, Alex Sanfilippo, Dave Jackson, James Cridland, James Wedmore, Jeremy Enns, John Lee Dumas, Jordan Harbinger, Kevin Chemidlin, Seth Silvers, Tom Rossi, and more.  Popular Episode Topics Include: Podcast Messaging, Podcasting Psychology, Podcast Marketing, Creating Bingeworthy Podcast Content, Listener Engagement Strategies, Podcasting Mistakes to Avoid, Podcasting Tools, Podcasting Trends, Growing a Podcast, How to Monetize Your Podcast, Podcast Listener Conversion, Video Podcasting, Ranking Your Podcast in the Top 100, How to Start a Podcast, Podcast Launch Strategy

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