You KNOW you should give a call to action in every podcast episode. But every time you sit down to record, your brain short-circuits — should you tell them to follow the show? Join your list? Download the freebie? Book a call? Support your sponsor? Buy your thing? Say too much and you sound desperate. Say too little and you miss your chance to turn listeners into leads.

In this episode, I’m breaking down the real reason CTAs feel awkward, the difference between a call to engage and a call to action (yes, they’re different), what to say instead of stacking five random asks at the end of your episode, and how to say exactly what listener needs to hear to take the next step. If you’ve ever felt unsure of what to offer, how to offer it, or afraid of pushing people away when you do — this is the missing link between your content and your conversions.

Ready to give a podcast CTA that feels good and actually converts? Hit play and dive in.

1:02 – The Surprising Reason You Freeze Up When It's Time to Give a Call to Action (CTA)

2:22 – What Not Giving a CTA Is Costing You

7:36 – How to Guide Your Audience From Listener → Lead → Client

8:52 – What a Strong CTA Actually Sounds Like

14:15 – Why You Don’t Need a New Freebie for Every Episode

16:02 – The 2 CTA Entry Points I Recommend (And Use)

22:06 – How to Handle CTAs When You Have a Sponsor

24:08 – What to Do Next If You Want Your CTAs to Start Driving Real Results

Other Episodes You’ll Love:

• If Your Podcast Isn’t Converting Listeners to Leads, This Could Be Why

→ This episode was recorded on the Deity VO-7U

Support the show

Liked this episode? Share it with a fellow podcaster!

Love this show? Say thanks by leaving a positive review.

Register for Courtney's Free Podcasting Workshop: How to 10x Your Business with a Podcast in 2025

Schedule a 1:1 Podcasting Audit with Courtney.

Curious about PodLaunch®? Book a Demo to see if our podcasting mentorship is the right fit for your business.

Connect with Courtney: Linked In | Instagram | PodLaunch HQ


©Ⓟ 2018–2025 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

You’re showing up. You’re publishing every week. So why does it still feel like no one’s listening?

That’s the question Conrad—documentary filmmaker and host of The First Responder Wellness Podcast—was asking when he came to me for help. He's nearly 80 episodes in and reaching first responders across the country… but getting no reviews, no shares, and not enough listener engagement to know if the podcast is actually helping anyone.

In this Fix My Pod coaching session, we dig into why this happens and the exact shifts you can make to turn passive listeners into people who reach out, leave reviews without being asked, and start sharing your episodes in group chats saying, “You have to hear this!”

So if your show feels more like a weekly conversation with the four walls in your studio rather than a tool for connection and growth with real listeners, this episode will show you how to fix it. Hit play and let's dive in.

Want more help creating a podcast that gets attention—and gets results? Apply for on-air coaching here (spots are limited).

4:56 – 80 Episodes In and Still No Listener Engagement? Here’s What’s Missing

6:45 – The #1 Thing That Stops Listeners From Leaving Reviews

13:02 – The Surprising Link Between Listener Engagement and Your Podcast Positioning

17:48 – What Listeners Need to Hear Before They’ll Ever Follow, Share, or Rate Your Show

20:10 – What Actually Gets Listeners to Reach Out and Say, “I Needed This”

Other Episodes You’ll Love:

• Want More Engaged Listeners? Get Them Talking Back
• 3 Easy (and Ethical) Ways to Get More Podcast Reviews

→ This episode was recorded on the Deity VO-7U

Support the show

Liked this episode? Share it with a fellow podcaster!

Love this show? Say thanks by leaving a positive review.

Register for Courtney's Free Podcasting Workshop: How to 10x Your Business with a Podcast in 2025

Schedule a 1:1 Podcasting Audit with Courtney.

Curious about PodLaunch®? Book a Demo to see if our podcasting mentorship is the right fit for your business.

Connect with Courtney: Linked In | Instagram | PodLaunch HQ


©Ⓟ 2018–2025 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

Downloads are the most unreliable metric for measuring a podcast’s true success. The problem? Most podcasters still rely solely on them to decide if their show is “working.”

In this episode, find out why the podcasting metrics that matter most aren’t the ones at the top of your dashboard, and learn to decode what these five key data points say about your show's growth. If you’re ready to make sense of your numbers and finally build a show that grows (without guessing and without wasting time on tracking the wrong metrics) hit play and let’s dive in.

0:07 – Why Downloads Are the Most Misleading Metric for Your Show
1:14 – The 3 Hidden Data Points That Actually Reveal Podcast Growth
5:09 – How to Instantly Tell If Your Content Holds Attention
13:26 – What Your Listeners Are Silently Telling You (If You Know How to Listen)
16:10 – How to Know if Your Episodes Actually Matter to Your Audience

Other Episodes You'll Love:

• How Do You Make Listeners Stay Longer? (and Why It Matters)
• 4 Key Signs Your Podcast Is Making an Impact

Support the show

Liked this episode? Share it with a fellow podcaster!

Love this show? Say thanks by leaving a positive review.

Register for Courtney's Free Podcasting Workshop: How to 10x Your Business with a Podcast in 2025

Schedule a 1:1 Podcasting Audit with Courtney.

Curious about PodLaunch®? Book a Demo to see if our podcasting mentorship is the right fit for your business.

Connect with Courtney: Linked In | Instagram | PodLaunch HQ


©Ⓟ 2018–2025 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.