The math is pretty straightforward: The easier it is for people to understand what your show’s about and what’s in for them… the faster you’ll grow.

The problem is that messaging and copywriting are, well… super f&@#ing hard.

So in this episode, we’re picking apart Compromising Positions’ show packaging, messaging, and website copy to help them improve it in real-time.

🛠️ Resources
Subscribe to Compromising Positions
"On Writing Well" by William Zinsser
Clarity Flow
Loom

Subscribe to Roast My Podcast

Subscribe to our other shows:
Killer Concept — a podcast breaking down the dark art and subtle science of making marketable podcasts, where in every episode, we start with a generic topic… and step-by-step, develop it into a must-listen, category-dominating show.
Podcast Marketing Trends Explained — a data-driven podcast growth show, where in every episode, we unpack a different piece of podcast marketing data to help you make smarter decisions about your show instead of relying on recycled advice and surface-level tactics.

📈 More from Podcast Marketing Academy
Subscribe to The Scrappy Podcasting Newsletter
Get your free personalized podcast marketing audit
Join the Podcast Marketing Academy Membership for ongoing podcast marketing support

🎙️ More from @TransistorPodcasting
Try Transistor podcast hosting free for 14 days
Follow @TransistorPodcasting for more podcasting tips & tutorials

Chapters:
00:00 Introducing Compromising Positions
01:28 First impressions & cover art critique
05:34 Podcast description analysis
07:37 Target audience and messaging
10:16 Tips to improve podcast descriptions
22:43 Episode titles breakdown
27:35 Custom episode artwork
32:41 Improving podcast website messaging & copywriting
46:00 Gathering listener feedback
50:57 Final thoughts and recommendations

Chances are, your show isn’t the biggest or the best in your niche. You don’t have the budget to outspend the big shows, nor the production team to put out a higher production show.

So what do you do? Is it even possible to compete or should you pack it now and save yourself the trouble.

In this roast, we dissect the Explore Podcast, a show competing with some of the most popular shows on the planet, to identify the right (and wrong) approaches for building an audience in a crowded space dominated by deep-pocketed behemoths.

🛠️ Resources
Subscribe to Explore Podcast
Lenny Rachitsky
Nathan Barry
Acquired Podcast

Subscribe to Roast My Podcast

Subscribe to our other shows:
Killer Concept — a podcast breaking down the dark art and subtle science of making marketable podcasts, where in every episode, we start with a generic topic… and step-by-step, develop it into a must-listen, category-dominating show.
Podcast Marketing Trends Explained — a data-driven podcast growth show, where in every episode, we unpack a different piece of podcast marketing data to help you make smarter decisions about your show instead of relying on recycled advice and surface-level tactics.

📈 More from Podcast Marketing Academy
Subscribe to The Scrappy Podcasting Newsletter
Get your free personalized podcast marketing audit
Join the Podcast Marketing Academy Membership for ongoing podcast marketing support

🎙️ More from @TransistorPodcasting
Try Transistor podcast hosting free for 14 days
Follow @TransistorPodcasting for more podcasting tips & tutorials

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:48 First impressions of 'Explore Podcast'
01:50 Analyzing the podcast cover art
02:55 Leveraging listener psychology in cover art design
06:47 How to test and iterate on your podcast artwork
09:20 Podcast description analysis
11:24 What it takes to compete in the podcast space
16:20 Assessing the podcast intro
23:19 Episode title analysis
24:08 A common trap hosts fall for with guest episodes
25:33 Identifying and highlighting universally relevant stories
27:46 Workshopping Justin’s upcoming episode title
30:30 Researching other popular shows in the tech space
35:54 Leveraging connections and credibility
40:51 The power of a compelling host “quest”

Word of mouth can be one of the biggest sources of podcast growth.

But in order to benefit from listener recommendations, you need to make it easy for them to share by giving them the language and eliminating potential confusion and reputational risk.

In this roast, we break down Advancing With Amy, a promising show with a few key mistakes that are likely holding the show back from acquiring new listeners.

🛠️ Resources
Subscribe to Advancing With Amy

Subscribe to Roast My Podcast

Subscribe to our other shows:
Killer Concept — a podcast breaking down the dark art and subtle science of making marketable podcasts, where in every episode, we start with a generic topic… and step-by-step, develop it into a must-listen, category-dominating show.
Podcast Marketing Trends Explained — a data-driven podcast growth show, where in every episode, we unpack a different piece of podcast marketing data to help you make smarter decisions about your show instead of relying on recycled advice and surface-level tactics.

📈 More from Podcast Marketing Academy
Subscribe to The Scrappy Podcasting Newsletter
Get your free personalized podcast marketing audit
Join the Podcast Marketing Academy Membership for ongoing podcast marketing support

🎙️ More from @TransistorPodcasting
Try Transistor podcast hosting free for 14 days
Follow @TransistorPodcasting for more podcasting tips & tutorials

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:25 Introducing Advancing with Amy
00:55 First impressions: Title and cover art
05:25 How to generate more word of mouth recommendations
08:46 Evaluating the show description
13:56 Trailer episode review
30:42 Episode titles and custom artwork
34:05 Final thoughts and recommendations