The Full-Time Creator Podcast

Ep. 11 – The #1 Business Mistake Podcasters Make, with Joe Casabona

In this episode, Zach talks with Joe Casabona from the How I Built It podcast.

Joe started his career nearly 20 years ago as a freelance web developer before realizing his true passion for helping coaches, course creators, and authors grow their podcasts into authority-building lead generators.

He’s developed expert-tested systems from his 10+ years podcasting, 15+ years teaching, and 20+ years working on the web.

Joe now makes $30K to $50k every year on sponsorships alone, and gets 60,000 show downloads every month.

Plus, he’s had many high-profile guests on his podcast including Peter Holland, Wes Kayo, and Emmy Award winners.

Today, Zach and Joe discuss how to make sure your podcast is a true business asset and not just an advertising channel for other businesses.

Get Joe and Zach’s Free Resources!

  • You can find Joe’s Podcast Process Templates here: https://howibuilt.it/
  • You can find Zach’s free mini-course + templates to Double Your Email List Growth Rate in 29 Minutes here: https://crowiz.co/go

Follow Joe Casabona:

AI-Generated Summary:

  • 0:00 – 2:00 — Zach introduces the podcast and guest Joe Casabona, discussing Joe’s podcasting background and the aim to transform his podcast into a lead generation asset.
  • 2:00 – 4:00 — Joe acknowledges the name pronunciation mishap, while Zach outlines the irony in Joe’s current podcast model versus his coaching practice.
  • 4:00 – 6:00 — Discussion about the evolution of Joe’s podcast audience from WordPress enthusiasts to solopreneurs and content creators, and the importance of aligning the podcast to benefit Joe’s business.
  • 6:00 – 8:00 — Joe expresses his desire to identify a clear call-to-action for his podcast, and reflects on his difficulty in applying his own advice due to “technical debt” and the podcast’s historical context.
  • 8:00 – 10:00 — Joe uses a medical analogy to highlight his own challenge in self-diagnosis and reveals his second podcast, which is more aligned with his coaching but lacks the audience of his primary show.
  • 10:00 – 12:00 —Joe discusses how their podcast sponsorship model evolved, focusing on audience growth and podcast process automation over direct business promotion.
  • 12:00 – 14:00 — Zach inquires about balancing self-promotion with sponsor ads in a podcast, seeking advice from Joe’s experience.
  • 14:00 – 16:00 — Joe explains his approach to call-to-action (CTA) placement in podcasts, suggesting reserving ad inventory for self-promotion and carefully timing sponsor messages.
  • 16:00 – 18:00 — Zach contemplates whether seamlessly integrating lead magnets within podcast content could enhance advertising effectiveness, drawing parallels with website conversion strategies.
  • 18:00 – 20:00 — Joe agrees with Zach’s strategy, citing examples from another podcaster who effectively intertwines content with relevant offers.
  • 20:00 – 22:00 — Zach discusses the challenges of tracking podcast metrics and testing call-to-action (CTA) links for different platforms.
  • 22:00 – 24:00 — Zach proposes an AB testing method for podcast CTAs to compare pre-roll and mid-episode engagement rates.
  • 24:00 – 26:00 — Zach explains the concept of content upgrades in blog posts and their potential ROI based on site traffic.
  • 26:00 – 28:00 — A participant suggests that sponsors wouldn’t mind additional promotions for the host’s content and discusses exclusive sponsorship pricing.
  • 28:00 – 30:00 — Zach and a participant discuss sponsor expectations of exclusivity, especially when in direct competition with the host’s products.
  • 30:00 – 32:00 — Zach suggests using different call-to-action (CTA) links for official ad spots and casual mentions to track effectiveness, and awaits Joe’s approval.
  • 32:00 – 34:00 — Joe creates a suspenseful break for sponsors, discusses dynamic ad insertion for flexibility, and admits to not tracking episode-specific data.
  • 34:00 – 36:00 — Zach and Joe contemplate the difficulty of tracking sponsor effectiveness per episode and consider changing the position of ads within episodes.
  • 36:00 – 38:00 — Joe acknowledges the oversight in updating ads for their current membership offerings and reflects on the challenges of juggling multiple tasks.
  • 38:00 – 40:00 — The conversation touches on the importance of ad consistency and the potential negative impact on conversions due to outdated information.
  • 40:00 – 42:00 — Zach discusses the challenges of naming his brand and the importance of conversion optimization, sharing his success in increasing client opt-ins.
  • 42:00 – 44:00 — He suggests using simple solutions for testing lead magnets and stresses the significance of validating audience interest.
  • 44:00 – 46:00 — Zach highlights the need for offer validation and ad spot positioning to understand audience interest and the effectiveness of promotion placement.
  • 46:00 – 48:00 — The participant expresses concern that their audience might not be interested in podcasting content due to niche shifts over time.
  • 48:00 – 50:00 — They share insights on audience feedback about storytelling, gaining more listeners, and managing workload without burnout, indicating a need for solutions to these problems.
  • 50:00 – 52:00 — Discussion on the importance of pauses in editing to maintain the intended emotion of a podcast conversation.
  • 52:00 – 54:00 — Zach highlights the excitement of reaching the right podcasting vibe and the concept of using podcasting as a business tool rather than an end goal.
  • 54:00 – 56:00 — They debate the common objections to starting a podcast, such as market saturation and the effort involved.
  • 56:00 – 58:00 — Conversation about the challenges of standing out in podcasting and the long-term benefits compared to the immediacy of social media.
  • 58:00 – 1:00:00 — Joe explains the unique value of perspective in podcasting and the multifaceted content opportunities it provides.
  • 1:00:00 – 1:02:00 — Joe advises YouTubers to diversify income beyond YouTube, referencing CGP Grey’s multi-platform strategy as a successful model.
  • 1:02:00 – 1:04:00 — Zach is developing an offer that promises quick, attractive results with minimal effort by leveraging automation for efficient podcast production.
  • 1:04:00 – 1:06:00 — Joe highlights the benefits of podcasting: content creation, expert positioning, and having a knowledge portfolio for referencing in discussions.
  • 1:06:00 – 1:08:00 — Joe suggests using podcasts to test ideas for courses or books and track interest through episode engagement to inform product development.
  • 1:08:00 – 1:10:00 — Zach and Joe discuss how to measure podcast success, considering listener demographics and download statistics to gauge topic resonance.
  • 1:10:00 – 1:12:00 — Zach shares insights on targeting content creators by addressing objections and the potential of podcasting, emphasizing the importance of appealing to those who already see value in podcasting.
  • 1:12:00 – 1:14:00 — Joe prefers to target business owners already convinced of the value of podcasting rather than trying to persuade newbies to start one.
  • 1:14:00 – 1:16:00 — Zach suggests focusing on established businesses with money to invest in podcasting as they are more likely to be profitable customers.
  • 1:16:00 – 1:18:00 — Joe acknowledges the mistake of targeting newbies and sees more value in assisting brands and experienced podcasters who are willing to invest.
  • 1:18:00 – 1:20:00 — Zach and Joe discuss the ideal audience, emphasizing the need for content that demonstrates how to produce efficient and profitable podcasts, potentially through enticing lead magnets.
  • 1:20:00 – 1:22:00 — Zach suggests integrating broader business pains into podcast content to create lead magnets, and considering a solo episode for it.
  • 1:22:00 – 1:24:00 — Joe plans to use a client’s success story as a case study for a lead magnet, and Zach mentions case studies are effective in ads.
  • 1:24:00 – 1:26:00 — They discuss the quickest way to create and validate a case study lead magnet and repositioning existing content.
  • 1:26:00 – 1:28:00 — Zach evaluates Joe’s existing lead magnets and suggests repositioning one for potential new podcasters.
  • 1:28:00 – 1:29:35 — They conclude the session with plans for Joe to reflect on the insights and consider further experiments and discussions.

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