From Swear Words to Show Growth: What Podcasters Can Learn the Hard Way

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Ever feel like your show is stuck at 30 downloads and your guests won’t share your episode? We’ve been there, and we’re putting it all on the table—how language choices affect your brand and reach, why “big name” guests almost never translate to listener growth, and how to structure improv so it lands without a live audience. We get honest about impostor syndrome, burnout, and the moment you realize your strategy isn’t working. Then we walk through practical fixes: crafting episode promises that stop the scroll, building segments that deliver clear payoffs, and setting up chapters so listeners can jump straight to what matters.
We also tackle the messy stuff most shows avoid. If a co‑host keeps low-talking under you, the solution isn’t a new mic—it’s leadership. Hear how to set expectations, give actionable feedback, and make the hard call when behavior doesn’t change. On the tools front, we compare quick-win clip workflows, where AI show notes actually help (FAQs, key takeaways), and why you still need a human ear before you publish. We touch on platform realities—feed limits, chapter support, and the way explicit tags can nuke discoverability in certain markets—so your distribution doesn’t quietly work against you.

Sponsors:
PodcastBranding.co - They see you before they hear you
Basedonastruestorypodcast.com - Comparing Hollywood with History?

Video Version

Mentioned In This Episode

School of Podcasting
https://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/join

Podpage
http://www.trypodpage.com

Home Gadget Geeks
https://www.homegadgegeeks.com

Featured Supporter: Shane from Spybrary
We interview spy authors, espionage historians and fans of spy books, spy movies and spy TV series! Check it out at https://spybrary.com/

Podcast Hot Seat
Grow your podcast audience with Podcast Hot Seat. We help you do more of what is working, and fine tune those things that need polished. In addition to the podcast audit, you get a FREE MONTH at the School of Podcasting (including more coaching). Check it out at https://www.podcasthotseat.com/store
Your Audience Will Thank You!

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Fejezetek

1. Auphonic (00:00:00)

2. Live Cold Open, Coffee, Sponsors (00:00:00)

3. Podcast Branding.co (00:02:20)

4. Based On a True Story Podcast (00:03:37)

5. Conferences: Value, Tech Hiccups, Networking (00:04:17)

6. Profanity, Platforms, And Audience Expectations (00:10:54)

7. Culture, Censorship, And “Explicit” Markets (00:20:27)

8. Improv, Comedy, And Why Guest Shares Don’t Grow Shows (00:28:04)

9. Motivation, Metrics, And When To Pivot (00:36:40)

10. Co‑Hosts, Conflict, And Clear Expectations (00:45:14)

11. Clip Tools, AI Show Notes, And Chapters (00:53:42)

12. Hosts, Feeds, And Platform Quirks (01:04:32)

13. Join the School of Podcasting (01:07:11)

14. Awesome Supporters (01:07:18)

15. Podcast Hot Seat (01:07:32)

16. Try Podpage (01:07:56)

17. Home Gadget Geeks (01:08:10)

18. Shane from SpyBrary (01:08:19)

19. Support the Show (01:09:05)

20. What’s Next: Home Gadget Geeks And SOP Plans (01:11:02)

21. Short Audio Clips? (01:13:51)

22. Rebranding Podcast Hot Seat (01:14:02)

23. Let AI Do What You Can't. (01:15:55)

24. Podchapters.com (01:18:27)

25. Libsyn Issues (01:21:28)