Podcast Bestie, the Podcast

Hi Besties!

Today is the day... Podcast Bestie, the Podcast has officially dropped its debut episode.

I’ve got James Cridland of Podnews on the show today talking all about SEO for websites and podcast apps, how he’s helping audit your podcast, press release tips, and more. First, we discuss James’s place in podcasting history, which I found very interesting, but if you’re just here for the tips and the fish ‘n’ chips references, jump ahead to the six-and-a-half-minute mark.

Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.

For more from James, check out his previous Podcast Bestie Q&A: Business & Tech 101 for Indie Podcasters.

Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcome

A big thanks to our BFFs for sponsoring this episode:

What happens when the watchdog tasked with overseeing the largest law enforcement agency in the country looks the other way? In Bad Watchdog, host Maren Machles exposes a series of shocking cover-ups at the Department of Homeland Security. Listen now.

Hey Canadian Podcasters! Are you tired of feeling like the podcasting space is fractured between indies and networks? Pod the North is the Canadian podcasting newsletter that's changing all of that. Read the latest issue!

Pop Culture Retrospective Podcast - In March of 2019, host Amy Lewis lost her sister. She decided to use her grief for something productive and fun, so she started a podcast as a way to re-live and share memories from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s.

Soothe your promotional aches and pains with a FREE subscription to the Podcast Clinic from Podspike. Get monthly tips, tricks & articles to help your podcast marketing become that little bit easier.

If you want to sponsor a future newsletter AND episode, you can purchase your ad spot here.

I’ve also got a FREE promo opportunity for the Besties: Leave a five-star rating with a review on Apple Podcasts, email me a screenshot with your name and the name of your podcast, and you’ll get a free shout-out on the next episode.

So... ROLL CALL! 🗣

Smash that like button, and let me know what you think of this first episode in the comments below! What do you want to learn next?

Follow me @courtneykocak on Twitter and Instagram. For more, check out my website courtneykocak.com.

💸 Wanna advertise on Podcast Bestie? Here’s info about offerings and rates .

Hey Besties! Today, we're taking an out-of-the-box approach to podcast collaborations. Our guest is Anna Van Valin, an independent podcast producer, consultant, and host of the Every Day is a Food Day podcast. Anna is an advocate for cross-media promotions, which is a different way to go about the whole promo swap strategy. In this episode, she shares how she got started, some great case studies, and tips for pitching brands for this type of collaboration. Plus, we discuss whether Instagram Reels are worth it for indie podcasters.

Connect with Anna @annavanvalin on Twitter and Instagram.

Check out Anna’s podcast, Every Day is a Food Day.

Sign up for my Pandemic University Grow Your Show and Make Money Podcasting One-Day Intensive.

Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.

If you missed the last episode, check out From Zero to 100K Real Quick: How Mina AF Engaged Mina Starsiak Hawk’s Existing Audience with Producer Megan Hayward.

Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcome

Thanks to Michael Castañeda for mixing and mastering this episode. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @plasticaudio.

A big thanks to our BFF for sponsoring this episode:

mowPod is an effective, targeted way to promote your show. It's already trusted by industry giants like Conde Nast, iHeartMedia, and HubSpot Podcast Network, and that's because it works. But mowPod isn’t just for the big guys — mowPod Boost is perfect for indie podcasters. It’s actually been my favorite paid advertising experiment to date, and you can try it for just $100. Plus, if you are a Bestie, you get 10% off with this link: https://boost.mowpod.com/?referrer=podcastbestie. Try it, and let me know what you think!

If you want to sponsor a future newsletter AND episode, you can purchase your ad spot here.

I’ve also got a FREE promo opportunity for the Besties: Leave a five-star rating with a review on Apple Podcasts, email me a screenshot with your name and the name of your podcast, and you’ll get a free shout-out on the next episode.

So... ROLL CALL! 🗣

Have you tried any cross-media promotions for your podcast? If so, what were the results?

Follow me @courtneykocak on Twitter and Instagram. For more, check out my website courtneykocak.com.

💸 Wanna advertise on Podcast Bestie? Visit podcastbestie.com/advertise for info about offerings and rates.

Hello Besties! We’re all here because we want to know how to grow our podcasts and today’s episode is a banger in that department. We’re getting a podcast marketing master class from Jeff Umbro of The Podglomerate. He’s going to teach us all about their five tiers of audience development and some case studies for how to apply them. And guess what, Besties? Before Jeff was spending millions on podcast marketing, he got his start as a podcast listening addict and indie podcaster like so many of us.

Connect with Jeff @podglomerate on Twitter.

Check out The Podglomerate’s website for more info.

Sign up for my upcoming workshop, How to Build a “Platform” for Writers Who Shudder at the Thought.

I’m also teaching a five-week podcasting course through Roadmap Writers, Creating Your Podcast.

Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.

Watch the video version of Jeff’s interview on YouTube.

If you missed the last episode, check out Podcast Like a Motherf*cker with Emily McElwreath (& Cheryl Strayed!).

Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcome

Thanks to Michael Castañeda for mixing and mastering this episode. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @plasticaudio.

And thank you to Matt Gilhooly for fine-tuning the video and creating the social media assets for this episode. Follow him on Twitter @theliftshiftpod.

A big thanks to our BFFs for sponsoring this episode:

mowPod is an effective, targeted way to promote your show. It's already trusted by industry giants like Conde Nast, iHeartMedia, and HubSpot Podcast Network, and that's because it works. But mowPod isn’t just for the big guys — mowPod Boost is perfect for indie podcasters. It’s actually been my favorite paid advertising experiment to date, and you can try it for just $100. Plus, if you are a Bestie, you get 10% off with this link: https://boost.mowpod.com/?referrer=podcastbestie. Try it, and let me know what you think!

Check out the Label Free podcast: Join Deanna Radulescu on her journey welcoming dynamic guests on her show who embody living label free! She connects with entrepreneurs, authors, artists, coaches; all bring tremendous value to her audience. To Live Your Best Life, Live Label Free

Being successful with podcasts and video is a full-time job that most people don’t have the time or experience to do. Momento is an end-to-end AI video marketing tool that finds your shareable moments, creates beautiful shorts, and even schedules straight to social. Can it do more? Yes! Momento can write high-quality show notes, social posts, tweets, and even jokes from your content. Your first upload is FREE, go see what AI can do with your video!

https://trymomento.ai?via=podcastbestie

Looking for some words of inspiration to kickstart your creative process? Magic Write in Canva Docs is your very own AI text generator to help you get out a first draft, fast. Simply start with a prompt and watch as copy, blog outlines, lists, bio captions, content ideas, brainstorms, and more appear in seconds.

Hey Besties! It’s summer — we’re all busy working, traveling, and having fun — so I’m taking my sweet time rolling out the rest of this season... but today’s episode is so worth the wait. I have Big Podcasting’s Bestie and all our Besties, Arielle Nissenblatt, on the show today. Arielle is the founder of Earbuds Podcast Collective and the head of community and content at Squadcast.fm. In this episode, she’s sharing podcast marketing examples from the launch of her new show — Trailer Park, The Podcast Trailer Podcast — plus her recipe for a good podcast trailer, social media tips, how to co-market effectively, her advice on getting featured in the apps, and so much more.

Connect with Arielle @arithisandthat on Twitter.

Sign up for Arielle’s newsletter, Earbuds Podcast Collective.

Listen to Trailer Park, The Podcast Trailer Podcast.

Sign up for my upcoming workshops, Start a Newsletter to Supercharge Your Audience, Network & Business and/or Grow Your Show & Make Money Podcasting Masterclass.

Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.

Watch the video version of Arielle’s interview on YouTube.

If you missed the last episode, check out How to Grow Your Podcast: A Podcast Marketing Master Class with Jeff Umbro of The Podglomerate.

Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcome

Thanks to Michael Castañeda for mixing and mastering this episode. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @plasticaudio.

And thank you to Matt Gilhooly for fine-tuning the video and creating the social media assets for this episode. Follow him on Twitter @theliftshiftpod.

A big thanks to our BFFs for sponsoring this episode:

mowPod is an effective, targeted way to promote your show. It's already trusted by industry giants like Conde Nast, iHeartMedia, and HubSpot Podcast Network, and that's because it works. But mowPod isn’t just for the big guys — mowPod Boost is perfect for indie podcasters. It’s actually been my favorite paid advertising experiment to date, and you can try it for just $100. Plus, if you are a Bestie, you get 10% off with this link: https://boost.mowpod.com/?referrer=podcastbestie. Try it, and let me know what you think!

Being successful with podcasts and video is a full-time job that most people don’t have the time or experience to do. Momento is an end-to-end AI video marketing tool that finds your shareable moments, creates beautiful shorts, and even schedules straight to social. Can it do more? Yes! Momento can write high-quality show notes, social posts, tweets, and even jokes from your content. Your first upload is FREE, go see what AI can do with your video! https://trymomento.ai?via=podcastbestie

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Subscribe to The Tilt, the newsletter for professional content creators. Also: Get access to ALL 45 sessions from

Hey Besties! Can't afford PR right now? Don't worry — Sweet Mama Swap is in the house to help you get started all by yourself! That's right, today's guest is Lauren Passell, the founder of Tink Media, and she's giving us the Tink treatment for free, generously sharing the strategies she uses to help her clients get coverage and grow their shows. She dishes her expert advice on how to make podcast collaboration effective, fun, and EASY, land a coveted Apple Podcasts feature, pitch bigger shows for feed swaps, get good press, and more. This is a master class in podcast marketing from a PR master.

Connect with Lauren @laurenpassell on Twitter and Instagram.

Subscribe to Lauren’s newsletters Podcast The Newsletter and Podcast Marketing Magic.

Sign up for my Pandemic University Grow Your Show and Make Money Podcasting One-Day Intensive.

Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.

If you missed the last episode, check out Cross-Media Promotions for Your Podcast with Anna Van Valin of Every Day is a Food Day.

Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcome

Thanks to Michael Castañeda for mixing and mastering this episode. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @plasticaudio.

A big thanks to our BFFs for sponsoring this episode:

mowPod is an effective, targeted way to promote your show. It's already trusted by industry giants like Conde Nast, iHeartMedia, and HubSpot Podcast Network, and that's because it works. But mowPod isn’t just for the big guys — mowPod Boost is perfect for indie podcasters. It’s actually been my favorite paid advertising experiment to date, and you can try it for just $100. Plus, if you are a Bestie, you get 10% off with this link: https://boost.mowpod.com/?referrer=podcastbestie. Try it, and let me know what you think!

The Wild West Extravaganza is a weekly history podcast that delves into the fascinating and often tumultuous world of the American Old West. From famous outlaws like Billy the Kid and Jesse James to lawmen like Wyatt Earp and Wild Bill Hickok to Native Americans and trailblazing pioneers and frontiersmen, this podcast tells the true stories of the real-life characters who shaped this iconic period in American history. So, saddle up and discover the true history of the American frontier — the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s a journey you don’t want to miss. Listen to The Wild West Extravaganza on your favorite podcast player and follow @wildwestxtra on Twitter.

If you want to sponsor a future newsletter AND episode, you can purchase your ad spot here.

I’ve also got a FREE promo opportunity for the Besties: Leave a five-star rating with a review on Apple Podcasts, email me a screenshot with your name and the name of your podcast, and you’ll get a free shout-out on the next episode.

So... ROLL CALL! 🗣

Have YOU been featured on Apple Podcasts? If so, what was the hook of your pitch? Do you have any tips for how to stand out based on your experience?

Follow me @courtneykocak on Twitter and