Podcasts for Profit with Morgan Franklin

Your downloads have stalled. Engagement's down.This episode is for all my podcasters who need to break out of a podcast growth plateau.  We're talking about actionable ways you can regain listener interest, diagnose what's not working, and monetize (yes, even now).In this episode: What podcast plateaus actually are and what they're notThe 3 core reasons your growth may have stalled5 ways to shake things up and attract listeners againHow to make money even when growth is slow My personal pep talk to get you through the podcast blahs

Video podcasting is the hot new bombshell entering the villa, and you need to know if it's worth your time and money and whether it's going to be able to catapult you to the next level of podcasting success or if it's another podcasting fad that's going to cost you thousands of dollars and leave you feeling even more overwhelmed in the long run.Today, we're talking about the real numbers, what it takes, and exactly who benefits most from adding video to their podcast. Whether you're already repurposing reels or still figuring out what an HDMI cable is: this episode's for you.

Who do you think about more? Your current audience, listeners that have already found you and love you and consider themselves part of your community or new listeners, someone that might be searching for a certain topic or just something to listen to and they find you and become a part of your audience.As podcasters it can be really easy to get caught up in making content for one of the two. For most of us, I'd say we focus mostly on the community we already have and there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, as a podcast producer I'd say that focusing on your current audience is one of the best things you can do for the stability and success of your podcast. However, and there's always a however lurking around, you have to keep in mind your next listeners. You always need to be carving out a part of your podcast and brand and business that's focused on finding the next audience you'll have, because if you're not getting that new listener another podcast is and they'll be the ones that get the opportunities we're working towards.So in this episode we're going to talk about producing podcast episodes that get shared, even by strangers. Why it's so important that your community and listeners outside of your community are talking about and sharing your podcast, how organic growth will impact your podcast's bottom line and what kind of episodes get shared. ⭐️ Listen to Episode 52: Your Podcast Has a Brand (Whether Your Realize it or Not!) 

There's a fine line in podcasting. There's a fine line between being yourself and sharing too much. There's a fine line between knowing your audience and completely forgetting who this show was created for. There's a fine line between selling and completely sabotaging your business.In this episode we're going to talk about the invisible funnel, and how your podcast should be driving sales in your business, red flags you might be doing more harm than good with your content and the easy fixes that will help you transform your audience into your most loyal buyers. 

As podcasters we kind of have to be obsessed with what's next. It's way too easy to get stuck in the churn of what's happening right now, and we have to focus on the next big guest, your next recording date, that next launch and the product you'll have next year. That's part of being a podcaster and business owner and being a high achiever. You always have to be looking around corners and figuring out what's next before your competition does. It can be really hard to get out of this mindset, because it's so critical to the success of most parts of our lives, but for most podcasters I know, that's distracting you from the treasure trove of what you've already created.In this episode we're talking about why your back catalog matters, organizing your archive, repurposing, and how to effectively market your past episodes for the future growth of your podcast.

In this episode we're going to talk about why it's so hard to make money with traditional sponsorships through podcasting, how you can start making money well before you have 10,000 monthly downloads and how you should be positioning your podcast and brand to make money from your first episode.

Podcast analytics are like the wild west: there is no standard of law and order. As you know, it doesn't take long to be completely confused by your podcast host analytics and going on Spotify for Creator and stressing out of Apple Podcasts Connect - I know because I'm right there with you. There's a bunch of numbers and stats and listeners and downloads and what does it all mean? What does it mean for you? What does it mean for you listener? What does it mean for someone that might want to give you money to advertise on your podcast? 

You start a podcast, it's fun for about 3 weeks and then - life starts happening... recordings are getting more inconvenient, you don't know what to talk about, your guests aren't responding, everything is expensive and you have ten downloads on your episodes.I know I say this in every episode, but podcasting is hard. It's time consuming, it's expensive, it's frustrating, it's loney, and sometimes it's hard to know when it's time to quit. In this episode we'll talk about that inevitable crossroads that every podcaster will eventually find themselves in and how to know when and if it's time to quit your podcast. 

✨ChatGPT✨ it's magical, it's mystical and it really is amazing, mostly because it does all the stuff we don't want to do. It might also be ruining your podcast. This episode is so contradictory to most of what I teach you about incorporating AI into your podcast workflow, but I'm seeing way too many podcasters destroying their podcasts with ChatGPT and before it goes on any further let's have a candid conversation about what you should actually be using automation and large language models to do in you podcast and what's total garbage slop that's going to drive away your audience and future listeners.In this episode: How ChatGPT is driving away your listener before they can even click play, signs AI might be tanking your podcast and what you should be using automations to do in your podcast.

Rebranding a podcast is tricky. Branding a podcast is tricky. I've had several questions lately from established podcasters asking either what went wrong with their podcast rebrand or what they need to know before rebranding and in this episode we'll talk about when to know it's time for a rebrand, what you need to focus on during your rebrand and how to relaunch you podcast in a constructive way to attract new listeners while keeping your existing audience. 

When can you monetize your podcast? That's one of the most asked questions I get as a podcast producer and strategist and the simple answer is: today. Yeah, it's true. You can monetize your podcast today. You could hypothetically speaking, start making money on your podcast today by becoming an affiliate partner. Now, obviously it's much more complicated than recording an ad and watching the money roll in, but in this episode I'm going to walk you through how to become an affiliate marketer with your podcast, how to find the best companies to work with, how much you can expect to make and how to strategize to leverage your affiliate partnerships to get actual partners for your podcast.

Do you want to know the biggest lie in podcasting? I've been thinking about this episode for many years, and it's something I try to share with every podcaster I work with and meet. The biggest lie in podcasting is that it's easy, but way too many of us make it too hard. In this episode I'm going to expose the lies you've likely been told about podcasting and how you can reclaim the truth for yourself. We'll talk about everything from podcasting equipment and production to monetization to why your podcast marketing strategy isn't working.

Is your podcast ranking on the charts? Does it matter?In this episode we'll talk about what rankings are and how they impact your podcast growth, how to strategize for your own show and of course, how to actually start showing up on the charts and ranking to find the audience you want listening to your podcast.In this episode:How podcast rankings work across different platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Understanding the importance of choosing the right category for your podcast and how to decide. Tracking your podcast's performance using free tools like Listen Notes and Refonic.How to improve you podcast's visibility and find new listeners using podcast ranking strategies.

In podcasting there are few things more important than being able to utilize your network, make an offer and close a deal. Whether that's getting a guest you want to come on your show, guesting yourself on another podcast or getting a sponsor, you need to know how to pitch your podcast effectively and efficiently. If you can't speak to the value of your podcast, no one can. In this episode I'm going to teach you the pitching strategy that saved my podcast and my career. ⭐️ Podcaster One-Sheet Template:https://podcastsforprofit.com/products/podcast-host-one-sheet

One of the most asked questions I get as a podcast producer and podcaster is should all podcasts have an audio and video component? I wish there was an easy answer to this question, because even I grapple with the pros and cons of whether my podcasts should have video.In this episode we're going to talk about the advantages, disadvantages, investment, and payoff of having a video component to your podcast. There isn't a blanket answer for every podcaster, but after this episode you'll have the tools and perspective to be able to decide for yourself: should your podcast have video?

Everyday we become more and more aware of the power of the  ✨brand✨.But what does that even mean? Why should we care? Most of us probably wouldn't consider our podcast to be a brand, but in 2025, that's a huge mistake. In this episode we'll talk about the importance of recognizing and nurturing the brand of your podcast, why branding matters and how to leverage your podcast branding in a way that grows your audience and helps your podcast make money. 

Last year I had over 500,000 viewers without a dollar in paid promotion from one social media - Pinterest. After Google, Pinterest brings the most traffic to my website and podcast episodes, with the average visitor spending about 23 minutes looking at past episodes. In this episode we'll talk about why Pinterest is the best place to grow your podcast audience, how to properly market your podcast on Pinterest, and what you can do to incorporate Pinterest into your podcast workflow without feeling overwhelmed.Why does Pinterest work? I think a lot of people think about Pinterest as the place where you plan a wedding, or save ideas for remodeling your kitchen, but the reality is pinterest has 553 million monthly active users and reaches 40% of US households with an annual income over $150K. I don't know about you, but as a business owner, who uses their podcast to grow their business, those are the kind of stats I want to hear.Follow me on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/morganfranklinmedia/

What's old is new again and we're learning how to promote our podcast the old fashioned way (in-person

Only 35% of podcasts make money. If I'm being honest, I thought it would be less.

I'm going to say something and you might not agree with me, but in my experience this is the truth: marketing a podcast is harder than having a podcast. Finding the right people that should be listening to your podcast and reminding them every week to listen to your podcast is actually harder than making the podcast itself and that's not easy. In this episode we're going to talk about why your podcast marketing isn't working, what you can do to improve and how we can make small changes to start rebuilding our listener base and engaging with our existing audience. 

If you want to grow your podcast, you need to understand your listeners. What makes a listener a fan? What makes a fan a customer? In this episode we'll talk about the lifecycle of our audience and how to better speak to listeners at every stage of listening.

I have a question for you: why do people listen to your podcast?It's such a simple question, but it's really hard to answer. That's because it's not a fill in the blank question, it's not black and white, there's a hundred different correct answers for why someone might listen to your podcast. But in this episode, I'm going to help you figure out the most important one. 

As of December 2024, in the past month 47% of Americans age 12+ have listened to a podcast. Isn't that crazy to think about? Almost half of Americans over the age of twelve last month listened to a podcast. That's the highest number of active podcast listeners ever recorded. Needless to say, 2025 will be the year of the podcast. In this episode we're talking about my 10 predictions for podcasts in 2025. Ranging on everything from episode length to AI to YouTube, we'll cover everything I think is going to change podcasting in the next year to help you succeed and make money with your podcast.Download 4 FREE ChatGPT prompts for podcasters and listen to the episode on how to use them here: https://morganfranklin.media/podschool-steal-my-4-favorite-chatgpt-prompts-for-podcasting/

This is why so many podcasters stop podcasting and are never able to monetize their podcast. They started the podcast trying to serve a topic and not a listener, and that never works. We are all selfish consumers, and when we aren't getting what we're looking for we'll move on to find what is giving us what we're looking for.In this episode I'm going to walk you through not only why you need a solid, written out listener profile, but what it really looks like. What you need to know going into every episode and why it matters.  Oh, and I have a treat for you once you get it all sorted out! I've made a tool for podcasters that uses your listener profile and information about your podcast (and a little magic from me) it'll email you 5 ideas for brands you should reach out to partner with you or sponsor your podcast. Try it out for yourself here! ⭐️ Not sure where to find your next sponsor?Tell me about your listeners and I'll email you 5 recommendations. Use my free tool:https://form.jotform.com/Morgan_Franklin/5-Sponsor-Ideas

One of my favorite parts of working in podcasting and being a podcaster is hearing people's podcast suggestions and learning about new podcasts. Is there anything better than finding an amazing podcast with hundreds of episodes to completely obsess over and listen to day and night and ask every person you see if they've listened to it? I don't think so. This week's episode is different from my normal lesson based episodes, but I thought since it's Christmas and the end of the year it's a perfect time to let loose and talk about podcasting and all the podcasts I've loved in 2024.Links in this Episode: 1. The Broski Report with Brittany Broski: https://pod.link/16875590612. Automate Your Agency:https://pod.link/17501000403. Radio Rental:https://pod.link/14832892304. Simple Pin Podcast: https://pod.link/11146674985. Today, Explained:https://pod.link/todayexplained6. The Extra Credits:https://pod.link/16062719747. Podcasts for Profit with Morgan Franklin:https://pod.link/1732959363Other Helpful Links:

In this episode we'll talk about what options a podcast with less than 1,000 listeners has for monetizing, the strength of a loyal and targeted audience and what I'd do to share the value of my podcast with advertisers, even though I have a relatively small listener base. Links in this Episode: 1. Listen to Ep. 40: The Podcaster's Guide to Making and Selling Your First Digital Producthttps://morganfranklin.media/podcasters-guide-to-making-and-selling-your-first-digital-product/2. Buy Your Customizable Podcast Media Kit:https://podcastsforprofit.com/products/podcast-media-kit-and-rate-card3. Want to sell a digital product? Use my free tool that sends you 10 ideas made for YOUR podcast:https://form.jotform.com/Morgan_Franklin/podcast-digital-product4. Find out more about Creators Jay Clouse and Lloyd George:Jay Clouse:https://creatorscience.com/Lloyd George: https://www.youtube.com/@LloydNotGeorgeOther Helpful Links:

This is exactly how I'd help a client that's never made a dime on their podcast go from making nothing to $10,000 with their podcast.

When I think about the most impactful and accessible ways for podcasters to make money from podcasting, especially within the first year, it's having a digital product. Most of the time your first  digital product can be created with minimal time and limited overhead. The biggest question is, what are you going to make and how are you going to sell it?In this episode we'll work through these two specific questions: what kind of digital product will you create? (What could that look like for you and your podcast?) Then how will you sell it? (How can you take this idea and actually turn it into a product your audience wants to buy?)

Do you ever wonder how podcasters ACTUALLY make money? Take it from a full time podcaster, it might not be what you're expecting. In this episode, I'm telling you everything—the what, when, and how behind the five income streams I'm using to monetize my podcast in 2025. I'll walk you through real examples from my business, including soft pitches, digital products, affiliate marketing, speaking engagements, and a first look at my upcoming courses. Whether you're just starting podcasting or ready to go full time, there's something in this episode for you!

The past few months I've had multiple questions from podcasters that are trying to monetize their podcast, but it's still not getting them anywhere. I can relate to this, it took me years to make money off my podcasts.In this episode we'll talk about five reasons you still aren't making money with your podcast. How to fix it and what you need to know moving forward if you want your podcast to be a sustainable source of income for you and your brand.  

This isn't a political episode - it's an episode about politics.In the 2024 United States Presidential Election a powerful campaigning tool was unleashed on voters and pundits alike: podcasts.

They say all politics are local. I say all podcasting is local. Over the past 4 years I've had the honor of welcoming hundreds of guests onto my podcasts and having conversations with people I'd never dreamed I'd meet. In this episode: I'll talk about what it takes to book a high-profile podcast guest, what I've done in the past and how I confidently pitch any guest.

Just because someone follows you on social media and likes every piece of content you make about your podcast doesn't mean they'll ever listen to your podcast. Most of the time, our social media followers have different reasons for following us than our podcast listeners have for listening.  In this episode we're talking  about how to optimize your social media profile and content to drive listener traffic, why you have to put yourself in the mind of the content viewer and how to effectively turn a social media follower into a fan of your podcast. Schedule your podcast social media audit:https://podcastsforprofit.com/products/social-media-audit-for-podcastersLet's connect! You can find me on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok.

One of the biggest misconceptions in podcast promotion is social media is the only way to get new listeners. I'm here to tell you, this simply isn't true. In this episode:(3:30) - The power of word-of-mouth recommendations and referrals to drive listeners to your podcast. (6:15) - How to make your podcast more searchable on podcast apps, including optimizing your podcast title, episode titles, and episode descriptions.(9:15) - When to reach out to blogs, news sources, and contributor platforms to get featured and how to get your podcast on the podcast lists your future listener will find from Google Search. (12:15) - How to provide an exceptional guest experience that encourages guests to share their episode and recommend your podcast to their audience.Other episodes mentioned in this episode:Ep. 8 - How to Pitch Your Podcast to Anyone in 30 SecondsEp. 19 - Podcast SEO: Your Guide to Higher RankingsShop my Podcast Guest Templates here:https://podcastsforprofit.com/products/podcast-guest-template(This template is fully customizable in Canva.)Let's connect! You can find me on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok. 

Here are 3 things I'll be working on the rest of 2024 to make 2025 my best year of podcasting ever: 1. Social media - short form content, direct calls to action and YouTube.2. In-person networking - podcast conferences, conferences, and talking to people in my industry and local community.  3. AI - ChatGPT, creating automated systems and getting the most out of AI capabilities. If you want to download my 4 favorite ChatGPT Prompts for free go here:https://morgan-franklin-media.ck.page/9107e58da5Let me know how you're preparing for 2025:DM me on InstagamSend me a message on LinkedInShop my podcast templates here: https://podcastsforprofit.com/

You don't know what you don't know and for most of us, (myself included

PodSchool is in session and today, I'm sharing one of my favorite tools for podcasting: ChatGPT.ChatGPT has been a game changer for my podcast, helping me streamline everything from content creation to promotion. And the best part? I'm going to walk you through four of my favorite ChatGPT prompts that I use every week. If you want to save hours on production, content creation and maximizing your podcast's workflow, these prompts are for you. Find all the prompts and more information about this episode here. 

It's the question that haunts every podcaster. When should you monetize your podcast? In this episode we're going to talk about the bare minimum of what you'll need to monetize a podcast, the monetization options for beginners, intermediate and established podcasters and finally, the pros and cons of monetization and the biggest mistake podcasters make when they fly too close to the monetization sun.Get my proven podcast media and rate card here:https://podcastsforprofit.com/products/podcast-media-kit-and-rate-cardOther links useful links from this episode:

I've missed so many opportunities to turn listeners of my shows into buyers. If you're like me and sometimes you put selling on the back burner to creating (what you think is) quality content, I want you to know you can have both, and in this episode I'm going to teach you how to do exactly that.In this episode, we're going to talk about overcoming the anxiety of asking for the sale, using your podcast to create funnels for later sales, and what you should be doing to create episodes that align with your products.Find out more information about my consulting and 1:1 podcast coaching:https://morganfranklin.media/contact-morgan-franklinHave questions? Contact me:https://morganfranklin.media/contactmorgan@morganfranklin.mediaOther links useful links from this episode:

If every week you're using the same Canva graphic that only gets 5 likes, this episode is your sign it's time to revisit your podcast's social media strategy. Chopping up episodes to recycle on TikTok isn't going to grow an audience in 2024.Because the truth is - the algorithm doesn't hate you, but it might hate your content.

I'm not usually a "hard truths" kind of person. Mostly because you could look at me the wrong way and I'd get my feeling hurt.

Trying to be yourself online feels like trying to be cool on the first day of school.  Over the past few months I've made a conscious effort to figure out how to be myself online. Turns out, it's not as easy as I thought it'd be.In this episode we're talking about how to practice being yourself online, why being the "brand" of you won't build a community and what to do when you feel like you have nothing left to give. In this episode:(3:11) Why we put out "the brand" version of ourselves instead of who we really are.(4:02) If you want to build a communiy that's actually cares about you, and your podcast and your business, you have to do this. (7:28) Climbing cringe mountain, and actually getting out of your own way. (9:08) What helps me stay on track and actually make content people people want to consume. If you need 1-on-1 help, or you want help on how to speak directly to your audience - send me a message! Want more?

You got a podcast sponsor! Yay!!! Now what?

It's really hard to be successful podcasting when you dread making your podcast.

Finding the right guests to host on your podcast will make you more money than any sponsorship or ad likely ever would.In the beginning most podcasters think they're going to get rich on partnerships and brand deals and 60-second mid-roll ads, but the truth is most of us are going to make money podcasting through the connections and network we build through our podcast. In this episode we'll talk about how to create a valuable connection with your guest, how to turn a one time collaboration into an ongoing partnership and what it takes to position your podcast as a coveted marketing and outreach opportunity. Links in this episode:

It's election year and I fear we're just getting started.

If I could give one piece of advice to EVERY podcaster it'd be this: the difference between a good and a great podcast is storytelling. The more engaging, relevant and relatable your stories are, the more quickly you'll grow your podcast and brand. If you're struggling to find new listeners, if you're constantly feeling burnt out from publishing and promoting new episodes, if you can't figure out what sets your podcast apart, this episode is for you. In this episode:(0:00) Storytelling: the most important skill every podcaster must master to grow their audience.(3:57) These are the stories that turn first-time listeners into lifelong fans. (4:35) How to use storytelling in your podcast when you're feeling podcast burnout. (6:37) My key to viral storytelling and the best tip to use when telling stories.  (9:40) Setting up your guests to tell better stories during their interview. Links in this episode:

What do podcasters that make millions of dollars through sponsorships doing differently than the rest of us?Podcasting is a 25-billion dollar industry, and this goes without saying, but there are plenty of advertising dollars to go around. The question is, is your podcast setup to get any of this money? Would a potential sponsor listen to your podcast and think it's a good investment?In this episode we're talking about what sponsors are looking for, what the most successfully monetized podcasts are doing to make money with their podcast and how you can make a podcast that's monetizable.In this episode:(1:34) Does your audience size really matter?(4:16) How building a strong niche audience can improve your chances of monetization.(5:25) What does a successfully monetized podcast look like? (And how can we replicate that success.)(6:30) The two most important questions to ask yourself before monetizing your podcast.(7:15) What are million dollar podcasts doing differently than the rest of us? Links in this episode:

A few weeks ago I saw someone on Threads asking why none of the podcast gurus ever talk about SEO for podcasts.As someone that works professionally in podcasting and digital marketing that made me laugh, because most of the podcast educators I follow are constantly talking about SEO for podcasting.But I get it! SEO is confusing, and boring and honestly kind of a pain in the neck to explain and implement. However, that doesn't take away from its importance to help your podcast grow and reach new listeners across the internet. Once you get the hang of SEO and how to optimize your podcast, it's a skill that will pay off forever.In this episode I'm breaking down what SEO is, how you can use it for your podcast and a few easy ways to start optimizing your own podcast episodes today. Links in this episode:

Over the past 2 months I've gone into the trenches of digital marketing research for my podcasts to figure out what will actually bring more downloads and listeners to each episode.Like so many business owners, brands and podcasters I knew the power of email marketing but it sounded like a major pain in the neck. Could it really help that much?? The marketing gurus aren't lying to us about this one - sending a weekly email has more than doubled my downloads in the past 2 months and in this episode I'm going to break down for you exactly how I did it.In this episode:(2:18) The guest email that got my episode 30,000 downloads.(5:02) How to find the best place to host your emails and contacts.(6:47) How to start building an email list of listeners who actually want to open your messages.(10:25) The strategy I've used to grow my list since my first subscriber.(11:26) Why listeners are more likely to listen and buy from an email than social media.Want to check out my lead magnets?ChatGPT Prompt to Start a PodcastPodcast Launch ChecklistSelf-Audit Podcast ChecklistMonthly Podcast Progress Tracker10 Guest Questions for Pre-InterviewsStart Sending Emails with ConvertKitYour first 10,000 subscribers free plus:Unlimited landing pagesUnlimited opt-in formsSend unlimited emails and newslettersAudience tagging and segmentationSell digital productsNewsletter feed and website

Having a podcast is one of the easiest ways to get your professional brand off the bleachers and starting on the varsity team. The truth is, anyone who has a podcast and an engaged professional audience is only a couple steps away from being a keynote speaker and not only a keynote speaker - a paid keynote speaker.