Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast with Courtney Elmer | Podcasting Strategy for Business Growth

The Guest Booking Strategy That Saves You From Boring Guests

Ever finished an interview and thought, “Well, that sucked”? Your audience felt that too — and one boring, rambling guest can make even your most loyal listeners question if they should ever hit play on your show again. But when your guests deliver specific strategies and bold takes they can’t get anywhere else, listeners finish the episode, tell a friend, and trust you more with every listen.We're breaking down why “good on paper” guests don’t guarantee bingeworthy interviews, the four red flags to look for in guest pitches that scream “don’t book me,” and the guest vetting filter you can start using today to make sure every interview earns its place in your feed.So if you’re done booking guests who *look* like a home run (only to yawn through their interview and later air it out of obligation) this episode shows you exactly how to fix it. Hit play and let’s dive in.1:17 – 3 Guest Booking Mistakes That Cost You Listener Trust (and How to Avoid Them)6:35 – Why “Good on Paper” Guests Don’t Guarantee a Bingeworthy Episode8:52 – 4 Red Flags in Guest Pitches That Lead to Forgettable Episodes14:30 – Why Your Guest Prep Needs to Go Deeper Than ChatGPT17:30 – How to Prep First-Time Guests So They Sound Confident22:05 – How to Get Seasoned Guests Off Autopilot (So Your Interviews Stand Out) 📘 My Go-To Books on Leading Better Interviews:Talk to Me by Dean NelsonStop Asking Questions by Andrew Warner Other Episodes You’ll Love:The 3 Biggest Reasons Your Listeners Tune Out During Your Guest EpisodesHow to Lead Guest Interviews That Make Listeners Want to Binge Your Show  → This episode was recorded on the Deity VO-7USupport the showLiked this episode? Share it with a fellow podcaster! Love this show? Say thanks by leaving a positive review.Register for Courtney's Free Podcasting Workshop: How to 10x Your Business with a Podcast in 2025Schedule a 1:1 Podcasting Audit with Courtney. Curious about PodLaunch®? Book a Demo to see if our podcasting mentorship is the right fit for you and get the podcasting advice you need to grow your show. Connect with Courtney: Linked In | Instagram | PodLaunch HQ ©Ⓟ 2018–2025 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

Fix My Pod | Not Getting Listens? It Could Be Your Episode Titles

You’ve done everything the podcasting experts say to do: publish weekly, stay consistent, share on social. Maybe you’ve even changed your cover art, rewritten your description, or tested a new format. But the listens STILL aren’t coming (and you’re low-key resenting how much time you’ve spent talking to an empty room.)Most podcasters think it’s a marketing problem. But more often, it’s messaging — starting with your episode titles. And the longer you misdiagnose it, the longer your podcast stays invisible while someone with half your expertise gets the clicks. In this Fix My Pod session, I help Jennifer Avila, host of Wholesome TV Picks, spot why her dream listeners weren’t hitting play — and how a few small title tweaks can help your podcast get discovered, opened, and actually listened to.So if you don’t want to spend another hour crafting episodes no one hears or talks about, hit play and let’s dive in.6:25 – The Episode Title Mistake That Separates Boring Titles From Bingeworthy Ones7:10 – Short or Long? How to Choose a Title That Stops the Scroll8:40 – The One Element That Makes Titles Instantly Clickable14:08 – What Search-Friendly Podcast Titles Actually Look Like15:22 – The No-BS Test That Tells You If Your Episode Title Will Get Clicks16:20 – Why Colons and Numbers in Your Titles Might Be Costing You Listens Episode Links:Grab the exact Bingeworthy Episode Title Cheat Sheet we use to write titles that rank and convert.  Other Episodes You’ll Love:The Psychology Behind Bingeworthy Episode Titles  → This episode was recorded on the Deity VO-7U Support the showLiked this episode? Share it with a fellow podcaster! Love this show? Say thanks by leaving a positive review.Register for Courtney's Free Podcasting Workshop: How to 10x Your Business with a Podcast in 2025Schedule a 1:1 Podcasting Audit with Courtney. Curious about PodLaunch®? Book a Demo to see if our podcasting mentorship is the right fit for you and get the podcasting advice you need to grow your show. Connect with Courtney: Linked In | Instagram | PodLaunch HQ ©Ⓟ 2018–2025 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

Why Your Social Posts Aren’t Driving Podcast Growth

If you’re tired of posting content to social media trying to grow your podcast only to get four likes and no new downloads—the problem isn’t the algorithm. The problem is that you’re expecting social to drive podcast growth instead of letting your podcast drive your social strategy.That's because social isn’t where people go to discover your podcast. It’s where they decide if they trust you enough to listen to your show in the first place. That's why in this episode, I'll show you how to reverse-engineer your social media strategy, using your podcast as the engine behind scroll-stopping short-form content that builds trust, keeps you visible, and shortens the path to sales.So if you're ready to build an online presence that reinforces your podcast *and* the bigger message you’re here to share, hit play and let's dive in.1:12 – Why Your Podcast Clips Get Ignored (Even When the Episode’s Good)4:05 – Why Likes Won't Always Lead to New Listeners6:20 – How to Turn One Episode Into 5 Posts That Build Trust15:48 – The One Thing Every Social Post Needs to Drive Clicks to Your Podcast18:10 – What Connor Price Gets Right About Content that Converts Episode Links:@ConnorPrice Other Episodes You’ll Love:Why Content Repurposing Doesn’t Work—and What to Do InsteadHow Much Should You Actually Teach Inside Your Podcast Episodes?  → This episode was recorded on the Deity VO-7USupport the showLiked this episode? Share it with a fellow podcaster! Love this show? Say thanks by leaving a positive review.Register for Courtney's Free Podcasting Workshop: How to 10x Your Business with a Podcast in 2025Schedule a 1:1 Podcasting Audit with Courtney. Curious about PodLaunch®? Book a Demo to see if our podcasting mentorship is the right fit for you and get the podcasting advice you need to grow your show. Connect with Courtney: Linked In | Instagram | PodLaunch HQ ©Ⓟ 2018–2025 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

How to Position Your Podcast So People Want to Work With You | Cheryl Fischer

If you’ve ever thought, “My content’s so good—so why aren’t more people listening?”  the problem might not be your content at all. It might be what your podcast is saying about you before people ever hit play (and what you’re saying once they do). Because even if your episodes are packed with value, if your show doesn’t clearly signal why people should pick your show out of hundreds of others they could listen to, the right listeners will scroll right past it.That’s exactly what was happening for Cheryl Fischer, too. In this episode, you’ll hear how she went from doing everything “right” but still not seeing results, to rebranding her show in a way that finally got the right listeners tuning in, reaching out, and seeing her as the expert they wanted to work with.So if you're ready to stop blending in and uncover the messaging gaps that are keeping the right listeners from hitting play, sharing your episodes, and emailing you asking, “How can I work with you?”—hit play and let’s dive in.1:18 – Why Great Content Isn’t Enough to Get Listeners Choosing Your Show3:40 – The Hidden Messaging Gaps That Could Be Keeping People From Hitting Play6:25 – Why Effort Spent on Your Podcast Doesn’t Always Equal Traction8:04 – How to Niche Down Without Losing the Listeners Who Matter9:52 – The Message Shift That Gets Listeners Engaging Instead of Scrolling Past16:44 – The Signs Your Podcast Is Finally Reaching the Right People Episode Links:Check out Cheryl Fischer’s podcast: Mind Your MidlifeConnect with Cheryl: Website | LinkedIn Other Episodes You’ll Love:How to Make Your Podcast Worth Every Second You Spend on ItBoring Podcasts Get Ignored. Fix THIS. → This episode was recorded on the Deity VO-7USupport the showLiked this episode? Share it with a fellow podcaster! Love this show? Say thanks by leaving a positive review.Register for Courtney's Free Podcasting Workshop: How to 10x Your Business with a Podcast in 2025Schedule a 1:1 Podcasting Audit with Courtney. Curious about PodLaunch®? Book a Demo to see if our podcasting mentorship is the right fit for you and get the podcasting advice you need to grow your show. Connect with Courtney: Linked In | Instagram | PodLaunch HQ ©Ⓟ 2018–2025 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

Q + A | How Much Should You Actually Teach Inside Your Podcast Episodes?

You’ve been told to make your podcast content “valuable,” but no one ever tells you what that actually means. So you default to teaching step-by-step—hoping that if you give away enough value for free, your inbox will be flooded with messages from people asking how to work with you. But that’s not how it works. Because listeners won’t hire you if they feel like they already got everything they came for. So where’s the line between giving enough and giving too much? How much can you share on your podcast without hurting conversions? And if you don’t have a business yet (or you're still figuring out how to monetize), how do you stay top of mind without giving so much away that there's nothing left to sell?In this episode, I’m showing you how to keep your content genuinely helpful and intentionally designed to move listeners closer to working with you. If you’re ready to stay out of the “free coach” zone and build real demand for your work without overwhelming your audience or undercutting your value, hit play and let’s dive in.0:58 – What “Valuable Content” Actually Means (And Why Most Podcasters Get It Wrong)3:22 – The Subtle Way You’re Training Your Audience Not to Hire You8:10 – A Simple Test to Know If You’re Sharing Too Much12:45 – What Listeners Actually Need From Your Episodes18:33 – How to Be Genuinely Helpful Without Turning Your Show Into a Free Advice Library or Undermining Your Paid Work Episode Links:The 5 Podcasting Metrics No One's Teaching (That Actually Tell You If Your Show is Growing)How to Hit the Top 5 in Apple and Spotify Search ResultsThe Exact SEO Keywords You Need to Get Your Podcast Found Other Episodes You’ll Love:Steal My High-Converting Episode Framework  → This episode was recorded on the Deity VO-7USupport the showLiked this episode? Share it with a fellow podcaster! Love this show? Say thanks by leaving a positive review.Register for Courtney's Free Podcasting Workshop: How to 10x Your Business with a Podcast in 2025Schedule a 1:1 Podcasting Audit with Courtney. Curious about PodLaunch®? Book a Demo to see if our podcasting mentorship is the right fit for you and get the podcasting advice you need to grow your show. Connect with Courtney: Linked In | Instagram | PodLaunch HQ ©Ⓟ 2018–2025 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.