Evo Terra

Podcasting’s philosopher. Professional contrarian. On a mission to make podcasting better.

Embracing Change

You Have Reached The End of Podcast Pontifications

Not so long ago, it was possible to talk about the future of podcasting in relevant terms for every podcaster. But podcasting has evolved beyond those simpler times. So what do we do in these more complex times?

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Monetization Efforts

How Can Podcasters Make Podcast Advertising Better?

The podcast advertising business is once again taking it on the chin, blasted from inside the industry and out. What can podcasters and podcast listeners do about it?

Something new from Evo: The End

I've been working on a little project for a while, and it's time to let you know about it. Yes, it's podcasting. But a different side of podcasting that I'm trying to make better.

Perspective Shifts

2023: The Year Podcasting Has To Pay

Podcasting managed to survive a going-on-three-year global pandemic. But the podcasting industry is starting to feel those economic realities finally catching up to us. That won't end soon.

Metrics That Matter

Podcasting's Lack Of Blockbuster Hits Is A Feature, Not A Bug

If the majority of the world isn't talking about one single must-listen podcast, the industry is dead. Right? Wrong. So very, very wrong. Here's why this mythical success metric needs to die.

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Quality Matters

Making Complex Podcast Tech Disappear With Alitu

Podcasting should be made better, not just easier! That's the motto I started this show with. And I still stand by it! But a lot has happened in five years. What if making it easier to podcast also made it better?

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Future-Forward Thinking

Podcast Conferences, Cancel Culture, & Human Dignity

Large podcast conferences are at a crossroads, with the podcasting community wondering how next year's conferences and beyond will be reshaped by the winds of change. Here are three possible futures.

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Listener Experience

How Podcasting Can Encourage The Podcast Listening Habit

Podcasting is like crack for your ears, many have said. Listen once, and they're hooked for life, right? Well... wrong. What do we need to do—as podcasters and an industry—to help build listening habits?

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Perspective Shifts

Getting Past Your Personal Podcasting Humps

It's almost impossible to make a good podcast without listening to great podcasts. But it probably takes more than listening to get from good to great. The secret is learning those not-hidden secrets.

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Perspective Shifts

Avoiding The Perils Of Un-aligned Podcast Advice

Finding advice on how to make your podcast better is easy. Knowing what advice to take and what to ignore is trickier. Before implementing any advice, take a close look at the agenda behind that advice.

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Content Strategy

How Podcasters Can Generate Great Ideas For Social Media Posts

Posting about your podcast on social media without posting ONLY about your podcast can be exhausting. I can't fix that, but I can give you 10 questions to ask yourself that make for great social post ideas.

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Future-Forward Thinking

In The Future, Podcast Discoverability Will Be Specialized

Podcast discovery isn't broken. It's just not one thing. And it gets a lot easier to improve podcast discoverability when a podcast listening app specializes in just one type of content. So... how's that going?

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Content Strategy

5 New Reasons To Write Better Podcast Show Notes

Too many podcasters skip a key step when publishing: the episode details. Or show notes, as you've likely called them. This helpful text isn't optional. It's required. And I'll give you five new reasons why.

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Content Strategy

Changing The Minds Of Non-Podcast Listeners One IHNI At A Time

Podcasters have a lot of jobs. One we don't often think of is being ambassadors for podcasting. But it's an important job if we're to grow the entire podcasting pie. Start by having some IHNIs at the ready.

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Content Strategy

Breaking Free Of The Podcast Sandwich Paradigm

Listening to podcasts is like eating a submarine sandwich. Making a podcast is like making a submarine sandwich. But too many podcasters try to make one like they eat one. Let's fix that.

Growing Your Podcast

Podcast Growth & Monetization With Buzzsprout Ads

Growth and monetization are at the top of every podcaster's wish list. At least every podcaster who's yet to achieve those two things. Or perhaps not at the level said podcaster is happy with for their own show.

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Future-Forward Thinking

3 Podcasting Trends To Take You Beyond 2023

Politicians get in trouble for flip-flopping on issues. But for podcasters, changing opinions and approaches is a survival tactic. Think about these three questions over the next few months to prep your show for 2023 & beyond.

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Monetization Efforts

Creative Ways To Get More Ad Dollars For Your Smaller Podcast

Big Podcasting seems almost designed to collect advertising dollars, with very little left for small to mid-sized podcasts. Rather than fighting for table scraps, maybe the narrative needs to be changed.

Growing Your Podcast

Can You Still Make A Really Big Podcast In 2022?

Today's podcast landscape is busy. So is it still possible to grow a really big podcast? Yes, but you can't rely on just good content and luck. You have to address these five realities. (And get a little lucky.)

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Perspective Shifts

Podcasting: Too Diverse To Fail?

The next few months are looking pretty rough for podcasting. And just about every other industry. Historically, podcasting has proven itself to be rather resilient. But there are lean times ahead. Are you prepared?

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Future-Forward Thinking

Big Tech Doesn't Care About Your Podcast

Big tech provided podcasting's first shot in the arm in the early days. In fact, big tech often provided the catalyst for several inflection points in podcasting's history. But recently, the tide seems to be shifting.

Monetization Efforts

Host-Read Podcast Ads Aren't Always The Right Answer

Everyone agrees that pre-produced, lifted-from-radio ads suck on podcasts, and that host-read ads are the clear winner. But is that true for every podcast? More importantly, is it true for your podcast?

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If You Work In The Business Of Podcasting, You Need A Podcast

Podcasting's purveyors of picks and shovels—the myriad service providers that make our space an actual industry—are filled with smart people. But smarts only gets you so far. What's needed is experience.

Growing Your Podcast

The Ugly Math Of Podcast Cross-Promotion

Fishing where the fish are is a solid strategy, so using similar podcasts to promote your podcast is obviously a good idea, right? You bet! But like any marketing effort, what you put in determines what you get out.

Evo Terra's Podcast Hall of Fame Speech (For Good!)

One of the ways we make podcasting better is by holding the people who work in podcasting accountable for doing better. I'm using my induction into the Podcast Hall of Fame to shine more light on that.