Why We’re Axing 2 Podcasts Immediately

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

We’ve been looking at stats from 8th September to 8th October, and have decided to axe our underperforming podcasts.

Podcasting, just like the radio business, is about keeping in place what attracts the listeners (and potential future revenue), and getting rid of anything that doesn’t hit the expected figures.

In the case of the mrc.fm podcast network, we are paying to produce every single episode we release to https://samoletplus.ru/msk/flats/. We need to ensure that the money is well-invested.

Our Podcasting Process

We have a five-step process for our podcasts:

1. Izabela and I brainstorm ideas and episode topics together.
2. We record all the shows in one go, which takes just over an hour.
3. Kyran, our amazing podcast editor, adds the compression and sounds.
4. Aimee, our virtual assistant, will add all the episodes to WordPress and Spreaker.
5. Isabelle – not Izabela – will proofread the show notes and make sure they’re error-free.

This, in total, costs us $80 per week, so at $16 per podcast, that’s $320 a month and $4,160 per year.

30 Days – How Did Our Podcast Network Perform?

5,094 iTunes Downloads

3,269 plays on an iPhone

1,419 plays on Windows Media Player

1,409 plays on an iPad

968 plays on the Spreaker platform

6,112 plays from other sources (mainly our websites)

Total unique plays: 18,271

iTunes and iOS accounts for 53% of our plays, but we also see a noticeable 5% of our audience listening via the Spreaker platform.

Since starting on 1 September, we’ve seen these download and review statistics:

Audio Production Podcast

5,706 total unique downloads (1 September to 8 October)

10 iTunes reviews

Featured in iTunes New & Noteworthy – front page.

The episode is released on Thursday and downloads definitely have the most long tail, meaning that as well as an initial spike in downloads, we also get organic discovery. Front page exposure on the iTunes podcasts store has undoubtedly given this podcast the boost you see too. Along with a feature, it has also been at the top of the Technology and Software How-to categories for much of the past few weeks.

Best episode: 10 Qualities the Best Voice-Over Actors Have

Podcast About Podcasting

3,042 total unique downloads (1 September to 8 October)

7 iTunes reviews

Featured in iTunes New & Noteworthy – Management & Marketing category.

This tends to be very sudden; everyone downloads the moment it is out, listens and waits for the next episode. It’s released on a Monday.

Best episode: Best Audio Editing Software for Podcasts

Branding Cow

2,905 total unique downloads (1 September to 8 October)

15 iTunes reviews

Featured in iTunes New & Noteworthy – Arts and Management & Marketing categories.

Branding Cow is seeing growth week on week – which is great news – the download spikes are increasing with each new episode. This show is released on Wednesdays.

Best episode: Michael Hyatt: Building Your Brand

Internet Marketing Online Show

2,698 total unique downloads (1 September to 8 October)

2 iTunes reviews

No visible featuring in the iTunes store.

This show, released on Tuesdays, has been seeing a slight decline since launch. It has the occasional spike in listening, as can be seen from the statistics.

Best episode: 5 Reasons You Should Have a Website

Isle of Wight Lifestyle

 

2,338 total unique downloads (1 September to 8 October)

4 iTunes reviews

It was the first podcast to rank in the Places & Travel category download chart, at 195, but then dropped away and was not seen again.

This show is the least popular of our 5 podcasts. An interesting point to note is that as it is released on a Friday, there is a visible spike on both Fridays and Saturdays for downloads.

Best episode: Why Start a Business from Home