Question

[Wrightroad]

I posted this about a month back in another forum but only got limited response, I thought this might be a better place to repost it

Our podcast is about 5 months old and we usually have between 15,000 to 30,000 downloads per month. My question for the group is, is that good? and also, how does a podcast go about getting rated on the top podcast websites.

Our listener base is mainly people who don't listen to other podcasts and because of that we don't have a lot of other podcasters who know about us.

So I guess, other then the two above questions, also feel free to listen to the show and let us know what you think: www.wrightroadradio.com (http://www.wrightroadradio.com/)

Also, what have been the most successful ways of getting sponsors for podcasts?

[WyethDigital]

I remember the post. I guess I'm not seeing the answers you failed to get. What question specifically wasn't answered the last time?

Eric

[WyethDigital]

I guess if you were looking for more kudos for your numbers, then I suppose the post response might have seemed disappointing, but those are about average for a reasonably popular podcast. If you're as concerned about building your numbers as you say, then I'd quit worrying about the response to your old post, and find some issues more directly related to your current circumstances (hey, you asked).

The only thing about your numbers that should give you pause is your stated variation (between 15,000 and 30,000 downloads per month). That's a pretty huge variation, and one that would make me question my stats a bit. I'm not sure how podcast oriented Switchpod's stats are, but I'd consider using FeedBurner for your RSS.

If you want a better ranking in iTunes, or more subscribers in general, move those RSS and iTunes buttons to the top quarter of your page instead of leaving them hanging off the bottom as they are.

Eric

[Barefoot Radio.com]

If you want sponsors in podcasting, develop a show that is demographically as solid as can be. Niche podcasts, properly executed, have more potential to make bank.

You don't need to be ranked in a site like PCA to have a success story in podcasting.

[Wrightroad]

I guess if you were looking for more kudos for your numbers, then I suppose the post response might have seemed disappointing, but those are about average for a reasonably popular podcast.
Eric

i understand how my motives might have seemed, well, less then honorable, but that was not my attention.

Thanks for your reply, that was what I was looking for. I had tried most of the ideas given to me before, except the "one minute how to". More then anything I just wanted to get an idea of what other podcasters are doing to grow numbers, being new to this and not being involved in any podcast communities until recently, we have just been figuring it out on our own, but why reinvent the wheel. LOL. Mainly we have been going the myspace route and inviting people to listen to the show. That is really all the promotion we have done. I know we could and should be doing more. Thanks again for your reply, it really is a help.

As for the average I listed, that was a growing number, not a fluxing one.

Damon

[WyethDigital]

I didn't mean to imply that your motives were not honorable, just that I wouldn't fixate on that one question. Too many dwell on numbers, and there's an argument to be made that you should -- hell, we've been checking our podcast's numbers and rankings whenever we can because we're on iTunes' front page right now.

The thing is, you need to look at the numbers for the right reasons, not just because you're excited about them. We're watching ours closely because we don't want to run out of bandwidth.

You've take a good first step in increasing your numbers, which is joining another community. Another step is to make a promo. Make swaps and trades for them. Call comment lines of other podcasts, read emails or play voice mails "on-air."

Eric