This week, I'm focused. So, therefore, the conversation is all about being focused.

Specifically, I'm going to bring forth some ideas bring getting better focus to your podcast. Tips I gathered mostly from the last week when I was at Podfest in Orlando, which was my first time being at the event. I have to say this about Podfest: Hands down an amazing event. Thank you very much to the organizers for bringing me out and out. You probably should make plans to go attend pod fest 2020. Lots of excellent information at the show and some of that information this year had to do with focus.

Get Focused to Improve Your Podcast

Specifically, focus on collaboration to build your audience. Because you're not part of a big network and it's hard for you to grow your audience without a big network behind you.

The reason that the top 10 shows in the charts are all from big companies most of the time is because of something called "the network effect". The network effect means comes from an actual network of other shows working together to elevate a brand new -- or perhaps re-launched -- program to the top of the charts. That's hard for you to do because you are not part of a big podcasting network.

But thanks very much to my friend Dave Zohrob at Chartable, there is a way. His presentation was all about this, drawn heavily from an episode of his program -- Chartable Radio. -- with Multitude Productions' Amanda McLoughlin.

Creating the DIY Network Effect

Amanda refers to this as the "DIY Network Effect". You're trying to replicate that effect by building out your own collaborative network. A network that exists so other like-minded shows can collaborate, share, and help a new show flourish.

Unlike a "real" network, the DIY Network Effect doesn't share resources. (You could if you wanted to.) The idea to get audience growth for a highly-focused, niche-appeal show. Candidly, your show is not something that the masses want to hear. The masses who listen to audio drama, or the masses who listen to random interviews, or even the masses who listen to funny comedy shows. Getting shows that do appeal to those audiences to mention your show is hard. Worse, all of that exposure isn't going to help grow your show. At least not in the same way it benefits the mass-appeal shows that do get mentions on the big networks. Those shows all have a focus and a theme. And your focus and your theme for your show are different.

So that's what you're going to do as well. You may not break into the Top 10 All-Time charts anytime soon. But you can definitely increase your audience. I've seen it time and time again by utilizing this focused network approach. Here's how you do it.

From Discovery To Collaboration

It starts by finding somebody you can collaborate with. One of the best ways to do that is to... well, go search. Yes, we know that search in podcast directories is terrible. But it's what we have to work with. That's step one: go search and discover other shows that talk about the same things you talk about on your show. Get a list five, 10, 20... whatever number you can come up with. The more the merrier, because not all of them are going to say "yes" to this idea.

Listening to those shows -- at least one episode fully -- is required. And make sure put your critical-thinking hat on as you do. Step from outside of your normal comfort zone and think as if you were a listener of your own show. Then ask yourself: Is this the kind of content I would be willing to share with my audience? It is similar? It is complementary? If it's not: cross that one...