How to Make Your Podcast A Medium Article - The Podcast Report

Benjamin Hardy the #1 writer on Medium is here today. It makes sense to put your written content where people already are. I've always said making people come to your blog in the world of syndication, publication, subscription, and podcasting is a little bit arrogant. I've also talked about repurposing your content. Medium is currently an interesting opportunity. Today, we talk about putting your podcast on Medium.

Medium is doing incredible numbers when it comes to search ability, and it's worth taking a look at. Benjamin Hardy's writing focuses on self-improvement, motivation, and entrepreneurship. He is also getting his PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. His research focuses on the difference between want to be entrepreneurs and actual entrepreneurs or dreamers versus doers.

Tip of the Week:

You know what's better than your audience immediately enjoying your podcast? A podcast you created several years ago being enjoyed by new listeners. Some podcasters don't think about the long-term. Every week, more stuff from the back catalog is being downloaded. When you plan your podcast, make a podcast that will be even more valuable as time goes by.

How to Make Your Podcast a Medium Article:

• [04:48] Benjamin is one of the more approachable and unassuming gurus that I have met in a long time.
• [05:17] Medium is a repository of articles. It's getting bigger and more strategic.
• [06:04] Benjamin gets about a million clicks on his medium account every month. Clicks and reads are tracked, so you can optimize your articles for people going through your content.  This translates to about 25,000 new email opt-ins a month, and Benjamin now has 320,000 subscribers.
• [06:55] This also led to Benjamin getting his first book contract and $220,000 for Willpower Doesn't Work. He now has a seven-figure income all from Medium.com.
• [07:43] Text the word Medium to 5039668066 to get this episode's Medium article and a quick outline based on what Ben teaches.
• [08:31] Ben has learned how to write viral headlines. He took Jon Morrow's guest blogging course and learned how to write headlines.  He creates clickable headlines and structures the article in a way that it looks interesting with subheadings and short paragraphs. If subheadings are interesting and powerful people are likely to read the article.
• [10:02] Ben's three keys to good writing. You have to be a clear and intentional communicator. The writing has to be very emotional. Hit people in the head as well as the heart. Back everything up with science and experts.
• [11:55] Knowing the structure, getting people in, and writing it powerfully are what makes good writing to Ben.
• [13:13] Paul and Ben create a sample article for medium about turning a podcast into a medium article. Find a purpose such as to inspire people to read your article and to subscribe to your email list.
• [14:37] List the top five reasons why people are missing out if they are not turning their podcast in 2 medium articles.
• [14:47] These reasons need to be compelling and highlight the opportunity cost and gain. Then back everything up with stats.
• [15:30] Headlines need to be extremely emotional.
• [16:27] Hit the why such as what podcasters want.
• [17:13] Focus on their aspirations and pain.
• [18:06] If you publish an article and it doesn't do well why wouldn't you republish it again with a different title. Try republishing at the next day or week later.
• [18:53] The internet is like a river you never see the same water twice.
• [20:15] Why wouldn't you republish a podcast episode?
• [22:53] People should republish podcasts with new titles.
• [23:19] Ben went from 1500 email signups to 5000 a month with the same amount of traffic by switching from a call-to-action that said to go to his website to a call-to-action that sent readers to a landing page.
• [23:55] Websites are distraction heavy.
• [24:26] Then Ben switched from an ebook to a checklist, and he went from 5000 email sign-ups to 20,000 email sign-ups a month.
• [25:33] Create small easy condensed freebies and send people to a landing page never a website.
• [25:54] Your checklist needs to be results-focused.
• [27:18] Ben wants to be a good artist and a good business person. He is learning the business side of things, so he can succeed in both worlds.
• [28:41] Organic traffic isn't enough if you want to be a business person you still need to learn how to sell. Be brilliant at what you do but spend the energy becoming a good salesman.
• [30:22] Starving artist focus on the craft, but they can't sell. And then there are people focused on the sale, but they are selling crap.
• [30:39] Sell because you really believe in what you are doing but don't stop getting better at what you do.
• [30:54] Willpower doesn't work is a self-improvement book. Becoming a foster parent changed Ben's life. The external pressure forced him to think hard and to take action and start writing.
• [32:33] How we rise and fall to the demands of our situation, and if our situation doesn't demand much of us we're not going to show up and do much.
• [32:46] The fundamental attribution. Putting all of our focus on ourselves.  The environment shapes the individual. You can do greater things if your situation demands you to do it.
• [33:21] The book is about shaping situations and environments that force you to achieve.
• [33:37] Who we are is determined by the environment that we are in, and we have the ability to shape that environment and create our situations and transform ourselves into who we want to be.
• [35:00] When you look at a person's life they are a product of their environment.

Links and Resources:

• Podcast App Worksheet
  Text the word Medium to 5039668066 to get this episodes Medium article
• Cal Newport
• Medium
• Benjamin P. Hardy Medium
• Benjamin Hardy
• Willpower Doesn't Work
• Joe Polish Genius Network
• Jon Morrow
• Will Durant

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