A Few Reasons Your Podcast Downloads Might Be Down

Hey Friend!

Today we are going to be talking about why your podcast downloads might be lower than usual, why you’re seeing a slump in your downloads and not an increase, or why your downloads might be heading in the wrong direction. If you have not yet experienced podcast downloads being down for one, two, three or even more months, get ready to weather it because that storm is definitely going to come at some point in your podcasting journey.

This experience is inevitable because there are always going to be readjustments that you need to make. There are always going to be these pause points where you need to do a little bit of optimization on the show. But that is exactly what we are going to talk about today. Why would it be down? When do I need to worry? And when do I not need to worry?

Felicia’s Testimony – A Successful Launch with Great Podcast Downloads

Hey, my name is Felicia Hermle. I have a podcast called Sobriety Checkpoint about emotional health for parents in recovery. I launched my podcast at the end of April 2023 and I am already ranking in the top two and a half percent globally. I had a huge win in July. My downloads doubled from the previous month and I had 1000 downloads that month. I attribute the success at the start of my podcast to Podcast to Profit and Stef Gass.

So, thank you so much, Stefanie, for what you are doing. And I’m really looking forward to continuing watching my podcast grow because of what I’m learning in this program. Thanks again.

From No Podcast to a Successful, Thriving Business

Felicia, congratulations! I am so happy for you. I’m so here for your mission. And I’m just super, super proud of you for all your hard work.

Friend, if you, like Felicia, want to launch a podcast into the world successfully so that you can grow an audience in an easier way, then I invite you to come and get started in Podcast Pro University where you will follow my 12-step course in getting your podcast launched in 30 days or less.

Or if you already have a show, you can come and apply for Podcast to Profit which Felicia is in as are lots of the amazing students you hear from and about on this podcast. Podcast to Profit is where you get coaching time with me and it’s where we really go from ‘My podcast is launched. Now what?’ to ‘My podcast is optimized. It is growing and thriving and ranking. It is visible. It is actually set up for success.’

When you come out of Podcast to Profit, you will have a coaching offer. We will have created a course together. You will know how to sell and market and what your website should look like and what your email marketing should include. The six-month program has got all of those components and more. You can find out more about this program at podcasttoprofitmastermind.com. Come and apply and get started right away.

The Question About Podcast Downloads

For now, I wanted to answer a question from Allison Jordan, the host of The Better Belly podcast. Allison is a Podcast to Profit alumni who brought this question about her podcast downloads to a live Q&A session recently.  She expressed various concerns in her question that I will answer today.

Allison: I’m not growing phenomenally fast in terms of listens and new listeners so I’m just trying to do some strategy on where the breakdown might be.

I’ve been at the 5000 downloads per month marker since 2022. In May this year, I had a 6000-download month. June went back to 5000 downloads. In July, I went down to 4000. And August is looking good, back to the 6000. But it’s not phenomenal. I don’t know if it’s sustained growth yet.

I’m happy to just keep going but in my mind, I’ve systemized a lot of things. I have more time. I’m focusing on some really cool stuff like podcast guesting and systemizing etc. But I’m just wondering why, if my SEO was actually really good, I would be floating around this same number and not growing?

Thank you, Allison, for bringing this question to me. I am excited to answer it and give you all some clarity on this.

Allow for Readjustment Time When You are Considering Podcast Downloads

First of all, when it comes to metrics we want to consider that any time we make a change, we are going to see an adjustment phase. At a minimum, this phase is going to last 30 days. If you make a really big pivot or a really deep niche in, it could be much longer. Mine took 12 months. This readjustment period is going to happen. And this period is all about giving people time to get used to the new messaging and marketing that you’ve just put out. Any time we niche down we have some new messaging and new marketing and it takes our listeners time to get used to this.

We will have some natural attrition too, because we’re going to be willing to not serve everyone so that we can serve the right people well. This is going to help them have a much bigger breakthrough. And it’s going to help you grow your conversion rate much more and help you get really well known for something specific.

So, you have got to get comfortable with the readjustment period. No, let me rephrase that! You have to weather the readjustment period. You may not like it. It’s probably not going to feel comfortable. Many of my students in Podcast to Profit have had to adjust and readjust their show. We have rebranded. We have done some fixing with their messaging and marketing and then they have seen the growth happen.

Breakthrough Can Come After the Adjustment Period

For me, it was 14 months of adjustment. And then it exploded. I was just unapologetic and I kept pressing in. I kept pressing in because I knew that this was it. I knew this was right. I wanted to go back outward again because I was scared. But I didn’t. I stayed really focused on what it was and I didn’t waver and then it exploded.  

Give people some time. It takes us time. Think of this example. The first time that you hear about your best friend’s favorite new workout clothes, you think ‘Oh, cool’. And then she keeps telling you that they are so good and you think ‘I’m not paying $80 for those pants’ but she keeps telling you how amazing and breathable they are! Then she wears the pants. She comes over with them on and she talks about them and eventually you try on the pants. It takes a while for us to even hear the message in the first place let alone try on the thing! So, the readjustment period is normal.

Podcast Downloads vs Sales

I have a friend who has had 2 million downloads of her podcast. She is killing it. She’ll have these huge breakout months of brand-new listeners and her show continues to grow. But what’s happening for her is they’re not actually buying. She sees this big growth in consumption, but struggles to have them buy.

In my case, my podcast looks like Allison’s metrics of podcast downloads. There will be months of 40 000 downloads, then 50 000, then 30 000, then 45 000. But my revenue continues to blow up. So, what happens for me is that people come to the podcast and they buy. They may stop listening at such a high consumption because they are actually buying which is the job of the podcast.

Are You Making Sales Off Your Podcast?

While we like to see our podcast downloads at least hold and yes, grow a bit, the question I would have for you is are you making sales off your podcast? Because I know that if this is happening, then your podcast is doing what it is supposed to be doing. Keep this in mind as you scale. Your buyers often don’t listen at such an intensity as your brand-new listeners do.

I kept feeling like such a failure when I was comparing myself to my friend and her download numbers.  I wondered why my show wasn’t growing. But she reminded me that I was making a lot more money than she was and it then clicked that my people were buying and so they were pulling out of the listenership. If this is happening, it is normal and you are exactly where you are supposed to be.

Get Your Question Aired on The Stefanie Gass Show

I hope that you have enjoyed learning from my answers to Allison’s questions today. If you have a question for me, go to stefaniegass.com/thepodcast, scroll down and leave your question on the page. There is an orange button that says Leave Your Question and you can click on it and record it. Maybe your question will get featured here on the podcast!

Increase Podcast Downloads and Sales by Joining Podcast to Profit

Or you can join me in Podcast to Profit, my mastermind program for podcasters, where we have biweekly live coaching sessions where you can ask questions around whatever it is you need help with whether this be about your course, your coaching offer, the optimization of your show, its copy, messaging, pitching etc.

I am there to help you strategize and execute. I have got a team who is there to help you. It is absolutely amazing and you are going to love it!

I pray this blesses you!

Xo,

Stef

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