Are You Losing Listeners?

Hey, Podcasters!

It's easy to assume your podcast grows because you publish consistently, improve your audio, or spend more time promoting each episode.

But what if your biggest growth opportunities were decided long before someone ever pressed play?

This week on Buzzcast, Jordan is joined by podcast strategist Courtney Elmer to talk about the small decisions that shape how new listeners discover your show. 

They walk through the five "gatekeepers" every podcast has: your cover art, podcast name, description, episode titles, and show notes, and explain how each one influences whether someone listens or keeps scrolling.

One idea that really stood out to me is that podcast metrics are a trailing indicator. Instead of obsessing over downloads, Courtney encourages podcasters to focus on the decisions that drive listener behavior in the first place. It's a refreshing way to think about growth, especially if your show has been around for a while.

The episode is full of practical examples, and Jordan even puts Buzzcast through the framework live, making it easy to apply the same ideas to your own show!

If you've ever looked at your podcast and wondered, "What's the next thing I should improve?" this episode is a great place to start!

Listen to Buzzcast

New to Buzzsprout?
Join us today at 1 pm EST for a ​Buzzsprout Orientation​ hosted by our Podcaster Success Team. We'll walk you through your Buzzsprout account and help you prepare for a successful podcast launch! 

Sign up for Orientation

One quick favor before you go!
The podcasting community is helping shape the Podcast Movement 2026 schedule, and we'd love your support! If you'd like to see the Buzzsprout team on stage this year, we'd be grateful if you voted for our sessions below:

• ​Vote for Jordan's Talk on Getting Listeners to Do What You Ask ​ 

• ​Vote for Alban's Talk on Audio, Video, or Both?​ 

• ​Vote for Tom's Talk on Podcast Stats​

Transcript

Are You Losing Listeners?

Megan 0:00

Hey podcasters, I'm Megan, and this is Buzzsprout Weekly. It's easy to assume your podcast grows because you publish consistently, or you've improved your audio, or you even spend more time promoting each episode. But what if your biggest growth opportunities were decided long before someone ever pressed play? This week on Buzzcast, Jordan is joined by podcast strategist Courtney Elmer to talk about the small decisions that shape how new listeners discover your show. They walk through the five gatekeepers every podcast has: your cover art, podcast name, description, episode titles, and show notes, and explain how each one of those influences whether someone listens or keeps scrolling. One idea that really stood out to me is that podcast metrics are a trailing indicator. Instead of obsessing over downloads, Courtney encourages podcasters to focus on the decisions that drive listener behavior in the first place. It's a refreshing way to think about growth, especially if your show has been around for a while. This episode is full of practical examples. And Jordan even puts Buzzcast through the framework live, making it easy to apply the same ideas to your own show. If you've ever looked at your podcast and wondered, what's the next thing I should improve? This episode is a great place to start. You can check the link in our show notes to listen.

New to Buzzsprout?

Megan 1:22

And are you new to Buzzsprout? Join us today at 1 p.m. Eastern for a Buzzsprout orientation hosted by our Podcaster Success Team. We'll walk you through your Buzzsprout account and help you prepare for a successful podcast launch. You can sign up for our orientation using the link in the show notes.

Vote For Podcast Movement Sessions

Megan 1:39

And one quick favor before you go: the podcasting community is helping shape the Podcast Movement 2026 schedule, and we'd love your support. If you'd like to see the Buzzsprout team on stage this year, we'd be so grateful if you voted for one of our sessions. We'll have links to all three of our sessions listed in the show notes so you can vote for them there. Alright, that's all for this week. Until next week, keep podcasting.