Jeff Bullas

Those video messages are a surprisingly powerful tool when used correctly.

Short Answer: Video messages are best used for creating a sense of authenticity and personal connection, serving as a spontaneous, unedited alternative to highly-produced video content.

Let’s break down where this specific video format fits in with your other content.

The key is to never treat a video message like a traditional, polished video; its power is in its raw, in-the-moment feel. Firstly, compared to a standard, pre-recorded video file, the round video message is a format that signals spontaneity. Use it for authentic “in-the-moment” updates, personal thoughts, or quick reactions that don’t need or warrant a full production. It’s the perfect format for the “quick update from the trail” you mentioned. Secondly, it is an excellent substitute for long text-based messages. When you need to explain something with nuance or emotion, a 60-second video message conveys your tone and personality far more effectively than a block of text, which helps to build a stronger rapport with your audience. Thirdly, while a standard audio message can also add a personal touch, the video message has the crucial advantage of showing your face. This dramatically increases the sense of personal connection and trust. Use this format instead of audio when you want to be as present as possible with your community, such as when making a heartfelt announcement or answering a member’s question directly.

Cheers,

Jeff

Getting your tour dates on-platform is a crucial step for selling tickets.

Short Answer: Spotify does not allow direct entry of tour dates; instead, you must list your text-based event information on a partner platform like Songkick or Bandsintown. Spotify will then automatically sync and display these dates on your profile.

Let’s clarify the process for managing this external content so it displays correctly with your audio.

First, you need to choose an official partner platform to serve as the source for your tour date content; your best options for self-management are Songkick and Bandsintown. You must create an artist account on one of these services and meticulously enter all your event information, including both live and virtual dates, with accurate ticketing links. Once your dates are published on that platform, Spotify’s system will automatically pull the data and list the concerts on your artist profile and within its Live Events feed. There is no need to do anything within Spotify for Artists itself, you just need to ensure the text and link content on your chosen third-party platform is always kept up to date.

Cheers,

Jeff

Using a social feature for a strategic purpose is a clever approach.

Short Answer: The most effective way to use Jam is to host a virtual release party, where you promote the event with visual and text-based content on your socials. This concentrates early streams of your new audio content and generates strong engagement signals for the algorithm.

Let’s focus on the steps to turn this listening feature into a proper promotional event for your audio.

First, you should promote the Jam ahead of time across your social media channels, using strong image and video content to announce the specific date and time, treating it like a real event. When you start the Jam, your new single should be the first piece of audio content in the queue to ensure every participant hears it immediately. You can then encourage fans to add their own songs, creating an interactive experience and a co-curated playlist that deepens their connection to your brand. The data from this concentrated listening activity, particularly the saves and queue-adds of your new audio file within the first 24 hours, sends a powerful positive signal to Spotify’s algorithm. You can even save the final queue as a public playlist, creating a new piece of text and audio content that serves as a souvenir of the event.

Cheers,

Jeff

This is one of the most powerful organic marketing tools at your disposal.

Short Answer: Your show notes should be a structured resource that includes a keyword-rich summary, key takeaways, timestamps, and relevant links to serve both search engines and your listeners.

Well-crafted show notes transform a passive listening experience into an interactive and searchable piece of content.

An effective format includes four key sections. You should begin with a detailed, keyword-optimised summary of the episode, written like a short blog post to make it discoverable by search engines. The second section should be a scannable list of the main topics or key takeaways, allowing listeners to quickly grasp the episode’s value. The third, and most engaging, component is a timestamped outline, which enables listeners to easily navigate to specific parts of the conversation. Finally, you must include a resources section with links to everything mentioned, guest details, and a clear call-to-action for your audience. A common mistake is ‘keyword stuffing’—jamming your notes with irrelevant keywords. This makes them unreadable for humans and is penalised by Google, defeating the entire purpose.

Cheers,
Jeff

Choosing your hosting is the foundational decision for your entire online presence.

Short Answer: The key factors are performance, support, scalability, and price, which you must weigh against the specific needs of your website.

Thinking about your future needs is just as important as solving for your current ones.

There are four main areas to analyse. The first is the hosting format itself; most beginners start with shared hosting, but you should ensure the provider offers a clear upgrade path to a VPS or cloud format as your traffic grows. The second factor is performance, which means looking for providers that offer fast SSD storage and have a high uptime guarantee, as this is critical for both user experience and SEO. The third, and often overlooked, factor is the quality of technical support; having 24/7 access to knowledgeable help is invaluable when something inevitably goes wrong. The final factor is scalability, which is the ease with which you can upgrade your plan to handle more traffic over time. A common mistake is being lured by an extremely cheap introductory offer without checking the much higher renewal price or the limitations of the plan; that initial ‘bargain’ can become very costly in the long run.

Cheers,
Jeff

A good follow-up question that gets into strategic priorities.

Short Answer: While transcripts are strategically beneficial for almost every podcast, their level of priority can depend on the show’s primary goals and content format.

The question isn’t just “if,” but also “to what extent” and “when” you should implement them.

For information-driven formats like news, interviews, or educational shows, a transcript is a non-negotiable, top-priority asset because of its immense value for both SEO and direct accessibility. For more experiential formats, such as audio dramas or sound-rich storytelling, the strategic calculation shifts slightly. While the SEO benefit may be less direct, the accessibility benefit remains just as critical, ensuring your work is open to the d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. A creator of an audio drama might prioritise sound design in their initial budget, but a transcript should still be a high-priority goal on their production roadmap. Dismissing transcripts entirely because your show is an ‘audio experience’ is a missed opportunity to grow your audience and a failure to serve listeners with accessibility needs.

Cheers,
Jeff

An inevitable and important part of putting your work out there.

Short Answer: The best strategy is to categorise the feedback first—ignore the trolls, learn from the constructive criticism, and never reply publicly while emotional.

How you handle negative feedback is a direct reflection of your show’s professionalism and maturity.

Your first step must be to differentiate between the two formats of negative feedback. The first is baseless trolling, which is designed only to provoke a reaction, and the second is genuine constructive criticism, which points to a specific issue you can actually address. The strategy for trolls is simple: you must ignore them completely. For constructive criticism, the correct approach is to objectively assess if the feedback is valid. If it highlights a real area for improvement, the best response is to make the change and perhaps give a general thanks to your listeners for their feedback on a future episode. The most common and damaging mistake is to get into a public argument with a negative reviewer; it never makes you look good, it alienates your wider audience, and it gives the troll the exact attention they are seeking.

Cheers,
Jeff

This is a critical question that many podcasters overlook.

Short Answer: Yes, if you are offering any form of advice—especially in finance, health, or legal fields—a clear disclaimer is an essential risk management tool.

A disclaimer’s purpose is to clearly define the nature of your content and manage your audience’s expectations.

The most effective format is a dual approach: a verbal disclaimer read during the intro or outro of your episode and a written version included in your show notes. The content of the disclaimer itself should clearly state three key things. The first is that the information is for educational or entertainment purposes only, the second is that it does not constitute professional advice, and the third is a recommendation that listeners consult a licensed professional for their specific needs. This needs to be applied consistently across all relevant episodes to be effective. It’s a dangerous mistake to believe a disclaimer makes you completely immune to legal action; it’s a risk mitigation tool, not an impenetrable shield. Always operate within your field of expertise.

Cheers,
Jeff