Jeff Bullas

G’day,

That’s a smart question – “owning” a website isn’t as black and white as owning a car, for instance. It really comes down to a few key bits:

Your Domain Name (e.g., yourwebsite.com.au):

Yes, you “own” this in the sense that you register it and have exclusive rights to use it as long as you keep paying the renewal fees. It’s your unique address on the web.
Your Content:

Generally, the text, images, videos, and other original material you create and put on your site are yours. You hold the copyright to your own creations.
The Website Itself (Files, Design, Platform): This is where it gets a bit different:

Self-Hosted (e.g., WordPress.org software on a hosting plan you pay for): This is the closest you get to full “ownership” of the operational site. You have access to all the website files, the database, and the design (especially if it’s custom or a theme you’ve bought). You can, in theory, pack it all up and move it to a different web host.
Website Builders (like Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, WordPress.com): With these, you own your domain (if you buy a custom one) and your content. However, the platform itself – the drag-and-drop tools, the themes (even if you customise them), and the underlying code that makes it all work on their system – belongs to the company providing the service. You’re essentially using their tools and infrastructure. You usually can’t just download the whole shebang as a working website and move it somewhere else; you’d typically have to rebuild it.

The Main Difference is Control & Portability:

Self-hosting gives you the most control and the ability to move your entire site.
Website builders offer ease of use and convenience but tie you to their platform for the site’s functionality.

For most people, owning their domain name and their content is the crucial bit. Whether you need full technical ownership of every site file often comes down to how much control you want versus how easy you want the setup and maintenance to be.

So, you can definitely own the most important parts. Full “turn-key” ownership and portability usually means going the self-hosted route.

Cheers,

Jeff

G’day,

Good question – whether podcasts cost money depends on if you’re listening or creating. Here’s the quick rundown:

For Listeners:

Mostly Free: The vast majority of podcasts out there won’t cost you a cent to listen to. You can tune in via apps like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and heaps of others without paying.

Optional Extras: Some creators offer paid subscriptions for bonus content – think ad-free shows, exclusive episodes, or early access. This is usually through platforms like Patreon, or directly via Apple Podcasts or Spotify’s subscription features. But this is an optional add-on, not the norm for most shows.

For Creators (Starting Your Own Podcast):

Can Start for Nix (or Very Little):

Gear: Your smartphone can work for recording to begin with. A basic USB microphone (around $50-$150 AUD) will give you a decent sound boost.

Software: Free recording and editing software is plentiful – Audacity, GarageBand (for Mac users), and even DaVinci Resolve (which has a powerful free audio editor) are top choices.

Hosting: Some platforms like Spotify for Podcasters (what used to be Anchor) offer free podcast hosting. These free tiers might have limitations on storage or features, but they’re fine for starting out.

Potential Costs as You Get More Serious:

Better Gear: Upgrading your microphone, getting headphones, an audio interface.

Paid Hosting: For more storage, better analytics, and more features, paid hosting usually ranges from about $10-$50+ AUD a month.
Extras: You might spend a bit on cover art design, royalty-free music, or even transcription services if you want to go all out.

So, in a nutshell: listening is usually free as a bird. Creating a podcast can be done on a shoestring budget, pretty much for free if you use gear you already own and free software/hosting. Costs only really creep in if you decide to upgrade your setup or services down the track.

Cheers,

Jeff

Aiming for 10,000 followers for free is a solid ambition, mate! And yes, it’s possible, but “free” in this game means no cash splashed, not no effort. It takes a serious amount of work and smarts.

Here’s the guts of growing organically, no matter the platform, really:

Bloody Good Content: This is non-negotiable. Your stuff has to be valuable, entertaining, or super useful to the people you want to reach. Know your audience and what they’re after. Quality trumps quantity, but…
Consistency is Key: You’ve got to show up regularly. Whether it’s a few times a week or daily, find a rhythm you can stick to. It keeps your audience engaged and tells the platform algorithms you’re active.
Nail Your Niche: Don’t try to be all things to all people. Focus on a specific area or topic. It makes it easier to attract a dedicated bunch of followers.
Use Platform Features: Get amongst what the platform offers – Reels, TikToks, Shorts, Stories, Lives, Carousels, you name it. Platforms often give a bit of a boost to content using their preferred formats.
Smart Hashtags & Keywords: These are your signposts. Use relevant ones so people looking for your kind of content can actually find you. Do a bit of research here.
Engage Like a Real Person: It’s “social” media, so be social. Reply to comments and DMs. Chat with other creators and people in your community. Don’t just post and ghost.
Cross-Promote: Got a website, another social profile, or an email list? Chuck a link to your profile there.
Watch Your Numbers & Learn: Pay attention to your analytics. What posts are getting traction? When are your followers most active? Learn what works and do more of it.

Important Bit: “Free” doesn’t mean easy or quick. You’re swapping cash for your time and effort – and it’ll take a fair whack of both. Steer clear of anyone promising “10k followers overnight for free” – that’s usually a shortcut to a list full of bots or a lot of disappointment. Buying followers or using dodgy follow/unfollow tactics will only hurt you in the long run.

So yeah, 10,000 followers without opening your wallet is achievable, but only if you’re dead set on creating awesome content and building a real community. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Cheers,

Jeff

Good onya for building that list – 1000 subscribers is a solid start! You’re right to think of it as an asset. As for a straight dollar figure, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, as its worth depends heavily on a few key things. And spot on about not selling the list itself – that’s usually bad form and can get you in hot water with anti-spam laws. The real value is in what it can do for your business.

Here’s what makes a list valuable:

Engagement Rates: This is a big one, mate. If a good chunk of your subscribers regularly open your emails and click on your links (high open and click-through rates, or CTR), that list is gold. An engaged list means people are actually interested in what you’ve got to say.
Niche & Audience: A list in a profitable niche (like finance, specific software users, high-end hobbies) or with a clearly defined, sought-after audience (e.g., small business owners in a particular industry) can be worth more. It’s easier to offer relevant products or services.
Lead Quality & How You Got ‘Em: Subscribers who willingly opted in because they like your stuff are far more valuable than a list scraped together from random sources. Quality over sheer quantity any day.
Monetisation Track Record: If you’ve already had success selling things to this list – your own products, affiliate offers, services – that shows proven value. Being able to point to actual revenue generated is a clear indicator of worth.
List Health: A clean list with low bounce rates (meaning your emails are actually getting delivered) and few unsubscribes is crucial. You need to be reaching real, interested people.

Rough Benchmarks (Take with a Grain of Salt): You might hear figures tossed around like “$1 per subscriber per month.” Honestly, that’s a very old, very general saying and can be wildly off. Some lists might generate heaps more, others far less. It really depends on the factors above. Don’t hang your hat on that number.

A better way to think about it is Average Revenue Per Subscriber (ARPS) over a certain period. If you made, say, $500 from email marketing in a year from your 1000 subscribers, your ARPS is $0.50 for that year. That’s a more concrete figure for your specific list.

Focus on Potential: The true worth of your 1000 subscribers lies in its ongoing potential to:

Drive traffic to your new content.
Launch your own products or services.
Promote affiliate products relevant to your audience.
Build a loyal community around your brand.

A quality, engaged email list is a massive asset, probably one of the best you can have as a content creator. Its value is best measured by the results it helps you achieve. Keep nurturing it!

Cheers,

Jeff

This is one of the most common — and misunderstood — questions in blogging. So here’s the truth: there’s no magic number. But there is a healthy trajectory.

In the first 3–6 months, anything between 100–1,000 monthly visitors is totally normal, especially if you’re starting from scratch without a big social following or email list. If you’re getting even a few hundred people a month reading your content in the early days, that’s actually a great sign — it means something’s working.

But instead of focusing only on traffic, focus on leverageable traffic.
– Are people signing up for your newsletter?
– Are they staying and reading more than one post?
– Are they sharing your content or commenting?

A small but engaged audience beats big vanity numbers every time — especially when you’re building trust, learning what resonates, and refining your voice.

If you want to grow faster, lean into SEO and content repurposing. Write blog posts around long-tail keywords your audience is actually searching for. Then share snippets on LinkedIn, in emails, or even as carousels on Instagram.

Bottom line? Early blog traffic is like compound interest — it starts slow, then scales fast if you stay consistent. Don’t worry about hitting some arbitrary milestone. Worry about showing up, solving problems, and making your content worth returning for. The traffic will follow.

Naming and branding your podcast isn’t just a creative exercise — it’s a strategic one. The right name can make someone stop scrolling, click play, and subscribe. The wrong one? It fades into the noise.

Start with your audience. What do they care about? What transformation or experience are you promising them by showing up every week? A strong podcast name often sits at the intersection of clarity and personality — clear enough that people “get it” instantly, but with just enough personality to feel unique and memorable.

If you’re the brand (coach, consultant, expert), using your name with a twist (“[Your Name] Unfiltered,” “The [Your Name] Method”) can work — if you already have an audience. Otherwise, consider a name that speaks to the pain point or aspiration of your listener. For example, “Smart Gets Paid,” “Screw the Nine to Five,” or “Online Marketing Made Easy” are all crystal clear on who they’re for and why they matter.

Once you’ve got a shortlist of name ideas, check for three things:

Is the domain available (even if you don’t build a site right away)?
Is it easy to say out loud and spell?
Is it already in use on major platforms or directories?
As for branding — don’t overthink it at the start. Aim for clean, recognizable, and on-tone with your topic. Choose colors and typography that match the feeling you want listeners to have (calm, bold, edgy, fun?). And make sure your cover art is legible at thumbnail size — this is your billboard in Apple and Spotify.

Above all, remember this: clarity beats cleverness. The goal isn’t to sound cool — it’s to be understood at a glance. And you can always evolve the look as your show grows. Just get it in people’s ears first.

Great question — and yes, AI can absolutely help you write better, faster Instagram captions if you use the right tools and feed them the right prompts.

Here are the best tools I recommend for creators:

1. ChatGPT (with custom instructions)
Still the most flexible and powerful option — especially when you:
– Give it examples of your past captions
– Set a clear tone (e.g. “witty and personal,” “inspirational but no fluff”)
– Use specific prompts like:
“Write a 2-line Instagram caption for a photo of me working at a café. Make it friendly and curious, ending with a question.”

2. Copy.ai
Built for marketing content.
– Includes pre-made templates for Instagram captions
– Good for brainstorming angles or variations
– Can quickly generate multiple versions for A/B testing
It’s less personal than ChatGPT, but great for speed and ideas.

3. Jasper AI
Ideal if you want more structure.
– Great for brands and influencers who post frequently
– Can be trained with your brand voice (with some effort)
– Has a caption generator that includes CTAs and hashtags

4. Later’s Caption Writer
If you already use Later for scheduling, this built-in tool is convenient.
– It suggests captions based on your image or post type
– Better suited for beginners or short-form content
– Not as customizable as ChatGPT, but a solid time-saver

Tips to avoid generic AI content:
– Always tweak the output to add your personal story or voice
– Add details only you would say (your opinion, phrasing, vibe)
– Don’t let AI be the final draft — let it be the first one

Bottom Line:
Use AI to beat the blank page — not to replace your voice. The real magic happens when you combine your creativity with the AI’s speed.

Give it direction, and you’ll get captions that save time and sound like you.

Great question — and one I get asked a lot.

If you’re just starting out, the best email marketing platform is the one that helps you build momentum fast without making you feel like you need to hire a tech team. Here are my top picks based on working with thousands of creators and small businesses:

1. [ConvertKit] – This is my go-to recommendation for solo creators. It’s built specifically for bloggers, coaches, and digital entrepreneurs.
– The interface is clean and simple.
– You can tag and segment subscribers easily (great for when your list grows).
– Automations are powerful but intuitive — no coding or duct-taping required.
They also offer a generous free tier (up to 1,000 subscribers) and strong support.

2. [MailerLite] – If affordability is your top concern, MailerLite punches above its weight.
– Easy drag-and-drop editor for newsletters
– Decent automation
– Solid landing page builder
The UI isn’t quite as refined as ConvertKit, but it gets the job done — especially when you’re still finding your feet.

3. [Flodesk] – For the design-forward creators.
– Beautiful templates out of the box
– Super simple user experience
– Flat pricing (no surprise jumps as your list grows)
If visuals are a big part of your brand, this one’s worth a look — though it’s less powerful when it comes to segmenting and logic-based automations.

Avoid overly complex tools like ActiveCampaign or HubSpot unless you’re scaling fast and have support — they can be overkill in the early stages.

Bottom line? Pick the platform that removes friction and helps you start sending. You can always migrate later, but clarity and consistency matter more than tools in the beginning.

Hope that helps — and congrats on getting started! Email is still one of the most profitable channels out there when done right.