Episode 283 | Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast | Courtney Elmer

Creating a Top 20 Podcast That Attracts New Clients Every Month

Thinking about creating a podcast or struggling to grow the one you’ve got? Meet fellow podcast host Flora McCormick. Flora made the bold decision to step away from social media marketing and launch a strategically-positioned podcast in the Top 20 in her category, and the results? Her show is growing five times faster than the average podcast and brings new clients to her business every single month — from around the world.

So whether you're brand new to podcasting or already have a show but want to use it to drive real business growth, lean in and take notes because my recent conversation with Flora is packed with insights you won’t want to miss. We get into how to measure your podcast’s success, see where you stack up against the competition, and how to position yourself as the go-to expert in your niche in an increasingly crowded podcast landscape. 

Ready to see proof of what’s possible when you create a podcast that aligns with your strengths and follows a proven strategy for success? Read on.

How Flora’s Podcast Grew 5X Faster and Attracted Clients Around the World

When Flora ditched social media for podcasting, she wasn’t sure what would happen. (Spoiler: it went way better than chasing likes on Instagram). After running a successful local therapy practice for many years, she was shifting gears into parent coaching and wanted to expand her audience online — and like most of us, she was told social media was the best way to do it. But after a year and a half of hustling for comments and likes, it hit her: “Social media was exhausting and bad for my mental health,” Flora said. “I was constantly checking who liked my posts, blocking spam comments, and trying to keep up with the never-ending trends.”

Sound familiar?

For Flora, creating a podcast wasn’t just about landing new clients — though that was part of the plan. It was about finding a platform that fit her, where she could share her expertise without feeling like she was squeezing her valuable insights into seven-second videos, hoping they would go viral. So, she launched a podcast. And with a smart strategy (read: no guessing or hoping for the best), her show hit the Top 20 in its category within 24 hours. She built a community, leaned into her strengths, and followed a clear system for creating a podcast that could stand out from her competition, and now, her show is growing five times faster than the average podcast and attracting clients from all over the world — something social media never did for her. (#sorrynotsorry, Instagram).

And the best part? You can do this too. Whether you're just starting out or looking to breathe new life into a dead (or dying) podcast, here’s what you need to know.

Why Your Podcast Listeners Are More Likely to Become Clients

Flora’s story is a great example of what many business owners discover when they turn to podcasting — podcast listeners are a completely different audience compared to social media followers. Not only are they among the most educated and affluent demographic compared to social media and YouTube audiences, they’re a naturally more engaged audience, too. 

That’s because podcast listeners are more intentional with their time. They’re also 7x more likely to trust their favorite podcast hosts than celebrity influencers and 5x more likely to trust podcast hosts over social media influencers (Source: Vox Media). So while social media gives people those quick dopamine hits (scroll, like, scroll again), podcasting gives you the space to have deeper, more meaningful conversations that connect — and convert.

“Even good friends would tell me, ‘I see your videos and I want to watch them, but when I’m on Facebook or Instagram, I’m just not in the mood to learn,’” Flora shared. “But podcast listeners — they’re really here to learn.”

When someone tunes into your show for 20, 30, or even 40 minutes, it’s a sign they’re ready to learn and engage with what you have to say. And that time spent with you? It builds trust. And when your audience trusts you, they’re much more likely to see you as the expert they want to hire. No TikTok dancing required.

How to Expand Your Audience Beyond Word-of-Mouth Referrals

One of the best things about creating a podcast? You’re no longer stuck relying on local connections or word-of-mouth referrals. Before launching her podcast, Flora’s clients were all local. But once her podcast went live, things changed—fast. “I currently have a client from Estonia and others from all over the U.S.,” Flora shared. “Podcast listeners can come from anywhere, and it’s helped me reach far beyond my local community.”

And that’s the beauty of creating a podcast. When you do it strategically, your show becomes an entry point for clients who would’ve never found you otherwise. Flora’s story is proof that when you know how to leverage your podcast to drive business growth, you can easily break out of your usual circles and start connecting with a global audience. (Because honestly, how else would you reach someone in Estonia?) 

Expanding beyond your local reach starts with one thing: differentiation. Your podcast has to clearly communicate why it’s worth your listeners' time before they even hit play. “I knew I needed help to do it right,” Flora said. “And with PodLaunch , I didn’t have to figure it out alone. The strategy was already there, and it gave me the confidence that my show would actually get found by the right people.”

The Simple Strategy to 5X Your Podcast Growth

Flora’s podcast didn’t just bring in a few clients here and there — it grew five times faster than the average show. While most podcasts see around 2,000 downloads in their first year, Flora crossed 10,000 before she even hit the 12-month mark. “It’s nice to hear that’s a good number because sometimes I think it should be higher,” Flora admitted. “But it’s reassuring to know it’s actually growing faster than most podcasts.”

So what really contributed to that growth? It wasn’t about cranking out more content — it was about optimizing the content she was already creating. Instead of focusing on publishing “consistently” or creating content she thought her audience wanted to hear, Flora focused on positioning her episodes around specific questions her audience was asking and making sure each episode offered a clear, actionable takeaway. She used every episode description and title to include keywords her audience was already searching for and communicated the exact problem she was solving in the title itself, so listeners knew why they should hit play. Rather than producing content for content’s sake, Flora focused on creating a podcast messaging strategy that aligned with her strengths and positioning her podcast to attract the right listeners, making sure each episode served a specific purpose and connected back to her bigger goals for her podcast and her business.

By streamlining her process and learning how to get her show in front of new audiences daily, Flora grew her show without burning herself out, proving that the secret to podcast growth isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing more of what matters.

How a Repeatable System Makes Podcasting Sustainable

With so many moving parts — planning content, recording, editing, publishing — some business owners panic, thinking they’ll never have the time to keep up with a podcast. But Flora? She found the exact opposite. She ditched the energy-sucking grind of creating short-form content that gets buried in the feed after 24 hours (and drives zero sales) and switched to a repeatable podcasting system that made marketing her business enjoyable and fun again. “It’s given me so much peace of mind,” she told me. “I went from constantly hustling on social media to having a sustainable podcasting process, and now I feel more balanced, calmer, and more aligned with my values.”

When you know exactly what steps to take — and trust that they’ll work — it takes the second-guessing off your plate. You stop scrambling to figure out what to do next, and instead, focus on creating episodes that truly connect with your audience because every piece of content serves a purpose.

For Flora, that repeatable system didn’t just keep things running smoothly — it made marketing her business enjoyable again. Her show brought in new clients and grew her business without the constant pressure of chasing social media trends or producing more content just for the sake of “staying visible to her audience.”

Here’s the takeaway: whether you’re creating a podcast for the first time or you’re looking to scale your show, podcast growth is never about doing more. It’s about optimizing what you’re already doing, where every step intentionally moves you closer to your goals. With the right strategy in place, you can grow your show, attract the right listeners, and keep podcasting fun, manageable, and something you actually enjoy doing.

And if you’re an established coach or consultant ready to launch or scale your podcast — and you want a proven strategy to follow that brings in listeners who convert into clients — we’ve got you covered. Book a free strategy call with our team to find out if PodLaunch® is a right fit for you. 

Or if you’re ready for more free podcasting advice on launching and scaling a bingeworthy top show that listeners can’t get enough of,  follow Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast on your favorite app so you never miss a new episode.

Up Next:

You’ve probably heard that guesting on other shows is one of the best ways to grow your audience, until you try it... and get zero ROI from those appearances. (If you’re nodding your head, you’re not alone). 

In the next episode, founder of Hell Yes Media, Kelly Mosser, joins us to talk about why that happens, the biggest mistakes to avoid when guesting on other podcasts, and how to turn every appearance into more listeners for your show and more leads for your business. If you’re ready to stop wasting time and start getting real results from your guest interviews on other podcasts, don’t miss the next episode!