Growth, Links, & Upcoming Features

Business is booming at Podchaser these days. As the trees keep shedding their leaves for half the team (and burst into full bloom for the other), the site is growing by basically every possible metric: in users, in features, in financing, and all the goodies in between. In this week’s post, we’ll run you through some of the highlights.

Growth

So, site growth: the increase in Podchaser’s traffic has been enormous over the last month. Needless to say, we’re elated. Month to month, it’s exploded by 300 percent in site usage, and, this week alone, we’ve seen a 35 percent uptick. All of our stats — number of site users, sessions per day, total site traffic — are on the rise.

We’re particularly excited because, as you likely know at this point, much of Podchaser’s success is predicated on its community-facing elements. Discoverability, rich ratings and reviews, and — on the quickly approaching horizon — our People feature all owe their success to an extensive, active base of listeners and hosts. So thank you, sincerely, for already making this such a promising beta in that way and many others.

Upcoming Features

Hot on the heels of launching show claiming, we’re set to release a bevy of features in the next week or two for hosts to own your podcast page and better connect with your listeners.

Social links — basically what it sounds like. Connect your show’s Facebook and Twitter profiles with your page on Podchaser.

Custom links — for those of you striving to go above and beyond, you’ll be able to input custom links to other sites related to your show, as well.

Patreon widget — after our joint contest last summer, we’re deepening Podchaser-Patreon integration with the ability to add a widget linking to your show’s Patreon on your Podchaser page.

Notifications on ratings, reviews — pretty self-explanatory. You’ll be able to receive notifications when someone has left a rating or review for your show or on its individual episodes.

Claiming Updates

Just days after launching the feature last week, we’re already at over 300 shows claimed by their hosts. If you haven’t already done so, join the ranks of those who’ve already verified their shows so you can get access to the above features.

We also wanted to quickly clarify the claiming process, because we were a little unclear in the email that we sent to hosts. To claim your podcast, simply pull up the show’s page on Podchaser and navigate to the “Claim Podcast” button seen below. Click it, and follow the prompt that pops up. It’s super simple. Sorry for any confusion last week!

Category Progress

In the wake of opening up claiming, we’re allowing hosts to input custom categories to tag their shows. In the last week alone, we’ve already had 130 new categories submitted (well over iTunes’ total count!). For example, this week, audio drama has blossomed into a substantive, new category for listeners to explore.

Show hosts: turn potential listeners into dedicated fans by claiming your show and tagging it appropriately. You’ll make your podcast more easily discoverable and carve out a niche for yourself. We promise — it’s worth it.

Podchaser’s Top 5 Podcasts in Audio Drama

1. We’re Alive — A “Zombie” Story of Survival

Rumorian — “High production value, cliffhangers that have you on the edge of your seat, and an intriguing story. Even if you don’t like zombie stories, you should give it a try.”

2. Liberty

fosentertainment — “You like Sci Fi? You like Horror? You like Borderlands or other similar properties set in a colonized future? Liberty is for you! Set on a colony called Atrius many years from now, and lightyears away, we follow them as they learn many things about their world, or simply are telling horror stories on their “broadcasts” Tales from the Tower. Critical Research may be done, but there’s so much more to come from these guys!”

3. Dungeons & Doritos

ljrydholm — “Dungeons and Doritos is one of the best role playing audio dramas on the whole of the internet. There are lots of laughs and tense moments to be had listening to this show. Doritos may be an odd pairing to put with D&D but these folks sample some of the finest Doritos from across the world before the start of each episode. Have you heard of all the crazy types of Doritos from places like Japan and Israel? Didn’t think so. Tune in for plenty of laughs, nail biting moments and a barrel of fun!”

4. Campfire Radio Theater

EarbudTheater — “Great anthology horror!”

5. Greater Boston

NathanComstock — “This is a delightfully weird show, pushing boundaries of storytelling but with a focus on really well-thought-out and engaging characters.”

Partnerships & Promotions

We’re looking to partner with hosts to keep getting the word out about Podchaser. We see it as a win-win; after all, the more site users we have, the more episode ratings hosts can tally up. This week, we’re doing one with Ben Greenfield Fitness, so, if you’re a listener — get reviewing. And if you’re not, get listening!

As always, if you’re interested in working out a similar partnership (or even if you have some crazy, off-the-wall idea!), please hit up Cole at [email protected]

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Thank you, as always, for reading! If you’re a show host, remember to get your podcast claimed soon. And if you have feedback about any of the above, please let us know. You guys — and your suggestions — rule, and we’re deeply appreciative of all your help in making Podchaser as successful as it already is. Check in next Wednesday for more updates.

xoxo,

Bradley, Ben, Ryan, Cole, and James