Our podcast has had some great success and we want to thank you guys for listening. It’s exciting
to me each and every time when I’m talking to someone and they mention that they listen to the show. We have had over 500,000 listens since we put our very first episode up, which is epic! As you can see on this page, we also updated our podcast icon to make it easier to find.
However, I need your help with something. The original intention of the podcast was that it would be valuable “bonus” content to our current audience but also a great way to reach people interested in RC that have never even heard of Flite Test.
While we are doing an awesome job of the first goal, we are doing a terrible job of the second. There are a lots of reasons for this including mistakes I made when launching the podcast but the good news is, it can be corrected!
The first way we can fix this is boost our ranking in iTunes. I realize that not everyone likes or uses iTunes (I myself use PocketCasts) but the reality is, Apple has always been a big champion of podcasts and it is the most likely someone new to the hobby or Flite Test will find the content through them.
#1 Subscribe to the Podcast
The first thing you can do to help is pretty simple, but there is a big difference between someone who listens to the podcast and someone who subscribes.
A listener to a podcast mean that someone clicked play (on the website, or on any player) then when they’re done, turn off their device with no indication they would like to listen again.
A subscriber means a listener clicks on a button that says “I like this podcast so much I want iTunes (or your alt favorite player) to automatically alert me when it’s released. This tells ranking software online that as content makers we are putting out valuable content that people want more of!
Subscribe here: flitetest.com/itunes
You don’t have to just subscribe in iTunes, if you aren’t a fan of Apple we also list the podcast in other popular Android and iOS applications. Feel to check us out in Stitcher, PocketCasts or whatever your favorite app is! If you can’t find it in your favorite app, let us know and we will add it.
#2 Leave Us A Review
The second thing you can do is leave us a review. A review/rating makes it easy for iTunes or other podcasting platforms to see that people care enough about the content to leave feedback about it. We ask that you only give a 5 star review if you truly feel that way about the podcast. Perhaps you enjoy the show but compared to other podcasts you listen to, it could use some improvement. In that case we welcome your honest feedback with a 1-4 star rating. We want honest ratings, not just positive ratings.
#3 Listen On The Go!
This doesn’t really help the podcast or make it more visible, but it may make your experience of the show better! It’s incredibly easy to listen to the podcast while away from your computer if you have subscribed.
Open any of these applications and search “flitetest” and you should have no problem finding it.
I personally use Pocket Casts which is a little pricey but I justified it because ALL of the 20+ podcasts I regularly listen to are all free. So I pay a little once to have a good experience listening to them.
For anyone else who is interested, right now in the "Games and Hobbies" section we are ranked 167th in iTunes (right beside the "Communter Knitter Podcast"!). With all of the huge video game, triva, and internet related podcasts we are competeing with... that's pretty impressive. But if we can break into the Top 20 or Top 25 of this catagory, a lot of people are going to have a chance to discover not only a new podcast but a new hobby, community, and healthy activity that impacts them and us in a positive way.
With your help subscribing, leaving a review and listening to the show, we will rocket to the top of this catagory in iTunes and whatever your favorite platform is. Thanks for reading all this and thanks in advance for your help!
-Austin
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We are shooting the episode tomorrow. I hope she likes it!
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-Adam
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-Austin
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1. Redo the intro - I download to my iPhone using Downcast and the intro is awfully over-level distorted, not just a little bit.
2. Stop or at least reduce the number of times you say "It's all because of you guys" etc etc. We get it, you love us and we love you, but you really need to concentrate on the good content, it's getting a bit irritating.
3. Ignore my grumpy rant and keep up the good work, but at least fix the intro.
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Thanks for the feedback :) Never noticed the distortion on our end but I will mention it to the podcast editing folk.
-Austin
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Have you ever thought about allowing us to listen live with a chat room? This could add another dynamic to the show with questions or comments from the chat room. Could be allot of fun!
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I personally don't use the iTunes podcast app either but most podcast directories pull their data (including rankings) from iTunes.
Thanks for the add in Xbox Music Store!
-Austin
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I quote the article: "While we are doing an awesome job of the first goal, we are doing a terrible job of the second. There are a lots of reasons for this including mistakes I made when launching the podcast but the good news is, it can be corrected!"
I see no problems with the pod cast. Is the whole point of this to get more reviews and subscribers and therefore more revenue from the podcast?
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-Austin
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I'm one of those nasty people who hate iTunes with a passion. I'll be happy to review and rate when it's on Audible.com.
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I'd like to look into some additional publishers including Audible.
-Austin
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While you folks are at it, I miss the little dohicky that showed us there were tweets or picture whosawhatsits to check out. I don't check em as I onky have any of them for Flite Test and its awesome family.
Thanks,
The web world's inept
Aka Frank and anyone else it might help.
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I downloaded Stitcher for iOS and it appears as though you click the "+" button in the upper right hand corner after you have searched for and located the Flite Test podcast.
Then you can select "Add to Favorites". Whenever you click on Stitcher in the future you can just select your favorites and we'll be there. :)
-Austin
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-Austin
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1. Austin, you do an outstanding job as host. Do you have previous experience in radio or podcasting? Because right from the outset you have done a great job of keeping in moving along, sharing the content amongst whoever is there, while managing the technicalities of it all. Very smooth radio voice, too!
2. +1 on minimizing the "It's all because of you guys" gushing. We love Bixler to death, we all do, and his infectious enthusiasm and positivity is truly what sets FliteTest apart from so many other online RC shows. But really, once per podcast is fine, we get it. It's cool.
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2. Noted :)
-Austin
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1) cut out the intro, I really don't care how many segments are going to be in the podcast or what their official title is, just get to the good stuff and you'll have more time for what the podcast is about.
2) +1 for cutting out the "it's all thanks to you guys" stuff. We know its all thanks to us and as said before, it gets really annoying really fast.
3) don't stop Josh from rambling on about stuff. It gives the podcast a little bit of a laid back feeling when there isn't such a structured format to it. Time isn't an issue for the listener. I know that on some of your longer podcasts I usually build something during it or listen to them while laying in bed, so I usually end up listening to the podcast in multiple parts anyway. The longer the better, as long as it doesn't start intruding on your other content.
Which brings me to let you know that the lets flys are getting kinda annoying and way to frequent. I like how you are trying to show us what you do different places or trying to figure out new ways to release a produce, but really, if I want to watch someone fly an RC plane there are plenty of other YouTube channels that I can watch. I liked the honest review formats that used to be on every episode and the recaps o events, not let's flys that we're filmed during the trip.
Thanks, Nathan
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-Austin
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BUT, only ramble on so long as to not impact building other great planes/videos/etc ;)
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