The Death Clock (Insider 228)

How China tariffs could impact your gear, viral death clock promotions, smarter cross-promotion strategies, storytelling upgrades, and the hilarious bad podcast guest action figure in this episode of Build a Big Podcast ...

Why You Should Listen

• Why China's tariff hike could quietly kill your podcast dreams unless you act now

• The death clock trick: what you can learn from a "dark" graphic to make your show go viral (and build your email list)

• Five storytelling secrets that hook listeners so they crave every episode (and beg for more)

• Why your competitors want you to ignore the silent weapon hidden in simple quiz tools

• How to legally "hijack" other podcasters' fans without making enemies (or swapping feeds)

• The overlooked danger of supply chain chaos: how even your "Made in USA" mic could skyrocket in price overnight

• The "joint giveaway" secret: how a hunger for free stuff turns strangers into loyal subscribers

• The envy-inducing magic of stealing credibility … by swapping genuine testimonials instead of ads

• Why "feed swaps" might secretly be killing your hard-won audience—and 3 sneaky swaps pros use instead

• How to seduce big-name guests with a single irresistible offer they can't refuse

• The embarrassing mistakes that make you look like a clueless newbie—and how to turn them into status and power

• The action-figure test: Is your next podcast guest a hidden time bomb or goldmine of content?

• Why the "sticky middle" of your guests' stories fuels listener addiction (and gluttony for more episodes)

• The untapped lust for exclusivity—how to use mysterious bonus content to drive audience greed and sharing

You want these links ...

• Subscribe to Build a Big Podcast
• See Big Podcast AMP for personalized podcast growth assistance

Episode Timestamps

• [00:03:27] Will China tariffs wreck your podcasting setup? Why "just raise your prices" isn't the answer you think it is!

• [00:04:53] The fridge fiasco: How a tariff-induced 13-day wait for a refrigerator foreshadows what might hit your podcast gear soon

• [00:06:28] The "tape sync" days: How podcasters used to hire strangers to record guests in other cities—and why you might actually be getting a bargain today

• [00:09:02] The viral death clock: How an oddly morbid Instagram meme can juice your podcast's visibility with the power of quizzes

• [00:11:40] Why full-on feed swaps could sabotage your subscribers—and clever, less-annoying ways to cross-promote your show for fast growth

• [00:14:51] The LinkedIn law of reciprocity: How writing testimonials for others can flood your inbox with glowing words—and why it works for podcasters too

• [00:21:34] What makes a "bad podcast guest" and the underestimated magic of "the sticky middle" story—plus, the hilarious Bad Guest Action Figure you've got to hear about

The Newsletter for Podcasters

• Big Podcast Insider - Weekly Podcasting Newsletter ​

This episode of Build a Big Podcast is brought to you by Riverside ...​

Riverside is online recording software that makes it easy for podcasters to record studio-quality interviews from anywhere. Try it free and, if you like it, get 15% off any membership plan when you use the code BIGPODCAST.​​

About this episode of Build a Big Podcast:​

This is the audio companion to Issue 228 of Big Podcast Insider. If you're interested in more info on what I talk about on this episode and also links, that's where to go. On this episode, I dive into where the money is made in podcasting. how to get more reviews (and subscribers) for your podcast, podcast hosting, and more.   ​

Big Podcast Insider is a weekly newsletter on podcasting. If you like the content of this episode, you can subscribe here – it's free and you can unsubscribe at any time with a single click.​

Want more help growing your podcast audience?

• Big Podcast Extra - Podcasting Tips
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