Talk That Pod

Joni Deutsch of Podglomerate---SUMMARYSebastian sits down with Joni Deutsch, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Audience Development at the Podglomerate, an award-winning podcast agency whose clients include PBS, NPR, Netflix, Harvard, and New Hampshire Public Radio. With fifteen years in media, audio, and communications, Joni breaks down how the Podglomerate approaches podcast growth, walking through the agency's six core pillars of marketing work: publicity, marketing, cross-promotions, podcast app relationships, paid advertising, and data management.The conversation moves from practical, low-budget tactics for podcasters starting from zero to the bigger forces reshaping discovery, including the shift from traditional SEO to AI-driven "GEO" search and Google's move to surface Gemini results above the old ten blue links. Joni and Sebastian also dig into the tensions facing the industry, including the pivot to video and a shrinking podcast "middle class," the role of awards, when paid acquisition is worth it, and the heavier questions raised by the "2024 podcast election," parasocial influence, AI-generated shows, and who bears responsibility for fact-checking in an open media system. Joni closes with three podcast recommendations and where to find her work.---IN THIS EPISODE(00:00) Intro to Joni Deutsch and the Podglomerate(00:38) Is there a universal playbook, or a custom plan for every show?(01:01) The six pillars: publicity, marketing, cross-promotions, podcast apps, paid advertising, and data management(04:16) Why industry relationships are central to executing client work(06:17) Where the data comes from: Apple Podcasts Connect, Spotify for Creators, hosting platforms, and YouTube (with a cameo from Joni's dog)(08:53) Using completion rates and consumption data to inform production, not just marketing(09:26) Evaluating a new client's growth potential and the agency's three service lines(11:05) Award recognition (The Thirteenth Step, Bearbrook) and how accolades feed the publicity funnel(15:04) Joni's take on awards that charge for entry(21:49) Whether every show should be on video, and rethinking what "video" can look like(23:01) The real tension of video: extra editing work, AI tools, and the shrinking podcast "middle class"(24:55) Starting from zero: define your audience, then cross-promo where that audience already is(27:57) Pitching local media, newsletters, and Substacks (and podcast newsletters like Find That Pod)(28:28) How podcast SEO is changing, GEO, and Google surfacing Gemini at the top of search(30:36) Optimizing metadata: listicles, podcast titles, episode titles, and YouTube thumbnails(32:45) The "death of ten blue links" and what it means for publisher traffic(34:06) Marketing the Podglomerate itself, plus the dedicated AI page on their website(36:05) Is the AI optimization actually working? What inquiry data shows(38:06) When should a podcaster invest in paid acquisition, and the risk of vanity metrics(40:55) Podcasting's place in society and the "2024 podcast election"(42:32) AI-generated podcasts, fake "experts," and the proliferation discussed at The Podcast Show London(44:43) Parasocial influence, young voters, and "with great power comes great responsibility"(45:12) Authenticity as podcasting's structural advantage against AI slop(46:12) AI as an assistant, not a full-time employee, and always fact-checking the output(47:59) The one thing Joni would change: automated fact-checking through the platforms(50:07) Whose job is fact-checking, platforms, hosts, or publishers?(51:28) Could podcasting's growing influence invite FCC regulation?(53:44) Three podcast recommendations: The Town with Matt Belloni, The Ankler Podcast, and the Seth Meyers / Lonely Island podcast(55:45) Where to find Joni and the Podglomerate online---RESOURCES & LINKSPodglomeratePodglomerate blogBest podcast newsletters listWork with the Podglomerate (inquiries)Joni Deutsch on LinkedInPodglomerate newsletter — free, sent every other week with resources, events, and episodesShows mentionedBear Brook (New Hampshire Public Radio)The Thirteenth Step (New Hampshire Public Radio)The Town with Matt Belloni (The Ringer / Spotify)The Ankler PodcastThe Lonely Island and Seth Meyers PodcastPeople mentionedJanine Wright (AI podcast company executive, speaking at The Podcast Show London)James Cridland (Podnews)Arielle Nissenblatt (on paid advertising for podcasters)Ashley Carmen (Bloomberg podcast reporter)---TALK THAT PODAre you a podcaster or podcast industry figure and you want to be on this podcast? Fill out this form. Watch or listen to Talk That Pod on YouTube. Follow us:Twitter / XFacebookYouTubeInstagramTikTokThreads---FIND THAT PODDiscover the best podcasts in the world. - A podcast discovery newsletter bringing you 5 great podcasts to discover every week. Subscribe today.