In today's episode of Podcast Smarter, Norma Jean Belenky, the Head of Events at Podbean, hosts an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session with Podcast Specialist Roni Gosch and Director of Content, John Kiernan. We have a lively discussion on various strategies for monetizing podcast content and engaging the audience. We cover a wide range of topics, including the benefits of live streaming, using Podbean's ad marketplace, the importance of consistency, and various ways podcasters can monetize their work. We also discuss the Podbean patron program, Apple Podcast subscriptions, and how you as a podcast host can increase awareness about these different revenue streams among listeners. "We're not there yet where when you google something, it's going to scan audio. We're not there. And so when people are searching for content, they're using text, right? We're searching via text." - Norma Jean Belenky, Head of Events Aside from Podbean tools, non-Podbean monetization options, such as PayPal donation buttons and 'Buy me a Coffee', are also discussed, providing podcasters with a wide variety of ways to generate income. The conversation underscores the value of merchandise in advertising a podcast and driving revenue. We aim to answer all questions, no matter how small or broad the topic is, in this enlightening information feast. On a deeper level, the episode explores the personal and strategic layers of podcasting, focusing on audience engagement, visuals, tone consistency, and the celebration of milestones. There's also a discussion on the use of hashtags vs keywords in podcast descriptions, suggesting that effective keywords are more beneficial for SEO and overall discoverability. The significance of custom playlists on Podbean's embeddable player and the potential of transcriptions and chapter markers are also pointed out. Tune in to this exciting episode and find out how you can take your podcast's performance to the next level in terms of monetization and audience engagement. Here are the main takeaways of today's episode: Maximize Revenue: Unlock effective podcast monetization strategies to boost your income stream. Captivate Audiences: Learn the secrets to creating engaging podcast content that keeps listeners coming back for more. Boost Discoverability: Harness the power of keywords for podcast SEO to reach a wider audience and increase visibility. Enhance SEO: Discover the benefits of podcast transcripts for SEO and how they can elevate your podcast's online presence. Drive Engagement: Explore the impact of embedding podcasts on websites to boost audience engagement and interaction. The key moments in this episode are: 00:02:20 - Monetization Strategies for Podcasters 00:07:31 - Consistency and Audience Engagement 00:11:44 - Utilizing Tags for Audience Engagement 00:12:22 - Embedding Your Show on Websites 00:13:36 - Customized Playlists and Embeddable Player 00:14:09 - Keywords Over Hashtags 00:15:32 - Enhancing SEO with Transcripts and Chapter Markers 00:18:10 - Optimizing Titles and Keywords Resources: Subscribe to our email newsletter to get industry updates: https://www.podbean.com/email-subscribe  Watch the video of this event on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxSJeWFoVSw  Sign up for all of Podbean's Free Live Events here: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/podbeancom-31329492977  Other episodes you'll enjoy: Podbean's Apple Subscription Integration  Podbean's Descript Editing Integration About us: Podcast Smarter is the official in-house podcast by Podbean.  Podbean is a podcast publishing and monetization service, hosting almost 640,000 podcasts.  If you’re looking to start your own podcast, monetize your podcast and livestream directly to your listeners, you can set up an account at podbean.com  Connect with us: Subscribe to our email newsletter to get updates from the team head over to: https://www.podbean.com/email-subscribe Find us on socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podbean  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/podbeancom YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0H3hvTa_1_ZwFg6RjGNXGw/  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/podbeancom   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/podbean  Website: https://podcast.podbean.com/    Email us: To contact Podcasting Smarter with questions get in contact at podcastingsmarter@podbean.com