PAYPOD​ THE PAYMENTS AND FINTECH PODCAST

Dave: [00:00:00] All right. Welcome to the podcast review show. I'm Dave Jackson from the school of podcasting. This is where we bring people on who want to make their show better. Joining me is Eric K. Johnson from podcast talent, coach Eric, how are you, buddy?

Erik: [00:00:16] Things are good, Dave. Thanks for having me along for the ride.

Again, looking forward to it.

Dave: [00:00:20] And tonight we're going to be talking with Scott. From pay pod, the payments and FinTech podcast. you can find that over at Soarpay.com/podcast. Scott, how are you

Scott: [00:00:32] doing great. Thanks for having me on.

Dave: [00:00:33] Oh, and, tell us a little bit about what inspired you to start the podcast.

Scott: [00:00:38] Yeah. what inspired me was I was asked, okay. The company I wasn't actually working for them directly. I've had a number of podcasts that I've worked on in various, subjects over the years. And, I had a business relationship with one of the owners of the business and they knew I was doing, these kind of freelance podcasting.

And he said, Hey, we want a. Engine where we can, have a great piece of content, also market our business and grow it and all of that. And, so he asked, Hey, will you produce this? And actually, would you host it? And at that point, I actually didn't know much at all about the payments or FinTech world.

And so I dove right in of, Hey, I'm this novice. Yeah, let me go find some experts and learn more. And, that's what spurned it. And then as I went on, I was fortunate to, have success with that and it was doing well, and I had an opportunity to come on full-time and actually start heading up more sales things and marketing things for the company itself and then I've just kept doing the podcast ever since. Nice.

Dave: [00:01:46] What are you hoping to get from tonight? what are you hoping for us to really focus on and give you the best feedback?

Scott: [00:01:54] I think number one for me is I don't want the show to become stale a and B I think I've had some challenges with just feeling as though I'm all over the map with certain guests and how the show is structured.

And if. If there's a way to improve what I'm doing, how my, how each episode's laid out, how you know, who I'm trying to find really. if they're, maybe it's good to not have, just one focus on one type of guest. so I guess that's, it's really content I'm really curious about, because I think that's key too.

Hopefully growing it even more because I think I've been growing slowly and steadily, but I really would love to reach that inflection point where it's, Hey, you've got a really fantastic podcast that even, random lay-person wants to listen to. and how to match that with business goals, is, has been my challenge.

Dave: [00:02:53] Got it. And I think in, cause we always send you out a questionnaire. You said you were really, your goal was to, where to go. I'll know, this podcast exists is successful simply for our downloads continued to increase. we're able to land some true rock star guests, and that is great. I think we all want our downloads to grow.

I was curious then what about Soarpay? What is in this for soarpay? Cause I thought this might've been a branded podcast.

Scott: [00:03:24] Yeah, no, it absolutely is. and for Soarpay, it helps us in a number of ways. number one is just, when you have a piece of content that is something that people really enjoy, they download it, they share it.

they talk about it, they blog about it, whatever it is, that's just helpful to our website and on the growth of our business itself. And then the second piece is, in merchant services. So we, what we do is we help. businesses, get set up to accept credit cards or other various types of payments.

And merchant services is very competitive. and so you want to differentiate yourself and you want to, I, you basically have to convince a merchant, Hey, I'm going to go with this person because so many people are offering, they have the same value proposition, right? There's people competing on price and, cutting things down to where it's, you're making a penny, that's it?

And so what the podcast has done has really been a vehicle to Educate and really bring people into our brand. I do sales. So I'll take sales calls and I've had calls with merchants who are like, are you Scott from the podcast? Yes, that's me. And that's just a fantastic thing.

If you're trying to say, Hey, come on board. We want you to be one of our merchants.

Erik: [00:04:36] So is the podcast intended for, business to business where you're talking to potential clients that are merchants, or are you creating this also for just the lay person who might want to invest into alternate currency in that story?

Scott: [00:04:54] That's a really great question. and. I've tried to do both. I want to have something I, as if you can give an episode, that's just for someone who's business to business. That's great. I want pieces for that. And I want someone who's into cryptocurrency or just really curious, there's people that are like Apple fan boys.

I had an episode where I talked all about Apple pay with a, with an Apple blogger, and I want that person to be excited and want to listen to this and learn something new. especially as we get into everything, There are so many great financial tools out there, apps all of this stuff that does matter.

That's relevant to the average lay person. So I want to hit both if I can.

Dave: [00:05:33] Got it. Great. Eric, how much did you know about cryptocurrency before you listened to this?

Erik: [00:05:38] I do very little about CRA I know what Bitcoin is. In fact that it's a cryptocurrency, how I would go about getting any of it.

I have no idea. So I always coming into this, like, all right, let's learn.

Dave: [00:05:53] That was it. I was excited when he picked this episode. And it's why Bitcoin is the only cryptocurrency that matters with Alexander Savitsky. I think of Amber, which is an app. So here is the opening minute and a half.

All right. So that's the first, I think it was minute and a half or so. Eric, what are your thoughts on the opening?

Erik: [00:06:17] Couple of a couple of thoughts, the recorded opening, where she introduces the show. I liked that a lot. Great short opening got right to the point. Tell us the listener, what the show is all about.

I would have liked to have heard a little bit more about the benefit of the show to the listener rather than just here's what the show is all about. you do a little bit of that when you come in, Hey, if you don't know anything about cryptocurrency or this or that, or how to invest in it, we're going to get into that today.

That tells me the benefit of the episode. I would like to hear a little bit of the benefit of the, Of the podcast overall, like every week we give you tips that you can use to go, invest in cryptocurrency yourself, or, if you're, if you need help with merchant services, this is the place to be.

So some benefit to the listener in that show open, but I love the briefness of it. So I don't want to see it expand too much because I love how bam we get right through it. And, as we get into the interview itself, you do a nice job, introducing the guest and giving us a reason why we should care about what he has to say.

the fact that he's got a background in that sort of thing. And when you eventually get into the interview, you start with a great question. It wasn't the, tell us a little bit about yourself, the generic wandering into, an, an interview like you most often hear you started with a great solid question right up front.

So I thought the start of it was really good. The only thing I would suggest is that. if we're using this as a marketing tool for the company, and we're trying to attract clients to you, leave yourself a little room at the beginning of that before the discussion starts to demonstrate your authority in this space and what you do and how you help people.

and, just tout yourself, Pat yourself on the back a little bit, give yourself some breathing room there at the front. Maybe you give us a, a little tip of what's going on in the industry today, or, the tip of the week or how you helped somebody this week. Something like that just shows us, you know what you're talking about.

You do a great job telling us why we should listen to the guest. Let's let's toot your own horn a little bit. At first, before we. Roll into the, to the interview. And that might be something you do in post-production, you might record the interview and then as you're put, piecing it all together, do some of that rather than having him on the line while you're going through all of that good stuff.

But so a lot of feedback in, for a minute and a half segment, but that's my

Dave: [00:08:37] that's one of the things that I had in my notes is with any interview. I always like to see the Jerry Springer ending, which is what did we learn today? Because you just made your guests sound great, but it's your way of saying, and here's what I think about that because in the end you want to build that relationship with you.

So I'm going to share my thoughts on what he just said and what you agree with and things like that.

Erik: [00:08:59] Let me jump in right there too. I love that concept, but as we both know, you all, your entire audience doesn't make it to the end of the app. There may be about a 40 to 50%, make it all the way to the end.

People stop listening to a podcast when they're done doing whatever it is they're doing. So if they're listening to you while they're working out, when they're done working out. They're done listening to you. It doesn't matter where they are in the episode. So don't wait until the end to demonstrate your authority, put the good stuff right up front to make sure they get it.

all Sorry,

Dave: [00:09:32] The other thing that I finally now get it. Is when I hear people from overseas go, you guys talk about things that are so specific to America. And I just feel like PA and we, so I'm like when you start off from Hey, if you're new to Bitcoin, this is the thing.

And I'm like, all right, good. I'm going to buy me some of this Bitcoin when I get done. And then they go in, as long as you're in Australia. And I was like, Sort of a pitch really? Ah, all for you, yeah. So I don't know how you've, I dunno if you go, but if you're in America, go back and listen to episode 12.

I don't know how, I don't know if he would have done that. I just, I was that is a problem. what do you do when something is only specific? that was my one thing, but I was excited cause I am coming into this. everybody I know is you don't have any Bitcoin yet.

Seriously. Like I feel like I'm really missing the boat.

Erik: [00:10:19] it was a good discussion about cryptocurrency itself worldwide. and not specifically on the app, that's not available. I think you did, overall, as we'll see, as we go through the show, you do a good job balancing the discussion of the app with the discussion of the industry overall.

And so even though we can't get the app in the U S we still get a little bit of the other talk. Now it was over my head, but we still got to talk.

Dave: [00:10:46] let me ask Eric, I'm going to, I'm going to quiz you. Cause it was the one thing that I got done. I was like, wait a minute, how does the app work? what is, I know it helps store it like a savings account for crypto, but I'm not sure.

do you go in and just say, I would like to deposit to crypto please.

Erik: [00:11:06] that's what I got Frye. I wasn't quite sure how the app functioned, just because I think I was a little over my head with a lot of the lingo that happens in the episode. but to me it sounds he says I go in and set it up and then don't look at it for 10 years.

because he just wants you to continue to deposit a little bit of your money in there to build up your cryptocurrency over time, just like investments. if you have a good investment guy by your, buy and hold your mutual funds and uncle babysit them every day.

Dave: [00:11:31] Yeah.

Scott: [00:11:32] that's what it is.

Dave: [00:11:33] Cause I know at one point he said, we started off where you would round up your payments and it would take the change. I think he said, and it would deposit it. And then they changed that and I'm like, To what, like, how do I cause all the time I'm like, how do I buy crypto then? So that was the thing.

I never had a clear picture besides the fact that it's a savings account for your crypto, where you just put it in there and let it sit. But I was the whole, what is it, how does it work? The benefit, obviously it's crypto and that's the one thing it's a, It's very, but not too much.

Crypto rah. You know what I mean? In fact, I even liked this, I thought this was a great clip from, from the guest.

Aleksandar: [00:13:09] because Bitcoin's outcome will be binary. It's either going to the whole, thing's going to blow up and we're going to end up living in some 1984 society where, our money is tracked, traced, and followed like the social credit system that's happening in China today, or Bitcoin will succeed and it will be a parallel economic system.

and the value of each age Bitcoin, is going to be extraordinarily higher than it is today. So as a result, have some exposure as a smart idea, your downside risk is minimal and your upside is dependence. So that's really the essence.

Dave: [00:13:41] So I liked the fact that he was able to say, this could be really great.

Or the government could step in and shut it down or whatever, however, he wants to paraphrase that. So I thought that was cool, but I knew it's certain points where I was just like, You know what? I don't believe I'm the target audience here. I'll give you a quick,

Scott: [00:13:57] that's the story that so many people know is that pizza, right?

The first pizza that was bought with Bitcoin and how expensive that pizza is now,

Dave: [00:14:05] and I'm like, Actually, no, not everybody does know that. and then this was the one, I think

Aleksandar: [00:14:11] it's a nascent growing asset and it's the first time in history we've ever had a, an asset that we can invest in with an inelastic supply that has never in history existed before the only two things in the world that are inelastic and supplies, energy and time.

And now we've got a third for the first time, Bitcoin that doesn't exist anywhere else in the universe. So like literally this thing will be. Extremely volatile and violent in its movement as a result of that fact. And, and the best method for your own sanity is to just set some parameters whilst your rational and unemotional, and then just walk away and let it do its thing that

Dave: [00:14:48] wasn't inner Lastic, a big hit back in the seventies.(joking)

Erik: [00:14:54] Beastie boys.

Dave: [00:14:55] Yeah, something.

Erik: [00:14:56] so here, so you've got, let me jump in here. This is the reason, this is the exact reason we want to identify a single target listener because when we w before we did the episode, we were talking about who your target listener is, and you told me.

That your target listener is payments and, FinTech professionals, which is great. Perfect. This is right in their wheelhouse. They get it, they understand it, but then you said, but it's also entrepreneurs and it's also merchants. And so if it's entrepreneurs and merchants, I think we're w we need a little more explanation for those people to understand what we're talking about here.

So to Dave's point, if. If it's payment professionals and finance tech professionals, and you say, everybody knows about that first pizza and how expensive it is today. All of those people are like absolutely a hundred percent exile. I know which I'm right there. But if you're talking to entrepreneurs and merchants who could possibly use this payment system in their business in the future, they don't know it.

And so you would have to explain it to them. But then your FinTech professionals are going well. Yeah. We know what this is. Why are we going into so much detail?

Dave: [00:16:08] Why don't we slow it down? Yeah.

Erik: [00:16:10] so we need to figure out if we're talking to those that are passionate about financial technology or those that might have an interest in financial technology and want to learn more about it.

Yeah. Now there's a way to serve both, but you need to really embrace one of them. So let's say we're talking to FinTech professionals, but we know we have these entrepreneurs and these merchants listening along and you could say something like, everybody knows that first, pizza that was purchased with Bitcoin and how expensive it is today, you bought it back then for $5, but if you took that Bitcoin and converted it today, it's worth.

$250,000 or whatever the measurement is, everybody knows that's what that is. Then the entrepreneurs and the merchants are going, Oh yeah. Yeah. I knew that. I knew that, but they're, they haven't been left behind. they're still caught up with the conversation. So that's the reason when you clearly identify that single person you're talking to and you know everything about them now, what sort of examples you need to give in order for them to keep up with the.

With the conversation, what sort of stories to tell, what kind of background information you need to give? during this interview, he starts dropping some acronyms and I'm like, ah, I don't know what that acronym is. those letters just flew right by me. but if it's for the FinTech professional, they know.

And so you don't need to explain.

Dave: [00:17:30] Yeah, because I know, I, and even that one, I knew that whatever it was when they bought the pizza. It's worth a whole lot more. So I wasn't clueless. I was just kinda how much bigger is it? Is it a $12 million pizza now? Or what's going on? but I did figure out by the end of the episode, on-ramps and off-ramps is on an on ramp is putting money in and off ramp is taking money out of your boat.

And I did, again, I forget the thing you said that means cents in Bitcoin. That it was like, Ooh, I know, of course. I can't remember it now, but I was like, there's a new word. I'm going to write that one down. it was educational. It just, there was a lot of times. I needed to go watch wheel, wheel of fortune because the, have you ever noticed there's jeopardy, which makes you feel really stupid and then you watch wheel of fortune and you feel real smart.

So after this episode, for me not being in the FinTech industry, I was like, I don't know what I just listened to. but, But I was excited. I am now even more like, all right, I need to go through your website and find the one that's for Bitcoin or that guy. Oh, that's one thing I had a, we're not going to jump to your website yet.

The guy said he ha he re he written. Okay. Sure. The guy said he had authored a book on Bitcoin one Oh one and you said, Oh, I'll put a link to that in the show notes. Eric, any, and your thoughts on the, the interview,

Erik: [00:18:54] there was one piece in there. It goes back to my target listener. So I'm not going to beat a dead horse, but, you get into blockchain and, I don't know what that means, and what blockchain is, and it was a pretty long discussion about it.

And so that goes back to if the goal of the show is to educate listeners. Let's be sure we do that with those sorts of, just even a quick definition of it before you jump into a full, cause he got into this whole controversy of whether or not it's legit and this whole thing and I'm going, I don't know.

I don't know what it is. Let alone know if it's legit. On the other hand, if we're talking to people already in the industry and they know what blockchain is, then don't do that. but again, it goes back to determining who we're talking to and what we're trying to accomplish. Yeah. And that was about it.

Yeah.

Dave: [00:19:41] the thing I liked is, and I almost, for me, it was the more, engaging part of the interview is when you got to the contrarion part and you did two things. Great about this number one, you weren't afraid to ask the hard question. Cause you're like, look. Everybody else's, a blockchain, rah, and you're going to come in and pee and people's, Cheerio's are you seriously going to do that?

and what's great is then you just shut and the guy, and I think it was interesting cause he was even more passionate cause he was, very much. Bitcoin, rah. But man, when he got to the stuff he hated, he was super like, and this is, and I will, game set, match anyone who will do this, how dare you.

So kind of stuff. And I thought that was real. And I was like, wow. And I still didn't quite get what he was talking about, but he just, I don't know. It wasn't quite so jargony. and I, it made sense a little bit more to me and I just, I thought he was making good points that I liked the fact that, It was contrarian.

It was like, Hey, I'm going to go against the grain. I thought it was cool for you to let him do that. and for him to, very much so say look, if I'm wrong, I'll be more than happy to have a dialogue with you. But every time I asked somebody about some of the jargon and he goes, the minute you do, they go, Oh, preparation or whatever, the, there was a P word in there, propagation or something.

And so I really liked that part. I thought that was cool. and tell me how, like when you're writing, cause I'm doing it right now as we speak, how do you come up with your questions? Cause I noticed some of them and this is Dave being a little nit-picky like there was one where you asked, let me see if I have the clip here.

You had four questions in one. let me play this for

Scott: [00:21:15] you. Okay. I have to ask you about this. Cause I introduced you at the top as a contrarion from what I understand and correct me if I'm wrong here, do you think blockchain is maybe not? It's all it's being built up to be. What are your thoughts on this underlying technology?

Why aren't you so smitten with all of its use cases and potential as other entrepreneurs and business folks are.

Dave: [00:21:42] Okay. That's the only two questions. that's not the clip I was thinking of, but that's the one I was talking about. I liked the fact that you asked it and, and then you just did a good job of just staying out of the way.

So where some people will interject and put there and you just let him go. the other thing, and Eric mentioned this at the beginning, I thought was great is you said, Hey, I heard you on this other podcast. I thought, Hey, that's really cool because it shows you did your homework and B, we just learned your whole life history.

And we don't want to go there again. So in the cliff notes version, can you tell us this now he didn't really give you a cliff note version, but it was shorter than that whole episode. So I thought that was I'm with Eric. I was like, hallow, you Luhya, you're not going, tell me about, tell us a little bit about you.

That drives me nuts. that's nails on a chalkboard. So I thought it was cool that you like, Hey, this is not what I like. Don't give me your life history. Let's get to the blockchain Bitcoin kind of discussion. I thought that was cool.

Erik: [00:22:39] If I could, if I could give you just a. thought about the podcast overall at the beginning, at the intro, when you come in and you welcome everybody to the show, you're a little stiff and you're a little choppy and welcome to the show, everybody.

And this week we are going to talk about, and it's Mary. Very proud. I hear you're very stiff, like you're performing. And then as soon as you get into the conversation with him, even when you start talking about him and introducing him, you relaxed totally. And you become Scott.

and it's fluid. And that stiffness only happens at the very beginning when you start introducing the show, so it's maybe 30 to 60 seconds, and then all of a sudden you become you and you're relayed back. And when you get into the conversation, you are super conversational. And right on, and the conversation moves forward.

It's got momentum through the whole thing, when to jump in when his answers are done and you don't go. Wow. That's great. And then awkward pause while you think of another question that doesn't happen. it's very conversational. You do a great job through that. I would try and bring some of that warmth that you have during the conversation to the beginning of the show.

So rather than you're talking to him, you're talking to that one listener that we've defined now. And you just say, Hey, thanks again for being here. I got a great show for you this week. this is who we're talking to, and this is what you're going to learn. And man, I hope you're ready for hope. You got something to write with because I'm going to give you some nuggets today.

You're going to love and here's the deal, and just be very conversational. from the get go, because I think you do a great job. And there were, I only heard where Dave says, you answered asked two, three, four questions at a time. I didn't hear that very often. No, there were a couple of times, but it was, I think it was more of a time when a question just Popped into your head and you're like, wait a minute, let me ask him about this. And you hadn't quite thought the question all the way through yet, which is usually when those crazy questions happen. Most of the time you are right on the spot on and you were going and you would do a nice transition. You would sum up what he said, and then you would say, but what about this?

And you would always. Yeah. Ask the question and then stop talking, which is great. Many people ask the question and then try and justify the question and they talk. And by the time they stopped talking, the guests is forgot what the question was. No, I think you do a nice job overall with the conversation and the momentum of the show.

Dave: [00:25:08] Yeah, that was, I'm with Eric. when you finally popped in, it was number one, it wasn't like I said, it wasn't scripted and just Hey today, we're going to talk about this and this guy's coming on. And it was very much just, you were excited without being obnoxious radio guy with the Google horn.

there was some energy there without being like, wow, what's this guy on kind of thing. So I thought it was a. good as well. Let's let's take a listen here to how you wrap things up.

Scott: [00:25:38] that's it for our show today. Thank you so much for listening. And if you like what we do here, don't forget to rate and review us on iTunes or whatever your preferred podcast listening platform is.

We'll be back with another episode very soon.

Erik: [00:25:54] Thank you for listening to another episode of pay pod brought to you by swore payments. So we're

Dave: [00:25:59] payments is a

Erik: [00:26:00] leading merchant services provider

Scott: [00:26:02] for e-commerce.

Erik: [00:26:03] High risk and hard to place businesses. If you'd like to get the latest pay pod episode sent to you automatically subscribe to the show via iTunes or Stitcher

Dave: [00:26:12] or visit  dot

Erik: [00:26:13] com slash podcast.

Dave: [00:26:18] Good energy. so for me, if we want it again, I'm like the King of nitpicky tonight. Apple frowns, they frown when you call it iTunes, it's Apple podcast. If you, because it really is all about the subscribers. and for me, a part of me dies every time I hear somebody say, please rate and review us now, the good news each you didn't say, because it helps us get found because that's the one that will send me over the edge ratings and reviews are great.

They're the primary thing I've seen those used for is if you're trying to get a sponsor, Cause people will go, wow, you really do have an engaged audience, but other than that, they don't do anything in Apple. and I would, if you want, it doesn't have to be in your navigation, but if you make a page like, Hey, go to soarpay.com/subscribe and you can subscribe and whatever.

In your favorite podcast app, and then you have, cause you have a great job. When you go to the website there, a srp.com/podcast. You've got, Apple, Google and Spotify, which is the top three. if I was going to add one, I'd add Amazon, but we'll, we won't find out for about another month or two in terms of just how, popular that platform is you would think it'd be, cause it's one of it's Amazon.

They'd like to do big stuff.

Scott: [00:27:25] They've got their muscle there.

Dave: [00:27:26] Yeah. So that would be my only other thing is, instead of saying Apple and Stitcher. Just say, Hey, go here to subscribe. And that way you can subscribe, and it gives you another chance. I like the fact that she came on and, re-emphasize your website, Eric, any thoughts on the ending?

Erik: [00:27:42] yeah, good news and bad news. The good news was you only had one call to action, which that is true. Fantastic, great job. Love that. bad news is I think it was a poor choice for a call to action because it doesn't get you closer to your goals in your intake form. We asked you what your goals were, what you want your audience to do.

and you told us that you want more feedback on the topics that interest them most. so if that's what you want your audience to do, let's make that your call to action. what do you want to see? What do you want to learn about what can I teach you? How do I, send me some feedback and feedback@show.com or, head to the website at website.com/feedback or whatever, make the one call to action, your goal, get it, getting people to rate and review you.

Doesn't get you closer to that goal. That's the only reason I thought it was a poor choice for your call to action. I do appreciate it. That it was only one, but let's make it what you want your audience to do the most. And your call to action. Doesn't have to be the same call to action every week.

So this week it could be feedback next week. It could be subscribed to the show the next week. It could be, pet your cat twice for me, whatever you want it to be. Yeah. but again, think of all the podcasts you listen to. How many times have you gone and read the ratings and reviews?

the chances are, you've discovered new podcasts because your buddy told you about it, have you listened to this podcast? It's great. Or you've heard it mentioned on social media or on another podcast or in conversation, or you saw it mentioned in an article and then you're like, wow, that sounds like a pretty cool.

Podcasts. I think I'll go check it out. rarely are we surfing through Apple podcasts and looking at ratings and reviews before we go, you know what? I'll check that out because what I find most of the time are the people who are writing ratings and reviews. Don't know what they're talking about anyway, because they don't know my tastes.

it's like people who hate movies. I love and people that love the movies. I hate

Dave: [00:29:44] this. Is it somebody who's done a review for review. So you see a lot of like great show, love the host. Next review. Great show. Love the host.

Erik: [00:29:52] This guy really knows what he's talking

Dave: [00:29:54] about. All these generic non-specific kind of reviews, right?

Erik: [00:29:58] I love that it was 32 minutes long. I don't know.

Dave: [00:30:01] It's

Erik: [00:30:01] whatever. So then I thought it was great. You're your warmth here at the end was much better than at the beginning. at the beginning it was very stiff and right here, you still have that warmth you had in the conversation, which I love that about the, about the clothes too.

So nice work there. So

Dave: [00:30:20] as we go to the website, let me share this real quick. So hopefully you guys see that, I liked the look of the website. You've got a nice use of, what's the thing when there's not a lot of words, a white space. Yeah. So everything's got a fair amount of white space around it, so it's not too jammed up on it.

You've got links to, in this case, your guests, you can get his app there. you can connect, with the show. Actually, I did. I didn't see these earlier. This is going to be one of my suggest. You actually have subscribed buttons right here.

Erik: [00:30:51] which is, I thought they were a little difficult to find on the main podcast page.

I love that the links to, Apple pie casts and the rest of them that are right there on the main page. But when you get into the episode page, Finding the links were challenging. So here you have Apple podcasts, you have Stitcher, they're right there. You can click on them, go listen on your favorite player.

I love that. I'd like to see those big buttons on the episode page. Cause trying to find it. It looks just like all the rest of it.

Dave: [00:31:22] I just saw them. I was like, Hey, they're here. That was going to be, yeah.

Erik: [00:31:25] Cause I like the easy layout of this page right here. The podcast page that has all of your episodes on it.

I love the grid feature. I'm very much of a clean grid kind of guy. I love driving in the U S because we're all on the grid, I hate driving in Europe because they don't know what a grid means. And, I'm the straight line kind of guy. And that's what I love about your website.

It's really clean, for our financial website, this is the kind of. Image and brand you want to portray as this is what it looks like. you can trust us because we have all of our ducks in a row. That's the image that this pot, this, website gives off. I thought the podcast was easy to find from the homepage.

There's only two drop-down menus, so it was really easy to find. And then, just getting in onto the episode page a little bit, I'd like to see those nice app buttons from the main page. On the episode page. Other than that, I wouldn't change anything. I like the rest of it.

Dave: [00:32:21] Yeah. The, and I was even impressed because a lot of people don't realize this, you're using Libsyn as your media host that if you go under your.

Show settings, you can put links to all the different places. And that actually shows up on the player. I'm not sure most people know how that you can remove Google play by the way that doesn't exist anymore. but I don't think most people know that if I click on that button, that's why I was really happy to see these down here, but I totally missed them until like right now it's Oh wait, they are here.

They're right here. So I don't know if I would, I'd be tempted to, because you have this featured on the show, which is all about the app. I'd almost make another heading, just subscribe to the show and then here's the links kind of thing. But I'm with Eric. I thought it was cool. And then I was like, I wonder if there's a link at the bottom and I go to the bottom.

Yep. There's a link down there at the bottom of the podcast. I'm like, that's awesome. there's really not much. To say here really? I was like, good job. And it's hard when you're a business. how do I have a landing page? And then how do I have a different landing page for my podcast? And I thought you guys did a great job.

Cause it's one is here. this is the one for the podcast. And then this is the one where you're trying to actually get people to, do your products and services. Eric said, it's right there in the top. And I just thought it was,

Erik: [00:33:31] one other thing I love about the podcast page itself is when you go all the way down to the bottom, All of the contact information is right there, the phone number and all of it.

I don't have to go click a contact button and then click the about us and then click, jump through 17 hoops, just to find a phone number, to call somebody, to tell you, I want to buy your stuff. Then, you just scroll to the bottom and they're like, Oh, you want us? Here's our phone number. I love that.

I love that. It's and it's not real wordy. it's not like I have to comb through 17 columns of information. It's right there and super easy to find. Yeah, I love that. There's what six or nine episodes, and then you can click to see more. So I don't have to scroll for 17 days to get to the bottom of the page.

it's the wa whoever does your website. I love it. it's, the color scheme is fantastic the whole bit.

Dave: [00:34:18] Yeah. Yeah. You've even got the button tying in with the, the color scheme of your website. They got decent photography and the, everything's, it's just one of those where it's look.

There's a scheme here. There's a organizational to it. This is how we, in every episode kind of looks the same, but yet yeah,

Erik: [00:34:34] it has a little template, like right there, every episode has that template that you use. So they all it has some organization to it. Yeah.

Dave: [00:34:41] Where you have the person and then you have, who he is or whatever.

And so

Erik: [00:34:45] it just lends credibility to what you do in the financial industry.

Dave: [00:34:48] Yeah. so I would love to find something to. we did we make your subscribe buttons bigger on the episodes? I'm like, I can't really find much here, but

Erik: [00:34:57] yeah, we tore it apart. There are those subscribed, but if only

Dave: [00:35:03] that, do you have any questions for us?

Scott: [00:35:06] Yeah, I think one question that sort of came up, when you were talking about my outro and the calls to action, would it maybe make sense to, if I did set up a page that was, sorbet pay.com forward slash subscribe. If I said, subscribe here and if you have any thoughts on.

a topic you'd like us to discuss or a guest you'd like to see on the show. You can message us. You can

Erik: [00:35:30] call to

Scott: [00:35:30] action is go to the subscribe. And then I have the subscribe information there and

Erik: [00:35:34] then a contact form. Yeah. So the, you only have one call to action and that's go to that page.

Ratchet call to action. So then you say, if you have, do you have some feedback for the show you want to subscribe? We have perfect links. We have all everything. You need, our contact information and everything. All you need to do is go to the show.com/page. And then, so that's your call to action.

You're not trying to get them to do multiple things or different things. What you don't want to do is have your audience decide shoot, do I decide to call them or do I email them or do I go to their website or do I follow them on social media? I can't decide which one to do. So I'm not doing anything.

What you're doing is saying whatever it is you want to do go to this page. Go to this page. You want to see my beard go to the page, whatever you want to do exactly on it. you want to send me Christmas card, go to the page. So everything they want to do, send them to the page. So go to the page is your only call to action.

You're giving them multiple reasons and benefits to go to the page, but it's still only one. Sure.

Scott: [00:36:38] the other question I was thinking about is just in terms of. The growth of the subscriber base. And that's been one of my big focuses because, I've gotten some great guests, some guests that I'm, really glad that I've been able to get.

And I've reached a point now where we have, I get emails almost every day of someone wanting to be on the show. we are. I've adjusted it. Cause I was saying, Oh, as a B2B, it really is. And there's a lot of, payments and FinTech professionals. Like I've had a lot of success with LinkedIn in terms of just promoting the episodes and just getting the discussion going there and all of that.

So my question is. Is there anything more I should be doing in terms of trying to get that growth? Because I have run into in the past where I'm talking to a brand, I'm talking to their PR person or what have you, and I want to get their executive on whoever it is. And then they'll start asking about, what are your numbers?

what's this what's that. And I'll tell them. And a few times they've been not as impressed. other times they're very impressed. And I think the big thing is. Is, Hey, you just got to get those numbers higher. So that's one of my big things

Dave: [00:37:46] you go into, iTunes or Apple, either one. And if you get really good reviews, may a little media kit to say, Hey, we've got X amount of reviews to show that, Hey, we are.

we have an engaged audience. the other thing in terms of growth, you say you're working with the PR person. When you, when the episode is done, let's say they come on your show. When the episode is done, are you giving them like here's a link and an image and a pre-written tweet. That kind of stuff.

Cause you really just want them to go. Oh, cool. Thanks. Copy paste. Go.

Scott: [00:38:18] Yeah. So I don't actually provide them with a whole specific put together kit, but basically what I'll do is I'll say, Hey, here's the show notes. I'll attach a logo. I'll say if you'd I'll even say, if you'd I can give you the embed code for the Libsyn player.

I've even said, Hey, I'll give you the raw audio file. If you just want to post that on there. As long as you, site. the original post here, the show notes, I do that and I've reached a point where I really, I obviously most of it's subject matter, but I'll shy away from someone who I don't feel really has a platform to actually mention the show.

if they're just like a random person who doesn't have, they don't even have their own blog or they have no Twitter followers or something, it's this doesn't really help us grow, necessarily.

Dave: [00:39:03] Got it.

Erik: [00:39:04] So a couple of thoughts, two different questions. First of all, the question of, landing guests by, leveraging the size of your audience, when you approach guests and they say, how big is the audience?

what you need to make them understand is because you're in such a niche. your audience size, isn't going to be the same as a generic business podcast audience. however, everybody in your audience is interested in your topic. Like it's a specific topic and so it's quality over quantity. I do.

It's a smaller audience than most, but they're all interested in this particular subject matter. We're, they're all interested in cryptocurrency and alternative forms of payment. Whereas if you go on the, ink podcast, only a small portion of them would be interested in your subject matter.

So though you're not reaching as many people, every person you're reaching is interested in your subject. please understand that as you compare my audience to others yeah. Make sure you're comparing apples to apples with regard to growing your audience. You need to figure out what you're doing to get in front of people who aren't already aware of your show and already aware of you doing that through the guests that you have on your show is a great way to do that.

And it's one way to do that. But if you're on LinkedIn or you're on. social media or you're emailing your email lists. Those people already know about you, and they're all aware to be aware of you. How are we getting in front of people who aren't? So you might consider being guests on other podcasts that put you in front of an audience you might consider doing some interview swaps where you interview, somebody in a.

Complimentary niche and they do the same for you. you might just swap, mentions in your newsletter. Hey, I discovered a new podcast this week. It's called Dave Jackson's cryptocurrency. Check it out. And Dave does the same thing in his newsletter. Hey, I discovered a new podcast. Here's what it is.

Go check it out. And so you Plug each other that way. but just find ways to go get in front of your ideal target listener, which is yet another reason to define that person. Because when you know all about them, you know where to find them, in your intake form, you talked about the hangout and read it and stuff like that.

And that might be an opportunity for you to go be active there in front of people who aren't already aware of you.

Dave: [00:41:37] Yeah, red, it's a good place where you'll be able to see what are the top discussions on this topic? And maybe that would then help you find, Oh, we need to have, find somebody who's going to talk about this.

And then you go to LinkedIn to find out who can talk about this topic.

Scott: [00:41:52] and what's their audience look like, and then you've are hitting all of the basis. So to speak,

Dave: [00:41:57] anything else we can help you with?

Scott: [00:42:01] No. I think that's really, those are you've guys have given me a lot to just look at and fine tune.

and I think a lot of it too, it seems like, like you were just saying all of the, being on other podcasts and swapping, I've actually done that a few times, but it sounds like, Hey, that's something I should be leaning into more. and just almost leaning into the things that are going well, and then tweaking the things that could be better.

It really seems that's going to be the key. and then the other thing is I've just found that. The consistency of our episodes has really helped just constantly releasing an episode. We do six a month now. and I've already seen that inflection point where I was hand hat in hand begging for guests for the longest time.

And now I have too many, I don't have enough slots. and so that's, it feels good. And I think I just want to keep pushing forward with that.

Erik: [00:42:54] Nice. Great. I do have to tell you, I would have never guessed you were on a blue Yeti. you sound great. and I don't know if you set up your microphone or if you had somebody do it for you, but you work at properly, you have the settings right.

Where they need to be. It sounds great. And that's not an easy feat. So congratulations on that. you sound great on it.

Scott: [00:43:13] Yeah. I had started a, I had a previous business. I ran that was called audio skills, where I had made videos about people, learning how to record and mix music. so I picked up some things.

You

Erik: [00:43:25] do a nice job with it.

Dave: [00:43:28] Awesome. if you want to check out more from Scott, go over to Soarpay.com. If you want to check out the podcast, it's soar, pay.com/podcast.

Erik: [00:43:35] You can fuck us. True.

Dave: [00:43:39] Shore pays a whole other that's where you're like, Hey, it's time to pay up,

Erik: [00:43:43] come on or sorbet completely different thing.

Dave: [00:43:47] Eric, where can people find you?

Erik: [00:43:49] You can find me over at podcast talent, coach.com anytime you'd like. And Dave, how about you

Dave: [00:43:54] find me@schoolofpodcasting.com and if you would like to be right here, Scott's got the seat warmed up for you. go over to podcast, review show.com/review me. So thanks so much for listening.

We'll see you again with another episode of the podcast review show. And remember there's always room for improvement.