Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast with Courtney Elmer

Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast

by Courtney Elmer

"Your podcast’s success doesn’t start with a mic — it starts in the mind. When you understand the psychology behind why listeners tune in, stay, and take action, that’s when your show becomes more than just content. It becomes a powerful tool that drives real impact and business growth."

Introduce yourself.

Most podcasting experts say high-quality audio, great content, and consistent episodes are the secret to podcasting success. But if that were true, every podcaster with a $100+ mic and a weekly release schedule would be in the Top 100 — and we both know that’s not how it works.

So what do all top podcasts have in common? Differentiation, discoverability, and demand. That’s how you attract listeners, keep them coming back, and convert them into paying clients.

I’m Courtney Elmer: founder of PodLaunch®, top 1% podcasting educator, and host of the globally-ranked show Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast. While I’ve been featured in Forbes, and CEO Weekly dubbed me The Podcast Whisperer, what I’m really known for is my work on the psychology behind what makes podcasts succeed (or fail).

Over the past decade, I’ve spent more than 15,000 hours studying what separates today’s top thought leaders from the experts who get overlooked. By applying the science of human behavior and psychology to podcasting, our team has helped over seventy six- and seven-figure coaches, consultants, and experts launch and grow Top 100 podcasts that turn listeners into clients, position them as the go-to authority in their industry, and drive real business growth.

Share an experience that has shaped who you are today.

I never imagined I’d be sitting in a freezing-cold doctor’s office with those awful fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, being diagnosed with thyroid cancer two days after returning from my honeymoon.

I’ll never forget the moment my world came to a screeching halt when my doctor said, “The biggest risk of this surgery is that you could permanently lose your voice.”

And I never expected to be so terrified of losing my voice — especially as someone who had been told since I was nine years old that “my mouth got me into trouble” and who believed that no one really cared what I had to say. But that defining moment became the catalyst for the work I do today.

For me, podcasting isn’t just about building an audience, growing your authority, or adding a new income stream to your business. It’s a way to challenge yourself every day not to take your voice for granted — and to use it to create powerful, meaningful change in the world.

It’s easy to think no one is listening or that what you have to say doesn’t matter. But if you keep believing that, the people who need your message the most will never have the chance to hear it. Your voice has the power to inspire, connect, and change lives — and someone out there is waiting right now to hear it from you.

Tell us about your podcast audience.

Our audience is made up of established coaches, consultants, and service-based business owners who are serious about leveraging a podcast to grow their business and want a proven, no-fluff approach to launching and growing a podcast that stands out, attracts listeners who are ready to become clients, and builds real business growth.

They are the world’s movers and shakers who aren’t interested in chasing vanity metrics like downloads. They’re willing to invest the time and effort to build a podcast that becomes a powerful business asset. And above all, they’re ready to use their voice to create meaningful change in the world.

What makes your podcast unique?

Unlike most podcasts about podcasting that give you advice you can easily find on Google — like buying the right mic or releasing episodes consistently — Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast takes a radically different approach by tackling the deeper problems that cause 8 out of 10 podcasts to fail.

The real issue? Most podcasts blend in because they haven’t nailed three critical elements: differentiation, discoverability, and demand. Without these, even the best content gets overlooked.

Through more than 15,000 hours of research into what today’s top podcasts are doing differently, we share actionable, psychology-driven insights and strategies designed to help you build a Top 100 podcast. Every episode unpacks what high-performing podcasts do to stand out and gives you the tools to create a bingeworthy show your audience can't ignore.

Here, you won't find outdated advice like “just keep podcasting” or “share every episode to your email list and social media." Instead, we focus on what actually works — from positioning your show to attract listeners who are primed to become clients, to crafting episodes that build deep loyalty and drive real business growth.

So, if you're an established coach, consultant, or service-based business owner ready to launch your podcast successfully (or if you've already started a podcast that's not growing like you expected it to) this show will give you the clarity and direction you need to become the go-to expert in your niche with a top podcast that drives meaningful growth for your business.

Podcast ads can be powerful for growing your show, but success isn't just about picking any ad strategy and throwing money at it. You need to be intentional: understand the different podcast ad types, know how to target the right audience, track your results, and refine your approach based on what’s working.

In this episode, I’m back with Mike Wiston from MowPod to dive into the tactical side of using paid ads to grow your podcast. Mike breaks down the different types of podcast ads and explains why not all ads are created equal when it comes to listener growth, to help you decide which ads are right for your show.

So if you want to make your podcast ads count and learn which ad strategies can help you reach more listeners, hit play and let’s dive in.

0:01 – Why Podcast Ads Are Not One Size Fits All

4:10 – Podcast Ad Fatigue and What It Means for Your Strategy

7:10 – Choosing the Right Ad Targeting to Reach More Listeners

11:15 – How to Track Retention and Tell If Your Ads Are Working

15:45 – Why Your Ads Aren’t Converting and How to Fix It

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