How To Make Money Podcasting: Monetization Secrets from Pour Minds & Earn Your Leisure

Summary

Earn Your Leisure Podcast: Episode Summary Title: How To Make Money Podcasting: Monetization Secrets from Pour Minds & Earn Your Leisure
Hosts: Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings
Release Date: May 19, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of Earn Your Leisure, hosts Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings delve into the multifaceted world of podcast monetization. Featuring insights from successful podcasters, including the team behind Pour Minds, the discussion offers a comprehensive guide for aspiring podcasters looking to monetize their content effectively.

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Monetization Strategies Discussed

Ad Revenue

One of the primary revenue streams highlighted is advertising. Hosts emphasize the importance of securing ad deals that align with the podcast's audience and content.

Podcast Host 1 explains, “We make money obviously from ad revenue... it's one of the first sources of income you're going to have based on your topic” [02:18].

Streaming Platforms

Monetization through streaming platforms like YouTube is another significant source of income. By leveraging video streams, podcasters can tap into advertising revenue and reach a broader audience.

Podcast Host 1 mentions, “We make money from streams on YouTube” [02:18].

Patreon and Subscriptions

Platforms like Patreon allow podcasters to generate recurring revenue by offering exclusive content and perks to subscribers. This model fosters a deeper connection with the audience while providing a stable income.

“We have a Patreon... it's a great way to sustain our content creation” [02:18].

Merchandise Sales

While not as prominent as other revenue streams, selling merchandise such as hoodies, tees, and other branded items can provide additional income and promote the podcast brand.

Friend 3 recounts, “We used to sell merch, but we don't really sell merch as much anymore” [02:18].

Live Shows and Events

Hosting live shows and events serves both as a revenue stream and a means to engage with the community. Although recent global events have paused touring, live events remain a lucrative opportunity when feasible.

Podcast Host 1 reflects, “We've been trying to think of my live shows. Live shows, but we haven't toured in like two years” [02:18].

Digital Products: E-books and Courses

Creating and selling digital products such as e-books and online courses taps into the expertise of the hosts, providing value beyond the podcast itself.

Friend 3 details, “We did an ebook as well... it's like I was legit giving actual websites that we use” [02:44].

Podcast Host 1 adds, “You can actually get the bundle... if you're somebody who's more of a visual learner, you could watch the E Course” [03:24].

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Expanding Revenue Streams

Social Media Influence

Leveraging social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok allows podcasters to monetize their influence beyond the podcast. Sponsored posts, partnerships, and ad revenue from these platforms contribute significantly to overall income.

Friend 3 states, “Even now we get money from Facebook, TikTok... it's like a lot of stuff” [04:04].

Hosting Services and Media Ventures

Diversifying into hosting services and other media ventures, such as festivals and award shows, provides additional revenue channels and enhances brand visibility.

Podcast Host 1 recounts, “We stepped into the hosting space. We did the Earn Your Leisure festival... BET Awards” [03:44].

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Community Building: The Poor Crew

A robust and engaged community is pivotal for sustained podcast success. The Poor Crew—the loyal fan base of Earn Your Leisure—plays a crucial role in monetization through support and word-of-mouth promotion.

Friend 3 emphasizes, “Engaging with your audience helps a lot” [06:39].

Podcast Host 1 explains, “We never had guests on the show because we wanted to build a fan base of people who wanted to see us every week” [07:13].

This strategy ensures consistent viewership, regardless of guest appearances, fostering a loyal and dedicated audience.

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Navigating Ad Client Relationships

Variety in Ad Clients

Maintaining a diverse portfolio of ad clients prevents dependency on a single revenue source and mitigates risks associated with market fluctuations.

Friend 3 shares, “We have really like food, food stuff, mental health stuff... we don’t get a lot of beauty ads” [05:06].

Ad Client Alignment

Ensuring that ad clients align with the podcast's audience is essential for effective monetization. This alignment increases the likelihood of listener engagement and ad effectiveness.

Podcast Host 1 notes, “We've never really had that issue [with ad clients], but some have... because they might have like a sex-based podcast” [05:04].

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Building and Sustaining a Loyal Fan Base

Consistent Content Delivery

Delivering consistent and high-quality content without relying heavily on guests ensures that the audience remains engaged regardless of external factors.

Podcast Host 1 discusses the importance of consistent viewership: “When you don't have a guest, the viewership falls off... we wanted to cultivate a space” [07:13].

Active Engagement

Active engagement with listeners through social media interactions, live tweeting during related events, and responding to comments fosters a sense of community and loyalty.

Friend 3 mentions, “Engage with my listeners... if I tweet, they gonna tweet me back” [07:13].

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Emotional Milestones and Community Impact

The hosts share personal anecdotes reflecting the emotional journey of growing a podcast and witnessing its impact. Watching a debut episode with friends and family present was a significant milestone, reinforcing the hard work and dedication invested in the podcast.

Friend 3 recounts, “That was the first time we watched the episode... we really have a TV show” [08:18].

Podcast Host 1 adds, “Seeing it on the big screen, I was just like, wow” [09:08].

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Conclusion

In this episode, Earn Your Leisure provides a comprehensive overview of podcast monetization strategies, emphasizing the importance of diverse revenue streams, community building, and strategic ad partnerships. By sharing their experiences and insights, Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings offer valuable guidance for both aspiring and established podcasters aiming to maximize their earning potential while maintaining a loyal and engaged audience.

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Notable Quotes:

• Podcast Host 1: “We make money from streams on YouTube.” [02:18]
• Friend 3: “Engaging with your audience helps a lot.” [07:13]
• Podcast Host 1: “We never had guests on the show because we wanted to build a fan base of people who wanted to see us every week.” [07:13]
• Friend 3: “We did an ebook as well... it's like I was legit giving actual websites that we use.” [02:44]
• Podcast Host 1: “Seeing it on the big screen, I was just like, wow.” [09:08]

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This detailed summary encapsulates the essential discussions and insights shared in the episode, providing a clear roadmap for monetizing podcasts effectively. Whether you're a seasoned podcaster or just starting, the strategies outlined by Earn Your Leisure offer actionable steps to enhance your podcast's financial success.

Transcript

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[Curious Listener]

How do podcasters make money like you? You guys have a successful podcast. How do they? I always wondered that. I never really knew. How do.

[Podcast Host 1]

Oh, you know, right? He want to act like he don't know.

[Talkspace Announcer]

I don't know.

[Friend 2]

Please enlighten us.

[Curious Listener]

How do podcasts make money?

[Friend 2]

Newcomers, this is earn.

[Curious Listener]

This is earn your leisure. So we gotta, you know, we gotta.

[Podcast Host 1]

Let the people know. So, I mean, we make money a few different ways. We make money, obviously, from ad revenue. We make money from stream streams on YouTube. We also have a Patreon. We make money with Patreon. We used to sell merch, but we don't really sell merch as much anymore. But that used to be a stream of income that we had. And I'm trying to think of my live shows. Live shows, but we haven't toured in, like, two years.

[Friend 3]

Yeah, like hosting events, stuff like that.

[Curious Listener]

Do you have products?

[Podcast Host 1]

I have a cosmetics business, but we don't have anything with poor minds together currently. But we used to sell hoodies and wrap tees.

[Friend 3]

We had, like, the little wine stoppers and stuff like that. Like, we really, like, ramp up, like, the merch stuff whenever we were touring and things like that. But like she said, those, like, are our main sources of income. And we did an ebook as well, because, I mean, we get so many questions of like, oh, how do I start a podcast? What do I need? But it wasn't just like the typical ebook. Like, okay, get a camera. It was like I was legit giving actual websites that we use. Oh, you wanna make some ad revenue? You can sign your podcast up with this audio, this source. So we did the course too, so.

[Podcast Host 1]

You can actually get the bundle. Like, if you're somebody who's more of a visual learner, you could watch the E Course. Or if you. You somebody that needs to look at a book. We have the.

[Friend 2]

Yeah, look at y' all.

[Friend 3]

And then we stepped, like I said, we stepped into the hosting space. We did, you know, we did the Earn your leisure festival.

[Podcast Host 1]

Invest Fest.

[Friend 3]

Invest Fest. Essence Festival.

[Podcast Host 1]

We did Essence.

[Friend 3]

Yeah, yeah.

[Podcast Host 1]

BET Awards.

[Friend 3]

BET Awards. Yeah, we did the Media House last year. So I think, like I said, when you're getting into podcasting, the actual show you can make a lot of revenue from. But the outside things that you do, outside of just sitting on the couch and being in front of the mic is like.

[Curious Listener]

So it's using your influence to get money from.

[Friend 3]

Answer. Absolutely. I mean, even now we get money from Facebook, TikTok. It's like a lot of stuff.

[Podcast Host 1]

That's what I was forgetting. Yeah, Social media platform.

[Friend 2]

There's a ticket going on on the streams. Y' all just name. That's about. We're about 11.

[Friend 3]

Yeah.

[Friend 2]

Multiple streams is important in the ad space. I know, like, when people are starting the podcast, that's very important. Right. It's probably one of the first sources of income you're going to have based on your topic. Do you guys ever feel limited? Right. Because there's only. Sometimes there's only a certain level or certain category of ad client that's looking to put things on your show. Right. Whereas if you have more of a broad based topic, it leaves it open for a lot more categories. Have you guys ever felt that way when it comes to the ad spends?

[Podcast Host 1]

You know what? No, not really, to be honest. Like, I feel like a lot of different companies want to work with us. Like, we've never really had that issue. But we do know some people in the podcasting space that have told us that they've had that issue because they might have like a sex based podcast, but we've never really had that.

[Friend 3]

Sometimes we get asked. I'm like, they want to work with us.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah, it'll be the most random.

[Friend 3]

It'll be so random.

[Podcast Host 1]

Like manscape.

[Friend 3]

Yeah, like manscaping. Like all that stuff. Like, it'll be like. But it works. Like if they renew the contract, I'm like, oh, y' all must be clicking. Bluechew, Bluechew. And I'm like, do men really watch the show? Right. Women are buying it for their men.

[Curious Listener]

Yeah. I don't think y' all will be limited because you're not. Like you said, you're not a sex based podcast.

[Friend 3]

Like we have a. A segment, but it's not the whole entire show. You know, I think people think that.

[Podcast Host 1]

Sometimes just because of the clips that are cut from the show be like the sex topic. So then before people actually come and watch the show, I think they assume that it's a sex based.

[Friend 2]

Yeah. Or it's a female based show. Men might not be really watching, but that could actually be the opposite.

[Podcast Host 1]

Right.

[Friend 3]

And I think it's really crazy with these ad companies as well because like you said, you just never know what we're going to get or what people want to work with us. Because honestly, being that we're so heavily with the women crowd, we don't get a lot of beauty ads. Yeah. Like a lot. Like makeup stuff, like hair stuff. We really don't get a lot of stuff like that. We had one fashion company where like you could, you know, have like a subscription service to get clothes like one time. But most of the stuff is really like food, food stuff, mental health, mental health stuff, stuff like that. You know what I mean? But I was like, yeah.

[Curious Listener]

So how have you guys been able to build your community? Cause you got like a loyal fan base, supporters. You have a name for them, right.

[Friend 3]

Poor crew.

[Podcast Host 1]

The Poor crew.

[Curious Listener]

P O U R. So how, how? Cause a lot of People create content, but then everybody doesn't have, like, a community. So, like, what's some of the ways that you've able to cultivate and keep that community together?

[Podcast Host 1]

I feel like one of the major ways. And we always say these. One of the major ways that we've been able to build such a large community is that for the first few years that we started doing Poor Minds, we never had guests on the show because we always wanted to make sure we were building a fan base of people who wanted to see us every week. I feel like a lot of the time when people start off having huge guests on their show weekly, when you don't. The week that you don't have a guest, the viewership falls off. So we wanted to make sure we were cultivating a space and a community of people that no matter who we had on the show, they still gonna watch. So I feel like that was a major key.

[Friend 3]

And another major one is we talk to our listeners. Like, everybody acts like they too good to take 20, 30 minutes and just respond to comments. You know, talk back to people. Like, I still do that. I engage with my listeners. Cause I just started a new YouTube channel called Love Lexp. So I do, like, Hot Topics on there, and I'm like, y' all hashtag Love Lexp, so we can talk about it together. You know what I'm saying? I think the engagement of feeling like, you know what? Lex and Dre are cool. I can talk to them. If I tweet Four Minds, they gonna tweet me back. So I think it's, like, not feeling like you are a celebrity, you know what I'm saying? And really engaging with your audience helps a lot.

[Podcast Host 1]

We do that with Travel Queens, too. We live tweet every week on Twitter when Travel Queens is on.

[Friend 2]

I was wondering, right, that that community that you built, it obviously helps when Travel Queens is about to debut and people are supporting it. But when you guys had the debut for it, there was just, like, an overwhelming sense of emotion that I watched from y' all, and I was like, this is interesting. Talk about what that felt like in that moment to watch yourself on a big screen and your fans and your family there with you.

[Friend 3]

Um, that was the first time we watched the episode. And I think, like, in that moment, it really just kind of, like, hit me. And I'm, like, looking at her, I'm like, we really did that, because even while we were filming, it was like we were working. And I think in that moment, it hit us because, honestly, getting the. The party, the premiere party together, getting ready for everything, finding outfits and just hair, makeup, all this stuff. We didn't really get to sit. So in that moment I was like, oh my gosh, like we really have a TV show.

[Friend 2]

You was boohooing?

[Friend 3]

Yeah, I was.

[Friend 2]

She was holding it together.

[Friend 3]

I was, I was trying.

[Podcast Host 1]

But honestly, I feel like it hit me at that moment as well because when we were filming the show, I definitely felt like, oh my God, we're about to have a TV show. But that day, all of our friends being present, all of our family being present, seeing it on the big screen, screen at the venue, I was just like, wow.

[Friend 3]

Cuz we didn't know how it was going to look. I didn't know if it was going to look like a little tubie bootleg. We didn't know what it was going to look like. And I'm like, oh, they got us looking real, like professional. You know what I'm saying? I was looking like, you know, Gordon Ramp up there.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah.

[Friend 3]

You know what I'm saying?

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