Picture: Domenick Swentosky
In the event you’ve consumed any on-line fly fishing media, likelihood is you’ve learn one thing from Domenick Swentosky, over at Troutbitten. His weblog is among the most well-respected, in-depth locations to be taught in regards to the nuances of this sport. Two years in the past, he launched a podcast for Troutbitten, and he only recently introduced that he’s crossed the a million obtain mark. To get a million downloads in two years is unbelievable, so I requested Dom if he’d be prepared to talk with the readers right here at MidCurrent in regards to the podcast, and about Troutbitten generally. He was sort sufficient to ship over some solutions that supply a ton of perception into how he was capable of obtain this, and a few new objectives he has for Troutbitten in 2024.
MidCurrent (MC): 1 million downloads – that’s unbelievable! The podcast recreation is admittedly aggressive nowadays (everybody appears to have one). What, particularly, has helped Troutbitten stand out within the fly fishing area of interest?
Dom: Thanks, Spencer.
Sure, the Troutbitten Podcast took off immediately, and it has turn out to be a rewarding a part of this entire venture. I like seeing the connections that anglers should Troutbitten and the way a lot they connect a part of their fishing lives to one thing that I created.
Success for the Troutbitten Podcast, identical to the web site and the movies, has come from three issues: consistency, high quality and authenticity.
After I began the web site in 2014, there have been loads of different fishing blogs and web sites on the market. However I observed a pattern. Individuals wrote for some time after which tapered off. I promised myself I might not try this. So I dedicated to a full yr of writing each week. Then it grew to become twice every week. And by 2017, I used to be dedicated to publishing thrice every week. I’ve been doing that ever since.
I noticed that mannequin of consistency work with the web site, so I needed to do the identical with the podcast. Listeners know that I publish the Troutbitten Podcast on Sunday evenings at 6:30 EST. That by no means adjustments. It’s constant. However as a result of I knew publishing each week could be unsustainable over the lengthy haul, I made a decision to construct breaks into the Troutbitten Podcast timeline. We’re now on Season Ten, with a few month-long break in between every season.
That type of consistency, the place listeners know what to anticipate, even comes all the way down to a few of the repeated parts of the podcasts themselves. We created a very good intro, and we’ve caught with it. We run two completely different codecs for the podcast seasons. One in all them is a Abilities Collection, the place we handle a single subject for a full season of episodes. Once more, listeners know what to anticipate; they belief that the content material will likely be there, in order that they make investments themselves in it.
High quality has been one other key ingredient for each department of Troutbitten. With the podcast, I made a decision to do issues in another way. We don’t observe the usual format of interviewing visitors. As a substitute, I’ve relied on my good fishing buddies to carry conversations which can be fascinating, entertaining and informative. And since we don’t have somebody new as a visitor each week, we are able to spend extra time digging into the small print of what listeners care about most — the fishing!
I additionally don’t go right into a podcast blind. We’ve got a plan. I write a format or a top level view (relying on the subject) simply to assist hold us on monitor. Nobody wants to listen to six guys rambling and spinning inside jokes. The banter is enjoyable although, and as time goes by, I depart extra of it in there, as a result of individuals know us by now. It’s enjoyable.
I additionally spend time enhancing every podcast. I do know that almost all podcasters don’t edit a lot, saying they like a pure dialog. I do too. However nobody wants to listen to me coughing, chairs squeaking, my canine barking, too many “ums” and “ahs,” or only a line of thought that doesn’t tie in or would possibly confuse individuals. I used my expertise with enhancing software program from my a long time as a musician, placing these expertise again to work. That polished sound of a very good edit helps set the podcast aside too. I’m positive of it.
The Troutbitten Podcast requires eight to 12 hours from me each week. From the format, to the recording, the enhancing, the companion article, publishing and promotion, it’s an enormous venture. So the help and the advert income from a few of the finest corporations within the trade have made it attainable for me to dedicate that point. Troutbitten is my profession. And if it wasn’t, I’m positive I couldn’t produce this sort of work constantly.
Authenticity is the final half. I consider listeners join with us as a result of they hear that we’re actual anglers simply speaking about fishing. We’ve got robust opinions, however we’re open minded. We love fishing onerous, however we like having enjoyable. Troutbitten is an impartial multi-media firm. And there’s nothing else on the market like Troutbitten, doing what we do whereas sustaining that independence. I’ve no editor to reply to and no mum or dad firm dictating what I ought to or shouldn’t write, what I ought to document or movie. Due to this fact, we don’t go down the identical paths or cater to the identical viewers that the remainder of the trade does. That’s not a acutely aware choice as a lot as simply following our hearts. I like creating issues and realizing that individuals join with it. And when creation comes with out a lot consideration for web optimization, for clicks or income, authenticity stays on the core, and good issues observe.
MidCurrent:What have you ever realized as an angler from doing the podcast? I’ve discovered the extra I write and discuss fly fishing myself, I continue to learn.
Dom: I’ve realized from my buddies by way of the conversations you hear. I realized from Trevor about wool layers, and I gave wool one other likelihood. Now, I put on wool nearly daily, for about eight months of the yr. I’ve realized extra about when, why and the right way to pause streamers from listening to Invoice’s shocking solutions to questions in one in all our streamer episodes. These are only a couple examples of how I’ve realized by way of the conversations themselves.
Listening to feedback and receiving questions from listeners can be a unbroken schooling. I get nice concepts from individuals who have one thing found out that I don’t. And when a number of individuals ask the identical observe up query, I do know that we left one thing on the desk and we missed one thing. By means of all of that suggestions, I hold getting higher as a author, podcast host, educator and communicator of fishing experiences.
MidCurrent: I do know your focus has at all times been on serving to different anglers. Why did you determine a podcast was the suitable technique to increase your capability to assist different anglers?
Dom: I didn’t determine it that method, actually. With Troutbitten, my methodology has been to only hold my head down and attempt to create good issues. I’ve had no overarching marketing strategy or perhaps a path to observe. In order the following alternative or thought has come up, I’ve determined to observe by way of with it or put it on maintain. I believed I might write and publish books earlier than the podcast, however life labored out in another way. The timing of the podcast launch simply felt proper. It was intuition and want greater than anything.
And sure, I at all times knew that the podcast platform would enable me to speak concepts and ideas in ways in which phrases in articles couldn’t. Identical with video too. All media varieties have their strengths. And I get pleasure from reaching individuals by way of completely different strategies of creation.
MidCurrent: What thrilling issues do you take into account for Troutbitten in 2024?
Dom: In 2024 we’re launching dwell Troutbitten podcasts on YouTube. Many of those dwell occasions will function fashionable visitors, the place the viewers can take part to ask questions of the visitors or the Troutbitten crew.
We’re all enthusiastic about this addition to our podcast lineup, and I’m engaged on getting the software program and the talents collectively to make these dwell occasions a slick manufacturing. The dwell ingredient will likely be an fascinating problem. And it’ll be rewarding to observe the interplay between our viewers and a few of their favourite personalities in fly fishing.
Thanks to your questions, Spencer. And due to everybody on the market who helps the Troutbitten Undertaking.
