Topic: Podcast Marketing

The Higherside Chats will implement clear labeling for episodes, such as "book report" or "special presentation," to improve searchability within podcast apps like Spotify. A new potential segment titled "Culture Scrying" is under consideration, which would involve analyzing news clips and internet threads to gauge the current zeitgeist. The distribution model maintains a "top of the funnel" approach with five free hours of content monthly to attract new listeners while providing ten total hours to Plus members.

Greg Carlwood concludes the episode by discussing the recent success of the show's social media clips on TikTok and Instagram, which reached millions of new viewers. He clarifies that the "Higher Side Meetups" calendar is open to all listeners, not just Plus members, and lists upcoming events in London, Oregon, Virginia, and Michigan. The show ends with a final call to action against "drug-use omitting academics" and the standard musical sign-off.

The Higherside Chats (THC) is transitioning from a word-of-mouth show to a more structured growth phase after 12 years of operation. While growth has slowed, the podcasting landscape has shifted toward high-production "well-oiled machines" like Patrick Bet-David’s PBD Podcast and Flagrant. These competitors utilize large teams, agents, and mainstream-adjacent content to dwarf independent alternative shows. Despite the overlap in guests like Whitney Webb or RFK Jr., the focus remains on maintaining independence while navigating a professionalized industry and a tightening economy.

Greg Carlwood announces an upcoming joint session on February 20th and discusses the challenges of running an independent podcast against large media machines. He notes that digital marketing has been less effective than organic word-of-mouth growth and thanks his listeners for their continued support of the show.

Greg Carlwood reflects on the interview by referencing Jordan Peterson's theories on dominance hierarchies and young men. He discusses his own journey into alternative research and podcasting, encouraging listeners to find a unique "slice of the pie" for their careers. Carlwood uses Brian Tuohy's specialized expertise in sports conspiracy as a model for professional success.