#348 | What The Top 1% Of Podcasters Do DIFFERENTLY AT Christmas To Blow Up Their Show
November 23, 2025
AI Summary
5 min readMost podcasters treat December as a dead zone. They assume listenership drops, so they take a break, publish generic episodes, or go on hiatus. But according to Ty Goshea and Anthony Wineri, hosts of Why Your Podcast Isn't Growing, that assumption is a self-fulfilling prophecy. The real problem isn't that people listen less at Christmas—it's that most podcasters fail to adapt their content to how their audience's needs and routines actually change during the season. The hosts argue that the top 1% of podcasters do the opposite: they lean in, create timely and emotionally relevant content, and capture attention while everyone else goes quiet.
The False Premise of the Christmas Slump
The hosts begin by dismantling the widely held belief that podcast listenership naturally declines in December. They acknowledge that many podcasters look at their analytics and see a drop, which leads them to conclude that "people just don't listen as much at Christmas." But Ty and Anthony argue this is a surface-level reading of the data. The real reason numbers fall is not that audiences disappear—it's that their listening habits change. Commutes and gym sessions (two of the biggest podcast-listening moments) decrease, but other activities increase: more cooking, cleaning, gift wrapping, travel, and quiet time for reflection. Listeners are still consuming content; they're just consuming it
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:00) **The Christmas Opportunity vs. The Common Mistake** - Most podcasters take a holiday break in December, but this is the worst thing for growth; the top 1% use the period to their advantage.
- 2 (02:05) **Debunking the "Listeners Drop Off" Myth** - The hosts explain why the common belief that podcast listenership declines in December is based on false premises.
- 3 (04:10) **The Real Reason Numbers Drop: Content Mismatch** - Listeners don't listen less; they listen *differently*, and generic content fails to capture their attention during the holiday shift.
- 4 (08:14) **Practical Example: Adapting Content to Holiday Emotions** - A case study of a client with a midlife/stress management podcast shows how to pivot content for the season.
- 5 (09:41) **Types of Content That Work in December** - The hosts outline specific content formats that capitalize on the end-of-year mindset.
- 6 (11:52) **Three Key Emotional Targets for December Content** - The hosts identify specific psychological states to address in your episodes.
- 7 (13:28) **The Strategic Advantage of Being Present** - Most podcasters go dark in December, creating a massive opportunity for those who stay active.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
What if the real reason your downloads drop in December has nothing to do with listeners disappearing—and everything to do with the content you publish?
Most podcasters assume Christmas kills their momentum, but top podcasters on Christmas quietly gain more visibility, build deeper listener loyalty, and position themselves for a massive January surge. The difference? They understand how listener psychology shifts in December and they create content that meets listeners in the moment.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How holiday routines change listener behavior—and how top podcasters on Christmas adapt to it
- Why generic episodes flop in December and what timely content your audience actually wants
- The simple seasonal strategies top podcasters on Christmas use to grow when everyone else goes dark
If you want to start 2026 with momentum instead of recovering from a December slump, press play and learn exactly how to stay relevant while everyone else disappears.
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Email [email protected] to get in contact with Taig & Anthony.
This podcast is for entrepreneurs to learn proven podcasting audience growth, marketing & monetization tips & strategies including data-driven SEO, guesting, and social media strategy.
You'll learn how to grow and monetize faster, get more listeners and engagement, increase downloads, attract more subscribers, clients or sponsors, and turn your show into a revenue-generating platform.
If you listen to any of the following shows, we're sure you'll ours too! Podcasting Made Simple by Alex Sanfilippo, Grow The Show: How to Grow a Podcast Audience & Monetize by Kevin Chemidlin, School of Podcasting by Dave Jackson, Grow My Podcast Show by Deirdre Tshien, Podcast Marketing Trends Explained by Jeremy Enns & Justin Jackson, Organic Marketing Simplified by Juliana Barbati.