GROW YOUR PODCAST AUDIENCE
There are a tons of great resources on how to start a podcast. My favorite resources are the videos created by Pat Flynn. While starting your podcast isn’t all that difficult, growing an audience can be. Here are four easy tips to help you grow your podcast audience and get more subscribers.
STEP ONE: CONSISTENCY
First, create consistent quality content.
Before you begin, decide how often you’ll publish episodes and the approximate length of the show.
Podcast listeners want to know when they can expect to hear new episodes, and once that episode is delivered, they want to have an idea about what they can expect to hear.
Will the host have a guest? Will the episode be 1 hour long or 20 minutes long.
To create fans of your show and grow your podcast audience, you need to tell them what to expect and then deliver on that expectation.
Podcasts offer great flexibility. While radio shows need to be an exact length and time, your podcast doesn’t have to be. As an example, listeners don’t care if your podcast is 23 minutes exactly; they just want a general idea. Some episodes might be 20 minutes long; others might be 30 minutes long, so slightly varying the length isn’t a big deal, just plan to be somewhat consistent.
There is a reason why stores and franchises succeed. Each store creates the same experience for their customers, repeatedly.If I visit a Starbucks in my hometown or a Starbucks across the country, I will receive relatively the same experience.
Consistency is the key to grow your audience. If the idea of publishing a weekly podcast is daunting, starting with seasons. Create ten fabulous episodes and let your audience know that this is season one, and they can expect season two in a couple of months. The importance is publishing when you say you will.
SECOND STEP: GROW YOUR PODCAST AUDIENCE BY SHARING IT
Next, tap into the network of people you know.
Share your podcast with the world through social media. Create content and post it. Ask people you trust to share it on your behalf to their networks.
Share it with friends and relatives, with past colleagues and work associates.
Get the word out! Just starting a podcast isn’t going to get you the traction you need, you have to put effort into publicizing what you have created.
THIRD STEP: GET RATINGS
Ask your current audience to rate and review your podcast.
While the growth of listenership on platforms like Spotify and Pandora is increasing steadily, Apple Podcasts still makes up the largest group of podcast listeners.
When you have more positive reviews, Apple bumps you up in the charts.
Podcast discoverability remains an issue, and many new podcast listeners and current podcast listeners don’t know what to listen too. Hence, they look to the shows in New and Noteworthy to find good options. So make sure to ask your audience for reviews to continue to grow your podcast audience.
Whatever you do, do not buy ratings. Trying to scam listeners will never work out for you in the long run. It’s easy to spot fake reviews.
STEP FOUR: BE A GUEST
Finally, one of the best growth strategies we’ve uncovered is to be a guest on other podcasts.
Podcast listeners, listen to podcasts.
While podcast listenership is growing, consistent podcast listeners represent about 30% of the US population. This means that if you’re running Facebook or Instagram ads to advertise your podcast, 70% of the people you’re reaching don’t listen to podcasts.
However, we know for sure that 100% of the people that hear about your podcast on another podcast are podcast listeners.
It is common to find out about great new shows on other podcasts. Being interviewed is a relatively easy option, but you can also consider running ads on other podcasts to promote your show or doing cross-promotion with another podcast.
final thoughts to GROW YOUR podcast AUDIENCE in an organic way
- Consistency is key. Create a podcast that is a consistent length, published on the same day, and at the same time.
- Share your podcast in every way possible, with as many people as possible. Friends, family, co-workers, social media, networking connections, etc.
- Get your reviews and ratings up, but never buy them.
- Be a guest on other podcasts to promote you and your own podcast. Remember, Podcast listeners, listen to podcasts.
- It takes a bit of hard work to grow your podcast audience, but it is really worth the time and effort when you are rewarded with dedicated fans.
If you enjoyed this article, you will also like : 6 Steps To Podcast Sponsorship Success.
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