If I didn’t scare you away from starting a podcast with the first post, good deal. Now, let’s talk about how to grow your podcast audience. Because you want your podcast to reach others outside of your bedroom closet, right? A podcast with a listener of one is no good.
After you’ve decided on your podcast host, think about how your audience is going to actually find your content. They’re not just going to go to Apple or Google Podcasts and search -insert your podcast name here-. How can they do that if they’ve never heard of you or seen your content anywhere? So tip number one…..
Share Your Content
This seems like the obvious solution, right? I know. But do you know how many people don’t do this. They don’t share their podcast with their followers/fans. They forward it to family and friends who aren’t their ideal listeners. Then, they are trying to figure out why they only have a handful of listens.
One, your family/friends aren’t your target audience. Two, if you aren’t sharing your content with others, why are you creating it? There are people out here waiting to listen to what you have to share, so start by sharing it and then sharing it some more.
Question to ask yourself: Are you sharing your content where your target listeners are hanging out?
Repurpose Your Content
Don’t just stop at sharing the link to where they can listen to your podcast episodes. Give your listeners more. Part of the reason why I decided to add podcast management to my virtual assistant services is because I love listening to podcasts and pulling out all of the key takeaways.
I turn those takeaways into social media posts, blog posts, and audiograms that I can use to reference the podcast. So for example, a good quote from the podcast can be used as an Instagram post and in the description, I’ll take about the quote and then say something like ‘for more check out this podcast’. It’s that simple.
Question to ask yourself: How can I turn this content into more content?
Invite Guests on Your Show
Even if you’ve decided that you want to be the lone host of your show, you should invite guests onto your show from time to time. Here’s a few good reasons why.
- It gives you a break from having to talk all the time.
- It introduces you to a new audience. When your guests shares it on their platform, it brings new listeners to your content. #WinWin
- It brings a fresh voice on your podcast which can provide a different perspective or amplify what you already share with your audience.
I added guests to my podcast during my 2nd ‘season’. For me, it was exhilarating to talk to the guests and have them share their stories. I had so much fun that I decided to keep it as part of my format going forward. So you never know, you could try it and like it too.
Question to ask yourself: Who has a topic that my audience wants to hear?
Include a Call to Action
Tell your listeners to invite their friends, write reviews, and share your content. You know why you always hear YouTubers say “Don’t forget to subscribe” when you watch their videos. Because sometimes if you don’t tell people what to do, they won’t think to do it.
Make sure you are telling your listeners during the podcast to do all the things to share your podcast with the world. Also, make it easy for them to do so, by dropping the links for them to share on your website or blog or social media.
Question to ask yourself: How can I get my listeners to engage with my podcast?
These are just some of the ways that you can grow your podcast audience. I’m sure that there are many more that I’ll share as I continue to grow my clients and my own podcast. Try them out and see if it helps to grow your audience. Share your results in the comments.
Do you have any questions related to podcasting or podcast management? Drop them below and I’ll answer them in a future blog post. Podcast bestie, I GOT YOU!!