Podcasts are continuing to rise in popularity. The reasons for the increasing interest are many. Top of the list would be the convenience of listening to your favorite content wherever you are. You could catch up with housework as you listen to your favorite podcaster. There is no rule that you must watch a screen or read text to enjoy great content.
A look at why podcast listeners tune in reveals some interesting insights. 74% use the platforms to learn new stuff. 71% tune in for entertainment. 60% stay up-to-date by listening to the latest podcast topics. Other reasons are relaxation, inspiration, escape, and companionship.
As a podcaster, the challenge is how to get listeners. As you can imagine, the competition is pretty stiff. Indeed, anyone with a laptop, mic, internet connection, and a paid podcast subscription can start churning out content.
So what can you do to gain listeners? Well, continue reading for some very workable tips.
- Sign Up To the Right Paid Subscription Platform
Get the foundation right by signing up to the right subscription platform. It would be easy to think the more popular platforms are the best option.
But, what you will be doing is competing for listeners with many other podcasters. You can find excellent podcast subscription platforms with a little more research.
There are some considerations before signing up to paid podcast subscriptions. These include:-
- The ability for listeners to use many players. Restricting yourself to one podcast player will limit access to your content.
- Easy subscription processes, thus giving listeners more access to paid content.
- Feedback tools and content loops.
- Full ownership of your content, subscriber details, and more. That gives you more control over your platform and what you can do with it.
- Monetization opportunities that will allow you to earn more from your podcast.
- Networking capabilities with top-earning podcasters and more.
Remember, at the end of the day, the experience you offer your listeners will have a big role to play. Giving the convenience to use their player of choice will ensure a good experience. Collecting feedback means you care to listen to what they have to say, and also can improve your services, etc.
- Take Advantage of Social Media
Do you know why social media makes it to any marketing plan? The answer is that it is free, accessible, and offers many marketing opportunities. Further, there is no other place you will find a concentration of potential listeners.
Yet, the challenge for most people is how to use social media for marketing well. Do think about the following in your social media podcasting marketing strategy.
- Go where your potential listeners are. Let’s say your podcast is targeting moms. You will not find any traction on teen-focused platforms like TikTok or Snapchat. A better bet would be Facebook.
- Don’t stretch yourself thin by trying to be everywhere. You will find it hard to remain consistent in managing the accounts.
- Keep up with engaging with audiences. Interact, share, comment, retweet, and give feedback. This ties in with our point above. Managing many platforms can result in failure to engage with your audience.
- Promote your shows on social media and ask followers to share your podcast. You can use short videos or audiograms that are shareable.
- Join relevant groups containing people in the same or related industry. Networking is critical and an excellent way to get your podcast out there.
- Link your social media accounts to your podcasting website. It is a fantastic way to grow organic audiences.
- Set aside a small budget for social media advertising. There are tons of cost-effective methods that will not take a chunk out of your budget. Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, and boosting of posts are quite effective.
- Have a Podcasting Website
Create a website that is specific to your podcast. First, it makes it easier for search engines to discover your content. The marketing opportunities are also plentiful, including:-
- Posting snippets of upcoming shows
- Running promotions to capture more listeners
- Uploading past shows and transcripts
- Posting content like videos or blogs to show that you are an authority in the niche
- A chance to use the best podcast SEO to ensure good rankings on the search engine
- Lead generation to capture audiences for your email marketing and more.
Ensure that you have a strong landing page to capture new visitors. Post show features, snippets and promos. Also, include a powerful CTA and subscription button. Transcripts are also a good idea. If you have interesting guests who come and talk about a variety of topics, you can transcribe interviews. This improves your podcast’s SEO and makes it easier to find.
- Host Relevant Guests
People tune in to your podcast to listen to you. Inviting the right guests can make a huge difference. So, take time to bring in guests that your audiences will love. You must have a pretty good understanding of your target audiences in order to do so.
Second, determine what topics will be of most relevance to them. You could even ask them to share feedback on what they would want. Then, look for the right guest to host.
Let’s go back to the example of your podcast targeting moms. Think about some of their concerns or challenges. It could be juggling motherhood and a career. Now, look for a celebrity or famous guest who has managed both with ease.
You don’t have to go for top celebrities. The local female politician whom everybody knows would be great. It could even be that small-town star or top female executive at some company. Leverage your power of advertising to generate interest around whoever you will bring.
Now, take it a step further by tapping into the guests’ followers. Since they agreed to come to your show, there is some goodwill here. So, present the guest with a small media kit about your podcast and ask them to post it on their platforms. You can also request them to ask their followers to tune in for the show.
The other option is to look for opportunities to be a guest on other podcasts. That way, you can get a mention of your podcast. Indeed, the hosts should not have an issue asking their audiences to check out your content.
Final Thoughts
You can make a killing by being a podcaster. A cursory internet search will show you how some people are making a lot of money podcasting. Start by signing up to the right paid podcast subscription platform.
Pay particular attention to what benefits you will get. The paid podcast should have good reach and monetization capabilities. Listeners should also have easy access on many podcast players.
Market your podcast on social media and your website. Take time to learn about podcast SEO practices to ensure good rankings on search engines. Think about putting aside some money for advertising, especially on social media. Finally, invite good guests to your shows.
