How to Get People to Really Listen to Your Podcast
It’s easy to start your own podcast. They are now as common as personal blogs were in the early 2000s. But they present their hosts with the same problem that bloggers faced back then: you can share or create (what you think) brilliant content – but is anyone listening?
There are ways to make your podcast stand out from the sea of audio suggestions. There are ways to get people to listen.
Make sure your podcast has quality content
It sounds obvious, but it’s true: you have to show content that people care about, no matter what you focus on.
“Listeners need value,” explained Rob Goodman, executive producer at Wix. “ Now what? A podcast that explores how technology is changing everything. “This value can come in many forms – from laughter, entertainment, information, or just a really exciting story.”
B. Mosiah Fulton working behind the scenes on What You Thought? “, Agreed:” People want to laugh, and all good jokes contain the truth. “
Goodman, who also produced InVision’s Webby-nominated podcast ” Design Better, ” and produced and hosted his own show called ” Making Ways, ” added: “Listeners also need access – access to people or ideas they don’t encounter. … their daily life. It’s a superpower that podcasts can open to listeners, and it’s an advantage for brands that can establish themselves as a source of this kind of content as they build strong, long-term relationships with their audience. “
How to improve your podcasting voice
You don’t have to change your voice like a TV presenter in the 1950s, or talk about topics you don’t understand in order to attract an audience. What you really need to do is to talk about what you really know and care about. Someone else also cares about the same things.
“Stay true to yourself and your audience will grow as you grow,” said Fulton, who saw “What were you thinking?” exceed 500,000 views in just six months. “People don’t want to hear anything insincere, so authenticity is the key to reaching and captivating your audience.”
However, Fulton considers it “unwise decision” to measure the success of your pod by views and views.
“How many of these views are real fans seeing?” he asked. “It’s important to build a fan base. This is where many beginner podcasts fail. Study your main audience. Don’t target a specific audience, but find out who you are really doing the show for. “
Goodman also cautioned against shilling and recommended being honest: “Listeners don’t need a 30-minute advertisement for your podcast or service disguised as content. They definitely don’t want aimless conversation just for the sake of keeping the podcast flowing. Without intent or value, your podcast will end up in a heap of unsubscriptions. ”
Release episodes on an agreed schedule
With all the tools you need to record and download an episode in your own home, you might think you will be putting out shows all the time. But think about your other household chores. Did you swear to yourself that you were going to put away the basket of folded clothes? Was he on the “washing chair” in your room? Again?
Just because you have access to all the resources you need doesn’t mean you actually use them, especially now that most of our work and play has moved into our homes. It’s easy to put off what you need to do, from replacing a light bulb to recording a podcast.
Don’t put it off. Take this seriously. If you have listeners – and you need listeners – you need to continually provide them with content.
“The cast and crew are filming on a weekly basis,” Fulton said. “This is extremely important! Be consistent, have a filming schedule and stick to it. Gather your crew – or, if you’re filming one person, get your equipment in order – and shoot! “
Promote your podcast across platforms
“What did you think?” is available not only on platforms such as Spotify and Soundcloud; it also has a video and social media component. The episodes are not only recorded with sound propagation in mind, but also with an additional video element to grab the attention of an audience that prefers YouTube to Apple’s podcasts.
Not everyone likes to listen to audio. This writer, for example, hates it, but enjoys watching podcast episodes on YouTube. Consider cross-platform promotion to attract as many fans as possible. Goodman recommends having “a unified voice and brand that extends beyond sound waves, text, visual identity, and social media resources that reach listeners in the communities they live on the Internet.”
Don’t just promote through your own social actions, either. Net! Find other people filming similar shows and ask them to collaborate.
“One of the best ways to learn about new podcasts is through the podcasts they already listen to, know and love,” Goodman said. “For podcasters, whether it’s sharing interviews between shows, changing ad placements, or making non-monetary comments in an episode intro or blog post, it goes a long way in connecting you organically and reliably with your future listeners.”
He added that “no podcast is an island.” You need fans, supporters, and collaborators to get this work done, but once you get them all in line, listeners will come.