How do I get more listeners?

Following on from our blog about AI we are delving into the 2nd podcast trend that we want to talk about…..

Podcast Promotion:

How do I get more listeners!! With over 5 million podcasts out there this was a frequently asked question at the many talks and events we’ve been to over the past few months.

And our answer is marketing! Strategy and marketing are just as important as creating great content. We recommend you spend 50% of your resource on it! Time and budget and furthermore, it needs to be thought about early on! Don’t leave marketing as an add-on at the end of your podcast process. Approaching with a clear strategy will help you form many of your decisions from guests you book to copy descriptions, even the colour of your tile! And yes, they do all play a part in discoverability.

Here are some podcast promotion thought starters to consider; Social Media Marketing: Social media platforms marry really well with podcasts, especially as the “vibe” has shifted from Instagloss to real and authentic. Having an effective social strategy for your podcast will increase discoverability and generate a place to engage with and build your podcast community. There are great tools available, like descript, that can turn your podcast into engaging audiograms or reels. You can share podcast clips, behind-the-scene looks and upcoming guests.

Tapping into a guest's platform and audience is a great way to build your own community, especially if they’ve guested on your podcast it’s likely your audiences have shared interests.

Cross-Promotion: The podcast audience LOVE a good podcast. And, unlike more traditional media where you are competing for that listener at a set time of the day, the podcast listener can and will listen to more than one show. Collaborate with other podcasters to cross-promote each other's shows. Guest appearances, co-hosted episodes, shout-outs and feed swaps can introduce your podcast to new audiences and foster mutually beneficial relationships within the podcasting community. In addition to cross-promotion with other podcasters, partnering with influencers or industry experts who have a significant following can help promote your podcast to their audience, introducing you to a wider range of potential listeners and finally paid digital audio advertising.

Audio SEO: As much as podcasting is audio it is also digital. So in the same way you optimise your website using keywords, reviews and blogs, you need to be doing the same for your podcast and this will improve visibility in search engine results.

A few simple ways you can start optimising your podcast SEO are, to create a podcast website and make sure you are using appropriate keywords! Upload a transcript of your podcast, this not only helps with SEO but improves the accessibility of your content. Look at your podcast episode descriptions and show notes in the streaming apps, is the copy maximising the keyword opportunity and don’t forget to ask your podcast audience to leave you a review.

PR: What is your PR strategy? Do you have one? Your podcast is a PR-generating machine. Take a look at the publications that your audience is interested in and reach out to them. Have you got a unique take on a subject? Do you have a great guest saying something for the first time? Great PR not only helps reach new audiences but helps with boosting your SEO which in turn helps your discoverability. Coverage in the more traditional media also adds to the credibility of your podcast.

Remember, consistency in releasing high-quality episodes, optimising your podcast's branding and design, and continuously refining your content based on audience feedback are also essential for long-term growth.

We love talking all things podcasting, if you would like to chat more contact us [email protected]