How to get More Listeners to your Podcast
You are on this blog for one of two reasons.
You want to start a podcast but have no idea why TF anyone would listen.
Hello, Imposter Syndrome!! No but really, this is a valid concern of most of my clients when first starting out. My first piece of advice is, don’t worry about the number and let your podcast become a creative outlet. You’ll have more fun and your audience will as well. People can feel when you are in it for the metrics/numbers/fame and it will ultimately turn them away
You have a podcast and aren’t seeing the traction you’d hoped for.
Well do not worry. In this post, I’m going to walk you through 5 ways to bring in more listeners to your podcast.
Make A Trailer
A podcast trailer is a small snippet that is pinned at the top of your podcast feed. Many podcasts use their first episode as their trailer and this is great, especially at first.
I personally love to see a smaller snippet of about 30sec-1min. Let your creativity run wild here. What would grab your ideal listener into listening to the rest of your show after only 30 seconds?
Are you talking about your show? Is it a montage of your best moments? Take some time to sit on this one as it can really help out your show’s credibility in the long run.
Here is an example of a trailer that I’ve created for a client:
A trailer gives somebody new to your feed a chance to see what you are all about without a large time commitment. It is a great tool for those looking to build their listener base.
Use your Current Listeners
Now I don’t mean use your listeners in a sleazy salesy way. That’s not how I roll. But make sure to remind them to share with their friends and on their socials and to TAG YOU. This way you’ll be able to track who is sharing your show and interact with your listeners on a personal level. This will develop a deep sense of community between you and your listeners.
When they share your show to their socials, shout them out and thank them for the share. People love to be recognized and thanked.
Create Multi-Part Episodes
Multi-part Episodes are a great tool to get listeners to come back to your show. Find a topic you want to explain in-depth and split the show in two parts. Invite listeners back for part two and let them know when they can expect the next episode.
Social Media
This one seems obvious but, you’d be surprised how many podcasters aren’t sharing their show on their socials. Podcasts are great for repurposing content. Create audiograms, pull quotes and talk about your show to start positioning yourself as an authority.
Use the following you already have, even if it’s just your friends and family. Ask them to share your show.
Invite Guests & Be a Guest
Guest’s (in my opinion) are the best way to get exposure to your podcast. Invite guests to your show who are leaders in your niche, that will bring in new listeners. Be sure to pick appropriate guests and do your research. If you’d like more tips check out this post on my Instagram.
You can also reach out to other shows and pitch yourself as a guest for them. This will get your name in front of their audience and allow you to plug your show while talking about a topic that the host finds interesting about you.