How to gain a podcast following

Starting a podcast can be a big commitment. From having good topics to discuss to consistently hitting record, there are many obstacles to overcome. If being consistent and producing quality content wasn't hard enough you probably are now in a state of dismay because your audience seems non-existent.

Have you ever stopped and asked yourself how those podcasts at the top got to where they are? There is no magic to the process.

This article will discuss some tried and true tactics you can utilize when trying to gain your podcast following.

Consistency is key

The key to continuously evolving and enhancing anything is done by staying consistent. The expression "practice makes perfect" comes to mind here because the more you put in the more you get out.

While this is true for most forms of advancements, in the podcast world, it means your show has that much better of an opportunity to appeal to more listeners.

Even if you only publish a new episode every month, the consistency is there. Producing new podcast episodes consistently has a habit of forming an ongoing bond with each listener. They come to expect new content and get excited when a new episode is published and distributed. This forms a small habit that keeps listeners craving for more. Find this pattern in your listeners and you'll grow your audience in no time.

Appeal to a wider range of listeners

Podcast hosts tend to niche down quite hard on a few topics per show.

Consider expanding your reach to target similar listeners who might find what you discuss of value. This doesn't mean forcing your way into other podcasting categories if it doesn't make sense but more or less go where your audience is and spread there the best you can.

Produce rich content

It should go without saying that high-quality content is a hard requirement to produce a podcast that attracts a larger audience. Somehow, the podcaster landed on specific topics and talking points to capture enough interest to make a larger dent in life.

A good rule of thumb is to ensure your podcast produces real value. If people can learn, earn, or grow from what they share you are on a good path.

Keep it fresh

It's great to have specific formulas and formats to follow for your podcast but don't be afraid to add some variety. A few ideas to get you started:

Record a solo episode
Interview someone or consider a co-host swap
Have a co-host
Answer listener questions (you can use PodMob to ask these easily)
Have a core topic of discussion and take it from there
Rate a book verbally

There are virtually endless ways you could take your podcast. Having a core pattern will probably be a good idea but introducing different takes on content will keep things fresh and interesting which will both gain listener interest and make the long-term subscribership of a typical subscriber stronger.

Become a guest on other podcasts

A great marketing hack is to go on a podcast "tour". This means being a guest on a series of other podcasts with similar niches and audiences.

This is common in the business world where the guest is ultimately trying to market their offering and scale their audience. Since I work in software it is a common theme for other software founders to be a guest on other podcasts to help market their brand and hopefully acquire new customers. If that guest has some clout in the space both parties could benefit.

Usually, a guest will have a vanity link (a link back to whatever call to action they want you to take) to share. Sometimes this is easy to remember URL said within the episode or later linked in the episode show notes.

Small aside: We are busy at work on a small application that can help you generate and track vanity URLs for such a thing. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for it in the future.😁

Social media can have a huge hand in scaling your audience. While websites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can be great resources to spread the word, you often need to already have an audience on those as well.

This presents some challenges for those new to both podcasting and social media marketing. If you happen to have an audience already you get to advance at a faster rate.

This is all to say that doing this from scratch isn't impossible. It will just generally take longer to grow as with any other content marketing.

Build a community around your podcast and each episode

A community is a collection of loyal fans who enjoy or share an affection for a topic or thing. Podcasts invent community by default as they scale. Listeners build a habit with their favorite podcasts and come to expect new content at a regular interval.

Nurturing those types of fans is like running a community. With a community, you can make podcasting a two-way communication door rather than a one-way. Having a place to communicate and gain feedback from your audience helps you grow more efficiently. You get to hear firsthand what is working and what isn't.

This makes refining what and how you podcast more dialed into the preferences of your listeners.

Keep going

It might be blunt to say but most podcasts aren't great. Many podcasters who want to kick off and start a show get a few episodes in and quit. Those that stay consistent, improve, and continue to focus on distribution are the podcasts we all hear about. They are the ones with massive audiences.

Those podcasts didn't get that far overnight. To grow so large it will probably take a multi-year effort at the very least. Tools like PodMob can help you fast forward this experience by giving your podcast a place to be hosted, distributed, and a part of a tailor-fit community.

Our community features turn podcasting into a two-way channel that allows you to learn and hear from your listeners directly rather than depending on social media alone.

If you are looking for a new Podcast host that helps your podcast scale along with you, give PodMob a try today!