Podcast Tips: 25 Ways To Gain Listeners In 25 Minutes

Audio: [00:00:00] Welcome to another episode of "Smarter Podcasting" with me, Niall Mackay, the Podcast Guy.

Audio: I'm here to help you build your community and connect with your audience. No matter what stage you're at in your podcasting journey. I want to make sure that every episode has value in it that you need whenever you need it. Now, one of the things I also really want you to do is please give me some feedback. Let me know what you think of each episode. Let me know where you think of the podcast. Let me know if there's anything that you want to hear about, and I will make that episode.

So I recently just launched our listener messaging service and I shared it on my social media, and I shared it with people that I knew listened to the podcast, and I was excited to get my first listener message from Alan Brownbridge about the last episode we just recorded about the truth about SEO. Now, I was a little bit worried about how that episode would be received. If you do listen to that episode, it [00:01:00] doesn't have a number, but if you go back, you can find it: "The Truth About SEO." It wasn't actually what we intended to talk about. I wanted to talk to Ian about my course, cause he's one of my course students and why you should do that. And you should, if you haven't already started your podcast and you'll look into find out how to start your podcast, go check out my course, the link is in the show notes, but we ended up talking about SEO and it's something that has annoyed me for a long time. And it came up in this episode. Those three words, "Optimize for SEO." I still see them every day as advice to what you should do to build your podcast. That's it. Three words, "Optimize for SEO." Now, if you haven't listened to that episode yet, the truth is. That's not that easy. You have to hire an agency it's much more complicated than just changing the titles of your episodes or changing your show notes. It's a much, much more difficult strategy than just optimize for SEO. So when I saw that Alan had left me a [00:02:00] message. I was a little bit scared because he is an SEO expert. And So let's hear what Alan had to say.

Alan Brownbridge: Hi, Niall. I listen to your podcast about SEO for podcasters. I thought it was great. I'm definitely gonna take some of your tips and use them in my own content creation, especially the one about having a pillar piece of content that you can use to split down into everything else. And yeah, I really enjoyed your guest.

It was really nice to hear him talk about SEO. And I think one of the things you said is really important to highlight that 'you need to do that keyword research before you start planning and writing your articles in your pages. And of course you need a website, number one.' So yeah, thanks for the podcast. I really enjoy listening to you. And I love the way that you present it. Thank you.

[00:03:00]

Audio: That's awesome. Thank you so much, Alan. So that's a first ever listener message. If you do go in the show notes, you'll be able to find the link, and you can leave a message. And I want to hear from you, but a massive thank you to Ian Paynton who was the guest on that episode. So on to today's episode.

Audio: As you've read by the title when you were scrolling down and you were like, "Ooh, that one's for me." Building on "Optimize for SEO." I want to share with you 25 different ways that you can build your audience and connect with your community in just 25 minutes. There are so many different ways that you can do that. And we're going to go through it as quick as we can. AndAnd I'm going to give you a little hint. One of them is "Optimize for SEO."

Audio: So, Whether you've just started your podcast or you've already had one, you may feel like you're struggling to build an audience. It's the number one thing I read people asking for advice on all the Facebook groups. And it's the number one thing that I thought about since the [00:04:00] beginning. And I still think about now. But don't worry about preaching to an empty room. If you follow these 25 tips. And what I would say to you is write them all down or even better. I'll put a link in the notes to a check box, take that check box, print it out, and then tick it off one-by-one. If you even can do 10 of these, you'll be on the right path to building your audience and connecting with your community.

While it can seem overwhelming with the amount of podcasts out there. And there are around 2 million active podcasts at the moment. There are only 250,000 new episodes every week. And you're saying, "Only?" if you think about the amount of blogs, the amount of websites, the amount of content that's out there from Netflix to Hulu, to Amazon, only 250,000 active podcasts per week is not very much, but we do want to make sure that you stand out from the crowd. Let's go through, "25 Things to Build Your Podcast in [00:05:00] 25-Minutes."

Audio: So number one, "Define Your Target Audience." Who is your podcast for? Now, if you did listen to the episode with Mark Steadman, you hear about creating a "Listener Persona." would completely recommend going to do that now, before you start, and if you have already started, it's not too late. Who are you making the podcast for? How old are they? What do they look like? What's the job. What's their income. What passions do they have? And what solution are you giving them? What problems do they have that you want to solve? This is the biggest thing that you can do. Give value in every single episode to the listeners. That are coming to your show to solve a problem.

putting in the effort to define your audience you can build a loyal following that will help you build your audience and achieve your goals.

Number two. "Create High Quality Content." It goes without saying. You don't need to spend a lot of money. Just make sure that you [00:06:00] have a decent microphone, some decent editing software, like "Descript" where you can turn on the 'studio sound' and we'll make you sound like you're in a studio. Your listeners will thank you for it. As I mentioned, there are so many podcasts now putting a subpar audio just won't cut it these days. Give your audience the best podcast. That they deserve.

Number three. And you may have heard this before, but his consistency is key. Decide now. How often you can post. Is it every week, every month, every two months, whatever it is that you can manage, choose that now. And then stick to it. Then choose the day and choose the time. I've not really seen any data to say, "When is the best time to push your podcast?" Remember, people can listen to a podcast when they want to, not when it comes out. But just be consistent. So people know that it will be there when they want it.

And consistency doesn't just mean the timing of it. It means the quality of it. You need to [00:07:00] produce a quality episode every single time. If you drop your quality for just one episode, you could lose your listeners. Immediately.

Number four. Optimized for SEO, but I'm going to tell you what that means. Go back and listen to the last episode with the Ian Paynton and you'll find out exactly what it means. The number one thing is get a website, create a blog for every single episode that you do, and do a little bit of 'keyword research,' if you can, but just think about what terms are other people in that niche going to be searching for, to find your podcast.

Number five is engage with your listeners. Build a community. Make your listeners feel part of your podcast. I'm already doing it. I've asked you to leave me a message. I've already had a "Listener, send me a message." It's the biggest thrill when I hear back from listeners. It's a strange , strange format making a podcast, doing this on my own. Right now I'm talking into a microphone with nobody [00:08:00] around me, apart from my dog.

And she just thinks I'm strange. It's a weird thing. So hearing from people who listened to this is the best thing ever, and it will help you build that loyal following by creating a community around your podcast. So engage with your listeners, ask for feedback on social media and during the episode. So please send me a message. The link is in the notes.

 Number six is of course use social media. But again, most of these tips. Could be a podcast episode in the own right. I hate it again, when you see these blog posts or these YouTube videos, all these podcasts. And they tell you to do something, but they don't tell you how to do it. We'll do a future episode on using social media, because that is a massive, massive job in itself. There's a reason why people have jobs that just do social media. Choose one platform that you use the most, whether it's LinkedIn, if you're a business. Facebook, if you're a boomer like me, I guess I'm nearly a boomer. Or If you're a GenZ, use Instagram. [00:09:00] Use one of them post on there frequently and it has always just remember give value.

Don't do that thing where you post, "New episode out today. You don't want to miss this. This is the best yet. OMG." Oh my goodness. It's so cliche, please don't. And My biggest tip, if you are on Facebook, start your own Facebook group. You can also do Discord or Slack, but start your own community online and invite your listeners to join.

join Smarter Podcasting Facebook group.

Now number seven may shock you. But in the study that I read recently, this is the number one way that people find out about other podcasts. And it's the good old fashioned. Word of mouth. Now you're probably thinking, "Well, how do I make somebody tell somebody else about my podcast?" Well, it goes back to number two, make good content, make stuff that you're passionate about, and people will feel that enthusiasm. And they're going to want to share it with other people too, but also make it easy for them on your website and get a website, have [00:10:00] all the sharing buttons there so people can share it. Make all the links available on social media. Make it as easy as possible for people to share your episode. So make sure you go to "sevenmillionbikes.com/smarterpodcasting." Find this episode and share it with as many people as you can, who want to create their own podcast or want to build their own audience and you think that this will be helpful for them. Go. Now. What are you waiting on?

Number eight. I've already touched on it. You need a podcast website. Most of the host platforms like "Buzzsprout" will already create a website for you. And to be honest, they're pretty awesome. The only thing is you can't really adjust them too much to your own preferences. They quite set how they're designed, but to be honest, That's pretty awesome, anyway. So make sure at the very least you're using the website that comes for free with your host platform. And the biggest tip is to make sure you change the domain name. It doesn't cost much. I use "sevenmillionbikes.com" and it costs me like $20 a year for that domain name. And then, I can change that. And [00:11:00] initially, before I had my own proper website. I used my Buzzsprout website, but I was able to redirect it to sevenmillionbikes.com. So I was able to share that. Now the bonus tip here is You need to create a blog. You really, really do. If you want to optimize for SEO and leverage your website. If you use your host website, you can't add a blog to that. So that's why you really should get your own website, if you can. And you know, me, I'm Scottish. I like to do things on a budget. So do whatever you can with whatever budget you can. And I started with absolutely nothing. So just work on building it up from there.

number nine, is one of the most important things that you can do. It's cheap. I was going to say it's easy, but it's not that easy actually, but the number nine is be a guest on other podcasts. And we'll talk a little bit about this later on. But marketing your podcast where other podcast listeners are, is one of the most effective things that you can do. Go where the podcast listeners are. And the easiest way to do that is to be a guest on other [00:12:00] podcasts, even better, be a guest on other podcasts in your niche. And if you can't do that, get on any podcast you can, show your personality, and talk about your podcast.

Number 10 is cross promote with other podcasts. And I use this to take my great advantage in the beginning. I made so many great connections with other podcasts about Vietnam. So my first podcast was called a Vietnam podcast cause that's where I'm based. And it was about talking to people, connected to Vietnam. I was able to connect with the Vietnamese boat people podcast, which is based in New York. And we did what we call a "Pod-Swap." So I would actually take one of her episodes with her permission obviously, added my introduction to it, and played it to my audience, and promoted her show. And she did the same for me. I gave her the audio of one of my episodes, where she was the guest and she played on her platform and promoted my show. Or you could just do a straight ad swap as well, where you contact another podcast. It doesn't have to be for money, but you could say, " Hey, if [00:13:00] you do a one minute ad for me, I'll do a one minute ad for you." Again, you're getting in front of podcast listeners.

Number 11 is attend podcasting event and conferences, if you can. So again, everything is within your budget. I'm not saying you should suddenly travel across the country or across the world just to go to a conference or an event. But if there is an event near to you go there, promote your podcast.

Talk to other podcasts does talk to other people, have business cards, share with people, tell people about your show. And if there aren't any events near you. Create your own. That's what I did right here in Saigon, in Vietnam. And now every month I have my monthly podcast meetup and anyone can drop by and we just talk about podcasts.

Number 12 could almost be number one. It's so important. Start an email newsletter to connect with your listeners. One of the number of reasons for this is that you don't own your social media group? You don't [00:14:00] know how the algorithm could change at any moment. You don't know if the company could go out of business and you've lost that beautiful audience that you've built up. Email marketing is the most cost effective way to market. And I know you're thinking, "What? Emails nobody opens them." They do. And they love to hear from you. So give something for free to your audience. And if you want something for free for me go to the show notes and you can find my PDF "Seven Ways to Monetize Your Podcast." Once you sign up for that, with your email, you're going to go on my mailing list. And then I'm going to send you weekly updates on the latest podcast episodes, news, and updates, and how to build your audience and connect with your community.

And that means I own that mailing list. That is your community. You don't have to. You're not at the whims of anyone else. So start an email newsletter now.

Number 13, run a giveaway contest for your podcast listeners. This is a great way to engage and connect. [00:15:00] Running regular giveaways is a great way to incentivize your listeners to share your podcast and stay engaged. So listen to the end of this episode and find out what my giveaway is going to be.

Number 14, collaborate with brands in your niche. So, if you have a podcast about DIY. Don't go to the local McDonald's and ask for them to sponsor you, there's no collaboration there. But if you have a podcast of a DIY go to your local DIY store asked, can you put up some posters? You could even ask for sponsorship. Ask if you can collaborate with them to promote your podcast. And think local don't go for Pepsi or McDonald's or anything like that. Local businesses want to support local endeavors. My first sponsor was a local diner here. And they weren't doing it to get anything back. They just wanting to support me. So talk to your local businesses. I'm sure they want to help you.

Number 15 is monetize your podcast. Now you may be thinking, "Well, if I'm asking for [00:16:00] money, how does that get me more listeners?" Well, more people can see what you're doing. You can give incentives like blooper reels, and giveaways, and special offers. So people are going to be more attracted to join your podcast and listen to it because they want more content.

And by monetizing, obviously you can make more money, but you can use that to invest in your podcast, whether that be ads or better equipment to make better content and give more value to your listeners.

 Number 16, maybe obvious if you already have a podcast, but I speak to many people who are just starting and they don't know what a podcast directory is. A podcast directory is where your podcast lives. Most people know of Apple podcasts, Spotify and Google, but this probably have a 30 to 40 out there from ACast to Spreaker to Podcast Addict. So when you do sign up for your host, make sure that you're on every platform available.

Number 17 is use paid advertising. But stop. Don't [00:17:00] go run a Facebook ad. The most effective paid ads to use is ads where the people are already listening to a podcast. oneOne of the best ways to do that is on ACast. So go look up ACast. Well, you can buy ads for different genres. So So like true crime, tourism. And then it will tell you the price of those ads and how many subscriptions they estimate that you will get. This is the most cost-effective way because you're advertising to people who already listened to podcasts.

Number 18 use expert guests to get more listeners. We all know, everyone loves a celebrity or a minor celebrity, somebody that they've heard off. So if you can get somebody on your show that is well-known and that's going to help you get more listeners. But be careful with that. You get your dream guest on your show. And you think, " Oh my goodness, this is going to be amazing. I'm going to get so many listeners. and sure enough, after that episode, your listeners shoot up. Then the [00:18:00] next episode comes out and it's back to your regular scheduling and the listeners go right back down to normal. Getting a celebrity guest can make a big bump, but it doesn't mean that you're going to get those listeners forever, because the only tuned in for that one episode. So if you can consistently get guest experts on in your field, it's going to help more and more people come back to you. And this is why many of the top podcasts in the world are from celebrities with top guests that you know their names and you want to hear more from them.

Number 19, similar to attending conferences attend any live events that you can in your neighborhood. That's a great way to connect with people. Networking is number one. And like I mentioned, if there aren't any events, why not put on one yourself?

Number 20, if you are watching this on YouTube right now, instead of listening to it on a podcast, the reason is I started a YouTube channel to get more podcast listeners. My main asset is the podcast. I'm a podcast fanatic, [00:19:00] but for Smarter Podcasting, I thought, why not start a YouTube channel? It's definitely a good way to boost your numbers and reach a wider audience. But just remember YouTube is a completely different beast to podcasting, and it's going to double, triple or quadruple the amount of time it takes you to create that content. Trust me. I know. So make sure you choose this decision wisely. If you want to start a YouTube channel as well, but I definitely recommend it.

And number 21, like I mentioned, your podcast is your main asset. Then you want to break it down into that short form content for Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikToks as well. Just remember many people may only see your micro content, but they will still love it. One of my favorite things is to watch little clips on YouTube of shows that I love like tonight with Seth Miles. I never watched the full show, but I religiously, every day watched that 10 minute monologue because it's so funny. Think about how much money they must make. I will just those YouTube clips as well. You [00:20:00] can monetize those shots as well. It does take a lot. You need a lot of use, but it is possible. And it's also a way to build your podcast universe. So don't just think about your podcast itself. Think about how you can connect with a wider audience.

Number 22 get featured in the media. If you can reach out to your local newspaper and see if they want to feature you. Tell them about your podcast, tell them what it's about, tell them how amazing you are. And if you can get featured there with a link, especially if you get featured in an online news source, make sure that they link to your podcast. That's going to be amazing.

23 asked for reviews. Remember, we all go on Yelp. We are going. On TripAdvisor. We all read the reviews. Use to see. If we were going to eat tonight is any good. Podcasting is no different. When people come across your podcast for the first time, one of the first things they're going to see is your rating and your reviews and see if it's any good. So if you do enjoy this podcast, please go leave a review right now. That would [00:21:00] mean the world to me. Be honest, let me know what you think. Let other people know if this podcast is worth listening to. Let me know if this podcast is worth listening to.

Number 24. If you do live far away from where there are live events, host a virtual event, that's an amazing way to connect with people around the world. And I know that during the pandemic, when we were all stuck at home, I was running quiz nights, comedy nights. I was talking to Podcasters from around the world.

I was doing amazing interviews with people. So if that's something that's a good option for you get on the internet and do a virtual event to connect with people and connect with your listeners. One of the things about podcasting is. Your listeners are around the world. This is why I love podcasting. If I do an event tonight, the people that can be that event from my local area. When this podcast goes out, I know that people from here to Australia, to America are going to be listening to this. That's amazing. So why not hold a virtual event where everyone can get together and you can [00:22:00] meet and talk with your listeners.

And last one, I've done a podcast episode about this. I don't know the number cause I don't number them, but just scroll down a little bit and you'll find it. It's make sure you measure your success. So go to that episode and we talk about what our podcast metrics, how to analyze them, what do they mean and how you can use them to grow your show? So look all of those metrics and see.

Measuring your success is crucial and understanding what works and what doesn't work. See what episode titles get the biggest views. Do the episodes that you do by yourself like this, I'll do the episodes with guests, get more views, which ones do your listeners like the most, then make more of that content to keep building your listeners.

Audio: So that was 25 tips to build your audience in. I think about 25 minutes. I hope that has helped you. I hope you've taken some notes from that. And if not, like I mentioned, I promised you I will put a PDF in the show [00:23:00] notes that you can print off with 25 tips and then you can take them off as you go through them.

And remember, I want to hear from you leave me a message that is also in the notes. Tell me what you thought of this episode. Was it any good? Did it help you? What are you going to use? What are you not going to use? What would you like to hear from in future episodes?

Audio: I mentioned, I was going to give a giveaway for the first three people to leave me a review on either Apple podcasts or a rating on Spotify, because you can't leave a review on Spotify, but if you leave a rating, take a screenshot and then send that screenshot to me or even better still share it and show it. first three people to show me these reviews, I'm going to give you a free half-hour consultation. So please help me out. Rate, review the show, don't forget to follow and subscribe as well, so you don't miss an episode. And I will give the first three people to leave a review, a free half an hour consultation, whether you're starting your podcast or you're already far along on your journey.

And just remember [00:24:00] as well, if you all just starting out, you can check out my podcast course called, "How to Start a Podcast Get Your Voice Out and Share Your Story." I spent a year developing this course because I wanted to have it all in one place for somebody to join me on this podcasting journey. Podcasting changed my life and opened doors for me that I could never have imagined. And I wouldn't be where I am today without it. I want you to join me on that. Make an amazing show, give amazing value and change your life as well. So in the show notes, you can go there and sign up for that course. You'll go from a Podcast Beginner to a Podcast Expert in as little as one week. But it's over three hours of video content, 23 lessons, PDFs, templates, everything you need to get started. And I will be right with you the whole time by your side. At any moment, you can email me, message me and I'll be able to give you all the support that you need. So, thank you very much for listening to this episode of Smarter [00:25:00] Podcasting and I'll see you soon.