Episode Summary
While a marketing team may see the value in podcasting, they need their CEO also to see it before they can launch one. However, even after you have an executive on your side, there is a lot to do, as producing a podcast is more than pressing the record button. In fact, you need to first develop a strategy if you want your show to last long, deliver value, and grow.
In this episode of Recorded Content, host Justin Brown shares 13 ways to grow your show and connect with your target audience. Among other things, Justin explains the importance of collaboration and networking, how you can use social media, email marketing, and live events to grow your audience, and why it is critical to understand podcast SEO.
Featured Co-Founder
- Name: Justin Brown
- What he does: He's the co-founder of Motion.
- Company: Motion
- Noteworthy: Justin is also the co-host of the Recorded Content podcast.
Key Insights
- Collaboration and networking are critical to your podcast's growth. It can be a partnership with fellow podcasters or industry leaders. In addition, joining communities and podcast networks help you reach a wider audience, stay on top of trends, and build partnerships. Finally, building relationships as a podcast host means connecting with your audience on various levels. For instance, organizing live events and encouraging discussions, asking listeners for feedback, or organizing Q&A sessions.
- Meet your audience where it is. Once you define your target listener, determine where they mostly spend their time online. Social media platforms are ideal for promoting your podcast. In addition to growing organically, you can use paid promotion to get in front of your target audience. However, don't forget about the power of email marketing, as it is a channel that could significantly impact your show's growth.
- Podcast SEO matters. Although opinions differ, incorporating relevant keywords in social media posts or show notes helps your audience find shows like yours. No one denies that high-quality content is a priority, and no keyword can help you if you don't bring value to your listeners. Still, understanding podcast SEO and utilizing it adequately can add to your podcast’s growth.
Episode Highlights
#1 Know Your Audience
”The first step is to identify who your target audience is and understand some of their behaviors. Think about the people you’re trying to reach and what they’re interested in. Consider factors like job titles, company size, industry pain points or challenges they’re facing, interests, and other types of content. Once you have a clear picture of your target audience, you can create content that speaks directly to them.”
#2 Unleash the Potential of Your Company’s Podcast on Social Media
”The key to success on social media channels is to format your content specifically for each platform. For example, TikTok and YouTube Shorts are ideal for short videos. Traditional YouTube is better suited for the long form. Twitter and LinkedIn are great for video clips, and you can use repurposed content to drive people to your full episodes.”
#3 Grow Your Company’s Podcast Through Collaborations
”One of the best ways to kick off a collaboration with another podcast host is by reaching out to those in your specific industry, and you can start by offering to swap podcast episodes on each other’s RSS feed.
This allows each show to reach new podcast listeners interested in the discussed topic. Podcast episode swaps also increase the visibility of your podcast and search engines, making it easier for potential listeners to discover your show.
Another way to collaborate is by having a podcast host from another show appear as a guest on yours. This is a great way to provide valuable content for your audience while building relationships with other industry players.”
#4 Podcast Networks Can Boost Your Show’s Growth
”Joining a podcast network can help you reach new audiences, collaborate with other podcasters, and ultimately grow your show.
Podcast networks can bring together shows with similar themes or target audiences that’ll give you a chance to introduce your podcast to a wider audience. The network can also promote your show to its audience, increasing your visibility and helping you reach more listeners.”
#5 You Can Market Your Podcast Through Email
“Podcasts work well with other marketing channels. That’s why email marketing can be a highly effective tool for promoting your company’s podcast and building a relationship with your audience.
One way is to create a newsletter for your podcast. You can also insert podcast episodes into customer onboarding sequences. You can use email to share your latest podcast episodes and encourage new customers to subscribe. You can use email to connect with customers and ask for feedback. You can also use email to share relevant news or information with your customers that they might be interested in, such as new products or services or industry trends.”
#6 Engage With Your Podcast Audience
”Encouraging listener engagement is a powerful tool for boosting your podcasting efforts. First, capturing questions from listeners and answering them through episodes can be a great way to keep your content fresh and relevant. Another way to encourage engagement is by creating opportunities for discussion around your podcast. This could be through social media, in-person events, or virtual meetups.”
#7 Live Events and How They Can Elevate Your Podcast
”Live events can be critical to building a dedicated audience. By integrating your podcast with your company’s event strategy, you can create new opportunities for engagement and bring your content to life.”
#8 Learn Podcast SEO and Use It to Boost Your Company’s Show With Optimized Podcast Episodes
”If you want your podcast episodes discovered in the podcast apps, optimize your podcast titles and summaries.
Some podcast traditionalists say, and I quote, ’Don’t worry about keywords; focus on creating amazing content.’ Or you’ll hear comments like, ‘Create content that resonates.’
This is all great advice. I don’t disagree with it, but I feel there’s a balance to strike. When you create a show for your company’s target audience, you can focus on having amazing conversations and include keywords that matter to your audience.”
#9 Invest in Your Show and Build Your Audience With Paid Promotion
”Many of the top podcasts you see on Apple use podcast ads to grow their audience. But you don’t have to be a large publisher to take advantage of podcast advertising. By investing in different forms of paid promotion, you can reach new listeners and scale your podcast growth, too.”
#10 Elevate Your Existing Content With Snippets From Your Show
”Your company’s podcast allows you to bring more life to your written content. By incorporating video snippets from your podcast, you can humanize your blog post and integrate real conversations that support the overarching point.
You can also enhance the content you create for your customers by embedding snippets from your podcast into knowledge-based articles to add another layer to your customer’s success.”
#11 Boost Your Podcast’s Reach With a Simple Signature Update
”According to Opensense, for every 100 employees, your company sends nearly a million emails annually. With all these emails flying around, your company has a big opportunity to promote its podcast within your employee’s email signatures. Think about it. Every time you send an email, you have an opportunity to promote your podcast. So why not make the most of it?”
#12 Collaborate With Industry Leaders to Build More Credibility
”One of the simplest ways to incorporate industry leaders into your podcast is by inviting them to be guests or co-hosts on episodes. Another way to leverage partnerships with industry leaders is to promote each other’s content.”
#13 Market Your Company’s Podcast in Communities
”Whether it’s industry-specific forums, social media groups, or Slack groups, there are a variety of communities where your target audience may be hanging. But by being active in these communities, you can share your latest episodes, start conversations, and provide valuable insights to your audience.”
