Soooo it’s Valentine’s day (yes, yes, I love you too), or at least it was this week, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve been gorging yourself on chocolate, candies (and maybe ice cream) from a special someone*.
*Just so we’re on the same page, in my case, that special someone is ME. You better believe I don’t need someone else to buy me sweets…
So, in keeping with the recent topical article trend I’ve been on, we’re going to talk all about loving your audience, and making sure they know it. But not only that, we’re going to explore why these professions of affection just might be the missing link to your lackluster engagement.
If your palms are starting to sweat as you read this, DON’T WORRY, it’s not like with a real live person where you say it too early and make it all awkward and scare them off and then you’re heartbroken on Valentine’s day eating chocolate and ice cream all by yourself just cuz you were brave enough to share your feelings… It’s not like that at all…
This Sounds Kinda Mushy, Why Does It Matter?
Alright, so if you’re here reading this, I’m pretty sure you’re already putting out awesome content, because you clearly care about your show and are always looking for ways to make it better.
That’s awesome, you absolutely need to have kick-ass content on your show. But kick-ass content alone isn’t enough to grow your audience and achieve your podcasting goals.
For that, you’re going to need an audience that feels a connection to you as the host beyond simply the content you’re putting out. And for that, they need to know and feel that you care about them beyond being a number on your stats page.
So let’s get into how to convey your affection short of chocolates and roses*.
*Although if all else fails, try those…
Getting To Know Your Listeners Personally
Alright, so we’ve barely started and we’ve arrived at our first roadblock, the fact that podcasting is like a two-way mirror, where your audience gets to know you incredibly well, but you’re left with very little information about them as individuals.
Unless you’re proactive.
So before we get down on one knee and profess our undying love, we’ve got some work to do to engage with them in a more reciprocal manner than our usual podcasting efforts.
Using Your Call To Actions Wisely
So probably the most straightforward way to get to know your listeners further is by utilizing calls to action (CTA’s) designed specifically for this purpose.
I’m guessing you might currently have a standard CTA requesting that your listeners subscribe, rate and review your show. That’s cool, but how about switching it up every now and then and ask your listeners to get in touch with you with an answer to a specific question.
Keep in mind that counterintuitively, you’ll often get much better engagement by asking a super specific question than a broad one.
For example:
“Send me an email and let me know what you think of the show” is an absolutely terrible question. It’s too vague, and it makes people have to think.*
*People don’t wanna think. I know it’s sad, but it is what it is…
“Send me an email with ONE thing you took away from this episode that you’re going to be able to apply to your life this week” is much better. After listening to the episode, there are probably a couple of key takeaways already bouncing around in their heads, and it’s a lot easier for them to write them down in a quick message and send it to you.
Always remember that it’s better to have one strong CTA than multiple weaker ones. The more asks you make of your audience, the fewer they are to actually engage with you on any of them.
Engage With Them On Conversation-Conducive Platforms
So email is one of establishing a connection, but for a lot of your listeners, it’s going to be easier to get them to engage on the various social platforms they’re already using.
At least when you’re starting out, I’d recommend sticking to one platform to direct your listeners to, but I would make sure you mention it frequently as a place where your audience can have more intimate conversations with you and dive more deeply into the content you’re giving them on the podcast.
This relates really closely to building a community around your podcast, and is going to take some work, but is definitely worth that effort.
Whether it’s Twitter, a Facebook page, group, Instagram post or any other platform, it’s worth posting conversation starters related to your call to action after every episode. One trick that I’ve found to work really well is to tag any listeners who you know have insight or interest on the topic in that original post to start building some momentum and getting some action on the post.
Surveying
We’ve talked about using surveys to get to know your listeners in the past in more depth, so I’ll let you check out the details on how to set it up there, but this is one of the best ways to gain insight into who your listeners are and what they like and dislike about the show, and where they’d like to see you take it in the future.
Connection Is Nothing Without Follow Up
Alright, so regardless of how you’re getting your audience to engage with you, especially at the start, I’m a big fan of reaching back out to those listeners who get in touch with you, and deepening the conversation.
Get to know them and find out who they are and where they’re at related to the subject matter you podcast about. Much like the survey option, ask what they’d like to see from you, what’s landing and what’s not with your current show. While you’re at it, consider asking them about any lessons they’ve taken away from the show, or any wins it’s provided them.
These listeners will be invaluable to you not only in helping you hone the direction of your show as you move forward. Once you’ve shown that you really do care about them as people, don’t be surprised to find their engagement with you and the show soar.
These people can become your biggest fans and proselytizers if you nurture your relationships with them, so take them seriously.
Feeding The Engagement Cycle
Ok, so you’ve got some engagement going and you’re getting to know some of your audience. This is fantastic, and where podcasting really starts getting fun.
Now it’s time to grow that engagement and deepen the connection with your audience. Before you go and start writing a “Roses are red…” valentines to your listener, however, let’s look at something better.
Showcasing Your Audience
So, you know how you’re doing a ton of cool stuff and it feels amazing when people recognize you for that? Well, your listeners feel the same way, especially when they’re recognized on their favourite podcast.
Showcasing your audience is one of the best ways to build loyalty and community, while also sharing valuable information with the rest of your audience. This works particularly well if you’re reaching out to find out how the show has helped your listeners like mentioned above, or practical situations in which they’ve applied the content from your show.
Growing iTunes Reviews
This is also a great technique to encourage iTunes reviews for your show. Rather than just ask that your listeners rate and review the show, take a moment at either the top or tail end of your show to read a recent review of the show and give the reviewer a shout out.
If you’ve been podcasting for any length of time, you know that earning reviews is no easy task. Make sure that when a listener does make the effort to leave a review, you show them some love and give them a shoutout. Basically, it’s like opening the door for your date – just common courtesy…
Audience Questions
Another fantastic way to increase engagement and showcase your audience members is by regularly fielding their questions on the show. Not only do your listeners get a shout out on the air while getting their specific questions answered, but you also have an opportunity to establish yourself as an expert in your field.
These segments can be an important part of building your audience’s trust that you know what you’re talking about, which is essential to them taking the next step into your funnel, whether that’s signing up for a free lead magnet, or purchasing some type of offering you’re providing.
If you have an interview-based show, it’s important to think about showcasing yourself every so often, as it’s often your guests who come off looking like experts (at least if you’re doing your job well). Show your listeners how much you have to offer!
When it comes to taking questions you can either read out the questions on air that have been submitted over email or social media, or try out a service like SpeakPipe, where your listeners can submit self-recorded audio questions directly to you!
If you want to check out an example of someone who’s doing an amazing job of this, check out Ask A Freelancer. Not only is host Andy J. Miller super informative, he’s also hilarious. It’s seriously awesome.
Giveaways, Contests, Etc
So moving on from promoting and showcasing your audience members, I’m a huge fan of running the occasional giveaway or contest of some sort through a podcast as well. I mean, who doesn’t love free stuff??
You can set this up in a number of ways, either simply as a draw from your mailing list, or by offering up entries in return for your listeners writing podcast reviews, sharing the show, sending pics of themselves dressed in sasquatch suits, or any of the other usual requests.
I know one podcaster who does monthly giveaways for everyone on her mailing list, so by signing up once, you’re eligible for all future drawings.
The prize is a surprise every month, which I think is a super fun twist, and something the audience really gets excited about. It makes for a pretty solid lead magnet as well!
Kickstarting The Process
Alright, so this is all well and good if you’ve got a bit of engagement to begin with, but if you’re struggling in that department, sometimes it takes a little push to get the ball rolling.
In this case, I’d suggest asking a few friends, past guests, or other people you already have relationships with to submit a couple of questions to kickstart the participation. In my experience, once you start featuring a few of your listeners, more will follow.
I have a couple of clients who offer prizes (in the form of digital products they’ve created) to everyone who’s question they select to have answered on the show. This is another great option to encourage engagement, while also honouring your listeners.
One More Note On Mediums
While I highly recommend you shower your listeners with love on your podcast, I’m a big fan of featuring them on your other channels as well, be that your socials, newsletter, carrier pigeon network, or via your regular smoke signal communiques.
As we discussed earlier, make your asks for feedback, listener questions, and so forth on those same channels. It’s a lot easier to click over to SpeakPipe from a Facebook or Twitter post than it is to pause the podcast and find your SpeakPipe page on their phone themselves.
Move In For The Kiss
Like I said before, once you start getting a steady stream of engagement from your listeners is when podcasting really starts getting fun. It stops feeling like you’re podcasting into a black hole, and starts feeling more like a conversation between you and your listeners.
The thing is that most of the time, your listeners aren’t just going to start sending you feedback and questions of their own volition (or momentum if you prefer*).
*If you got that Seinfeld reference, I love you and you’re a rock star. YOU’RE my valentine.
Just as in the dating world, you’re probably going to need to make the first move if you want to get anything done. I know, it’s not fair, but it’s a law of nature, so get over it and move in for the kiss, dammit.
Alright, so this is the part of the post where you probably think I’m going to make some kind of engagement ask out of YOU, and you would be exactly wrong.
I’ve got chocolate, candy, and ice cream, remember? I don’t need any of that lame, real human connection –
Oh.
Right.
I polished off that pint of Ben & Jerry’s halfway through writing this thing*…
*If you can guess the flavour you’ve earned yourself a pint on me!
[Sigh]
Alright. If you must, lemme know in the comments section how you engage with your audience and show them how much you truly care. Also, feel free to tell me how much you truly care about me. Now that I’m done the ice cream I could use a pick me up…
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Jeremy travels full-time, loves long-distance cycle touring, and will always look back on the day he finally saved up enough money to buy the Millennium Falcon Lego set as one of his proudest achievements. He believes that the way to grow sustainable businesses is by leading with heart, vulnerability, and helping your people be and become their best selves.
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