If you’ve spent any time engaging in the worlds of either entrepreneurship or personal development, you’ve probably heard the phrase, “Growth begins at the end of your comfort zone” more times than you can count.
Innately, it makes sense that we need to push and stretch ourselves in order to increase our capabilities as people.
Much like lifting weights momentarily thrusts us into discomfort in order to strengthen our muscles, exposing ourselves to stress, pressure, challenge, and discomfort strengthens us in other areas of our lives and allows us to grow.
The same is true for podcasting.
Most people fail to grow their podcasts because they’re only willing to market and promote their shows in a way that feels comfortable to them.
Posting a link and a two-sentence caption social media is quick, painless, and — within our filter bubbles and friend groups — unlikely to draw criticism, rejection, and derision.
But by sticking to our comfort zone, we’re also unlikely to create micro-content that actually hooks would-be listeners or to tap into new communities who might be looking for exactly what we’re producing.
Podcast growth, especially in the early stages, requires us to consistently put in the legwork of finding and engaging with existing communities that would find our shows highly relevant.
To do this, we must continually push beyond our existing network to find and connect with new people.
This is not a comfortable proposition for many of us.
But that’s the point.
Standing Out in a Crowded Podcast Marketplace
There are over a million podcasts in the world, and almost all of them are marketing their shows from decidedly within their comfort zones.
If any of us wants to stand out, we need to do the work of pushing beyond our existing boundaries, getting uncomfortable, and making it impossible for our ideal listeners to ignore us.
This doesn’t mean being pushy or salesy or annoying.
It means being generous in doing the work of podcast discovery for our target audiences. When done with empathy and tact for the right people, they will actually thank us for seeking them out and presenting them with our work.
How can you push yourself into discomfort when promoting your next episode?
Maybe it’s joining a new community related to your niche and PMing a few of the members to chat and get to know them.
Maybe it’s putting in extra hours creating promotional micro-content that is actually valuable in its own right.
Maybe it’s inviting people behind the scenes throughout the week and give a window into your creative process.
Chances are, whatever the thought is is that makes you most uncomfortable is the one that’s going to yield the greatest growth.
Find a way to walk up to the edge of your comfort zone, and take one baby step beyond it. When the discomfort becomes comfortable, take one step further.
Step by step you’ll grow and strengthen as both a podcaster and a marketer, and your show will follow suit.
Every Sunday I send out an exclusive article on how to use podcasting to build an audience and grow your business.
No opt-in, no freebie no bribe. But hopefully a new perspective, encouragement, and maybe even some occasional wisdom. It’s something I’m proud to create and I’d be honoured to share it with you.
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.
- Why Wouldn’t They Just Google It? - March 14, 2021
- Before You Can Market Your Podcast, You Need To Create A Marketable Podcast - March 11, 2021
- Podcast Promotion & Marketing Are Different (Here’s How to Use Each Effectively) - March 10, 2021
