There was a time in the early days of podcasting where you could start a show on almost any topic and be one of only a small handful of shows covering it.
What this often meant was that as long as you put together a reasonably good show, with passable–if not professional–production quality, it was likely that you would gain a foothold and build an audience.
Many of those podcasters were then able to leverage that incumbent advantage to become the go-to authorities in their niches and build massive audiences as more listeners discovered podcasting, and along with it, their shows.
Those days are long gone.
Podcasting Today Requires Strategy
It’s entirely likely that you can build an audience, even a large one, around your podcast today, but doing so without a defined strategy for growth is all but impossible.
In almost every niche, there are now dozens of shows covering similar topics and it’s almost unheard of that you would start a show and be the only person speaking about your subject.
Not to mention the influx of massive media companies and the rise of podcast networks who have the knowledge, skills, and resources to produce shows far beyond what the average indie podcaster will ever be able to achieve.
And yet, despite these realities, so many podcasters are still operating like it’s 2010, believing that simply producing a show and sharing it on their social accounts is enough to build an audience.
Without a solid strategy in place, you can be almost positive your podcast will not grow at the rate you’d like along with wasting a healthy amount of your time, money, and energy.
What Does A Solid Podcast Strategy Look Like?
When it comes to podcast strategy, most people immediately jump to thinking about how to get in front of new potential listeners.
This is certainly an essential part of any podcast strategy, but exposure alone isn’t enough.
Any effective podcast growth strategy should include the following:
- Clarity on who your target audience is, how you can help them, and what sets your show apart from other shows targeting the same audience and offering the same information.
- A solid digital marketing foundation to engage your listeners beyond the podcast, including cohesive branding, website, and at least a basic funnel.
- Engaging content where every episode segment and episode as a whole is designed to serve your audience in a specific way.
- A system for turning existing listeners into raving fans and brand advocates.
- A targeted strategy for consistently gaining exposure to new potential listeners.
- A paid offer–most likely a product or service that you offer–to monetize the show.
Without addressing each of these six points, you’re likely to have a difficult time standing out, building an audience, and turning a profit on your show.
There’s too much high-quality content out there these days to get by on simply producing a solid show. If you want to grow your audience in a meaningful way, you’re going to need to take some of the creativity you pour into your show and put it to work on the marketing and strategy side of things.
The good news is that this is doable for the average podcaster. You don’t need a massive team around you or a hundred thousand dollar recording studio, although of course those help.
Instead, you can make up for them with time, ingenuity, and most of all an insatiable curiosity to find out what’s working for other podcasters and why.
Ask more questions, develop hypotheses, and relentlessly test until you land on something that works.
Bit by bit, build out your podcast strategy one piece at a time until you’ve built a listener–and customer–magnet.
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
