Read time: 2 mins Hey Reader! - After two weekends of catching up with friends, eating pizza, and playing video games, I'm embarrassingly tired. Still, completed the remastered Star Wars Battlefronts and can still crush it on Mario Kart. Glory is mine...
Your Podcast Isn’t About YouToday I’m going to share with you how to fix one of the most common podcast mistakes I see. Making your podcast all about you. It’s so easy to accidentally exclude the listener, whether you’re recording with cohosts or a solo show. Instead, you want to ensure your listeners are at the center of your podcast, allowing them to feel more connected with you and your show. This will transform your show into a podcast that can sustain long-term growth. Here's ow to fix it.
Say “You” More Than “I”Someone has your voice coming directly into their ears. Bring them to sit at your table while you discuss things, don’t make them feel like they’re eavesdropping from across the room. How? By saying “you” more than “I”. When you’re talking always remember you’re in a dialogue with the listener, not just monologuing your opinion. They want to feel included you and do that by talking directly to them. It’s a fairly common mistake in introductions and looks like this: “Here’s what I’ve been up to this week” vs “You might like to know that this week I’ve been up to…” One person is talking to themself. The other is talking to you. Listeners want you to talk to them, not at them. The same goes in a group setting. Yes you can talk to your co-hosts but don’t forget about the listener.
Include Fan InteractionsIf you’ve received emails from listeners, comments, questions, or even a lot of likes on a social media post, talk about this in episode. Let your audience feel seen. They want to know you care about them so talking about them is a wonderfully simple way to do that. Shouting out a listener comment makes that one listener feel amazing but also makes all your listeners feel seen as the collective audience. This then has the double bonus of acting as social proof. It says to new listeners, “Look, there’s a group of people already listening and loving this. You should too!” Which in turn allows people to feel a part of something. You can achieve this with a very small audience too by encouraging interactions on social media. You could even create a Reddit post asking a question and talk about the answers. Create the Content Your Listeners WantKeep an eye out for what content your audience is loving, and then do more of it.
These will all give you clues as to what your audience loves. The more you can figure out what they love, the better you can serve them. I’m not saying to sell out and chase high downloads; that can end up being unauthentic. I’m saying you’re making your podcast to serve your audience, and the better you can do that, the more successful you’ll be. Always Think: “What’s in it for the listener?”
Yes, you are the host, and it’s your podcast, but it’s not about you. It’s about what value you can provide to your audience. Community Wins I Am The Wiz Film Club Crossed 250+subscribers on YouTube and reached 1.8k views on their last episode. Petals of Support reached 200 episodes. An Evening of Reflection cross a whopping 900,000 views on YouTube Suns and Shadows crossed 15,000 listens. Middle Age Highs crossed their first 10 epsiodes. Well done everyone! So many awesome podcasts reaching such amazing milestones. If you have a win you want to share, hit reply! How I Can Help You1) I can add you to my best podcast lists. Just email your podcast, description, and category 2) I have a page of Recommended Tools. These are the tools I use to grow my podcast. I focus on tools that improve quality and save time. |
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Kieran MacRae Podcast Marketing Puzzle Hey folks, Kieran here, as I'm sure you've noticed, you haven't heard from me in a while! That's because I've been making some decisions, and I've decided to close the Indie Podcaster newsletter. Past issues are live on my website if you ever want to refer back to them, as are the other articles on my website. But for me, it's time for a new project! If you have enjoyed my writing, you wil still find me writing A Walk and a Fried Egg. And I will be...
Kieran MacRae Podcast Marketing Puzzle Read on my website Read time Hey Reader! - Apologies for the radio silence on my end. I had to figure out a couple of things, but it should mean exciting things to come… Meanwhile, let's resule your regularly scheduled programming :) $29.00 Template Vault - Grow Your Podcast on Autopilot The secret to growing your podcast? A solid foundation. If you’re struggling to grow your podcast you’re not alone. ... Read more Get it now! Should you change your...
Kieran MacRae Podcast Marketing Puzzle Read on my website Read time: 2 mins Hey Reader! - Today's dispatch from the writing shed is talking about something interesting I noticed... Enjoy! Today's newsletter is brought to you by... The Template Vault Only the top 10% of podcasts get 500 downloads in the first seven days of an episode being released. In the last seven months, my podcast has gained 500 more followers while only releasing a single episode. This happened because I set it up to...