There are many reasons to start a podcast.
You may want to grow your business or personal brand.
You may see it as a lead generator, or a potential income source.
Heck, you may even start your podcast just for fun – because it seems like something you might enjoy. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Your reasons for starting a show may be about you. But to grow your show, you must focus on your audience.
I spent 15 years as a radio DJ. When new on-air personalities first crack the microphone, it’s often about them.
But the talent that truly grows and succeeds in media? They learn to turn the mirror on their audience, and they focus their show content on their listeners. The same is true in podcasting.
Why the Listener is More Important Than the Host
A podcast listener is giving you a significant amount of their attention for a significant period of time, unlike the fleeting interaction of social media.
You may be asking for their attention for 15, 30, or 60 minutes, or even longer depending on your show. Every podcast listener starts with one simple question: “What’s in it for me?” Will your listeners get a valuable return on the time they invested in you? Are you going to provide them with valuable content? Are you going to inform or entertain them? Are you going to make them laugh, tug at their heartstrings, or create some other kind of emotional connection?
The key to growing your audience isn’t just understanding who they are demographically, but understanding ‘who they are when they’re at home. As Tom Webster, partner at Sounds Profitable explains, “You need to figure out who they are when they’re at home… that’s the level of specificity and detail that you need.'”
When you start planning your content from the perspective of your listener, and not yourself, the quality of your content will rise exponentially. Make sure there’s something in it for your listener. Good content is the foundation of any good podcast.
Start Strong, and Don’t Waste Your Listeners’ Time
We’ve all heard podcasts that start with small talk. What did you do over the weekend? How’s the weather? Have you tried the new breakfast diner on the corner? First off, none of that is relevant if someone goes back and listens to your episode later. More importantly, you only get one chance at a first impression. If someone is a first-time listener to your show, you’ve only got one chance to hook them.
Start off with something attention-getting, like a great story that’s relevant to the episode. Or tell them what they are about to hear in this episode. By starting strong, you’re giving them a reason to keep listening. Small talk and tangents, whether at the beginning or middle of the episode, imply that you’re more interested in chatting away than you are providing something valuable to your audience. This is a waste of their time, and a major tune-out factor.
“I” vs “You”
This is a subtle difference, but it can be very powerful. Think about the last cocktail party or event you attended (even if it was pre-pandemic). Who did you connect with – the people who told you all about themselves, or the people who showed a genuine interest in you?
- “Here’s what I’m going to talk about today.”
- “Here’s what you’re going to hear today.”
These two sentences mean the exact same thing. However, one focuses on the host and one focuses on the listener. Which sounds more inviting?
Your Podcast Should Be a Safe Space for Your Listeners
Tom says, “Consider NPR’s Car Talk – while ostensibly about car repair, its true success came from creating a safe space for smart people who feel frustrated about this thing that they don’t actually know anything about to be stupid and not get laughed at. Your podcast needs to create this kind of psychological safety for your listeners.”
The Eulogy Question
If you really want to get clear on what will make your podcast the safe space your audience wants to hang out in, Tom Webster suggests asking your listeners a powerful question: “If I were to end the podcast, what would you miss that you’d have to look for somewhere else?” He says, their answers will reveal what truly makes your show unique and valuable to them. From these insights you will gain clarity on what to deliver with every episode you produce.
Creating Advocates and Ambassadors
Focusing on your audience will make them truly connect with your show and, ideally, feel like a part of it. If you can truly connect with your audience, and make them passionate fans of your show, they will be your best form of advertising.
Social media and word-of-mouth are major forces in podcast discovery. And if a trusted source (online or in person) sings the praises of your show, that carries weight and significance. This will lead to natural, organic growth of your show. And that’s a surer path to long-term success than any “quick fix” marketing scheme.
As Megan Shields of ChimeHouse Media points out, “People on Facebook are used to seeing master classes and PDF guides, but a podcast? That’s something different… It’s a low barrier of entry. This makes it easier for satisfied listeners to share your show with others.”
Know Who You’re Not For
Tom says, “Understanding who your show isn’t for can be as important as knowing who it’s for. The most successful shows often spark strong reactions – they super-serve their intended audience while being comfortable that others might not connect with the content.”
He uses the example of Joe Rogan – Joe Rogan isn’t for everyone, but the host knows his audience, and who is creating content for. This is one of the biggest reasons people come back every week to listen. Joe is creating the content for them, not himself. If you want to be a successful podcaster, it’s time to gain a deeper understanding of who is and isn’t your target audience.
