{"id":7684,"date":"2021-06-07T18:36:28","date_gmt":"2021-06-07T18:36:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rss.com\/blog\/?p=7684"},"modified":"2024-12-23T02:46:29","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T02:46:29","slug":"growing-your-podcast-is-not-about-you-its-about-your-audience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rss.com\/blog\/growing-your-podcast-is-not-about-you-its-about-your-audience\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing Your Podcast Is Not about You \u2013 It\u2019s about Your Audience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There are many reasons to start a podcast<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may want to grow your business or personal brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may see it as a lead generator, or a potential income source. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heck, you may even start your podcast just for fun<\/a> \u2013 because it seems like something you might enjoy. There\u2019s nothing wrong with that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your reasons for starting a show may be about you. But to grow your show, you must focus on your audience.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I spent 15 years as a radio DJ. When new on-air personalities first crack the microphone, it\u2019s often about them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Why the Listener is More Important Than the Host<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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: \u201cWhat\u2019s in it for me?\u201d 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? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a> explains, \u201cYou need to figure out who they are when they’re at home… that’s the level of specificity and detail that you need.'”<\/p>\n\n\n\n


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\u2019s something in it for your listener. Good content is the foundation of any good podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Start Strong, and Don\u2019t Waste Your Listeners\u2019 Time<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve all heard podcasts that start with small talk. What did you do over the weekend? How\u2019s 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\u2019ve only got one chance to hook them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Start off with something attention-getting, like a great story that\u2019s relevant to the episode. Or tell them what they are about to hear in this episode. By starting strong, you\u2019re giving them a reason to keep listening. Small talk and tangents, whether at the beginning or middle of the episode, imply that you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"two<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>\u201cI\u201d vs \u201cYou\u201d<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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 \u2013 the people who told you all about themselves, or the people who showed a genuine interest in you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n