Leveraging the power of Social Media to grow your audience
Growing your audience is something you should do regularly; dedicating just as much time and passion as you do when crafting and recording each of your podcast episodes. It may take a little more effort, but the return is immeasurable.
STOP! Before digging in to the 12 steps to increasing your podcast listeners, make sure you are:
- 100% clear with your WHY
- Consistent with your message
- Clear about who your ideal listeners are and know what content to provide to attract them to your show
Building a hungry and loyal podcast fan base using social media is very doable. Just follow the tips below that feels right for you.
Tip # 1 – Do your copywriting homework
Great content helps you build relationships. And relationships lead to trust, which then will drive loyal listeners to your show.
Add your unique insight as to why people should listen to each episode and do that to your entire podcast. When you authentically share your thoughts with your audience you are engaging and building a relationship with them.
So, don’t be afraid to express your thoughts creatively on social media.
Tip # 2 – Utilize hashtags
Hashtags are crucial when it comes to social media posts – especially Twitter and Instagram. Adding hashtags to your post helps categorize content for you and your listeners.
Increase your social media presence by creating a unique hashtag exclusive for your podcast and use it consistently!
Use hashtags everytime you post on social networks. Leverage the power of relevant hashtags and don’t forget to do some research to find the best related hashtags. When done correctly, your podcast will appear in hashtag searches, inviting more new listeners to your content.
Tip # 3 – Never be afraid to ask
Yes! Never be afraid to ask for reviews and downloads, just do it politely!
Famous podcasters and influencers today had to do it manually back when they were still starting. So, don’t be afraid to manually reach out to people that you feel would benefit from your podcast.
A very helpful growth hack is by following their Twitter and Instagram accounts using your podcast’s social account. When they see a new follower, chances are they’ll check out your profile and (hopefully, fingers crossed) give it a listen. It’s as simple as that!
YOU’VE CREATED AN AMAZING PODCAST, NOW IT’S TIME TO GET THE WORD OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Tip # 4 – Give your followers a preview of your episode
Giving your followers a sneak peek of your episode will entice them to listen to your episode. Using quotes, short clips or audiograms can pique the interest of new followers every time your current followers share your content into their social media timeline. By doing this you are not only gaining new listeners but you are creating an opportunity to engage with your audience and form a community.
If you’re doing graphics, try making your quotes catchy and appealing to capture more interested minds into your show
You can also pick some memorable lines from your episodes and turn them into social media designs using free tools such as Canva, Adobe Spark or Pablo.
Tip # 5 – Invest in paid traffic
If you’re aiming to grow your podcast audience, investing a little budget on promotion won’t hurt.
Using paid ads to promote your podcast is not for everyone unless you have enough budget. But promoting your new podcast episodes through social media ads means more exposure, more downloads, and more subscriptions.
Tip # 6 – Be where your audience is
When you don’t know who your audience is, then looking for new listeners will be a difficult task. But if you know your audience by heart, go to where they are.
Go beyond the broad podcast listener category and dig deeper into your own topic. Be it sports, love, music, tech, business, or food, make sure your podcast is where your audience is.
As the expert of your own industry, you’ll find yourself mostly in these digital spaces anyway. If you’re running a business podcast, you’d want to share your content more on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. If you’re running a comedy, entertainment, and non-business podcast, you can skip LinkedIn and share your content hard on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Find what works for your show and your audience.
Get MAXIMUM EXPOSURE with Done-For-You Social Media Posts & Graphic Design!
Tip # 7 – Mention, tag, and email guests, sponsors, and collaborators
Aside from having great content, another factor that determines the success of your podcast is your relationship with your guests, sponsors, and collaborators.
Mentioning your guests, fellow podcasters, and sponsors can help you in getting new listeners. You can also email potential collaborators to let them know that you’re interested in working together.
When you’re mentioned or thanked publicly, start a conversation and share the mention on your marketing channels!
Tip # 8 – Share on your personal accounts too
Don’t forget to share and promote your podcast on your personal social media channels too! If people enjoy listening to your voice as you talk on your podcast or they like your insights, chances are they’ll follow you on your social media accounts.
So make sure you have your podcast listed on your personal social media accounts.
Tip # 9 – Consider going live and taking in questions
Make your audience feel like they’re part of the show by going live. Encourage them to ask questions to keep them engaged.
Going live adds excitement, giving your followers a reason to log in and tune into your podcast.
Your show needs to be seen and heard by your audience. Help them find you by being where they hang out online.
Tip # 10 – Put your content out to a larger audience
When it comes to podcast hosting, iTunes is king but don’t overlook YouTube, Instagram TV, and SoundCloud.
Sharing your content in other networks allow you to put your content out on a larger audience, and makes your episodes more shareable and accessible.
Tip # 11 – Host a giveaway
Learn to give back by hosting a giveaway. Not only will you delight your current audience, you’ll also attract new ones.
You can give away gift cards, product subscriptions or a hot item related to your industry! Just keep in mind the legalities when running social media giveaways.
Tip # 12 – Keep trying new things
Cliché as it may sound, this tip is overlooked oftentimes when creating a social media marketing campaigns for podcasts, blogs, other mediums.
Remember, you have nothing to lose dropping something that isn’t working out, and successes to gain when testing the right things.
Do you find any of these tips helpful? If so, let us know in the comments
