The BIG question, how do you get a bigger audience? Every podcaster wants more listeners, but the thing you have to accept is that there is no quick fix, no immediate way that you can be guaranteed a huge following. You’ll have to put in some hard work and do a bunch of different things, but if you do, it might just pay off.
1. Obviously, social media
But this isn’t just ‘make a facebook page and BAM you have listeners’. This is real hard, long work. Make a facebook page or an Instagram account, but be prepared to make regular content of a variety of sorts. Graphic posts, audiogram videos, questions for your followers. Do it all.
- Beyond this, find your niche and share the crap out of your podcast. Are you doing a podcast about Circus life? Find circus themed facebook groups, find circus classes groups, clowning classes, body building groups for weight lifters (strong men) shared your links anywhere your niche can apply.
- And don’t do this once and stop. Join groups each week if they can apply to new niches with your podcast.
2. Place promos on other podcasts
I had a promotion for one of my podcasts play on another show and it resulted in a grown listenership of 10 times the original number.
This one is something I think you have to really work at. You can get small growth by doing promo swaps with other podcasts in your niche, but at some point you might just get lucky and have a promo play on a podcast right as that podcast becomes successful.
You can record a 30 second ad, or just an out of mouth from the hosts. It can play inside one of their episodes, or if you are lucky they can do a stand alone release just promoting yours. If you have the coin, it’s definitely worth seeing if bigger pods will do the same thing but for coin rather than an exchange.
Want to find someone to swap with? Join some podcast groups. We run Aussie Podcasters and one of the weekly thread posts will be allowing people to offer themselves up for promo swaps so keep an eye out on Thursdays (but you can ask separately if you want).
3. Get guests on your podcast
Having people on your pod brings people in who would normally listen to them (especially if they are other podcast hosts). People follow talent they like, so co-opt that audience.
Now maybe having a guest is not something you think fits your format, so make it a special thing you do once a month, or as a bonus episode. Podcasts can be versatile and guests are definitely worth utilising.
4. Make a group around your podcast
Sure you made a facebook page, but it goes beyond that! One of the biggest parts of growing an audience is retaining an audience, and the best way to retain that audience is by making a great a way for them engage with the pod and want to stay around.
Plus the more they love it, the more they will be inclined to recommend to others and word of mouth is a powerful promotion tool.
5. Get featured on charts
Getting into those featured categories in Apple, spotify etc can obviously boost your listeners because you are being displayed to general users. There is actually a way to apply for the Apple Podcast “New & Noteworthy Category” and we explain how to do so HERE.
Getting reviews can also help with getting in the general charts and I have separate tips for how to increase reviews HERE
