How Do I get More Listeners On My Podcast

Starting a podcast is scary. Starting with zero followers, zero listeners and zero support is hard. But you know, almost every single creator in the world starts at zero and works their way up. What a lot of creators don’t seem to get is that recording a fantastic podcast isn’t the only thing you need to do. You also have to get your recorded content out there for listeners to enjoy and appreciate. After all, how are people supposed to know that you exist if you won’t tell them? 

You don’t need the help of an expert like Don Draper to get noticed by the public. All you need, in this age of technology, is some basic know how and you’ll soon be on your way to Podcast stardom.

1. SEO

Now don’t get intimidated by this term. SEO or Search Engine Optimization is a strategy used to increase the amount of listeners coming in through search results. For example, if you have a podcast that talks about travelling in the North East India, someone searching for that will find your podcast if you’ve used the correct keywords on your website. Keywords are the easiest way to grab attention on search engines. A lot of your audience might just search for what they want to listen to and using SEO smartly is the easiest way to get noticed. Even better if you can use specific keywords for each episode.

It sounds scary, we know. But there are many free videos and courses online on how to use SEO to your advantage. Go check them out now and become an expert!  

2. Guests

Getting the right kind of guest with a good following on your podcast is the easiest and quickest way to get listeners. You can turn your guest’s followers into potential listeners for yourself. This, of course, doesn’t mean you go around harassing people with a large following to appear as a guest on your show. We mean you have to find a guest who will also gain something from appearing on your podcast so it is mutually beneficial.

Once your episode is ready both of you can share it on your platforms thereby getting a lot more ear-balls to your podcast. 

3. Ask your audience to help

This is the easiest way to push your existing audience to get their friends to listen to your podcast. As a podcast addict I’m constantly telling everyone I know to listen to episodes I think they will like. There are others who do exactly the same thing as me. If you can find your most ardent fans and get them to share your podcast with their friends, you will have an automatic increase in your listenership.

In each episode, probably at the end, remind your audience to rate your podcast, to share it with their friends and to follow it on social media. This is the best way to leverage your existing audience to gain more.

4. Social Media

Social media is an absolute necessity if you’re going to be a successful podcaster. There’s no working around it! Social Media is here to stay. So why not work it to your advantage? Making sure you’re connecting with your target audience on various platforms will make all the difference between an increase in the digits of your followers. Share each episode with the right hashtags, connect directly with the followers you’ve already built a relationship with and let them know if a new episode will be of interest to them. Overall, just work on building yourself as a brand and you’ll see a jump in your numbers in no time.

5. Directories

While we may not physically be present everywhere, doesn’t mean we can’t digitally exist in every platform. Just because you’re an apple fanboy/girl doesn’t mean you ignore other platforms and vice versa. Podcast directories exist for a reason, to get you to your listeners. Any platform that has listeners must have your podcast. Make sure your presence spreads far and wide so even the smallest platform has your RSS feed. It couldn’t hurt, could it?

Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, Audioboom, Gaana and many others exist to get you to the right audience. You never know which platform will click and take you to their top 100.

6. Shameless Promotion

You know how you get annoyed when your uncle’s wife’s brother’s cousin’s nephew asks you to subscribe to your YouTube channel? Time to break out the puppy dog eyes and be that annoying relative that bugs everyone to subscribe to their podcast. It could, if done right, up your audience size immediately. After all, what is family for if not to boost your listener numbers.

7. Podcast Communities and Groups

Every social media platform that exists has a group feature. Use this to reach out to other podcasters and create a group of people who are your community. Travel podcaster? There’s a community for that. Audiodrama? There’s definitely a community for that. 

The best part is if you’re reaching out on places like Reddit or Facebook, these communities are filled with listeners itching to find their next earworm. Take advantage of these spaces created specifically for you by people like you and grow your audience.

8. Freebies or Giveaways

Everyone loves freebies. It’s the one tactic that has never failed through all of time. Present your listeners with a chance to win something to get you more followers. Get your listeners to subscribe, share or do something else and offer them freebies as a sign of your gratitude . You can also set up a giveaway to thank your oldest and most loyal followers, after all, they were the ones who’ve been there from the start. 

Use Tartl to set up exclusive content and keep track of your listeners. 

That’s all folks. We will be writing more tips this Podcast month so you can grow your audience and podcast in an organic manner. Till we meet again, happy recording.