On this publish, I am going to share a few of the key tendencies in podcasting proper now, and spotlight some concepts for rising your podcast in 2022 and past. And preserve studying for the chance to enter our Pitch Your Pod contest by January 16 and an opportunity to show your podcast dream right into a actuality!
Desk of Contents
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Podcasting Business Progress Means Alternative
Based on knowledge from Buzzsprout, the podcast business has grown considerably—from roughly 60,000 exhibits in 2014 to greater than two million at present.
However this huge progress doesn’t imply potential podcasters have missed the boat. Removed from it. The podcast business remains to be rising.
Plus, numerous the individuals who began podcasts in early COVID have dropped off. Meaning numerous listeners are on the market proper now, in search of their subsequent present.
Which suggests a chance for you, aspiring podcaster—or current podcaster who desires to up your sport and develop your present.
For Podcasters, Consistency Is (Nonetheless) Key
The important thing to profiting from this podcasting alternative is consistency.
As one instance, Pat went reside on YouTube on daily basis for a 12 months with the Revenue Stream present.
You don’t should do the identical factor together with your podcast (and we wouldn’t suggest it!).
However basically, the extra you present up to your viewers, the extra you’ll grow to be part of their life and tuning in to your present will grow to be a behavior for them.
To not point out, all that follow goes to make you a lot higher at creating your podcast content material.
So how constant must you be, at the least at first of your podcasting journey?
The podcasts that Buzzsprout sees sticking with it are those that make it previous the ten-week mark.
“As soon as they hit that ten-week level,” says Alban Brooke, “it’s a game-changer for whether or not or not they keep it up long run.”
That’s why he tells individuals to begin by committing to releasing an episode each week for ten weeks. Succeeding with that can put you in a gaggle of roughly 600,000 energetic podcasts which have produced at the least ten episodes.
Rising Your Podcast Viewers Takes Lively Advertising
What if you happen to’ve pushed via your first ten episodes, seen some early progress, and… that progress has slowed, and even stagnated? Lots of podcasters discover that an early progress spurt results in a irritating plateau.
Sadly, numerous podcasters—and content material creators basically—additionally take an “In case you construct it, they’ll come” method.
However that received’t work at present. It’s a must to actively market your present.
Listed here are some methods that may provide help to push your listenership again on the incline slope.
Technique #1: Getting Publicity on Excessive-Progress Video Channels (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube)
Quite a few profitable podcast creators have grown their exhibits by sharing content material on high-growth channels like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and even YouTube. They’re leveraging the algorithms on these channels to get publicity they will redirect to their podcast.
The fundamental technique is to create a brief piece of video content material that borrows out of your podcast episode, then invite viewers to the podcast to listen to the complete story.
Now and again, certainly one of these movies might even go viral. You will discover case research about podcasters who’ve gained hundreds of latest listeners based mostly on only one viral TikTok video or Instagram Reel.
And various well-known podcasters have used YouTube clips to draw listeners after which direct them to their podcast feeds.
The bottom line is that the video content material must be associated to the podcast episode you’re driving individuals to. It’s worthwhile to inform a narrative that’ll hook individuals in to wish to hear the remainder of the episode.
It sounds easy, however you’d be stunned what number of creators get tripped up by not following this significant level.
How do you choose a high-growth platform to drag off this technique? Alban at all times encourages creators to search out the platform they perceive and may create nice content material for.
Technique #2: Guesting on Different Podcasts
It helps to recollect the large precept behind efficiently rising your present, which is discovering audiences that do not know you already.
Repurposing your podcast episodes and placing them in your Twitter or Fb feed is okay, however by and enormous they are going to be seen by individuals who already know you exist.
So how do you get your podcast in entrance of latest ears?
Guesting on different podcasts is a tried-and-true and nonetheless very efficient possibility.
(In case you’re in search of a solution to scale your podcast-guesting outreach, we like what Podcast Hawk has to supply.)
One other is together with your podcast episodes in weblog posts in your web site, which helps individuals discover your present through Google’s search algorithm.
In case you write a weblog publish a couple of matter you’ve already lined on the podcast, hyperlink to that episode within the publish itself.
Like this!
Technique #3: Paid Promoting and Sponsorships
What about paid acquisition? Is it one thing podcasters ought to be interested by?
The quick reply is sure, and there are two important methods right here: paid adverts and sponsorships.
Paid adverts are positively a viable technique for rising your present. Simply know that there is a proper method, and a mistaken solution to do it.
The mistaken method is to place adverts immediately on Fb or Google and hope {that a} chilly viewers will begin clicking and listening.
The specialists at Buzzsprout have by no means seen anyone efficiently develop a podcast that method. There’s simply an excessive amount of friction in the best way of getting somebody from the advert to your present.
As Alban says, they’ve “solely seen individuals lose some huge cash” this manner.
So how do you cut back the friction and do podcast adverts the precise method? The bottom line is to promote on apps that have already got a captive viewers of listeners—apps like Overcast, Pocket Casts, and Podcast Addict.
You might additionally look into sponsoring one other podcast—paying a fellow podcaster to offer you a shoutout.
Making an attempt this on a few of the greater exhibits might get costly, however there are numerous small, fast-growing podcasts trying to monetize that may be a greater match.
For a deeper dive on monetizing your podcast, try this publish by Heather Osgood of True Native Media on getting began with podcast adverts.
How one can Cut back Podcasting Overwhelm and Keep away from Burnout
As content material creators, consistency is essential. However burnout can be actual.
That’s why you have to set a sport plan for creating and advertising and marketing your present that’s sustainable.
Lots of people hear tales of probably the most profitable content material creators—like John Lee Dumas, who began Entrepreneurs on Fireplace by doing a every day present—they usually assume I am going to do the identical factor. However that simply doesn’t work for most individuals, particularly if you happen to’ve obtained a full-time gig or have youngsters at house.
So discover a content material creation cadence that matches your life, and that you’ll be excited to do. For lots of people, allocating at some point every week to creating your episode is an effective alternative.
Since “In case you construct it, they’ll come” does not work, you additionally must carve out time for advertising and marketing. There’s virtually at all times extra you are able to do to market your present, however begin with placing simply an hour apart every week for advertising and marketing.
In case you’re on TikTok, possibly meaning spending an hour making a video to advertise your newest episode and interesting with individuals on TikTok. In case you’re on LinkedIn, it’s writing a publish that ties into the content material in your episode.
Begin small, and keep constant.
Have interaction with Your Listeners and Construct Podcast Superfans
Podcasting is a protracted sport. The podcasters who keep it up for years are probably to search out the success (and obtain numbers) they’re in search of.
The common new podcaster, although, is getting roughly thirty-seven performs per episode. Which will sound small, and it’s.
However small might be mighty.
That’s as a result of every of these thirty-seven individuals is an actual human being. And one of many superpowers you’ve got once you’re small is that you just truly can interact with each certainly one of them.
Ask individuals to succeed in out, after which honor it once they do. If somebody sends you an e mail, point out it on the podcast. In case you get a optimistic evaluation, learn it on the air and thank the listener. If a fan posts one thing about your podcast on social, prefer it and thank them for sharing it.
Elevate your superfans. Join with them and be taught extra about them, so you possibly can higher serve them and appeal to extra similar to them.
Flip Your Podcast Dream right into a Actuality!
We have all requested the query, “You already know what would make a fantastic podcast?” — and probably nothing ever comes of it.
What if SPI might assist flip that query into actuality? Your very personal podcast!
Introducing Pitch Your Pod: a model new, first-of-its-kind competitors the place you “pitch” SPI on the superb podcast you have at all times wished to make, however for no matter motive by no means have!
The Pitch Your Pod contest is open to anybody who submits an entry by midnight Pacific on January 16. Enter now!
By the best way, numerous the insights on this publish have been taken from Pat Flynn’s dialog with Alban Brooke, head of selling at Buzzsprout, throughout SPI’s first Viewers Pushed Summit in October 2021, our two-day deep-dive into the simplest, related methods to construct an viewers at present.
Click on right here to observe the recording of Pat’s full dialog with Alban.
