It is perhaps the most frequently asked question about creating podcasts. How do you find listeners? Only sharing a link on Facebook to your latest episode is of course not very effective. To get people to actually listen to your podcast and even subscribe, you’re going to have to do more. You can read something in this blog.
We’ll start right away with what’s tricky about podcast marketing. It is not an article that you quickly scroll through, like a blog. For example, a podcast takes half an hour to an hour and as a listener you have to take the time. The moment someone scrolls through Facebook on the toilet is not the time to also listen to a podcast for an hour. Or it must be a very long visit… Good.
When? People mainly listen to podcasts while doing other things. Traveling in the car or public transport or at home while doing the dishes or vacuuming. Moments when you don’t stare at a screen, but you can listen carefully. The trick is to get people to put on your podcast at those times.
Netflix
Let’s take a quick trip to Netflix. Because this is also a challenge for them. For example, they do not share direct links to their player on social media. The moment you quickly scroll through your timeline is of course not the moment that you extensively watch the first episode of Stranger Things. The other way around, of course, also applies: when you plop down on the couch after a long day, you don’t want to first look for what a nice series is. At Netflix, they also generate exposure in other ways. For example, during the Gay Pride in Amsterdam, a Netflix boat sailed along, entirely in the style of the bus from the Orange is The New Black series . The result? It was widely discussed on social media.
@JOR_ID voor mij de winnaar van Gay Pride 2018, de boot van Netflix!!! #gaypride2018 #amsterdam #Netflix 💖💜🧡💛💚💙❤ pic.twitter.com/4XNSPlXgrm
— Tessa Rietveld (@TessaRietveld) August 4, 2018
Netflix is the king of fun marketing campaigns. But don’t forget that a great trailer and word of mouth can also be very powerful. If a friend tells you that a new series is really worth watching, chances are you will watch it too.
This applies equally to podcasts. And while you probably don’t have huge marketing budgets, anyone can provide compelling artwork that you can share. Create teasers of an episode or content around your podcast. Do whatever it takes to get people to interact with what you’ve created.
As you have come to expect from us, we will of course also delve deeper with some practical tips.
1. Find a media partner
What can help promote your podcast is finding a media partner. And of course one that has common ground with your target group or writes about the same subject as your podcast is about. They can share your podcast through their channels, such as newsletters, your website and social media. But it can go much further. For example, in Adinformatie you will see interviews about the upcoming conversations in CMO Talks, which we produce with Energize. By writing an article based on an interview in your podcast, your media partner has free content and you get extra attention for your podcast within your target group. A win-win situation, without having to talk about money.
2. Lees je in over Apple Podcasts
To get high on the charts on iTunes, you need reviews. So ask the listeners of your podcast if they would like to leave you a review. If you do really well, you enter a competition for it. You can then give something away in each podcast for the most inspiring review. For example, an interesting book you have written, or you are giving away an hour of coaching.
3. Share short snippets
Sharing short snippets on social media can also be very effective at attracting attention. Some sites where you can host your podcast, such as Anchor and Simplecast, already offer the option to create teasers as standard. And otherwise there are services such as Wavve, which allow you to give audio a face in an attractive way. The master of sharing short snippets is Joe Rogan. Watch our video here to see exactly how he does that.
4. A photo says more than…
If you prefer a still image, create an image for Instagram, for example, with a quote from your podcast. Make sure that the style is in line with that of your podcast, so that it is immediately recognizable that it belongs to your production. The challenge, of course, lies in choosing just that part that will capture the attention of your target group and leave them wanting more. Just like Netflix does in the example below, as we discussed in an earlier blog .
5. But a video says even more
Combine previous tips and think visually. If you want to get likes on social media, you really need to do something with video. That is why we have a number of cameras in our studio, which we use when making podcasts. This way we always have images that we can combine with the podcast audio. If you are going to cut the audio, make sure you have multiple camera positions, so that you do not see a sharp cut in the image. An additional advantage is that the podcast can also be advertised in this way on YouTube, a good podcast strategy! Like Lance Armstrong does with THEMOVE.
6. Dare to use your network
Don’t underestimate the power of personal networking. A new podcast may not have any fans at the start, but the host or guests of course also have people around them. And of course you can use wheelbarrows within your network. Who within your network has valuable connections with your target group? Ask them to put you in touch with two people about your podcast.
7. Take what you can get
By that I actually mean: dare to promote your podcast on your own channels. Netflix does that too, by the way. With push notifications, emails and even the home screen where self-made series start automatically. If you’re afraid to share your podcast, ask yourself: why not? Do you think the podcast is not good enough? Are you afraid of what people will think of it? Is there enough support within the organization, including management? Especially if you work for large organizations, there are many existing channels that you can use. Amazingly, there are still large organizations that don’t share their podcast in their newsletter. My advice is: don’t be afraid to come out. If you have any doubts, just try it once and see what the reactions are.
Even if your podcast only has a few listeners at first, there’s no need to panic. So you will first have to invest heavily to build the relationship with your listeners. Dare to use other resources than you are initially used to. It may take some time, but the investments you make in time and money will eventually pay off. Your first loyal fans will help you ensure that your podcast becomes a hit in the long term.
And remember… Podcasting is radio. And radio is media… Media is entertainment… And so it also applies to podcasting: invest time. Success can rarely be counted in days. It takes months, sometimes more than a year, for a podcast to really become a hit. As I said in our previous blog: show business is slow business.
