Using a podcast as a communication tool can be quite ineffective if your audience has not been growing. If you’re releasing your show and you’re the only one listening, what’s the point? A podcast needs to be marketed in order to attract listeners, thus making your show valuable and noteworthy.
Not sure where to start? Here are seven unconventional ways to market your podcast, to make it work for you.
Run Social Media Contests
Social media contests are a great way to spark engagement with your audience. Some simple ideas to get your first contest going can be having the best picture caption win, or asking your listeners to comment or like the podcast for a chance to win. Other more unconventional and fun options could be asking your audience what the be the score of tonight’s game will be, or asking them to answer a series of questions correctly for a chance to win.
Capitalize on the Audience of Your Interviewer/Interviewee
Using the opportunity to expose your content to other podcasters’ and bloggers’ audiences is a great to way expand your reach. Strike up an agreement with your guests to promote the interview on their social media outlets, while providing complimentary value for them in return. Another great way to expand your audience is to pursue opportunities to be featured on other podcasts as the interviewee, and providing their audience with exceptional value during the interview so that their audience will seek you out.
Put Together an Ebook For Your Guests
Every individual is an expert in an one specific area or another. Odds are, you started your podcast because you have something you want to share with the world. Summarize your vast array of knowledge into an ebook, and give this as a free value-add to your audience. This will most definitely drive traffic to your website, while also providing your listeners with something concrete that they can take away and implement in their lives.
Host Weekly Webinars
Webinars are a proven traffic driver. Neil Patel says, “The 77 webinars have brought us an additional 518,399 visitors, of which 155,386 have registered to attend a webinar. However, only 74,4381 of those who registered ended up attending, and 16,394 turned into leads.” [Source- QuickSprout] Your audience will tune in to receive some gold from you. If you give them enough value, they will certainly be hungry for more, which will lead them straight to your podcast. Remember, repeat listeners are key as this builds a certain type of loyalty that could potentially turn into a full time client on day.
Set Up Incentives for Reviews on iTunes
Arguably, the most import factor in improving iTunes rankings are those ever elusive five star reviews from your listeners. A great way to encourage your audience to take the time to leave a review is to offer VIP content as an incentive. If a client or listener benefits and receives value from the podcast, it is a perfect time to ask them to take the time to leave a review. Keep in mind that this should not be a bribery! Be sure to ask listeners only to leave five star reviews if they are truly receiving value. (Be careful to not flood too much traffic at once as iTunes has a filter process in place that can sense a contest and subsequently block reviews.)
Republish Your Content to Influential Sources
Similar to using the audience reach from your guests on the podcast, republishing your content to influential sources – such as a blog on the Huffington Post, a featured interview with Lewis Howes, or reaching out to other podcast influencers – can be a massive help in expanding your reach. If you can get a guest post or interview published on someone else’s blog, you will ultimately increase your audience, while at the same time further establishing your credibility and providing valuable content to a wider audience.
Network With Others in Your Podcasting Space
It’s never been easier to interact with people across the globe. Odds are, you aren’t the only one in your area of expertise. Use Twitter Search to find other people talking about your space, and begin networking. Allocate a portion of your time to expanding your network and providing value to others in your field. The more people that know about you, the wider your reach will be, and the more listens you’ll ultimately get.
Conclusion
Marketing a podcast may seem unconventional, but it will directly lead to an increase in listeners. Expand your marketing initiatives, try new avenues of exposure, and grow your show!
