Influential Voices of Authority How To Keep Listeners Returning – PTC 301
How can you keep you listeners returning week after week? We are going to talk about that along with marketing tips and podcast profits this week.
We are answering your questions on this episode of Podcast Talent Coach. If you have a question, e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. I read all of those notes and answer as many as I can here on the show.
MARKETINGI'm looking for marketing tips on how to get the podcast noticed and ranked.
- Dirk
In order to get your podcast noticed, you need to get in front of new listeners.
So many podcasters try to grow their podcast audience by posting on Facebook and sending e-mail to their list. The problem with this tactic is that all of these people already know you. They are already aware of your podcast.
If you are active on Facebook in groups and are allowed to mention your show there, you could get in front of new listeners. Be careful with regard to the rules of the group.
Many group owners don't want you to promote in their group. You will need to mention your show while you serve.
If someone asks a question in a group regarding podcast growth, I might say, "On my podcast, I often recommend podcasters find ways to get in front of new audiences." By doing this, I mention my podcast while answering the question and serving.
There are many other ways to get in front of new listeners. This could include summits, podcast interviews, guest blogging, e-mail shares and others.
If you would like to learn how to grow your downloads, join me for a free training. It is called "How To Explode Your Podcast Audience In 6 Weeks Or Less". It will be a live, hour-long training on Oct. 6, 2020 at 12 Noon CT.
You can register for this free training at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/growth.
Do you want to grow your audience, increase your downloads and add subscribers to your podcast?
Do you want to become a respected authority in your niche that will help you monetize your show?
Do you want to learn time-saving tips to consistently produce your podcast, find interesting guests, promote your episodes, record the podcast and edit your content?
In this free training, you will discover how to create a simple plan that you can consistently follow in just a few minutes a day to grow your podcast.
You can register for this free training at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/growth.
BORED LISTENERSI would really like to learn how to create content that will keep listeners returning. I haven't started yet, but I'm worried of running out of ideas or guests to interview, or that listeners will get bored and not listen anymore.
- Elizabeth
Wow, Elizabeth. What a packed question. Let's take these in parts.
First, let's start with the last part. How do you prevent listeners from getting bored and not listening anymore?
Many podcasters make the mistake of trying to create content for others. You need to create content that you find interesting and engaging. The key to being interesting is being interested.
When you try to force content simply because you think your audience wants to hear that information, you will suffer three problems. The content will feel hollow, because you aren't excited about it. Producing the content will start to feel like work, because it isn't your passion. Finally, your audience won't grow, because you will be creating average content.
Instead, create content that stirs your passion. You will have great stories. Your shows will bubble with excitement. Listeners will be attracted to the energy of your show, because it is designed specifically for them. If you love it, they will love it. Be interesting by being interested.
GET THEM TO RETURNNext, how do you create content that will keep listeners returning? The first thing to understand is the difference between promoting your content and teasing your content.
Promoting your content is just information. In my free training I mentioned, you will learn how to grow your audience. That is only the info. It doesn't pique your interest or create any excitement.
Teasing my training creates interest, excitement and fear of missing out. When I say, "In this free training, you will discover how to create a simple plan that you can consistently follow in just a few minutes a day to grow your podcast", that creates some excitement.
A tease is more than the ingredients in the box. A tease is the benefit and transformation the information provides.
TOPIC IDEASLet's talk about your ideas. If you are worried about running out of ideas, you may not be in the right niche. If you are creating a podcast around your passion, the ideas should come easily.
Here is how you can be sure you are in the right niche. Take out a piece of paper and start brainstorming possible podcast topic ideas. You should be able to come up with 40 or 50 ideas in about 10 minutes.
What do beginners need to know? What is the biggest mistake made by people in your niche? What do people need to know about your topic.
Don't worry about the quality of the topics. Just write. Let topics lead to other topics. If you concern yourself about evaluating the topic, you won't open your mind to produce 50. Just write.
INTERVIEW GUESTSFinally, how can you get guests when you have very little to offer?
It is a misconception that people won't come on your show simply because you are new. You won't always be new. When you are on episode 50, episode 2 will still be there.
Episode 2 may only have 23 downloads this week. A year from now, episode 2 could have hundreds of downloads.
Your episode can live for years. Smart guests understand that value.
When doing interviews, you won't start at the top with the biggest guests. Let your guests build on each other. At the end of every interview, ask your guest if they know two or three people who might make great guests for your show and find a benefit by appearing on your show.
If they can provide you a couple names, ask them if they will make an introduction. A warm introduction is much more likely to land you additional interviews. This is especially true if your guest had a great experience.
In each of these points, don't let that little voice in your head get in your way. Getting your listeners to return, running out of ideas, a lack of interviews and bored listeners are all just symptoms of the Impostor Syndrome. You'll be great. Just get started.
PODCAST PROFITSI'm at that critical place of needing to make my podcast significantly profitable in order to continue. As my wife told me, "You are spending an enormous amount of time for a freebie." I'd like to set up an efficient process to provide paid consulting for listeners. I did a little free consulting to test the waters and it went well, but I let the hurdle of logistics get in the way of moving forward with offering paid consulting.
- Dean
So many people want to make the process much more complicated than it needs to be. Don't get all hung up in the funnels and back end and all the jargon.
When I started, my first client was from Canada. He reached out to me looking for help to refine his content and make it more engaging.
I quickly created a coaching program. For $500, he would receive 4 coaching calls with me. We discussed his goals and I made him the offer.
When he accepted the deal, I emailed him an overview of the plan and an invoice for our coaching. He mailed me a money order. We started coaching.
He had discovered a blog I was writing. Then he listened to my podcast. In that content, I would mention my coaching. That got things started.
As I picked up more clients, I moved to having clients send me payments through PayPal. My systems grew as my business grew.
It was no more complicated than that.
If you want to scale and begin doing group coaching, webinars and joint ventures, you will need more back end systems. But, you don't need all of that to begin. Just find someone you can help and give them a way to pay you.
If you have questions, e-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's see what we can do.
GROW YOUR AUDIENCEIf you would like to learn how to grow your downloads, join me for a free training. It is called "How To Explode Your Podcast Audience In 6 Weeks Or Less". It will be a live, hour-long training on Oct. 6, 2020 at 12 Noon CT.
You can register for this free training at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/growth.
Do you want to grow your audience, increase your downloads and add subscribers to your podcast?
Do you want to become a respected authority in your niche that will help you monetize your show?
Do you want to learn time-saving tips to consistently produce your podcast, find interesting guests, promote your episodes, record the podcast and edit your content?
In this free training, you will discover how to create a simple plan that you can consistently follow in just a few minutes a day to grow your podcast.
You can register for this free training at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/growth.
You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.