Podcasts are not new but still manage to be successful. Having an online business around a podcast is like being in a love-hate relationship since this type of entrepreneurship gets a lot of love but then goes down in people’s preferences only to rise up again.
I can’t quite figure out why podcasters face these problems but I believe there is an easy way to dodge these seasonal problems and maintain a good level of stability.
I listen to a lot of podcasts and try to also stay in touch with their blogs or websites. By doing this, I found out that a lot of podcasters don’t take full advantage of the online tools to get more listeners. Just because you’re focusing on delivering the best quality audio content, that doesn’t mean you should overlook the other aspects of your business.
If I had a podcast, next to quality audio content I would also focus on:
- Having a website with a clean design.
- Adding other type of content (text, video).
- Growing my podcast email list.
- Being featured on other podcasts.
5 Smart strategies to get more listeners by growing the podcast email list
Listeners are what keep your podcast running. They tune in every time you post a new episode and react to what you have to say. You want to have as many listeners as possible and email marketing is one proven way to do it. Growing your podcast email list should be on your priorities list and I’m going to provide you with smart strategies on how to do this.
1. Set up sign-up forms on your website.
Before you can do anything, you need an optimized website where people can sign-up to your podcast email list so you can deliver them quality content. Don’t stress too much when researching ways to implement hook-ups to increase your email list numbers. You need to have a clean website with simple ways for people to sign up. You can add pop-ups, add forms under your blog posts or use sidebar widgets.
2. Publish content using a post calendar.
Don’t limit yourself to add a blog post only when you publish a podcast episode. Take some time and see what’s happening in your area of work. If you have a technology podcast, your audience would also want to read some things about the latest IT trends so why not provide this information on your blog.
Using an online app such as Curately, find the best content sources and publish blog posts from aggregated quality content. This will allow you to focus on the podcast aspect of your business without neglecting the text content. By publishing content regularly and adding sign-up forms on your website, you’ll have more chances that people will sign up on your podcast email list.
Encourage people to sign up by using audio CTAs3. Use audio CTAs in your podcast.
The reason why podcasts are successful is that people value human voice and place it high on their trust scale. Having people talking to them is more valuable than reading a block of text on a website so use this on your advantage.
Take some time and come up with a podcast script where you add audio call-to-actions in your audio files. You can do this live or in post-processing. Try to mention your podcast email list at least once during your broadcast and encourage people to sign up to be informed when the next episode is up.
4. Offer an incentive to people who sign up for your podcast email list.
People won’t sign up to your email list just because you mention it on your podcast or blog posts. You need to step it up if you want a healthy email list and provide your listeners with an incentive. For example, if you have a weekly podcast about the latest finance trends, take some time and write a report/study providing your listeners with more insight. Write an eBook and offer it for people who sign up to your podcast email list.
Another smart strategy that works really well is to allow people to send you questions or featuring them in small segments on your podcast.
Don’t forget to announce this on your podcast regularly so people know what’s happening.
5. Connect with your listeners using email marketing strategies.
You’ll say Ok, but I’m no a marketer! How can I do this?
I fully understand. The truth is your podcast should still be the center of your business and you should seek out for tools who make email marketing easier. You’ll need to use an email marketing service and a service such as Scriptly.
Why?
Scriptly provides you with proven affiliate marketing email sequences targeted to sell products, grow your list, get feedback and other goals you may have. You can implement these sequences using Aweber or other newsletter services.
You should also focus on connecting with listeners who signed up for your podcast email list. Don’t use a “noreply” email address to send out newsletters and encourage your listeners to offer feedback or ask questions by replying to the emails you send.
Here are other free resources for podcasters who want to grow their email list: