“All you do is turn on a microphone and talk, right?” No. Definitely not. Podcasting is more than just talking into a microphone—it’s about building a connection with your audience that keeps them coming back week after week. Turning first time listeners into recurring listeners (and maybe customers) is the goal for most podcasters. The relationship between the podcaster and the listener is so important. If the podcaster gets feedback, the more likely they are to keep producing episodes. The more episodes the podcaster produces, the more chances there are for feedback. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve your existing show, we have some key strategies to create a podcast that resonates with listeners and encourages them to come back for more.
Know Your Audience
Establish Niche: So many people and companies have podcasts right now. There are podcasts about everything. There are podcasts about podcasting! The podcasting landscape is vast, with thousands of shows covering a wide range of topics. To stand out, you need a clear niche that you can articulate quickly and easily. This could be a unique perspective on a broad topic or focus on something specific. The more defined your niche, the easier it is to attract and retain listeners who are also passionate about that subject.
Learn About Listeners: You may have started with family and friends as your listeners, and that is great, really great actually. But how has your audience evolved since then? How do you expect it to change in the future? Knowing who your listeners are is so important. Conduct surveys, interact on social media, and read comments and reviews to gather insights. We do polls on Facebook and Instagram. Understanding their preferences, challenges, and interests help us create content that meets their needs and keeps them entertained and engaged.
Plan and Prepare Thoroughly
Content Calendar: Our content calendar is GOLD to us. Pure gold. It is valuable because it keeps us on track. Consistency is key in podcasting. When you create a content calendar that outlines your topics for the next few months, that helps ensure you always have fresh content and can plan ahead for special episodes or guest interviews. Sometimes cool topics come up that we HAVE to talk about so we do bonus episodes, but our weekly episodes are planned on our content calendar.
Research and Script: We did a poll in our Facebook feedback group and asked what their biggest podcast pet peeves were. Their biggest pet peeve is when the host or guest is not prepared. Even if you prefer a conversational style, having a basic script or outline can keep your episodes focused and engaging. Sending guests questions in advance can help the conversation flow smoothly. Make sure you research thoroughly to provide valuable and accurate information. Well-prepared content reflects your commitment to quality, which your listeners will appreciate. It shows that you value their time and decision to listen to your show.
Invest in Quality Production
Sound Quality: Today, it isn’t expensive to have good quality sound, so the investment won’t be a huge one. Poor audio quality can turn listeners away, no matter how great your content is. Invest in a good microphone, if you can – soundproof your recording space, and use editing software to polish your episodes. Clean, clear sound makes your podcast more professional and enjoyable to listen to. Every now and then we have a train go by or a noisy motorcycle will interrupt us, but for the most part it is quiet even though we do not record in a studio.
Professional Editing: A well-edited podcast sounds more professional and respects your listeners’ time. Right now, I am our editor. I want our audience to have a good experience listening to Chat & Bother, which to me, means getting rid of unnecessary filler, likes, ums, and you knows. I correct mistakes and remove those noisy train and motorcycle noises. When the main edit is finished, I add music and the intro and outro.
Related Reading – The Basics of Editing Your Podcast Audio
Engage Your Audience
Interactive Content: It is important to encourage listener participation through Q&A sessions, listener-submitted questions, or even live episodes. We do Q&A Sunday on Instagram to get to know our listeners, ask for show topics and feedback on our call in/text line, and ask questions in our feedback group on Facebook. Interacting makes our audience feel like part of the show and builds a community around the podcast.
Social Media Presence: Promote your episodes on social media and engage with your audience between episodes. Even if you have a daily podcast, social media promotion matters. Use X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook to share behind-the-scenes content, teasers, and engage in conversations related to your niche.
Invite Interesting Guests
Diverse Perspectives: Inviting guests with different perspectives or expertise can add variety and depth to your podcast. When you invite guests, consider their audience and how they align with yours. Can you convert their fans into fans of your podcast? If they have a large loyal audience, they will bring their fans to your show which could potentially increase your listener base.
Interview Prep: Preparation is key to making having guests work for your podcast. Send out questions ahead of time. Listen to other podcasts that your guest has appeared on so that you don’t ask repetitive questions. Read articles by or about your guest so that your questions can be thoughtful and interesting. Create a timeline or run of show that guides the conversation. Share it with your guests so that you all are on the same page, and they can time their answers and avoid rambling.
Analyze and Adapt
Monitor Metrics: What can be measured can be improved. Use analytics tools to track your podcast’s performance. Metrics such as download numbers, listener demographics, and episode popularity can provide valuable insights into what’s working and what needs improvement.
Get Feedback: Actively seek feedback from your audience. Constructive criticism can guide your content strategy. We love our feedback group because we can ask questions that help us make technical and programming decisions for the podcast. You can use surveys, social media polls, or direct messages to understand their likes and dislikes.
Promote and Network
Cross-Promotion: Collaborate with other podcasters in your niche for cross-promotion. Guest appearances on other podcasts or shout-outs can introduce your show to new listeners.
Leverage SEO: Optimize your podcast titles, descriptions, and show notes with relevant keywords. This helps new listeners discover your podcast through search engines and podcast directories. Apple Podcasts now has full transcripts of shows on the app. To make sure your transcript is searchable, you can add transcripts to your website which helps with SEO.
Authenticity
Foster Connection: Listeners are drawn to hosts who are genuine and passionate about their topic. Let your personality shine through and share personal anecdotes when appropriate. We share a lot of personal stories on Chat & Bother. This is what helps our audience relate to us and helps us connect to our listeners.
Stay Passionate: Your enthusiasm for the subject will be contagious. If you’re genuinely excited about what you’re discussing, your listeners will be too. On Chat & Bother, we don’t record episodes that don’t excite us. We figure that if we are excited about a topic, at least some of our audience will be excited about it too.
Creating a podcast that people return to every week involves a combination of preparation, quality production, engagement, and continuous improvement. By focusing on your niche, understanding your audience, and delivering consistent, high-quality content, you can build a loyal listener base. Remember, podcasting is a marathon, not a sprint—stay committed, keep refining your approach, and have fun connecting with your audience.
Happy podcasting!
