Four Ways to Discover the Right Podcast Audience

Now that I've dubbed myself the “Podcast Queen” of InkHouse, it’s only fair that I follow up with my third installment on the topic, which is where your hard work will truly shine. In previous posts I've detailed why podcasts are on the rise right now and how you can incorporate them into your content marketing strategy, but how do you get the right people to care about your new program?

Here are four tips to help create awareness for your podcast and cultivate an audience that wants to consume your content, and keeps coming back for more:

1. Launch a website

A website will become the hub for all things relating to your podcast, and even bonus footage that didn't air in your episodes. This is where you can tell your audience how to tune in, provide a synopsis of each show, include contact information and showcase social media pages. Another important aspect to having a website is for increased SEO value, making your podcast searchable to those who might be searching for content like yours. If you already have a company website, you can also create a microsite for your podcast that is a subset of your main company site.

Our tip: Just like the platforms you may use to host your podcast, there are plenty that will host your website with ease. We recommend WordPress or Squarespace.

2. Repurpose content through blog posts

If you already have a company blog or website, repurposing podcast content into a blog post will help drive interest with the audience you've already established for your brand and your blog. You can archive your podcast content through blog posts and categorize them appropriately so they are all accessible in one spot on your website. Additionally, you can add visual components, commentary and extra outtakes from each segment to these blogs posts to add further value for those reading.

Our tip: Keep these blog posts short – limit them to an intro to the podcast and a few extra snippets to incentivize readers to tune in. The bulk of these posts should contain each episode, embedded from where your podcast is hosted. End with a question to encourage comments and discussion.

3. Utilize social media

You may have an audience tuning in to your podcast, but what do they really think of your content? Social media opens up a two-way conversation with your listeners so you can receive feedback on your episodes, and ideas for the future. If yours is an interactive podcast, social media allows you to curate content for each show you produce, which in turn invites your audience to participate even more. Gretchen Rubin crowdsources many talking points on her podcast, Happier, through her Facebook page where she poses questions each week. Aside from interactivity, social media helps maintain interest in your podcast through updates that tease future content, promote guests and offer reminders about how to find your show each week.

Our tip: Create consistent social media usernames across each platform with a branded hashtag to help guide conversation and SEO value around your podcast’s content.

4. Get a sponsor

Just as podcasts are on the rise, so are advertisers looking to sponsor shows that have a healthy, relevant audience. The nice part about podcast advertising is that it sticks to the native format, as in sponsored content that is delivered by the podcast host at regular breaks in the show. The content is identified as sponsored, but is extremely relevant to the listener base and usually follows with a deal for the product or service being promoted. And, if I am being honest, some of the native ads I’ve heard are highly entertaining and fit naturally into the segment, so they do not come across as bothersome (see: Reply All). Sponsors are a great way to boost your revenue for production, allowing your resources to grow alongside your podcasting ambitions.

Our tip: Get to know the sponsors in the podcast world and how they advertise because providing your listeners with the most relevant content is important, even when it’s sponsored. Not sure where to start? Midroll is a great resource, and the number one podcast advertising network.

You now have the knowledge to jumpstart creating and promoting a podcast for you or your brand. Remember, your podcast doesn’t have to attract millions of listeners like Serial (although that would be nice!); it just has to reach the relevant audience who will resonate most with your storytelling. Got any other tips to share or questions you’re encountering as you build out your podcast program? Leave a comment or get in touch with me on Twitter, @icanhazjill.