How to Attract Your Ideal Podcast Listeners

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You just started with your podcast and asked yourself, “How do I make my podcast successful?”. Gaining more listeners determines the success of your show. Having a significant listener base means a profitable podcast.

Making your podcast thrive does not happen overnight. It takes research, time and effort to make it successful even Lex Fridman Podcast wasn't famous overnight but after lot of consistency and time it became what it is now. 

Creating a Listener Persona

Let us define first a listener persona. It is a theoretical listener that includes their interests, job, location, age, and pain points. Creating a listener persona will help podcasters empathize with their audience. It will also decide how podcasters will market their product. 

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to create your listener persona.

1. Naming your Persona
2. Defining Demographic Information
3. Identifying Pain Points and Interests
4. Figure out where your potential listeners hang out online
5. Motivate them by using their pain points

Let us say that our persona’s name is John. John lives in Manila, Philippines. He is 27 years old, single, and works as a medical technologist. Due to his changing shift schedule, he now has a difficult time sleeping. 

He would often search for music on YouTube, iTunes, and Spotify to help him sleep. This opportunity allows our podcast to engage. It gives John time to check out a podcast episode. Our tips and tricks to fall asleep can help him improve his health. 

Doing these steps enables podcasters to motivate and engage with future listeners. If you have another persona in mind for your podcast, feel free to create another one.  

Invite Guests to your Podcast

Inviting guests over makes your podcast lively. You would empathize with your audience if you brought someone who had the same setbacks. Guests can also Give a fresh perspective on your topic. They can also make the show lively and entertaining!

The guests give double the promotional opportunity. Your different social media platforms can help you reach a larger audience. They also introduce your podcast to a new audience, giving you more listeners. 

Crafting a Good Title

The title of your podcast is the first thing that audiences will search. Therefore, making it rank well in search should be your goal. There are steps you can take to make a title for your podcast. 

When creating a title for your podcast, it is crucial to use the right keywords. Services like Spotify, iTunes, and Google Play rank podcasts depending on their title. Of course, there are other factors to consider when ranking podcasts. But, again, the title is a crucial determiner. 

Having a catchy title will help rank up your podcast search. But being catchy is not enough. Here are tips on how to create your title. 

Use a keyword planning tool.

• Pattern your title from other podcasts
• Know the language your audience use
• Use a shorter keyword in the title and elaborate it in the description
• Focus on one keyword in the title

Create a Podcast Trailer

After launching your podcast, you will need to create a trailer for it. The trailer should be able to introduce the host, your guests, and your topic. In addition, you can entice your listeners if you include snippets from your episodes.

Remember to keep your trailer short. Trailers usually last from five seconds to two minutes. Also, make sure to include entertaining highlights from your episodes. 

Podcast SEO

Good search engine optimization (SEO) is essential to growing your podcast. Your show must be easy to find on Google, iTunes, and Spotify. That is why we mentioned creating a good title for your podcast.

You must include the descriptions, title, and keywords to make your podcast discoverable. Make sure to write a brief but detailed description. Podcast apps only allow 120 characters. Use keywords to highlight the content of your podcast. You can also transcribe podcast.

Your goal should be to optimize your podcast for searches. For example, a podcast that would appear on the first page of Google would attract more listeners. 

Market Your Podcast on Social Media

Promote your podcast on social media! You can post your trailer on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Post quotes from your podcast along with the link—upload behind-the-scenes pictures and videos of you in action. People like seeing this type of content. 

Social Media is an excellent way to attract potential listeners. It is also a platform where you can interact and discuss with your audience. This is an opportunity to build a connection with your listeners. 

Here are other ways to promote your podcast on social media.

Create quote images

• Tease the next episode 24 hours ahead
• Make a behind-the-scenes Instagram story
• Reshare the podcast links many times
• Create short sound clips to share on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
• Use hashtags
• Tag your guests when you share episodes

Make Your Listeners Act

Attracting potential listeners is not enough to ensure the success of your show. You cannot build your audience if none of your listeners stay. So aside from promoting your podcast, it is also good to tell people about these. 

Comment and review the show

• Leave a like or reaction 
• Subscribing to your podcast

Doing these actions will ensure success in the long run. In addition, it will give a boost to the growth of your podcast. These actions are also factors that Google, iTunes, and Spotify use to rank.

Submit your Podcast to Directories

If you did not know already, Google, iTunes, and Spotify are Podcast Directories. These directories help connect you to users and boost your rankings. 

It is crucial to get listed in these directories to better promote your podcast. You should include the link to your show. Building more relevant links will increase your overall rank. 

In a Nutshell

You will need more than podcast management tools to become a successful podcaster. Gaining listeners and subscribers as you go will make your podcast grow. So, make sure you're doing everything you can to boost your rankings and promote your podcast.