Hey podcaster! – After two weekends of catching up with friends, eating pizza, and playing video games, I’m embarrassingly tired. Still, completed the remastered Star Wars Battlefronts and can still crush it on Mario Kart. Glory is mine…
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Your podcast isn’t about you
Today I’m going to share with you how to fix one of the most common podcast mistakes I see.
Making your podcast all about you.
It’s so easy to accidentally exclude the listener, whether you’re recording with cohosts or a solo show.
Instead, you want to ensure your listeners are at the center of your podcast, allowing them to feel more connected with you and your show.
This will transform your show into a podcast that can sustain long-term growth. Here’s ow to fix it.
Say “you” more than “I”
Someone has your voice coming directly into their ears. Bring them to sit at your table while you discuss things, don’t make them feel like they’re eavesdropping from across the room.
How?
By saying “you” more than “I”.
When you’re talking always remember you’re in a dialogue with the listener, not just monologuing your opinion. They want to feel included you and do that by talking directly to them.
It’s a fairly common mistake in introductions and looks like this:
“Here’s what I’ve been up to this week” vs “You might like to know that this week I’ve been up to…”
One person is talking to themself. The other is talking to you. Listeners want you to talk to them, not at them. The same goes in a group setting. Yes you can talk to your co-hosts but don’t forget about the listener.
- For those listening at home…
- What do you think at home? Let me know on Twitter/Instagram
- Welcome back, hope you at home have a had a great week, what about you co-host?
Include Fan Interactions
If you’ve received emails from listeners, comments, questions, or even a lot of likes on a social media post, talk about this in episode. Let your audience feel seen.
They want to know you care about them so talking about them is a wonderfully simple way to do that. Shouting out a listener comment makes that one listener feel amazing but also makes all your listeners feel seen as the collective audience.
This then has the double bonus of acting as social proof. It says to new listeners, “Look, there’s a group of people already listening and loving this. You should too!” Which in turn allows people to feel a part of something.
You can achieve this with a very small audience too by encouraging interactions on social media. You could even create a Reddit post asking a question and talk about the answers.
Create the Content Your Listeners Want
Keep an eye out for what content your audience is loving, and then do more of it.
- Sort your episodes by total downloads.
- See what social media posts get the most interaction.
- Look at your positive reviews to see what people mention.
These will all give you clues as to what your audience loves. The more you can figure out what they love, the better you can serve them.
I’m not saying to sell out and chase high downloads; that can end up being unauthentic. I’m saying you’re making your podcast to serve your audience, and the better you can do that, the more successful you’ll be.
Always think: “What’s in it for the listener?”
- Are you talking to yourself? Or talking to your listener?
- Are you addressing your listener throughout your show?
- Are you including them in jokes?
Yes, you are the host, and it’s your podcast, but it’s not about you.
It’s about what value you can provide to your audience.
Community Wins
I Am The Wiz Film Club Crossed 250+subscribers on YouTube and reached 1.8k views on their last episode.
Petals of Support reached 200 episodes.
An Evening of Reflection cross a whopping 900,000 views on YouTube
Suns and Shadows crossed 15,000 listens.
Middle Age Highs crossed their first 10 epsiodes.
Well done everyone! So many awesome podcasts reaching such amazing milestones. If you have a win you want to share, hit reply!
How I Can Help You
1) Free 5-day Podcast Marketing Fundamentals Course – Learn the basics of what it takes to grow a popular show, get more listeners, and earn more money from your podcast. The five day email course is totally free
2) The Template Vault – Learn how to grow your podcast on autopilot. Get fill-in-the-blank templates to set up your podcast’s foundation for growth, success, and making money.
3) Podcast Marketing Coaching– I am an experienced podcast coach, and I want to help you master your podcast marketing. Check out my full list of services and discover how we can work together.
4) Recommended Tools– These are the tools I use to grow my podcast. I focus on tools that improve quality and save time.
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