How do I cultivate an audience for my podcast?

How do I cultivate an audience for my podcast? 

From the very beginning of the podcasting journey, it is common for individuals to desire a quick spurt of growth and a lasting impact. However, podcasting is not typically a medium by which expeditious growth occurs. Instead, this medium of communication often requires three things: consistency, patience, and the willingness to persevere. There is no one determining factor for continual growth in podcasting, but there is one crucial step that you, as the host, can take to place yourself on the path to success. That is, keep your audience engaged and invested in the work that you are doing. In this post, we will discuss how to acquire an audience who cares about your topic, how to keep your audience engaged, and how to create a lasting impact through your podcasting platform. 

How do I cultivate an audience? 

A commonly discussed topic within our community is that of audience engagement and retention. In other words, people come to the Spark Media team wondering how to do two things: get and keep an audience. There are various strategies worth employing when it comes to the promotion of your podcast. However, before you can utilize any of them, you must first know your audience well. Here are some quick and easy questions that you can ask yourself when acquiring an audience. 

• Who do I desire to serve?
• Who has the Lord uniquely gifted me to serve?
• How can my work experience, personal life, or study of the scriptures inform the topic on which I am speaking? 
• What does my audience struggle with? 
• How can I solve the problem of my audience? 

Once you have answered these questions thoroughly and honestly, you will be better equipped to serve your listeners. When you podcast, you must focus on meeting the needs of one person. This person is your ideal listener. This is the person whom you desire to see become vested and invested in your show. Therefore, create your episodes in a way that speaks to the felt needs of the audience, and the audience will, in turn, stick around. 

It is important to remember that your listeners trust you to speak into their lives and into their circumstances. You do not want to take this responsibility lightly. Take time to form genuine relationships with your listeners and serve them to the best of your capabilities. Listeners who stay are those who find value in the content that you are bringing to the table. Not every individual is meant to listen to your show - and that is okay. Focus on the ones who are and continue to show up for them. 

How do I engage my existing podcast listeners? 

The best way to engage an existing podcast listener is to cultivate community and serve up excellent content. Make your listeners feel valued and create a space on your website or within a social media page where your listeners can gather. Community is essential to grow and maintain a successful podcast. So, gather your people and invest in them at every turn. 

Here are three ways to engage with your podcast listeners. 

• Follow and interact with them on social media. 
• Create a hashtag for your podcast.
• Send out weekly emails to those interested in your content. 

We encourage you to try some or all of these strategies to engage with your listeners. These are methods that we have personally used to gain lasting relationships with our followers, many of whom have become friends. 

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