We always say that social media can be a powerful tool for growing your podcast audience. But why is that? Below we’ll be diving into 5 different ways that social media can help to grow your podcast audience.
One thing that we’ll quickly note is that it’s important to consistently promote content on social media and engage with your audience. If you know that you do not have the time to do this, we do not recommend using social media for your podcast at this time. Instead, wait until you do have the resources to dedicate to a great podcast social media strategy.
Social media builds communities. You have the ability to invite your listeners to follow you on social media or they have the ability to find you themselves. Once they’ve done this you can begin interacting with them more authentically.
Podcasts overall are an incredibly intimate medium but at the end of the day it’s you speaking to your listeners, it’s a one-sided conversation. But when it comes to social media, you can interact with your audience, talk to them, engage with their posts, etc. You can even label your audience to create a greater sense of community. For example, John Lee Dumas from Entrepreneurs on Fire calls his community “Fire Nation”.
Your listener’s podcast experience doesn’t just end when the episode is finished. You want to find other ways that you can engage with them and entice them to come back for another episode. Social media is a great CTA, asking listeners to share their thoughts and perspectives and continue the conversation somewhere else.
But when you move listeners over to social media, ensure that you actually are giving them a great experience. Share insightful and valuable content while also being willing to interact with your audience. Building a community as we discussed above, is another great way to boost the listener experience.
Is there something happening with your show that you weren’t able to discuss within your podcast episode? Social media is a great place to do this.
Some different pieces of content that would be great to share on social media are:
By sharing this content, you’re not only keeping your audience up to date, but you’re also building a deeper connection with them since they feel more involved in your content.
Anytime you have a new episode launch you should have a promotion strategy around it. Not only is sharing your content on social media great for SEO (search engine optimization), it also notifies audiences when you have a new episode to tune in to. If you have followers that aren’t subscribed to your show but still tune in, having those reminders will encourage them to check it out.
It’s also a great way for you to entice followers to listen. When you have a new episode come out, share clips from the recording that spark curiosity and interest from your followers. Make them want to listen to the full episode to either hear the full story, find the answer, or learn a new perspective.
And finally, establish a strong connection with your audience. We briefly mentioned this already but making your listeners feel a connection to you as the host is what is going to get them hooked. You can build these connections through authentic engagement, conversations, and making audiences feel as if they are along for the journey with you.
At the end of the day, your listeners are really what helps to drive your podcast. Without them, you’ll lack the motivation to keep going. So make sure you make it known that they are valuable to you. Social media is just one way that you can achieve this.
A passionate storyteller, Ali is Quill’s Director of Growth Marketing, previously the co-founder and CMO of the branded podcast agency, Origins Media Haus (acquired by Quill). She excels in merging creativity with data in order to successfully build and grow a brand.