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Learning how to promote and grow a new business is a completely different beast than starting one. The realm of podcasting is the same. When you first started out, you only needed to make sure your audio and messaging were right, but the tactics you use now are going to vary. Factors such as your target audience's primary demographic, how to market on a number of different social media channels, and how to implement SEO strategies are some of the factors that you will have to consider when looking to grow your podcast.
There are many ways to promote and grow your show today. I've tried a number of different strategies to grow my own brand. I have found that finding the right strategy is as easy as knowing which growth tactics work for you and your podcast.
In order to help you get started, here are a few of the simplest and easiest ways to start.
Treat and promote your show as a brand.
What are the similarities between your brand's social media posts and the ones from other brands? Both are considered forms of digital content. This means that when creating audio content for your podcast, there are a number of factors to consider, including focusing on the quality over quantity of your podcast content, ensuring that your podcast addresses a unique problem, and so on.
By focusing on creating quality content for a niche audience, you're already ahead of the curve. Many entrepreneurs start a podcasts for their brand or venture as a means to cast a wider marketing net, but it is often more helpful to use your podcast as a tool to build greater engagement and loyalty.
The more niches your content can target, the more chances you have of landing guest speakers who fall in those niches. The success of your niche-focused podcast increases your odds of landing as a guest speaker on other podcasts in your niche area, and both of these are valuable opportunities to promote your podcast and gain additional listeners.
Entrepreneurs can make the best investments for their show.
The value of social media marketing should never be overlooked.
Today's podcasting industry and social media go hand-in-hand, with so many different platforms like Facebook,Twitter,Instagram, YouTube, and others at your fingertips, each of these providing a unique opportunity to promote and grow your podcast in ways as creative as they are numerous.
If you are about to release a new episode of your show, try to tease it to your followers on social media with a unique image to capture their attention, and include a brief sound clip to give a glimpse of what the episode is about. That same post can be used to promote your show on your other social media accounts before it goes live.
If you record your episodes with video, you have an opportunity to grow. Recording video of your episodes and uploading them to YouTube can provide a boost to your marketing efforts because video content is more valued by the search engine than text or audio.
If you interview a key figure in your niche market or industry in your next episode, you can simply label the video "Interview with X" in order to get more hits on YouTube and draw more people to your show. Another way to improve your show is to notate the videos on YouTube.
Why it matters is related to the growth of Podcasts.
Extra benefits for your listeners are free whenever possible.
Consumers are more likely to come to your brand if you give them something for free. A free offering is a unique strategy for entrepreneurs who want to grow their show through more reviews. If you have the budget for merchandise, you can give away a shirt for every 5 star review you get on your show. Even if you don't have the money to give away free merchandise or offer discounts on future offers, you can still give your audience motivation to support and grow your show.
This is another area of your growth strategy where social media can be used. If you're going to announce your upcoming contest on an IG post, you should also tag your friends so that they know you're giving away something. If you're looking to partner with other brands for sponsorships, these kinds of promotions can give you an opportunity to mention the brands you want to partner with for future promotions, which will help your show grow.
Growth is not linear and you should remember that when you choose a strategy to grow your show. The more evergreen value, or recurring value, you can bring to your audience, the greater your chances are of maintaining consistent growth.
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