Podcasts have been round in some type or one other for over twenty years. Nonetheless, typically you hear, “What’s a podcast?”
I usually discover non-listeners are clever, engaged individuals, open to new experiences. They merely haven’t had anybody hook them up with a present, a podcast listening app, or a mixture of the 2 that’s the fitting match for them.
To develop audiences of individuals as enthusiastic about your present’s matter as you might be, podcasters have to do the work to have interaction non-listeners. Not solely does this develop your present, however it helps the podcast medium as an entire. It’s uncommon for a podcast listener to solely hear to at least one present, so others will profit from the work every creator does to have interaction non-listeners. Because the previous saying goes, “A rising tide lifts all boats”.
We’ve written about the “Why” before; now it’s time to turn to the “How”. So here are 13 tips and strategies to reach podcast non-listeners and turn them into podcast lovers.
Who Are These Non-Listeners?
Sounds Profitable’s The Podcast Landscape report studied “why [people] do, or don’t hearken to podcasts, what the obstacles to future progress are, and the way we are able to flip informal listeners into followers of the medium.” Of the 2400+ Individuals surveyed, Sounds Worthwhile discovered that 28% of respondents had by no means listened to a podcast. After they dug a bit deeper with that 28%, they discovered that 10% of that group have been “unreachable,” 56% have been ”resisters,” and 34% have been “persuadable.”
A good portion of individuals in my dwelling state are Amish, so the “unreachable” or “resister” solutions don’t shock me. Specializing in these people received’t show you how to. Simply concentrate on The Persuadeables.
In a nutshell, these people who:
- have an interest however lack information about learn how to hear
- need leisure whereas they do different issues
- want readability on whether or not your podcast’s matter is necessary to them.
For the sake of argument, let’s say you’ve received a podcast about fly fishing. Individuals spend a great deal of cash, effort and time on fly fishing yearly, however they might additionally choose to hearken to nature. How would you promote this podcast to individuals who “don’t hearken to podcasts?”
Right here’s a listing of actions that may work, beginning by specializing in the parents who’re already (no less than to some extent) on-line.
Non-Listeners Who Are Web Customers
These people know learn how to use search engines like google and yahoo, social media, and extra. They might know learn how to use Lexis-Nexis to seek out loopholes in arcane insurance coverage legislation, however they haven’t heard of any podcasts in addition to Serial and Joe Rogan. These people are curious and busy. Play to the very best stage of intelligence and reduce a transparent path for them to allow them to get to your present quick.
1. Your Podcast’s Web site
A great web site might appear to be additional work on your podcast. But it surely doesn’t must be a problem, and it pays dividends when your present is simpler for individuals to seek out.
Making a superb podcast web site is straightforward with a instrument like Podpage, too. It builds it routinely, pulling all the small print out of your present’s RSS feed. You’ll be able to customise and improve it as a lot as you need, or you may depart it in its naked minimal type. Both manner, you’ve already elevated your probabilities that non-listeners will discover your podcast on-line.
2. Present Non-Listeners The way to Hearken to a Podcast
What issues most is that you just present individuals learn how to hearken to a podcast. You’ll be able to hyperlink to our explanations, right here:
Or, you may write your individual weblog put up explaining learn how to hear discover and devour podcasts. Both manner, you’ve helped out non-listeners to get them nearer to being podcast lovers.
3. E-Mail: Previous, and Good
E-mail newsletters have develop into extra standard over the previous few years. The non-listeners in your podcast area of interest might subscribe to e-mail newsletters for something from their youngsters’ college to The Pew Basis. E-mail marketing means that you can get your podcast’s message straight in entrance of your target market with out pop-ups, algorithms, or distractions getting in the way in which. Enlist your present viewers to share the publication with like-minded mates. Some people would slightly learn than hear, and that’s fairly all proper.
4. QR Codes: These Funky Little Chessboards
My favourite piece of podcast promotion success is how my mother endures her mates’ bragging about their grandchildren. After they pull out their telephones to indicate her photos of their little angels, she offers them my enterprise card with a QR code and invitations them to scan it.
QR codes are a good way to get your podcast’s web site URL on individuals’s telephones and proper in entrance of them. Arrange your QR code to hyperlink to a “hear now” web page, exhibiting learn how to hear and the place to begin. Even when the particular matter of your newest episode isn’t their cup of tea, one other episode may match.
5. Content material Advertising and marketing in Your Podcast Area of interest
For each podcast matter, there’s a content material hub web site with weblog posts about that matter. These aren’t your competitors; they’re alternatives for collaboration. Attain out to the web site creator and ask them to write down a visitor put up for his or her website in trade for linking to your podcast’s website. They’ll in all probability be completely satisfied to have you ever take some work off their arms in trade for cross-promotion. Within the meantime, their viewers might develop into your viewers, and vice versa.
You don’t must be the undisputed knowledgeable in your podcast’s matter to pitch a visitor put up, so long as you might have good writing expertise, some expertise and a singular perspective.
6. Influencer Advertising and marketing
The 2023 Cannes Lions report beat the drum loud and lengthy for model collaboration with influencers, in what they referred to as “community-first creativity.” A YouTube or Instagram influencer with viewers pursuits that overlap together with your podcast’s matter is usually a nice useful resource for collaborative cross-promotion.
Watch out the way you execute this operation, although. Be certain your podcast’s matter and elegance meshes properly with their model, and the timing is correct. When Kim Kardashian announced she’d discovered Serial, the consequence was extra hilarious than inspiring. The timing of her tweet appeared 4 years too late, although it was one month earlier than the launch of Serial’s third season.
7. Social Media Advertising and marketing: It’s Free
Ask your listeners to put up what they consider your present utilizing a selected hashtag so as to observe the progress. Whenever you discover these posts, thank the creators for listening and mentioning your present. Their mates will see the posts and should take a look at your podcast. It’s not a 100% dependable promotion methodology, but when it weren’t for followers’ social media posts, I’d don’t know what The Pink Marriage ceremony is.
Methods to Attain Offline, Much less Tech-Oriented Non-Listeners
Individuals who don’t spend a lot time on the Web are busy. Whereas The Podcast Panorama report confirmed that The Persuadeables stated they’ve “not sufficient free time” for podcasts, many stated their days are filled with actions that podcasts make simpler, comparable to chores, exercising, or commuting. Many stated, “I can’t discover an attention-grabbing one.” That merely means they haven’t discovered yours but.
8. Pimp Your Pod in Print Media
Lean into your podcast’s area of interest and discover out what conventional media publications serve your podcast’s viewers. For instance, our hypothetical fly fishing podcast may very well be significant to individuals who learn The Drake or Fly Tyer. Shopping for an advert in {a magazine} is the only method to get your podcast into their pages. However, you could possibly pitch an article on a subject of curiosity to their readers, in trade for cross-promotion.
Newspapers are a superb useful resource, offered your podcast has a neighborhood curiosity story connected to it. “Native resident makes podcast” will hit the round file, however a time-sensitive and consequential information story could make their editor completely satisfied. Our hypothetical fly fishing podcast may supply a singular perspective on a neighborhood dam-building venture. That’s price a particular episode, which (in flip) is price sending a press launch and media kit to the newspaper nearest that venture. When individuals within the dam-building venture learn the article, they’ll know to hearken to your podcast for extra info.
9. Occasions, Conferences, and Actual-Life Engagement
For nearly any curiosity, there are conventions, conferences, and real-world meetups. The creators of our hypothetical fly fishing podcast may attend actually dozens within the US, and that’s simply between January and Might. In the event that they have been to sponsor simply one in every of these occasions, that places their present’s title and brand in entrance of a whole lot of fishers. Renting booth space at any of those occasions is nice promoting and helps you join with individuals who care about your present’s matter.
10. Guerrilla Advertising and marketing
First, discover a guerrilla. This isn’t as straightforward because it sounds: you’ll have to speculate emotionally and intellectually within the points most necessary to them, or they’ll by no means take you critically. Additionally, carry recent fruit.
In all seriousness, guerrilla marketing is enjoyable when the podcast matter is taken critically, the tone is lighthearted, and your PR comes as a delicate shock.
Pub coasters, or fastidiously positioned bookmarks might be charming after they’re helpful in addition to informative. Stickers make cheap items that individuals are more likely to placed on seen locations to realize hipster credibility. Somebody’s water bottle or guitar case may develop into your billboard. Again when extra individuals smoked, matchbooks have been a cheap and helpful promotion choice.
Street art or graffiti has made positive and negative impact for manufacturers comparable to Nike, Reebok and H&M. However, have you ever thought-about power washing your podcast logo onto a unclean floor? It received’t disappear till the property proprietor cleans the whole lot round it. For public property, that might depart your brand untouched for months. We don’t advocate vandalism, however we do need you to consider non-traditional promotion strategies that get your podcast out within the recent air.
There’s additionally loads to be stated for the tried-and-true pairing of a printed card, flyer, or sticker with a significant dialog.
Most of those strategies can profit from the aforementioned QR codes, although I’m unsure about energy washing.
Extra Dwell Methods to Attain Non-Listeners
Once more, your podcast area of interest can supply alternatives you received’t discover sitting at dwelling in entrance of your pc.
11. Host a Workshop
Your native library, neighborhood middle, arts middle or church might allow you to lead a workshop for individuals within the wonderful particulars of your podcast’s matter. Fly-tying, crafting or cooking demonstrations are nice in particular person, plus you could be taught a factor or two from the viewers.
12. Produce an Audio Strolling Tour
Do your internet hosting analytics present that your viewers lives in a selected area? Or, is there a spot that’s necessary to your podcast? Attempt making an audio walking tour. Whereas this doesn’t overlap together with your podcast’s RSS feed, it will possibly complement your present and introduce new people to the enjoyment of audio.
13. Native Meetups
There’s additionally a superb old school get-together or meetup. An area pub or restaurant might have a separate get together room, or a weeknight that’s sluggish sufficient to wish a dozen individuals all in favour of your matter to purchase drinks and snacks. Non-listeners might choose discussing your podcast’s matter in a social setting than experiencing it alone.
Just lately, my native dog park hosted a meetup for corgi enthusiasts that drew over 2,000 individuals. Members paid over $50 a head to spend two hours placing puppies in ball pits and get a photograph alternative with a few canines that look precisely like 80% of the corgis on this planet. Okay, that’s simply my opinion. I’m positive they have been very distinctive corgis.
You understand how to catch a singular corgi, don’t you?
Distinctive up on it.
And that’s the form of out-of-the-box considering you want that turns non-listeners into podcast lovers.
Choose a property and add your distinctive perspective.
An ever-present motif within the podcast universe is the recap podcast, the place the hosts describe and talk about TV present episodes, chapters of a e-book, or films in a franchise. On the one hand, there are such a lot of of those podcasts that now media corporations comparable to HBO depend on recap podcasts to make clear labyrinthine exhibits like Westworld or Lovecraft Nation. It’s virtually de rigeur for a community to supply a companion podcast for brand spanking new dramas, as if the community says, “This present is absolutely advanced; you’ll want a podcast to elucidate it.”
In regard to recap podcasts, The (aforementioned) Podcast Panorama discovered that:
- 25% of The Persuadeables have been very or considerably possible to concentrate to a podcast a few favourite TV present or film
- 25% of The Persuadeables have been very or considerably possible to concentrate to a podcast produced by the creators of a favourite TV present or film (versus an unbiased podcast)
In the meantime, 20% of The Persuadeables stated they’d be very or considerably all in favour of a podcast a few favourite model or product. Time to re-think that podcast concerning the secret historical past of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda.
No Matter What, to Flip Non-Listeners into Podcast Lovers, You Should…
Whether or not your ultimate viewers is “extraordinarily on-line” or not, listed below are some common truths that may make your podcast loveable.
- Audio quality affects credibility. Plosives and mouth sounds can drive audiences away; the identical goes for reverb. How you record a podcast issues.
- Accessibility makes it simpler for everybody to grasp and share your podcast. Use transcripts: hyperlink to them in your weblog posts and present notes.
- Clear hyperlinks and brief navigation paths take away obstacles. Label your URLs with applicable textual content, not “click on right here for extra.” Use brief hyperlinks when you may.
- Optimize your show for voice search.
- Consistency in your publishing schedule helps your present develop into a behavior for the viewers.
- When your viewers posts critiques , mentions the present on social media, or gets in touch, thank them on the present. Assist your viewers really feel appreciated.
- Lastly, don’t underestimate co-listening. One of the best ways to get a non-listener all in favour of your podcast could also be to host a listening get together, or play it for them and hear collectively.
Make Paying Consideration to Your Podcast Straightforward.
Congratulations! You’ve lastly made it to the tip of this exhaustive record of issues you are able to do to draw non-listeners to your podcast. You don’t must do all these duties: decide those you imagine will make a distinction to individuals who could also be all in favour of your present.
Bear in mind, it’s not about you or podcasting; it’s about your present’s matter and tone. Make the only attainable route between individuals who actually love your podcast’s matter, and your present. Whenever you make it straightforward for them to get pleasure from your perspective on one thing you each have in widespread, it’s like making new mates.
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