One of the things I’ve learned from working with dozens (and studying hundreds more) of successful podcasts is that the secret to podcast growth is surprisingly simple.
In short, every successful podcaster I’ve encountered has a crystal clear answer to three, simple questions:
- Who is the podcast for?
- What is the podcast for?
- What differentiates the podcast from other similar shows?
In fact, your answers to these questions are the foundation that your entire marketing strategy is built on.
And if you can’t answer them in a way that your potential listeners find compelling, you’re going to struggle to find traction until you come up with a better set of answers.
Let’s take a closer look at each question.
But first:
1. Who Is The Podcast For?
It’s hard to grow a podcast when you don’t know who you’re making it for or where to find them.
Understanding in intimate detail who your show is for allows you to:
- Create content that resonates with them
- Engage with them where they’re already hanging out online to get the show in front of them
Understanding who your ideal audience is and continuously learning everything you can about them creates a flywheel that leads to better content, more engagement, and faster growth.
2. What Is The Podcast For?
You’re probably clear on what you’d like the podcast to do for you. But why should anyone else listen?
Great podcasts make a bold promise to their listeners about the journey they’re signing up for when they subscribe.
More specifically, they make a bold but believable promise that aligns with a challenge their ideal listeners are already looking to overcome or a goal they’re looking to achieve.
The best shows of all go one step further by articulating the unique method they use to achieve that promise.
3. What Differentiates the Podcast From Other Similar Shows?
There are likely dozens of other shows all based around your topic, many of them near-carbon copies of each other.
With so much noise, a defined differentiation strategy is essential to growing your podcast.
Ask yourself:
- What do other shows do that you won’t?
- What will you do that others don’t?
- Why would a listener choose your podcast over one of the others in your niche?
Answer these questions and growing your podcast becomes a straightforward (if not easy) process.
Skip them, and you’ll find yourself slogging uphill for years to come.
