Podcast Movement ‘21: Tips & Tricks you need to implement now
Whether you are just starting you podcasting journey or you consider yourself a seasoned podcaster, you’ve probably heard about Podcast Movement. The yearly conference that gathers industry experts, podcast enthusiast and tech companies tends to be the place to learn about the future of the industry, upcoming trends, and network with decision-makers!
While there were many takeaways from the conference, I want to focus on the tips that you can implement today to grow your podcast. I’ll delve into the dilemma of audio vs video, how to better market your podcast, and why your podcast download numbers stalled.
Free tools you must try now:
Cast Feed Validator - submit your podcast’s RSS feed and this platform will tell you if there are any issues with your feed.
Listen Notes - Podcast search engine that will streamline your podcast’s research, helping you find more information in podcasts, and will make cross-promotion opportunities easier.
Google Page Insights - If your website loads slowly - and by that I mean if that takes longer than 2.5 seconds- it’s considered slow. Why does this matter? Your ideal customer is likely busy and they’re unlikely to listen
How to grow your Podcast effectively without an ad budget
A big takeaway from the conference was that you can get clever on how to your podcast without an ad budget. Two of the sessions I attended focused on how to do so by pitching yourself to podcasts that align with your company and values. You can read our own article from January 2021 where we delve just how you can grow your pod by picking the right guest.
What this means for you:
How do you find hosts that will have the biggest impact? John Lee Dumas, host of Entrepreneurs on Fire, shared his secret to hitting 1 MILLION downloads: hitting the Apple Podcasts app, researching the top podcasts featured in the same category your podcast is on - and pitching away. If you’re struggling to pitch yourself on a show, use our free template on how to invite guests on your show (just rewrite it to pitch yourself on someone else’s show).
Why is it easier to grow your audience through this technique: you’re already preaching to someone who LOVES podcasts and is in alignment with the topic you’re an expert on, so they’re likely to follow you as soon as they finish listening to the episode.
Aim at guesting on as many podcasts as you can. Podcasters are most likely entrepreneurs with busy schedules who have content days they have to fill. Just like yourself, they will appreciate a pitch that shows that you’ve listened to at least one episode, and that shows you have value to bring to their audience.
Bonus points if you include a pitch with a podcast press kit that is easy to scan through, includes key talking points, and is written in the third person. Make the host’s life as easy as possible! (We offer Podcast Press Kit services and we’ll create a killer one for you!)
Why guesting in other shows will help Google rank your website rank higher: the more backlinks (outside links that link to your website) your website has, the more reputable Google thinks your website is!
How long should my episode be?
Short answer: the average of your listener’s commute. But the long answer will depend on a few factors: how much time can you dedicate to creating, releasing, and marketing consistent content, what is your listener’s lifestyle, and how long is their commute? In a nutshell, shorter, is better.
What this means for you:
If you’ve been podcasting for a while, check your episodes’ average consumption, which means for how long you audience has tuned in for. You can find this for free using your Apple Podcasts dashboard.
In general, OG podcast listeners, those who have been listening to podcasts for years, are heavy podcast consumers. This means that listening to podcasts IS an intrinsic part of their routine, and that they MAKE time for listening. New Podcast listeners, on the other hand, are squeezing podcast episodes while they do other things. So if their commute is 26 minutes, then they are likely to look for podcast episodes that match that time. So think about who your ideal listener is.
Something else to consider: stop ‘wasting your listener’s time’. As Tom Webster, Senior Vice President of Edison Research, said ‘Hone your craft, people can only fit so many podcasts in their life’. He mentioned a great tip during his keynote speech: Get a transcript of your latest episode, and read it, and you will be shocked at how many filler words you’re using. You may also feel horrified - I certainly did the last time I tried this trick.
Can people find and access your podcast easily?
How do people find podcasts? #1 is still word-of-mouth. So why are your podcast download numbers stalling? Because people stopped recommending and sharing your podcast.
Social Media
Some mind-blowing fact that come out of the conference was that the segment of the population that uses Facebook the most (an older generation), has NEVER listened to a podcast.
What this means for you:
By publishing your podcast on Facebook - either on video, audio teasers, or links to audio platforms - you’re targeting a section of the population that is new to the medium, and that means you’re not competing for their listening time.
Be sure to be visible and accessible where your audience is, and focus your efforts on growing your community there - ignore most people’s advice about being ‘everywhere’. Focus on quality, not quantity.
Include links to all of your platforms, and website, including how to subscribe to your podcast on at least the most used platforms: Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Episode description / Show notes
Most people tend to write about 200 characters (about 3 lines) on their podcast show notes, which is a huge missed opportunity considering that Apple Podcasts accepts 4,000 characters, links included. Writing show notes (or episode descriptions) with a minimum of 300 words can help you double those content pieces as blogs or articles for your website. Want to know what are best practices on writing show notes? Keep reading…
What this means for you:
Write show notes as if they are an answer to a question, as that’s how most search engines work. That will make the content optimized for organic search.
Remember to link related content (an older episode about something you mentioned in that episode) back to your website, not to your podcast hosting platform (Spreaker, Sounder.FM or others).
Make sure to include relevant keywords in your description and links back to your website. There’s currently hundreds of podcast platforms and aggregators, which means that you may never find out all the places your podcast is shared on.
Write great titles and supporting notes, make it easy to subscribe, contact and listen. Don’t use acronyms and lingo your audience isn’t familiar with.
Video content & YouTube:
People use YouTube as a search engine for multimedia content, including researching podcasts:
Most people have used YouTube for far longer than they have used Podcast platforms, so it makes sense they feel more comfortable searching for a podcast on a familiar platform like YouTube, where they can find the links to subscribe to the show.
While the reality in the US is that most people own an Apple device (equipped with Apple Podcasts) the rest of the world doesn’t really follow the trend - in Europe most users have Android devices, and those don’t normally come with a built-in app for podcasts. It can be confusing for a new podcast listener to KNOW where to find the podcast.
What this means for you:
It’s time to start sharing your content to YouTube, even if you don’t have video. Most podcast platforms now have integrations that will allow you to publish your podcast on both platforms with one or two clicks. The platform will take care of all the technical things.
Uploading your content to YouTube will help your content rank higher on a Google Search.
“0 of the top 200 podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts were video podcasts’ - Rob Walch - VP of Podcaster Relations - Libsyn
What this means for you:
You DON’T need video, just make sure your podcast is available in most places, easily searchable - do a quick check for yours right now.
Only 14 of the top 50 podcast aggregators (platforms who distribute your RSS feed) fully support video
What this means for you:
Focus on creating good audio content that people want to listen. Video is overrated. Focus on doing one thing well.