How To Increase The Number Of Podcast Subscribers

You’ve started your podcast but it’s not quite getting the number of subscribers you had initially hoped for. It’s an obstacle that most podcasters must overcome when first starting out. If you think that the job is complete once you’ve hit the publish button, you’re in for a big surprise. But that’s what we’re here for. Find out how to increase the number of podcast subscribers below.

✴ Understand your target audience

Before implementing any of the following tips, you must first understand your target audience. Ask yourself what kind of listener you’re trying to attract. You should aim for quality over quantity, which means people who are genuinely interested in what you’re talking about. The goal in this instance is to build loyal advocates that are more likely to stick with you in the long run.

✴ Post frequently

To have a chance at gaining more subscribers, you need to be posting frequently. If you leave too much time between episodes, you risk being forgotten about. When you’re first starting out, try to publish an episode a couple of times a week. This increases your chances of being discovered on most popular directories such as Apple Podcasts’ “New & Noteworthy” category. From there on, you should aim to post at least once a week as this will help you stay in front of your current and potential listeners.

✴ Host guests

Reach out to potential guests and ask them to feature on your podcast. Ensure your guests are somewhat related to the overall topic of your show. For example, you can invite a local athlete to be a guest on your sports commentary podcast. Generally, the more followers your guest has, the more subscribers you can gain from having them on your show.

Another great practice is to collaborate with other podcasters on your show. Again, choose collaborations that make sense. In return, you can make a guest appearance on their podcast too. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship that helps to increase exposure for both parties.

✴ Promote your podcast on social media

Most podcast listeners use social media in some way, shape or form. Think about the platforms your target audience use the most and focus your attention there. Find relevant hashtags on sites like Twitter and Instagram and use them to gain exposure.

It’s also beneficial to identify how others are using social media to promote their own podcasts. Find what works for them and replicate it yourself. Perhaps they post teaser clips every few days leading up to the release of an episode, for example.

You could even interact with other podcasters by commenting on their posts. Their subscribers will see your comments, which is often all it takes to pique their interest enough to also check out your podcast.

If you have guests on your podcast, they’ll likely share the episode on their own social media accounts as well. It attracts new listeners who could go on to become loyal subscribers in the future.

✴ Discuss relevant topics

When hosting a podcast of any kind, it’s important to keep up with the times. Constantly discussing old news, facts or advice can be disengaging. You need to talk about current topics that your followers find interesting. Do a lot of research. It’ll ensure you’re always in the loop and can be an insightful source of information for your audience.

✴ Encourage listeners to subscribe and share

Asking your existing listeners to subscribe and share is a simple yet effective solution to gaining more followers. Encourage them to do so at the beginning and end of each episode. In addition to liking and sharing, you could take it up a level by creating a hashtag that your audience can use to try and get your podcast trending on platforms like Twitter.

✴ Create a YouTube channel for your podcast

The beauty of podcasts lies in the fact that you can listen attentively while doing something else. This includes the daily commute to and from work or running on the treadmill. That being said, filming a video version of your podcast is an excellent way to attract a new audience. And there’s no better place to start than YouTube.

YouTube has an enormous user base, some of whom exclusively watch or listen to podcasts on the platform. Create a dedicated podcast YouTube channel using the same name and logo as your audio-only format. If you already have an established audience, encourage them to head over and subscribe there as well. Just see to it that your YouTube posts are published with the same frequency as the audio version of your podcast.

✴ Run giveaways

Who doesn’t love to win something right? Giveaways can incentivize people to listen to your podcast for the first time. It provides an excellent opportunity for some of those first-time listeners to be converted into subscribers.

Use your existing audience to promote your giveaway on social media as part of the “entry requirements”. Notify them about a giveaway at the beginning of the episode and then provide all the information at the end to encourage them to stay all the way through.

✴ Use traditional advertising methods

It might seem a little outdated, but traditional advertising can still be effective in today’s technological world. If you have some extra time, consider handing out some flyers to your local community or putting up some posters in public spaces such as your local community center.

✴ Gaining new subscribers requires hard work

As can be seen, increasing your subscribers is no walk in the park. It requires proactiveness and a great deal of consistency. Before you start, understand your target audience first. Thereafter, ensure you discuss interesting topics, publish content frequently and carry out a lot of promotion using a variety of methods. By doing so you’ll start to see a notable increase in the number of people subscribing to your podcast.

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