Spread the podcasting love and connect with your listeners beyond the mic
Happy Valentine’s, podcast creators! This week isn’t just for chocolates, flowers and cuddly teddy bears – it is also a chance for you to engage your listeners and get more love for your podcast, too. Below are some ideas of how you can help spread the love (and drive your download numbers) by using this commercial holiday to your advantage:
1. Let People In On Your BTS Secrets
People loooooove to feel special, especially on a week like this. So let in your audience in on how you produce and create your show – something that you probably barely ever talk about! This could be as simple as introducing yourself once again to new listeners, getting everyone on the team to say one thing they love about working on the podcast, or sharing some funny bloopers. Be creative and authentic, that’s truly the most heartfelt strategy you could possibly have.
2. Give the Gift of Giving Exclusive Content (for Free)
Let your audience know how much you love making your podcast for them by giving back. If you have any paywalled content, this is the perfect week to release it for everyone to listen to. Creating a sense of urgency to listen to something around a specific date or topic also means you can drive people to an episode quickly and engage them in what you want them to hear.
3. Tell Everyone How You Feel
What better way to say, ‘hey, you are the reason why I do this’ than hosting a special listener appreciation episode? Feature listener questions or create a social campaign that picks out people’s reviews and gives them a proper shoutout. This would also help your listeners feel listened to, and would help you to engage with your audience beyond the one-way relationship you might have with them right now.
4. Celebrate Valentine’s Together
If you have a more personal podcast, you could share the holiday by really diving into your own love life. People really respond to hearing real-life stories that are not only inspirational and swoon-worthy, but also funny, awkward and most importantly – authentic to you! This could be your chance to break that wall between you and your listeners, so don’t let it pass you by.
5. Couple Up With Other Pods
Collaborating with other podcasts could be your answer to finding your Valentine this week. If you don’t usually have many crossover episodes, this could be your perfect excuse to start. Spread the love across feeds, and maybe even organise feed or ad swaps. The more, the merrier – let that cupid’s arrow land on your friend’s feeds, too.
So happy Valentine’s, and happy podcasting! We hope these tips inspire you to spread the love, give back and find your perfect match when it comes to your listeners.