Beat the August slump in your podcast downloads with our tips
Summer is a tough period for podcasting. For some shows, it is the absolutely the best time to launch and thrive – while for others, summer can be kind of terrifying. During the holiday season, we often see people’s habits and their listening preferences change, so what can you do to help your podcast survive this August?
We have some ideas:
There is no reason for you to completely shut down your podcast (even if you see an audience drop). What you should be focusing on is figuring out a way to make the show sustainable, while also giving yourself the break that you deserve too. This means planning ahead and smart scheduling. We often recommend blooper reels, best-of episodes or minisodes to occupy your feed when you are away during the holidays, and your summer plans are no exception.
Audiences are not only seeing their podcasts in a different (sun)light in the summer months; they are using social media in a completely different way too. People might be searching for more relaxing content and so if you have a news show, you might see engagement drop.
This means you should start thinking like your audience. Summer is a great time to explore more social video and include more engaging snippets of your episodes in your content calendar. Consider also running polls, Q&A sessions and more IG stories to get those engagement figures up. Plus, if you are trying to attract holiday-goers into building up a habit with your pod, consider doing more highlight reels and podcast trailers that could convince them to convert to your loyal listeners. This would also be a great reminder for your existing audiences too – it is all about staying relevant, so try to keep up as much as you can!
Summer also means changes to how everyone uses technology. Whether it’s a phone, computer or tablet – people are either using it less because they are taking time off for the holidays, or are using it more because they are physically trapped in transport to get to their destinations. So be clever and adapt. Be clear about how people can interact with the show on holidays and include habit-building CTAs like ‘If you are travelling this summer, why not pre-download S3 of our show that was all about XYZ.’
You can also play around with releasing minisodes in different time zones to spread out your message and reach those abroad and you can also cross-promote your show across others who are bigger in popular holiday destinations (like mainland Europe, US, Australia etc) to borrow audiences. People’s apps are tied to their online stores and IP locations, so this is a nice perk to reach more people.
The most important thing about your marketing plan in the summer is being honest. This includes being honest with yourself, and your audiences.
If you know that the tips above are just not going to work for your personal schedule, then just say it. Giving audiences a clear indication of when they can expect to hear back from you after a summer break is important so you continue to build your relationship on trust. People are just people – and everyone understands that you will also need a break. You may have to work harder to get some of your audiences back after it, but the trade off of putting out bad content ‘just because’ is also not a great idea as you risk turning listeners away.
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