The core to having a podcast is about having a conversation with your audience. This is why I believe that publishing is not the end of producing an episode.
Engaging with your audience about the topic you discussed is what really fuels podcasting happiness. If engagement is one of the puzzles you can't seem to quite figure out, then I've got some very helpful tips to share with you.
Jump To What Was Discussed:
00:12 - The essence and fuel of podcasting.
00:53 - Why publishing alone does not guarantee engagement.
01:10 - Using a call to action for your audience.
01:35 - Communication tools for your audience.
02:00 - Inviting your audience to keep the conversation going.
02:34 - How Gary Vaynerchuk invites his audience.
03:23 - No excuses.
03:53 - A conversation about conversations.
04:18 - Episode 6 teaser!
Publish and you shall receive feedback, right? No!
That's equivalent to showing up to a party and standing at a corner talking to no one. Let's get you out of that corner and in with the crowd.
I've been asked to optimize a few podcasts for better reach and engagement, one of the first things I look for is a call-to-action (CTA). Too often I hear no CTA in the episode.
Here's the first step to receiving feedback and start engaging with your audience - have a relevant (to the episode) call to action for every episode.
Your CTA should be centered around communicating with you, even if it's to download a free giveaway.
Another step: make it easy for your audience to engage with you by setting up communication tools on your site.
These tools are a contact page, voicemail receiver like SpeakPipe, and your active social media links. Make these visible as possible.
Even with all this in place, sometimes you have to take it a step further for audience engagement. Invite them over using social media and your email list.
Social media is making this easier more than ever. Gary Vaynerchuck perfectly demonstrates the "keep the conversations going" when he publishes new content.
He'll publish a new episode or record a short video on one platform and then uses his other social media channels to drive those audiences to the conversation.
Listen to the Gary Vaynerchuk engagement invite example played in the episode. He's so specific on what he wants you to do and keeps inviting you to participate in different ways.
Some will say "But Addy, Gary has a team!" - that's not an excuse. You can easily publish an episode, then hop on Instagram and shoot a short video or picture saying...
"Hey guys, I just released this and this is why I found this topic/person interesting. Here's where you can listen, let me know what you think!”
Make the invitations to keep the conversation going.
Last, but never least - time block! Make time for this. Do I really need to say more?
What are you finding most challenging when it comes to audience engagement?
You know the drill, let me know. We can have a conversation about conversations :-)
Another way I would like for you to engage with me is by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.
Leaving a review is always a great way to show your support. And Hey! If you leave a review, I will personally read them.
Resources Mentioned:
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