Use A Podcast To Grow Your List

We’ve spoken in a previous article about how you can get on other people’s podcasts to grow your reach and, with it, your list. Today we’ll flip it and place our own stank on it as we discuss why it may be a good idea to start your own podcast as a way to get more subbies.

Of course, that’s not the only benefit you’ll get from hosting your own podcast, but it’s a nice side benefit of getting into podcasting.

Podcasting: Still A Great Way To Expand Your Reach?

Different people will consume content in different formats. Some like to read blogs, others love the interaction on social media sites. Of course, there are plenty of people who prefer to watch or listen to their content, which is where audio and video podcasting comes in.

Think of it as yet another channel that allows you to reach your target audience. One of the beautiful things about switching formats is that you can use a lot of the same content that you’re writing for your blog or sharing in your emails and rework it for your podcast. All the research is done, you know your stuff, now you simply talk about it instead of writing it down.

All the research is done, you know your stuff, now you simply talk about it instead of writing it down.

Podcasts are another way for people to find you and share what you have to say. Another nice aspect of podcasts is that people can subscribe to them, be it via YouTube, iTunes or any of the podcasting apps. Once that happens, they’ll come back to listen for more each time you publish a new podcast.

What Shall It Be: Video Or Audio?

Your first big decision that you need to make when it comes to podcasting is if you want to run a video or audio podcasts. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Overall, video podcasts seem to be on the rise and the latest predictions show that over the coming years, video will make up a larger and larger chunk of all online content.

That being said, start with what you’re most comfortable with and what you think your target audience will enjoy. Starting a simple little audio podcast is better than not having a podcast at all, and you can always grow, expand, and switch formats as you go along. The important part is getting started and getting comfortable.

How To Attract Podcast Listeners Via Your List

The last step once you get your podcast up and running is, of course, to turn your listeners or viewers into subscribers. There are a few different ways you can do this. The first is to simply invite them regularly to sing up.

Include a link to your opt-in page for each set of show notes and invite readers to subscribe during the podcast episode itself.

Another cool idea is to make show notes and additional footage only available to email subscribers. For that, you would set up a new list and send out an email after each show with notes and a link to listen or watch each episode. Of course, these subscribers would also be added to your main list.

The Rundown

Podcasts can be a fab way to draw in a new audience. Have fun with your topic and build a list of guests you'd like to have part of your adventure.

Here's a bonus tip for you: Create about 10 podcasts out the gate and upload them to iTunes or YouTube before promoting, this will give your audience a great list to start with and time for you to build more content for scheduled release!