With so many podcasts out there today, it can be difficult to stand out. What’s one tip you have for how to run a successful podcast that gets noticed, and why?
These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most successful young entrepreneurs. YEC members represent nearly every industry, generate billions of dollars in revenue each year, and have created tens of thousands of jobs. Learn more at yec.co.
1. Start With a Goal in Mind
When you start a podcast, you need specific goals that you want to achieve. Not everyone has to have a top 1% podcast; it may be enough to be an authority in your niche or industry. When that is the case, ensure that you deliver valuable information to your target audience and put it in places you know they will see.
– Jessica Fialkovich, Exit Factor
2. Find Your Focus
It’s an unfortunate fact that most podcasts fail. Most fail because of a lack of focus, and no one wants to listen to a podcaster ramble on. Instead, your focus should be on what your audience wants. You need to connect your brand’s purpose to your customers’ purpose. You can’t be all things to all people. This will help you find your niche and then distribute content meaningfully to that niche.
3. Leverage Your Guest’s Audience
If your podcast is new or has a small audience, look for guests whose audiences you can leverage. You probably won’t attract A-list celebrities or bestselling authors right away, but you can interview micro-influencers who have a niche following. These guests will help you promote the podcast and you can gain new listeners.
4. Use Social Media to Promote New Episodes
Make it easy for your podcast to be found online by promoting it well. Use Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly known as Twitter) to promote upcoming episodes. Share behind-the-scenes content and reach out to other podcasters or relevant podcasts on collaborations or guest posts. Use paid advertising and post episode transcriptions with an eye on SEO to improve brand visibility and outreach.
– Brian David Crane, Spread Great Ideas
5. Be Authentic
To run a successful podcast that stands out, my tip is to focus on authenticity and niche expertise. Share your genuine passion and knowledge about a specific topic that you deeply care about. This authenticity will resonate with listeners who share your interests or are seeking valuable insights in that area.
– Michelle Aran, Velvet Caviar
6. Stay Consistent
To make a podcast stand out and attract your target audience, consistency is the key. Even if you are not able to attract as many listeners as you expected at the start, just keep on producing content around relevant topics. This will help you outgrow your competition in the long run and, since you’ve been creating content consistently, you’ll be attracting more listeners with each passing day.
7. Invest in Good Equipment
With so many podcasts out there, it’s small things that can make a difference between someone liking your podcast or preferring your competitors’. At the very least, you need to have a good sound system and audio space for creating your podcast material. Invest in a good noise-canceling microphone and try to lower the echo and noises in your room to get noticed.
8. Interact With Your Listeners
Simply running a podcast isn’t enough. You also have to take steps to make it successful. One way of doing that is to engage with your audience. Start interacting with your listeners. This will help you foster a sense of community and loyalty. It can also provide you with valuable feedback and ideas for future episodes.
– Josh Kohlbach, Wholesale Suite
9. Offer Valuable Content
One way you can make your podcasts stand out is by offering valuable content for your audience. People love listening to podcasts that help add value to their lives, so try to do that. Understand your audience well and identify what problems they are facing. Then, come up with unique solutions to help them out. Doing this consistently can help you retain your listeners and get recommended as well.
– Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster
10. Polish It Up
The key to running a successful podcast that gets noticed by your audience is to clean up the recording. Adding intro and outro music, layering sound effects and cutting dead air can give your podcast a level of polish that keeps people listening. I suggest listening to each podcast from beginning to end so you can refine it for your listeners.