Connecting with your podcast listeners is so crucial these days because people tend to want to have somewhat of a relationship with the people they support. You can also expand the individual relationships you have with your listeners and create a community where they can not only interact with you, but also the community that you have created with other podcast listeners.
Here are some ways that you can connect with your audience
1. Engage on Social Media:
Connecting with your audience is almost a given in this day in age, but it is a really useful tool and can make your audience feel like they have more of a personal connection with you rather than it being a one-sided relationship. Make sure you’re consistently sharing the latest updates on your podcast and highlighting the latest episodes as well!
2. Build an active newsletter list:
Most likely if someone subscribes to your newsletter, they are interested in what you have to say. You can entice people to join by offering some exclusive content that they can’t get anywhere else. Building out your newsletter is a no-brainer in marketing your podcast, especially if you’ve ever experienced the frustration of social media being down for a day. Additionally, you can grow this newsletter through your podcast with free downloadables and more in your podcast content.
3. Read the reviews on the air:
This example is twofold because you can encourage people to leave a review in hopes that it’s read on air, but then also build an authentic connection with listeners by acknowledging their reviews on the show.
4. Invite them to join the conversation through mini interviews:
Mini interviews don’t have to be long or even full episodes. I like to see them as bonus episodes that you can create during slower seasons. These interviews with listeners can give your audience a chance to voice their opinions on different topics on air, or better yet, ask questions!
5. Ask their opinions on topics and share them in an episode:
If you are not keen on interviewing your audience personally, you can ask them about topics via social media and read some of the answers that people provide on your podcast.
6. Ask Me Anything episodes:
In Ask Me Anything episodes, you can put out polls and question boxes on your Instagram, your Facebook group, and more to allow your listeners to ask you anything. This will open the door for them to get to know you but also allow you to create the content they want to hear.
7. Have them submit their own shoutouts (ex: someone they admire/appreciate, something they love – expand on ideas):
You can give a shout-out for a special occasion (birthday, anniversary, etc.) or shout out your favorite pet. The possibilities are endless. Over on Clocking In with Haylee Gaffin, you’ll periodically hear me shout out fellow women who are crushing it in life.
8. Create a Facebook Group for your listeners:
Facebook groups are a great way to stay in contact with your audience and have them interact with one another. This makes the podcast feel more like a community of people rather than the podcaster being the only one to communicate with the listeners. While creating a Facebook Group can be a really fun way to connect, keep in mind that you’ll need to build a marketing plan for it and monitor it as well.
9. Go live on IG & allow listeners to join:
Going live is a great way to have your listeners interact with you and ask you questions. You can also have someone else join the live if that works best for you. One way to stay consistent is to plan to go live a few days after the episode airs so listeners can chime in with questions about that week’s episode.
10. Highlight their brands/services/products:
You can have listeners send you what their business is and does and you can shout out their brand, service, or product. This will help them feel appreciated and seen by you.
I hope this has helped you find ways to connect with your audience. If you’re looking for more educational content around podcasting or want to build connections in the podcast space, come join Mic Check Society! Inside Mic Check Society, we periodically release new content, host virtual coworking sessions, Jump on monthly hot seat calls, and connect with the other podcasters inside our private Facebook group. Get more details about Mic Check Society below!
