It doesn’t matter if your podcast is brand new or if you have been podcasting for years; there is always room for improvement. Here are 15 ways you can improve your podcast results to get more listeners, convert your listeners to clients, and be a better podcast host. You don’t have to put all of these tips into action immediately. I recommend choosing three at a time.
In this episode of Listeners to Leads, I’m sharing that while improving your podcast does take some strategy, and it doesn’t all have to be done at once. I encourage you to choose just 3 things from my list to start focusing on today.
Improve Your Audio Quality
The best way to improve your show is to improve your audio quality. It is so stinking important to the experience of your listeners. Here are some ways to improve the quality of your podcast audio:
- Record in a quiet place – Find a time and place where you will have limited background noise to interrupt your recording. This may mean you need to wait until your kids are out so you can’t hear them in the background. I also recommend picking a place in your house that is away from the street so you don’t get disturbed by cars or trucks outside. My favorite place to record my podcast used to be in my walk-in closet. It was super quiet, and all our clothes muffled any noise.
- Double-check your recording equipment – Each time you sit down to record, test your recording equipment first. There is nothing worse than finishing a recording only to realize that your mic was off and the whole episode was recorded on your laptop mic. So check your microphone settings and that it’s loading in your software.
- Invest in Good Software – Pick software that has a lot of functions that can clean up the audio. We use Isotope RX. There is a bit of a learning curve to learn all of the features, but once you do, it can clean up mouth clicks, breaths, plosives, and the hard S sounds. It is also a lifesaver if there are strange sounds or an echo on your podcast guests’ side.
Take Your Time When Recording
Don’t be afraid to take your time and redo any stumbles or mistakes. This will allow you to fix them in editing. Make it as easy as possible on yourself (or your podcast editor) by pausing for 5 -10 seconds before you do the retake. You will easily be able to see the blank spots when you are editing.
Niche Down
People want to listen to podcasts and feel a sense of community – like they’ve found their people. This is where niching down helps your podcast. You attract the kind of listeners you want to work with, and they stick around because you are talking directly to them. They feel special and understand everything you are talking about.
One of the reasons I personally love niching down is because it allows you to show up as your awesome self because you are speaking to your people. You know exactly how to give your listeners great value because you already know what they are struggling with.
Share Your Podcast EVERYWHERE
Yes, you can get listeners through SEO, but the best way to get listeners is to share your podcast everywhere. And I mean EVERYWHERE. Talk about your podcast at the hairdressers, at your family BBQ – any time someone asks what you do.
This also includes social media. Tell your followers about your podcast regularly and share a link to your website page or podcast host page. This will allow your followers to choose the podcast platform they prefer. Make sure you include a little bit of information about who you help and what you talk about.
Plan Your Podcast Content in Advance
Take the time to plan out your episodes as much as possible. Even if you prefer to speak off the cuff, make sure you have an outline and a podcast style. If you prefer to have things planned out, you can even write a script. When you have your content planned in advance, it allows you to go above and beyond to provide value for your audience.
Create Content You’re Excited About
Your passion comes through in your voice. So does a lack of passion, so create content that you’re excited about. I could talk about podcasts all day. I get so stinking excited about podcasting, the direction it’s going, and what it does for our clients. And you can hear that in my voice.
Pick a topic that you enjoy talking about and that you’re knowledgeable about. Make sure the topic is interesting to you, and share it in a way that interests your audience.
Invite Interesting Guests
Invite interesting and diverse guests to your podcast and actually listen to them. Instead of powering through your list of questions, give your podcast guests an opportunity to show off their expertise. Ask follow-up questions to explore topics that would be interesting to your listeners.
Don’t be afraid to take time to think of your follow-up questions. Your podcast isn’t live, so you can edit it out later. Your guest will be okay with waiting. They’ll be excited to share their expertise.
Make sure both you and your guest are prepared for the podcast episode so that you are both in a position to deliver maximum value for your listeners. This means researching your guest so you know a little bit about them and what you want to ask them. Send your podcast guest some information so they can prepare for the call. Give them some information about your audience and the topics you want to explore.
Share Relevant Stories and Information
Try to keep your stories and examples relevant rather than going off on a tangent too often. Your examples should drive home the information you are sharing rather than getting distracted.
Tell Your Listeners Where They Can Connect with You
Let your listeners know where you hang out most of the time and what kind of content to expect on that platform. Podcast content can sometimes feel like you’re yelling into the void, but on social media, you can have a two-way dialogue. Your podcast listeners will also be helped along the lead pipeline to your DMs.
Learn by Listening to Other Podcasts
Listen to other people’s podcasts to see what is working and what is not. This doesn’t have to be podcasts in your niche; even if you listen to podcasts for entertainment, you can learn what works and what doesn’t. That information can be used to improve your podcast.
Listen to Criticism
Pay attention to criticism and extract the gems you can use to improve your podcast. For example, one of our clients received feedback from a listener asking for shorter episodes because her morning commute was 20 minutes. We ran the numbers and reduced our clients’ podcast episodes to 20- 30 minutes.
Create Goals for Your Podcast
If you want to improve your podcast results, start by stating what your podcast goals are. Otherwise, how will you know if you have achieved your desired results?
So think about the following:
- What are your overall goals for your podcast?
- Where do you want to take it?
- Where do you see it going?
- What is your 3-month goal?
- What is your 6-month goal?
Then celebrate when you achieve your goals. Celebrate the fact that you’ve improved and grown.
Repurpose Your Podcast Content
Repurpose your podcast content to expand your reach and maximize your efficiency. Take your podcast content and turn it into social media content, blog content, or even YouTube content. This allows you to share your lessons with people who don’t listen to your podcast. It will also help you to find new podcast listeners who want to listen to the entire episode.
Optimize for SEO
SEO can improve your podcast results. It will help your podcast episode to rank in the podcast search results and in Google search results. Optimize your episode title and episode description.
When a podcast episode performs well, create updated versions so you are giving current advice. I noticed in my podcast statistics that I was getting a lot of traffic from search results for an episode. So I recorded a new episode with up-to-date advice, and I received a lot of impressions.
Stay on Track with Templates, Checklists, and Outlines
Use templates, checklists, and outlines to help you stay on track with the momentum you are creating with your show. These tools will help you to ensure you are doing everything you can to improve your podcast results and save you time.
Thank you for listening! Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on turning your podcast listeners into leads and to hear even more about the points outlined above. If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH ALESIA GALATI:
EPISODES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Going Deep (Instead of Wide) With Your Podcast Content
How to Organize and Plan Your Podcast Content
14 Ways to Repurpose Your Podcast Content
5 Strategies to Never Run out of Podcast Content
Using Podcast Listening Statistics to Make Better Decisions
SEO for Podcasts [Tech Tips Series]
