Podcast is proving to be quite lucrative for some individuals. Imagine using your oratory skills to amass millions in earnings. Joe Rogan tops the list of high-earning podcasters. His net worth is over $100 million, with over 9 million followers.

If you translate the money into every episode, he makes about $75,000. His success lies in the type of guests he has on his show. It is not uncommon for him to feature top politicians, celebrities, sports people, and more.

If you want to get a chunk of the podcast change, it helps to know how to grow your audience. Let’s explore some workable steps you can use below.

Sign Up To the Right Platform

Be strategic about the podcast subscription you sign up to. Consider factors like:-

• The reach, in terms of the number of audiences that tune in.
• The number of other podcasters, publishers, or networks within. This is a good indicator of how good the platform is.
• The number of avenues audiences can use to tune in. you do not want to limit yourself to one podcast player. Listeners should use whatever player is convenient for them.
• An easy subscription process for listeners with tons of value-add. The latter includes Q&A forums. Such can give audiences relevant information around questions they may have.
• Complete control of your podcasting platform, including content, emails, and names.
• Networking opportunities with other podcasters. You can learn a lot about how to improve on those who have found success in the business.

Do take time to do proper research on the platform before signing up. It may surprise you that big brand names may not always offer the best perks and benefits.

Make a Concerted Effort to Engage With Audiences

Sometimes the best way to increase your podcast audience is pretty clear. And it could be as simple as setting aside some time to engage with them.

By its nature, podcasting is conversational. It is very much like talking to a good friend whom you enjoy conversations with. Follow this simple rule of engaging. Also, use platforms like social media to interact with listeners.

Start conversations or join in ongoing ones. Do not ignore comments, and have an active presence in your audience’s lives.

Engaging with audiences also provides a fantastic chance to listen to their feedback. You can get a lot of insights into what they like and what may be lacking in your content. Remember, listeners will flock to your podcast if they feel like you listen to them.

You will love the outcome of taking the time to build or strengthen connections.

Spend Time on Content Development

Content development may be the most challenging aspect of podcasting. You don’t grab a microphone and start talking without proper planning.

You can be sure of one fact. If the listeners do not like what they hear, they will leave. Further, any chances of paid podcast subscriptions will go down the drain. So, focus on the following in content development.

• Understand the audiences to know what they like. This ties in with our second point stated above.
• Be strategic about how you sell whatever products or services you have. Hard-sell marketing or advertising language can be a major turn-off.
• Ensure relevant content and only share well-researched and factual information
• Become the go-to source for insights and advice that provides value.
• Be consistent with content and have a good flow. You should not start a topic this week and promise it will continue the next and then move on like you don’t have a promise to keep.
• Research different subjects based on your listener and market research. Come up with a list of topics and schedule them for discussion. Allow for flexibility to tweak the schedule depending on feedback. The listeners may, for example, want a continuation of a specific topic. Ignoring the request can make you lose audiences.

Market Your Paid Podcast Subscription Platform

Do come up with a marketing strategy for your paid podcast subscription. There are several ways, including:

• Running promotions on social media. You can use snippets for upcoming shows. Also, host promotions like giveaway contests. 
• Consider paid ads for your podcast to increase your reach.
• Use your website to draw in listeners. One tactic is blogs that add value to generate interest. Don’t forget the importance of podcast search engine optimization (SEO). You should, for example, optimize your podcast description for search. Use relevant keywords listeners are likely to use when searching for content.
• Sign up to many podcast feed directories to make it easier to find your platform.
• Pay for ad space on other popular podcasts with similar target audiences to yours.
• Email marketing tactics like newsletter subscriptions. Use this to share information on upcoming shows or other exciting news.
• Consider cross-promoting your paid subscription platform with other podcasts. It is a common and effective use of networks to grow audience numbers.

Host High-Value Guests

As we said in the introduction, one of the tactics Joe Rogan uses is hosting high-value guests. Who would not want to tune in when their favorite celebrity is on the show? The same applies to a politician tackling critical issues affecting the masses.

From the feedback you collect from the audience, it will be pretty easy to know what kind of guests they would like. In fact, go ahead and ask them for suggestions. You may not have the capacity to get huge celebrities on your show. But, that small-town star with local affiliations can be a crowd-puller.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask such guests to promote your podcast on their platforms. Prepare material that you would like them to share with their audiences. Don’t stop there. Use their influence on social media to get to more listeners. If they share, retweet or comment, their audiences will take note.

Final Thoughts

The key to making a lucrative career out of podcasting lies in your ability to draw in audiences. We have shared some workable tips you can use above.

Start by identifying a good paid podcast subscription platform. It should have a broad reach and gives access to material on different players. Restricting yourself to one player will limit your numbers. Also market your podcast and optimize it for search engines.

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