The Castos team is full of podcasters. Some produce a show about WordPress and its community and others talk about their journey as an entrepreneur. It’s a no brainer that the people behind the product that champions podcasting on your own terms are doing just that.
Being on both sides of the industry, as content creators and as a podcast product, puts us in a unique position to help fellow hosts. When we decided to produce a show that provided real value to our customers, we scoured the community to find the informational gaps.
We found a lot of resources around how to start a podcast (heck, we even have our own 13 step guide that walks you through the nitty gritty) but less about what comes next. And the “what comes next” part is really where the fun begins. Sure, you can spend time officially launching and producing a podcast but if no one is listening, what’s the point?
One of the biggest sources of mystery for veteran and new podcasters alike is growth. What are the promotional strategies that drive real results and build loyal followings? When this question is posed, fellow podcasters and industry experts toss out recommendations like Facebook ads or being a guest on another show. For every suggested tactic, there’s a podcast that saw a flood of new listeners and another that experienced only a trickle.
So how do you actually grow a podcast into a successful show with an audience that can’t wait to consume your next episode? Our answer: Audience.
What Is Audience About?
Introducing Audience, an honest, unfiltered and realtime view inside our journey to growing an impactful podcast. This is our quest to put the best promotional strategies to the test then report back on our successes and failures in each new episode.
We’ll interview marketing experts from key fields like SEO and social media advertising, picking their brain on the best ways to grow a following. You’ll also hear from fellow podcasters who have tried these strategies on their own show, offering actionable advice on how other hosts can find similar success.
But where Audience will really shine is in our real world experiments, testing out every “best” podcast growth strategy. After interviewing the top people in each niche, we’re going to work to grow our own podcast audience using their best practices. We’ll explain how we tweak each tactic to reach the right listeners, exactly how much we spent on paid promotions, and ultimately our results.
Our goal is to be as transparent as possible about our progress and acknowledge that we’re entering the podcast ring with a unique situation. So here’s where we’re starting from:
- We have a team behind us and our host, Craig, has been podcasting for 5 years. Most podcasters start their journey without support or a foot already in the industry. We’ll use this access to connect with interesting guests so our listeners can tap into this asset too.
- We have a little budget to play which grants us the opportunity to try paid acquisition strategies. New podcasters typically don’t start with paid promotions so we’ll aim to be the guinea pigs. You’ll save money learning from our mistakes, putting your best foot forward from the start.
But our main equalizer is we are starting a podcast from scratch. We’re launching without any subscribers waiting for our episodes to drop. This will be a true test of how to grow a loyal audience.
Who Is Audience For?
Audience is for current and aspiring podcasters or anyone who is curious about what it takes to build an impactful podcast. Growth is a popular discussion among hosts so this is our way of adding value to that conversation.
The show is also for fellow brands who are thinking of starting a podcast to support their business. Audience is an extension of Castos and will allow us to offer more value to our current and potential customers.
Listen To Audience’s First Episodes
On launch day, we’re starting from the very beginning.
In our first two episodes, we shed light on the first questions every podcasters needs to answer: what is the show about and what gear should I use? We start with some context, digging into why we’re making a podcast in the first place and who we hope will tune in. Then we give you the low down on our setup, what gear we’re using plus why a basic recording setup is all you need.
Audience’s premiere wraps up with episode 3, Crafting The Narrative, where we pick apart the science of storytelling. In an interview with Leah and Jared from Pressboard Media, we get candid about why some podcasts are stickier than others and the method behind finding the most engaging way to tell your story.
Learn about the three act play structure, insider gear recommendations, and more inside Audience. Listen to our first three episodes now.
When Will New Episodes Be Published?
New episodes will be released every Thursday. Subscribe here on your favorite podcast app to be alerted every time we publish new content.
Interested In Being A Guest On Audience? Get In Touch.
We’re on the hunt to interview unique guests who are open to sharing their experience growing their own podcast audience or those who are an authority in a specific marketing strategy. Get in touch at [email protected] and add “Audience” in the subject line.
