6 Greatest Habits of High-Growth Podcasters
You’re in the right place if you’re wondering what makes a successful podcast. Over the last two years, I’ve coached dozens of indie podcasters looking to grow their audiences, make a name for themselves in their industry, and monetize, turning their hobby podcast into something more. These high-growth podcasters are motivated and dedicated to accomplishing their goals. Thinking about all of my coaching clients, I can see many similarities. Here are the six habits that contribute to their success.
What is a high-growth podcaster?
While the definition of a high-growth podcaster is subjective, here’s my take.
Beyond the downloads, ratings and reviews, and audience size, a high-growth podcaster attracts personal and professional opportunities by sharing their unique perspectives and fresh take on topics, attracting a dedicated audience that values their expertise and insights.
High-growth podcasters are committed to their show and audience and are clear on what their podcast is meant to do for them as individuals. Most importantly, they take consistent action toward their goals.
Whether driven by recognition, money, interest, or personal satisfaction, they are focused, have a strong sense of purpose, and can overcome obstacles.
This is why high-growth podcasters are often seen as industry leaders, invited to speak at events and collaborate with other creators and brands.
In summary, high-growth podcasters are purposeful and create unique opportunities that drive them closer to achieving their goals.
You can host a successful podcast even if you don’t have 10,000 or even 500 downloads per month. Creating a successful podcast goes beyond how many listeners you have; it’s about building trust and loyalty with your audience and transforming that into something meaningful.
Habits of Successful Podcasts
1. Pitch often
Whether pitching to be a guest on a podcast or pitching a brand, successful podcasters know how to pitch (or ask for what they want).
Think of pitching as an introduction or asking if partnering would be of interest.
Since pitching doesn’t always come naturally, pitching is a muscle that needs to be developed.
Whether investing in coaching or resources like the 2023 Podcast Planner, which includes sponsorship pitch templates or taking a course like Nail Your Podcast Guest Pitch, these podcasters are learning how to pitch effectively.
Mastering these skills, one of my podcast coaching clients secured a client for their podcast launching service, paying their mortgage for the month and their child’s daycare, which is huge! Sending one email to a potential client led to earning thousands of dollars.
Pitching has helped me land many podcast sponsorships, guest invitations, and paid speaking opportunities.
2. Develop an SEO strategy
You’ve probably heard the term SEO or search engine optimization, especially over the last few years. High-growth podcasters are learning and implementing podcast marketing strategies like search engine optimization. They prioritize SEO in their episode titles, descriptions, and podcast show notes.
They understand that Google and other search engines are powerful traffic sources that can drive people to their content. But let’s not forget: people are also searching within the podcast players, and Pinterest is a visual search engine.
How can SEO impact your growth trajectory?
Optimizing for search improves visibility within the podcast players and search engine results like Google. It ensures people who are actively looking for your content find it.
As for podcast success stories, I have a couple to share.
Before working with me, one of my coaching clients got 100 downloads per month. However, by implementing SEO into their podcasting strategy, they grew to 1,000 downloads per month, doubling their listenership in four months.
Also, several of my coaching clients were able to rank higher in their niches on Apple Podcasts by optimizing their podcast descriptions for search as well.
Ranking higher means increasing the visibility and reach of their show.
Here are some tips for improving podcast SEO and making your show more discoverable to new listeners:
- Use keywords in episode titles and episode descriptions
- Include transcripts (I like using Fusebox for this)
- In show notes, link to 2-3 relevant podcast episodes
3. Create and seize opportunities
Imposter syndrome, or the fear of rejection, may hold you back from seizing opportunities or putting yourself out there. However, high-growth podcasters know how to create (or manifest) opportunities and seize them.
Instead of “why me?” They ask: “Why not me?”
Growth-oriented creatives are resourceful, generously sharing opportunities with their network and becoming go-to leaders. They are open about what they do and how they can serve.
While they are open to receiving, if they have to, they build what they are looking for from scratch.
4. Identify areas of improvement
High-growth podcasters are self-aware, and they know their strengths and their weaknesses. Whether working with a podcast coach like me, reading books, or being part of a mastermind, they focus on improving themselves and their craft. They invest in learning and mentorship, are open to feedback, hear other perspectives, and see how others do things.
In the face of rejection, they are not defeated or discouraged (or not discouraged for long, anyway).
5. Persistent at following up
In this line of creative work, you’ll likely get rejected more than ever before, especially when working with brands.
On several occasions, brands have said I am persistent, which I’m taking as a compliment. I am persistent at following up and re-engaging conversations to see if partnering would be of interest.
As they say, closed mouths don’t get fed. If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no, right?
Growth-minded podcasters get into the habit of following up, circling back with leads, and to do this, they are organized. For example, having a system that prompts you to follow up when a brand’s budget is set to renew will put you ahead of the rest.
Inside the 2023 Podcast Planner, we’ve included a Google Sheets tab to keep track of all the brands you’ve pitched or have been in contact with; input follow-up dates and next steps. Close the loop by adding these tasks to your calendar so you receive automatic reminders.
It may be surprising to hear that some of my brand partnerships took 1-2 years to realize, but that’s because they take time. In the meantime, continue building relationships, publishing great content, and nurturing those leads.
Read Next: Proven Tasks To Put On Your Calendar To Grow a Podcast
6. Adopt technology early
The early bird gets the worm, and in podcasting, which I consider a high-tech industry, becoming an early adopter, is really important.
High-growth podcasters are often looking for tools that will help them save time, become more efficient, or be productive.
Tools my coaching clients adore include Descript, Grammarly, Chat GPT, Capsho, Podpage, and Headliner. These tools help with the creation and post-production, saving time, energy, and creativity.
Furthermore, great resources to stay in the know of technology advancements in podcasting include Podnews, Inside Podcasting, and BlkPodNews.
Developing good habits takes time and effort, but eventually, they will come naturally. Keep going even if you experience setbacks or progress is slow. Continue pushing forward; you will ultimately see results.
If you want to improve any areas mentioned in this article, I invite you to work with me via my 1:1 podcast marketing coaching program. I help overwhelmed and underfunded podcasters find clarity and realize their growth and income potential.
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