What are the hardest roadblocks toward getting new listeners for your podcast?
The potential listeners that I’m referring to here, are not those that are familiar with podcasts. I’m talking about those people that you know would love your content but are not techy, nor do they include iTunes in their every day life.
They may not even own an iOS device
< silent gasp goes here >
Or if they do own an iOS device, they don’t quite know how to get the most out of it…including easily downloading the latest free podcast app from Apple.
In fact let’s move away from the Apple ecosystem altogether…just for fun 😉
The Biggest Roadblocks Toward Getting New Subscribers
Roadblock 1: Podcatchers
If you mention Podcatcher to the general population they would have no idea what you are talking about. If you defined podcatcher,
A podcatcher, or podcast client, is a computer program used to download various media via an RSS or XML feed– from Wikipidia.
they would look at you like you were crazy.
Then you would have to define RSS or XML and when was the last time you eloquently explained that to someone lately?
Of course there is iTunes. If they are familiar with iTunes, awesome! But if they are not, you are right back to where you started.
Roadblock 2: How to consume the content.
“You can download the episode through iTunes or subscribe in whatever Podcatcher or RSS reader you want, you can also stream it directly from my website, or even download it from there!”
The above statement makes perfect sense to us. We’ve heard it before, done it before and have said that same thing many times before.
When was the last time you said that to an entirely new person, that isn’t familiar with podcasts?
When was the last time you said the above statement and the person actually understood what you were saying AND went and did it?
Roadblock 3: Getting Too Comfortable Being in the In-crowd
I love podcasters and I love to podcast. I love to talk about podcasting. I work with podcasters. I know what podcasting is. I subscribe to a ton of podcasts. Podcasts are a very big part of my life.
But that’s not the case for a lot of people.
When I mention my podcast to people that engage with me in my ‘real life’ I inevitably get:
“I don’t have an iPod”
“Do you have a CD or a DVD?”
“Oh, that’s nice.”
And I feel completely at a loss as to how to share with them, how much amazing content there is out there FOR FREEEEEEEEE!
Where do you begin?
How do explain to someone how to subscribe to your podcast?
Can you do it without iTunes?
Is there somewhere else that you can send people so that they have the experience of having the content come to them, instead of them coming to you…
Meet your new prospects where they are
We are creatures of habit and it take a whole lot to get us to see beyond where we are.
At this moment in time, the place that the majority of people are engaging, connecting and participating is on Facebook.
How many times have you logged onto Facebook and clicked through to read something incredibly interesting, or discovered a new piece of music or new product because you saw it in your News Feed or Ticker?
I don’t think one can go into Facebook with a precise task to perform and only perform that task without in some way or another getting pulled into the newsfeed, even if it’s just liking a picture!
What if your podcast episodes appeared in your friends or friends of friends activity AND they could consume your content right there?
What if potential listeners were able to share, comment, like AND listen/watch your episodes easily, without having to click to another website and continue doing their stuff on Facebook?
Have you given the libsyn Facebook App a try?
You should because that is exactly what it does: makes consuming, sharing, liking and commenting on your podcasts and your episodes a breeze, directly from Facebook.
People don’t have to go anywhere else. The content is coming to them, especially when people start liking, sharing and commenting.
Once people start to consume your content, they will begin to be exposed to you, your website, ways to connect deeper with you, and of course participate.
The more they they listen/watch, they more they will learn about the medium.
And they will subscribe.
Get the libsyn Facebook App and customize it now.
How do you explain to people how to get your content?
What are the biggest excuses you get?
Share them below, so we can help each other grow this thing!
Image credit via CC Road Block by PSP Photos