“Please, if you find yourself searching ‘podcast’ + ‘recommendation’, take a deep breath and reconsider,” Nick Hilton says to creators. “Jumping into a Bart and Homer Simpson-style conga: you don’t win listeners with spam self-promotion.” The Podot co-founder breaks down a trend Twitter users will recognize.
Hilton recently tweeted a recommendation request with specific parameters. On his post and many like it, there was a “deluge of almost 20 podcasts/podcasters swooping in to recommend their own shows.” When they’re not appropriate fits, it becomes a cycle that fails the podcaster and potential listener.
While Twitter isn’t great for podcasts, there are better ways to engage than casting a wide net. Make an effort to promote other shows, and curate your audience by relevant interests. If your show is about wines, Hilton suggests, your best prospects will be in wine-related communities and not ‘podcast Twitter.’
Download numbers don’t begin to tell the whole story of a podcast’s success, writes Podiant founder Mark Steadman. Comments, messages, and reviews are more valuable metrics in a packed field. “Just like attention levels, the numbers themselves aren’t important — it’s whether they go up or down that matters.”
A show is an experiment that can’t be tied to financials off the bat. “If you’re creating a podcast to make money, you’re better off buying a lottery ticket.” Gauge its impact on what listeners are saying and where they drop off. Study and act on the analytics you have, but resist dwelling on the big picture.
Steadman explains that best way to move forward is to track, measure, improve, repeat. “It takes time to make headway. It also takes time for you to warm up and to get comfortable,” he says. “Even if this isn’t your first podcast, it’s a new chair and it’ll take time for you to make that groove in the upholstery.”
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