190 | Podcasting Success Formula: Knowing Your Audience & Solving Their Problems

[00:00:00] Do you ever wonder why some podcasts have diehard fans while others struggle to get downloads? It all comes down to these three simple things. And no, I'm not having a fancy mic or million dollar marketing budget. Today, I'm breaking down what makes a podcast truly great. And if you're missing just one of these, your show, well, it might be in trouble.

[00:00:26] Sound matters. Be heard. Welcome to the podcast where you get exclusive behind the scenes tips to make your own show sound truly spectacular. This is Podtastic Audio. What's happening? How are you doing today? Thank you so much for being here. I truly do mean that. Thank you so much. I am Chris and this is

[00:00:52] podcasting audio. You know, I designed this show to help you design your amazing show. Podcasting fun for everyone. And one amazing simple tool to help you make that happen is Riverside.fm. Today's episode is brought to you by Riverside because knowing your audience is key, but serving them with great content is what really makes an impact. As a podcaster, you need to know who you're talking to and why they should care.

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[00:01:50] The multi-track editor, make sure your voice sounds crisp, balanced and professional. Because if your audience can't hear you clearly, they won't stick around. Your audience deserves the best. Give them Riverside.fm. You can try it right now for free. And when you're ready to upgrade, use my code PODTASTIC and you get yourself 15% off any paid plan. Know your audience, serve them well, and let Riverside.fm help you do it right.

[00:02:21] Hey, let me ask you something. Have you ever clicked on a podcast for the very first time? You're enjoying it and you're like, wow, this thing just all of a sudden pulled me in. It kept me entirely engaged and it left you maybe wanting more. What's on the next episode? Oh, I got to subscribe to this thing. What if I told you that with every great podcast, no matter the genre, follows these same three principles?

[00:02:49] Today, I'm going to break down what these three principles are and how you can use them to improve your podcast right now. And we'll also take a look at some real world examples. I'm talking about maybe if you are doing a business podcast. Yeah, check that off the list. Or maybe a true crime show. There's lots of those. Or maybe a movie review podcast. I know there's lots of you guys out there. Or perhaps maybe just chatting with friends.

[00:03:17] And at the end of the episode today, I've got a special bonus tip for those who are running an entertainment-based podcast. You know, the movie review or the, you know, pop culture type of review type stuff. Well, stick around. I got something special for you guys. All right, let's go. Let's dive in. So like I said earlier, there are three main principles or three key elements that every great podcast has. And they kind of follow this formula.

[00:03:43] So the very first thing we need to work on, the very first element in this whole process is you need to know exactly who your audience is. Now, I know this is probably hard for some shows because maybe you're just getting started and you don't really know who's listening. And you're making a show maybe for everyone. First off, knock that off. Make a show for one single person.

[00:04:08] So the reason why this matters, if you don't know who you're talking to, your message won't land. The best podcasts feel like they're speaking directly to that one listener. But how do you define your audience? Well, first things first, you need to know who they are. That's kind of obvious, really.

[00:04:30] So maybe break down the demographics, interests, podcasting hobbies of that one listener. What do they like? What do they dislike? Who really are they? Imagine that person in your mind. And then also, why do they listen to podcasts? Because we all listen to a podcast for something. Some people listen to podcasts to merely be entertained. Great.

[00:04:57] A lot of us listen to podcasts because we want to know what's going on maybe in the local news or news headlines, news stories, things of that sort. Maybe some of us merely like to be educated through a podcast. There's plenty of those out there. Maybe you want to know what's going on behind the scenes on some true crime case, things you can't get anywhere else. And then possibly, maybe they want to be inspired. Maybe you're doing an inspirational podcast.

[00:05:28] So know why they are listening to the podcast in the first place. And then another thing is, what kind of content do they actually want? Now think about this one because if you're serving content that your ideal listener, the one that you want listening to your show, if you're not giving them what they would want to hear, then you're wasting their time. You're wasting your time. You're wasting everybody's time. Okay.

[00:05:57] So here are some real world examples of things that could happen. Not to say they are happening, but things that could happen. For example, let's say that since this podcast is about podcasting, let's just say that I, you know, imagine I started a podcast called Podcasting Pro Tips. And I assumed that my audience was made up of expert podcasters. But in reality, most of my listeners are beginners who needed help getting started.

[00:06:25] So if I were talking about advanced mixing techniques, they're going to feel lost and they're probably going to stop listening. But if somehow I were able to tailor the content to answer their actual questions, chances are they'll stay engaged. Now, another example, because I know a lot of you are the movie review, movie type shows, at least during the pandemic, I saw a bunch of those movie review shows pop up.

[00:06:51] But let's just say you're doing a movie review podcast, but who are your listeners? Are they casual fans who just want to know if the movie is worth watching? Or are they hardcore movie buffs who want to know deep dives on these particular movies and actors and movie scenes and things like that? If they are going deep into IMDB, if you don't know who your audience is, you might be talking over their heads or oversimplifying things and losing their interest.

[00:07:19] This is why knowing exactly who you're talking to is very important. So here's an actual tip you can do right now to figure out who your listener is. You need to create a listener avatar. You can maybe give them a name, describe their interests, and figure out what they want from your podcast. If you're struggling, check your analytics.

[00:07:44] Engage with your audience and look at what's working in your niche. I'm talking other podcasts, other social media accounts, other people like you serving possibly the same type of avatar that you are potentially going to serve.

[00:08:02] Okay, moving on to the second great thing that every great podcast does to make sure that they have an amazing show is that they identify the pain points of that listener we mentioned earlier. Now, why does this even matter? If your podcast doesn't address something that matters to your audience, they won't even stick around.

[00:08:25] Even the entertainment podcasts need to fulfill listeners' needs, whether it's curiosity, laughter, or just taking a little break from reality. And that is what movies and TV shows do best. Okay, but how do we find our audience's pain points? Well, this is where a little interaction goes a long way.

[00:08:47] So, for example, if you get listener audience feedback, I'm talking maybe emails, social media comments, there's plenty of those out there. Or, yes, even podcast reviews. But not just the generic podcast reviews. Hey, speaking of reviews, I've noticed the shows that have a lot of reviews tend to be the interview-only shows.

[00:09:09] And the reason why is because a lot of the hosts will require, if not ask, and require that the guest that comes on their show must leave them a review in their Apple Podcasts. And you can see this because you will notice that a lot of reviews will say something along the lines of, Great time interviewing with this host. I had a great time being a guest on this show. Things of that sort. So, you'll see a lot of those on there.

[00:09:36] But what I'm talking about is those people that actually leave your review just by itself all... Yes, it can happen. It is possible that somebody can leave your review that you did not ask for. It does happen. Not all the time, but it does happen. So, those are the kind of things that you want to look for when you're addressing your audience's pain points. And another thing you can do is you can join forums or groups within your niche. I'm talking Facebook, LinkedIn. Who else has got groups? Those are kind of the big ones that I hear about.

[00:10:05] There's always the Facebook groups, the LinkedIn groups, things like that. But also, join these groups and find out what common struggles do people talk about within your particular niche. This will kind of give you an idea of what those pain points are. And then think back to your own struggles when you first got started. I know for this podcast right here, Podtastic Audio, I have designed the show basically for you, but also for myself.

[00:10:34] Talking back to myself when I first got started, all the mistakes that I made when I jumped into podcasting, not knowing nothing about nothing. So, this show is also for you, but it's also for me too, the older version of myself. So, here are some other real world examples of how you can find your audience's pain points. So, for example, let's just say true crime is really popular. Is it still popular? I don't know.

[00:10:59] I'm not a bunch of a true crime podcast listener, but I do realize there's a lot of you out there that love the true crime podcast. So, why do people love true crime podcasts? Because they're trying to answer an unspoken question. Why did this even happen? Well, justice be served. The best true crime shows just don't retell cases.

[00:11:21] They uncover new angles, discuss legal implications, or even interview the experts that were there on the scene. It's information you can't get anywhere else. Okay, another example. Let's just say that you run a business podcast. It seems like there's lots of those on LinkedIn. Oh, my goodness. I'm on LinkedIn. And all I see are these business podcasts pop up and do their business stuff. Great. This one's for you.

[00:11:46] So, if you run a business podcast, your audience's biggest pain point might be, how do I grow my business without spending thousands on marketing? But if your episode talks about vague success stories, well, that's not very helpful. But if you give them real steps how they can take action today, now that's value. Okay, so here's a really quick actionable tip you can take on this right now.

[00:12:13] So, before you record your next episode, ask yourself, what problem am I solving for the listener? If the answer isn't clear, refine your episode's focus. Okay, and the third thing that every great podcast does when they create an amazing episode for their audience, you want to take a guess what this last bit is? Well, it's to deliver valuable content. Well, yeah, that would make sense.

[00:12:41] I mean, creating great content is always the goal. So, with every single episode, you should give the listener something new. Now, whether that's knowledge, inspiration, or just an amazing, fun experience. Okay, but how do we make sure that even happens? How do we deliver valuable content? Well, it all goes back to the previous two key elements I already showed you, is that first, you're going to know who your audience is. And second thing, what are the struggles they're going through?

[00:13:10] So, one thing I've always mentioned with podcasting is that podcasting is a great place for great storytelling. And storytelling is a great way to get your message across to your listeners, to make your concepts, the things you're talking about, very relatable. Because with a good story, the audience kind of gets sucked into the story. They put themselves in your shoes of your story, and it becomes very relatable.

[00:13:37] They actually connect on a deeper level through great storytelling. Also, provide clear takeaways that the listener can use. For example, with a good story, let's just say that your story was talking about maybe how you went to 7-Eleven, and you went to go buy a Slurpee, and then you realized you forgot your wallet, but you had your iPhone with you, and iPhone has Apple Pay. Bing, bing, done. You don't have to worry about bringing your wallet.

[00:14:03] That is a story that actually also provided you a solution to a problem you might actually have. But when you provide that amazing content to your audience, to that one avatar listener, try to keep things engaging, energetic, bring some humor, and maybe work on the pacing. Pacing does matter. And I know it doesn't happen overnight. And I know if you're a brand new podcaster using a microphone for the very first time, you're probably very nervous, and you're probably over the place.

[00:14:32] Don't worry. If you want to work on pacing, you can edit closer together. So, for example, if you are probably taking a long time between words or thoughts and thinking like, what am I going to say? And you're kind of fumbling over the place. Don't worry. Everything can be edited. Okay. So here's an example. If you do one of those funsy comedy style podcasts, like you got a comedy show. Great. There's lots of those out there.

[00:14:59] So if you ever notice why some comedy podcasts blow up while others struggle, the best ones don't just tell jokes. They create moments that stick with the audience. Whether it's an inside joke, a hilarious guest, or a crazy story, because stories are amazing, the listener feels like they're part of something special. And that's the goal. You want to make sure your listener to your podcast feels included, they feel special,

[00:15:27] and they feel like they got some amazing, valuable content from your show. Okay. So here is a really quick pro tip that you can use right now. So the best way to tell if your content is valuable, imagine someone recommending your podcast to a friend. So what would they say? If you can't answer that, work on making your episodes more memorable. And there you have it.

[00:15:53] Those are the three key elements that every single great, amazing podcast makes for every single great episode. Knowing who your audience is, what are their pain points, and how you can help them solve those pain points through amazing, great content. But I've got one more thing. Wait, there's one more. Just like how Apple used to do it, there's that one more thing. It was Apple's presentation. We got one more thing coming up.

[00:16:18] So for a bonus for you entertainment-based podcasts, I'm talking about the ones that do the movie reviews, the pop culture reviews, the TV show stuff, the Star Wars stuff. You know who you are. This one is for you as a slight little bonus. So what if you are particularly like not solving a problem for a listener? So if you're running a podcast about movies, TV shows, pop culture, or you might not even be solving a problem at all,

[00:16:46] but you still need to hook your audience with something unique, here's how you do it. Try making your perspective on the content on the show unique. What is your angle on the topic? Maybe you dislike the show or love the show. Let us know why. What are your favorite parts? What do you like about the thing you just watched or didn't like? Also, encourage your audience to interact directly with your content.

[00:17:14] I'm talking maybe some polls you can ask on social media. I love those social media polls. You can do it on, what is it? X, Twitter's got them. And I think even LinkedIn's got them. Probably Facebook's got them. Pretty much all of them have it. I don't know why Blue Sky doesn't have these polls set up yet. What's up, Blue Sky? Get on that. I'd like to have some polls I can run on Blue Sky. Hook that up. It'd be great. So things like that. And yes, even listener shout outs.

[00:17:40] Because when a listener hears their name on a podcast they listen to, oh my goodness. It's like butter for their ears. It's amazing. They love that kind of stuff. Or maybe also you can do is create some inside jokes or maybe even recurring segments that keep the listeners coming back. Okay. So for an example here, Star Wars is massive. It's been around for a long time. I was a big Star Wars fan as a kid. Watched all the original movies, the prequels, the sequel.

[00:18:10] What are the ones after that? I watched all the Star Wars stuff. Okay. So for example, if you have a Star Wars podcast, your listeners already know the plot of Empire Strikes Back. Well, I hope so. I would hope so. So instead of retelling it, do an episode like, say for example, five things you never noticed about Empire Strikes Back. Or why this scene is the best in Star Wars history. That keeps things fresh.

[00:18:40] So here is a simple tip you can do right now with your cool movie pop culture show. You can do right now is basically find what makes your podcast different from the rest. You know, if you can't answer that, experiment with new segments and see what sticks. You always can evolve your show. It's not set in stone. You can change everything from the artwork to the intro to the music to the go host to the sound, the microphone to whatever.

[00:19:10] You can change whatever you want, whenever you want. It's your show. Experiment with it. Have fun. See what works best for you. And then just test the waters and see what happens. Maybe people will like it. If you get more comments and more people writing you saying, oh, I love that new thing you did. Oh, that was a great episode. That was amazing. Then chances are you're on the right track. Okay. So to recap today, you need to know exactly who your audience is, who they are, and what do they care about.

[00:19:39] The next thing you need to know is what are their pain points? Even entertainment podcasts fulfill a listener's need. Need to know what they're struggling with. Then you need to deliver valuable content on their struggles. Whether it's information, entertainment, or both. Always make it worth their time. Now, I said this once. I think I said this in the last episode. Is that do not waste your listeners' time. Time is very valuable.

[00:20:09] We are all given the same amount of time every single day. And that's why I actually enjoy audio podcasts. And I enjoy creating audio podcasts. It's because I feel like it's content delivered that does not waste anyone's time. So if you have a fantastic podcast episode idea based on the things I mentioned today in this episode, hey, let me know about it. I love to hear about it. You can contact me directly through my website.

[00:20:37] That is podcasticaudio.com. Right on there, I've got ways to contact me through social media. All the links, all the socials are right there. And of course, I've got this cool little like contact me form right there on podcasticaudio.com. It's all right there. I'd love to hear from you. And you keep on making your amazing podcasts. And I'll see you next time. Happy podcasting.