Pump Up Your Podcast Audience

So, you've started a podcast for your association. Now you're wondering, how can we grow our audience?

Every podcast launch should be strategic, says Emily Drake, marketing and communications manager for association clients at Smithbucklin. It should be part of an integrated communications plan that leverages all of the association's channels from blogs and publications to social media and direct mail to get the word out to members.

Marketing begins with the initial branding of the podcast:

1. Make sure the name of the podcast is relevant to the content the association plans to offer and the organization
2. Double-check that the name is not already taken by another show with a robust audience
3. Once named, be sure to make the podcast's cover art easy to read and recognizable, as well as tied to the focus of the content and the association (e.g., a health care association may want to incorporate a stethoscope or other health care-related icons in their podcast show branding)

Once launched, associations need to focus on providing relevant content to their audience on a frequent basis, which can be weekly, monthly, quarterly, or all-at-once in support of the binge-listening trend. In one case, ACM SIGGRAPH bumped up the number of SIGGRAPH Spotlight podcast episodes from six episodes annually to once per month and has since seen an increase in subscribers and average downloads.

Growing Your Audience

Associations can capture audience attention early with a trailer that introduces the show and its content to listeners before the first episode is released. Using the show's regular host and talking about the frequency and focus of the podcast will prime the audience ahead of time. Check out the Legal Marketing Association Podcast's What to Expect trailer and Applied Client Network's Re: Applied trailer, which the association also embedded on its landing page.

Show notes that describe each episode should be tailored to capture SEO. Drake says, "Make sure your keyword game is strong. Emphasize those keywords in the show notes and the episode titles." This enables people searching for specific topics in podcast databases to find your association's episodes.

Drake points out that sharing episodes on social media with relevant graphics also can generate additional listeners, especially if the association shares episodes that are relevant to current trends or market needs, such as SIGGRAPH Spotlight's 47^th episode on inclusion in the workplace. It's especially helpful, she says, to have guest hosts — who ideally should be well-known to the industry or an influencer in the market — share episodes on their own social media.

Extending the Life of Your Podcast

1. Have hosts remind listeners to review the podcast on the platform (e.g., Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.) where they listen, share it with friends, and subscribe

2. Create short clips or audio grams to tease episodes on social media using tools like Wavve or Headliner. Check out this example from SIGGRAPH Spotlight, which showcases a clip from an episode on deepfakes, or this one from Re: Applied, which spotlights an episode on how to improve the future of commercial lines with IVANS
3. Partner with another podcast or publication to trade advertisements or trailers at little to no cost
4. Re-share older episodes that are relevant again, either in articles/blog posts, via email, or on social media
5. Boost and pay for social media advertising to build awareness of your show
6. Focus episodes on industry hot topics and share with reporters when relevant to their beat

With 40% of all internet users (117.8 million people) in the United States as monthly podcast listeners and more than 144 million people expected to be monthly podcast listeners by the end of 2025, it's clear that associations need to do more to capture the attention of this rapt and growing audience. This is especially true as more time is spent listening to podcasts and more advertising dollars are being spent on podcasts.