TPU158 – Building an Engaged Community around your Podcast!

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Dilip

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Building an engaged community around your podcast is a game-changer.

Not only does it help with listener engagement, but it also builds loyalty, provides valuable feedback, and can become a source of inspiration for future content.

In this episode, we’ll look at the benefits of having a dedicated community, the tools and platforms you can use to build one, effective engagement strategies, and how to leverage your community for podcast growth.

But then how do you build and grow a community?

We will be discussing more about it in a while.

But first let us answer the question – do we really need to build a community?

Benefits of Having a Dedicated Community

Podcasting is about building a fan following.

Your focus should ideally be on building a following that comes back and listens to every one of your episodes..

..and a following that reaches out to you to ask questions, give feedback and know more about you and your show.

Having a dedicated community has a lot of advantages:

  • Increased Engagement: Community members are more likely to engage with your content, share it, and participate in discussions.
  • Loyalty and Retention: A strong community builds loyalty, ensuring that your listeners stick around longer.
  • Feedback and Ideas: Your community can provide valuable feedback and ideas for future episodes.
  • Support and Encouragement: A supportive community can motivate you to keep producing content, especially during challenging times.

Tools and Platforms for Community Building

Building a community is not that difficult today, with so many different tools out there..

You can pick any one of them and just get started.

Some of the ones that I recommend are –

  • Facebook Groups: Create a private or public group where listeners can join, share their thoughts, and engage with each other.
  • Discord: A versatile platform that allows for real-time chat, voice channels, and community engagement.
  • Slack: Ideal for more professional or niche communities, offering organized channels and direct messaging.
  • Patreon: Not only for monetization, but also for creating a sense of exclusivity and direct engagement with your supporters.
  • Mighty Networks: A platform specifically designed for community building, offering features like discussion forums, event calendars, and content sharing.
  • WhatsApp: This is the most accessible option and with WhatsApp introducing the option of communities, you can easily build it online.
  • Telegram: Telegram has been a place for communities since the time they started. Getting started is easy and since most people use the app, it becomes easier for you to onboard people onto your community.

Engagement Strategies to Keep Your Community Active

Once you’ve chosen a platform, it’s essential to keep your community engaged.

Merely building a community will not help.

You need to consistently engage with people. You need to show up everyday for people to see and know you and engage with you.

Here are some of the things I recommend –

  • Regular Interaction: Be active in your community. Respond to comments, ask questions, and participate in discussions.
  • Exclusive Content: Share behind-the-scenes content, sneak peeks of upcoming episodes, or exclusive interviews.
  • Live Events: Host live Q&A sessions, webinars, or virtual meetups to interact with your community in real-time.
  • Challenges and Contests: Create fun challenges or contests to encourage participation and interaction.
  • Polls and Surveys: Use polls and surveys to gather feedback and make your listeners feel involved in the content creation process.

Leveraging Your Community for Podcast Growth

Your community is a very powerful tool for podcast growth.

If you can manage it well, you will be able to grow your audience without really spending a lot of money on paid methods.

A few techniques you can use are –

  • Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Encourage your community members to share your podcast with their networks.
  • User-Generated Content: Feature content created by your listeners, such as fan art, stories, or even guest appearances.
  • Collaborations and Partnerships: Collaborate with community members who have unique skills or insights that can add value to your podcast.
  • Feedback Loops: Use the feedback and suggestions from your community to continuously improve your content and make it more appealing.

Conclusion

Building a community around your podcast is not just about gaining more listeners; it’s about creating a loyal and engaged group of supporters who believe in your content and mission.

By making use of the right tools and strategies, you can build a vibrant community that will support your podcast’s growth and success.

Thank you for listening to this episode.

I hope you found these tips helpful and are excited to start building your own podcast community.

And don’t forget to join our free course on “How to Start a Podcast” if you’re just getting started.

Until next time, happy podcasting!

Show Notes:

Here’s what we discussed in the episode –

  1. Benefits of having a community around your podcast.
  2. Tools and Platforms for building a community
  3. Engagement Strategies to keep your community active
  4. Leveraging your community for podcast growth

This episode is sponsored by Zencastr. Use my special link here to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan. 

Resources discussed in the episode

Here are some of the resources I discussed in this episode that can help you start your podcast on a budget.

You can find all of the audacity tutorials on YouTube here – Click here!

You can find all of the editing tutorials on YouTube here – Click here!

Thank You for Joining

Thank you all for joining me on the show today.

If you enjoyed this episode then I am sure you will love some of the previous episodes as well. Pick your favorite ones and give them a listen.

The podcasting university is available on all podcasting platforms. You can pick your favorite one to listen to the show there. The links to some of the prominent ones are mentioned below.

CASTBOX: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/castbox
STITCHER: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/stitcher
TUNEIN: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/tunein
GOOGLE PODCASTS: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/googlepodcasts
APPLE PODCASTS: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/itunes
PLAYER.FM: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/playerfm
SPOTIFY: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/spotify
HUBHOPPER: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/hubhopper
AMAZON PRIME: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/prime

Recommended Resources for Podcasting

Here are some of the recommended resources for Podcasting. These are the ones that I personally use and am satisfied with and hence am recommending them.

  • Acast Podcast hosting – Acast is my favorite podcast hosting company. They have excellent customer support, have a pocket-friendly plan, and even have a free option with no limits.
  • Behringer Audio Interface – You will need an audio interface if you are using an XLR microphone. This is my recommended audio interface.
  • Zencastr – Zencastr is the easiest option to record interviews, both audio-only and audio+video. This is a must for an interview podcast. Go to zencastr.com/pricing and use my code “thepodu” You’ll get 30 percent off your first three months of Zencastr professional.
  • Audacity – This is the best and the most feature-rich free audio editing software. It gives you a lot of options while editing your interviews.
  • Samson Q2U – My recommended microphone
  • JBL Quantum 100 – My recommended headphones
  • Tidycal – My recommended calendar and booking solutions
  • Descript – Audio Editing, Transcription and Video editing software

AMAZON DISCLOSURE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The Podcasting University is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

MICROPHONES –

  1. ATR-2100x: https://amzn.to/3N3ru5C
  2. MAONO AU-HD300T : https://geni.us/ro48q
  3. Maono AU-WDM01 : https://geni.us/PhZ3V2v
  4. Samson Q2U – https://geni.us/k9cuk
  5. Audio Technica AT 2035 – https://geni.us/g2URDI
  6. Rode NT USB – https://geni.us/O6b65K
  7. Shure MV7X – https://geni.us/w7rZ4

LAVELIER MICROPHONES

  1. Boya ByM1 Auxillary Lavelier Microphone – https://geni.us/boyabym1lav
  2. Boya ByM1 Pro Lavelier Microphones – https://geni.us/boyabym1prolav
  3. Digitek Wireless Microphone – https://geni.us/R3cGd
  4. Boya – BYXM6 Wireless Microphone – https://geni.us/OS6gq
  5. Vook Dual Channel Wireless Microphone – https://geni.us/V9YBO1i

PORTABLE RECORDERS –

  1. Zoom H5 Portable Recorder – https://geni.us/rVTAIAV
  2. Zoom H1N Portable Recorder – https://geni.us/dOaDg

AUDIO INTERFACE –

  1. Behringer U-PHORIA UM2 – https://geni.us/gBCjm
  2. M-Audio M-Track Solo – https://geni.us/RnhHr
  3. HAYDEN HY-229 – https://geni.us/c80KbWB

MIXERS –

  1. HAYDEN 4 Channels – https://geni.us/cXQ0
  2. Behringer Q502USB

MONITORING HEADPHONES –

  1. Oneodio Studio Pro-10 : https://geni.us/IQI88Se
  2. Maono AU-MH501 : https://geni.us/AbNrU
  3. Audio-Technica ATH-M20X : https://geni.us/eEUf9

POP-FILTER –

  1. JEYANG Metal Pop Filter – https://geni.us/JMfuY
  2. Wright WP 101 – https://geni.us/OcOAzj

DESK-STAND/BOOM ARM –

  1. MY-STANDS MC 18 : https://geni.us/Lwnb
  2. Bulfyss Professional Recording Microphone Stand: https://geni.us/mV4S

If you are on Pinterest, do pin the below image there.

building an engaged community

About the Author - Dilip

Podcaster, Blogger and Affiliate Marketer, I love the internet for the many opportunities that it offers.
I started my first podcast way back in 2009. Till now I have released more than 600 episodes including my own podcasts and some episodes that I did for my clients.
I share all of those simple, practical and implementable podcasting tips in my show, "The Podcasting University".

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