Content thrives when there’s a dedicated community built around it. Discussion are sparked, ideas are shared, and friendships are formed all through the love for a specific piece of content. Podcast creators, and other types of content creators, can only benefit from having a loyal community.
Of course, it’s much easier said than done to build a flourishing community. Luckily for you, we’ve created a helpful guide to walk you through everything you need to know to grow your own community from scratch!
A Strong Foundation
Much like podcasting itself, a strong foundation is key to creating a thriving community for your podcast. There are three pillars that can help to build an engaged community for your show: authenticity, consistency, and value. Each of these are essential to crafting a worthwhile community!
Be Your Authentic Self
Many people see their content as extensions of themselves. They infuse their shows, blog pieces, and even ad breaks with their own voices. This invites their audience to learn more about them as a person and feel connected on a more personal level.
Authenticity also requires a level of vulnerability which is necessary to build trust with your audience. Your audience will deeply appreciate how real you are with them, and in turn, they’ll become loyal listeners!
Be Consistent
Another essential pillar to cultivating a community is to ensure you’re consistent with your content. Not just in your posting schedule, but in the overall tone and flavor. Your audience will come to expect certain things from you. This isn’t to say you can’t surprise them with a twist here and there, though! You just don’t want to constantly be pivoting from one genre to the next. Doing so might create content whiplash and you could lose potential lifetime listeners.
Create Value
We’re not talking monetary value, but rather filling a niche and providing valuable content for that topic. You chose your topic since you hold a great passion for it so don’t be afraid to share your thoughts! If you’re stuck on how to provide value for your audience, then focus on the goal for your community – what do you want to accomplish? What do you want your audience to take away?
Understanding how you can create value for your audience by being your authentic self and creating consistent content will put you on the right path to developing a thriving community for your podcast.
Managing a Community
Once you’ve garnered enough interest for your show, you can start interacting with your audience on a more frequent basis. There are plenty of ways to manage a community but selecting the right tools can help to further increase the effectiveness of your community.
Social Media
Venturing onto social media is an easy, and often free, way to actively engage with your audience. From Instagram to Bluesky to TikTok, there are endless places to connect with your listeners online. Be sure to choose a platform where your target audience is most active, though! Your efforts will most likely be in vain if you choose the least active platform for your audience.
But just publishing a quick post or throwing a like here and there won’t help you build the community you want. For the best results, you need to reach out to your audience directly. Don’t be afraid to solicit their feedback through polls, thoughtful posts, and live Q&A sessions. You can engage on a more personal level by sharing stories from your community or hopping on a trend relevant to your audience.
Forums and Other Online Groups
An often overlooked place to hang out with your listeners are forums and other community boards. You can utilize websites like Reddit or invest in your own website to create a space for your most dedicated listeners. These more intimate online settings help to foster a deeper connection with your audience. Not only are you building a community around your content, but you’re providing a way for listeners to connect with one another.
The essential key to success for whichever platform you choose is making your audience feel included. Make them a part of your podcast by inviting feedback and suggestions, responding to their opinions, and giving them somewhere to interact with you and other listeners in a welcoming space.
Challenges to Overcome
In a perfect world, managing a community would be easy-breezy. But there are challenges that many podcasters face when diving into the world of community management. From harsh criticisms to low engagement, there are many ways managing a community can be tough. Don’t let that get you down, though! Content creators are often the most determined group of people when they put their minds to it.
Just Starting Out
You may feel discouraged when you launch your community as you may not have as many active users as you were hoping. Don’t let this deter you! A great way to combat this phenomenon is to be vocal about your new community! Incentivize your listeners by offering exclusives like Q&A’s with you, special giveaways, private/exclusive content, and more! Offering reasons to join your community can help to bring in hesitant listeners.
Keeping the Party Going
It can be tricky to hold on to community members, especially if you’re not active enough in your own community in order to sustain its engagement. One way to mitigate boredom in your community is to create interactive content for your audience. Elicit their feedback, suggestions, and host discussions of your content and topics. Keep them engaged by sharing relevant information for your show that can spark conversations. Most importantly, be sure to pay attention to what your community members want. Maybe they wish to hear more behind the scenes content or want you to talk about a specific topic. Keep your eyes and ears open!
Managing Negative Feedback
It’s inevitable that you’ll receive negative feedback from some listeners. It’s simply the nature of the internet itself. The best way to handle it is to make sure you’re prepared! Create community guidelines to protect yourself and others from harassment. For the more constructive criticism, listen to it with an open mind and empathy. This person more than likely wants to see you succeed so they share their thoughts in a way they feel will best reach you.
Of course, be sure to take care of yourself before responding! Take the time to really understand and hear the feedback rather than reacting on impulse. Processing how you feel about negative feedback makes a world of difference when you respond.
Finally, feel empowered to make decisions on who, or who doesn’t, belong in your community. If something makes you uncomfortable then don’t be afraid to ban it!
Podcast communities are an incredible opportunity to engage with your audience and cultivate lifetime listeners. You can create something larger than yourself and push your podcast to new heights simply by inviting others to join you in your podcasting journey!
Interested in taking your podcast to the next level? Why not check out RedCircle and all that we offer!
