An Experts Guide to Building a Highly Ranked and Popular Podcast

There are currently over 2 million podcasts available on almost every topic. As the competition for eyeballs and clicks becomes more intense, it is critical to conduct preliminary research before embarking on something as complex as launching a podcast. You must consider not only marketing but also scripts, guests, and the numerous platforms that distribute the platforms (Apple, Spotify, PodBean, Stitcher...). So, if you want to dominate your market, you must learn to differentiate yourself. So how would you generate interest in order to build listeners and create content that keeps them coming back?

The following five suggestions come from Luis R. Diaz, a podcast promotion and distribution expert and CEO of Top10 Podcasts.

1. Perfect Your Concept and Hook

You can do everything right when creating your podcast and still fall flat if you don't have an engaging concept. Your concept and your hook are two separate things that you must nail. Your concept refers to what your podcast will be about, or what you intend to discuss. Your hook is more focused. What will entice listeners to return?

To answer these questions, you must first understand your target audience. If you know who your target audience is for the concept you're working on, you can craft the perfect hook to keep them interested. Simply put, you must consider who you are creating a podcast for and what they might be interested in hearing.

Once you've decided on your concept and hook, you should research the competition. The goal here is not to imitate a successful podcast, but to learn what makes it work and apply it to your own work before implementing it in your own unique way. As you listen to what works and what doesn't, ask yourself these questions. Check out the comments to see what the competition's listeners think. When you've finished your research, sit down and see if you can describe your podcast in ten words that set it apart from the rest. This will force you to be clear and specific, as well as provide you with a guide to refer to when you need to ensure you are on track.

2. Design the Cover Package

Take some time to listen to some podcasts on different platforms and notice how the visual representation they've chosen catches your attention. People will judge a book by its cover, and your cover must pique the interest of potential readers. As a result, you should select an image that speaks to both your target audience and you. Make certain that you do not skimp on quality. It would be a mistake to underestimate the impact of a visually appealing, high-resolution graphic.

3. Launch with the Correct Categories

Identifying your podcast with the appropriate categories will help bring your work to the attention of your target audience. It could mean the difference between being ranked in the top 50 and not being ranked at all. Getting this right will help you establish your authority as a podcaster and increase your exposure to new potential listeners. Furthermore, for maximum coverage and visibility, select the maximum number of categories permitted.

4. Gain New Listeners

You want to bring in listeners as soon as possible because your podcast is nothing without them. There are a variety of ways to accomplish this, including giveaways, guest appearances on other podcasts, cross promotions with influencers and brands, and collaboration with podcast directories. Some podcast directories, such as Stitcher, Castbox, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music, will accept podcast pitches and feature shows that they deem worthy, so it's worth researching which ones will do this and how to pitch them.

5. Maintain Listeners' Interest

For your podcast to be successful, you must have a large number of listeners. This is where your content really shines, because it is what draws people in to begin with. However, there are other factors to consider when discussing listener retention.

Consider the length of your podcast and what they will gain from it. You don't want listeners to leave halfway through an episode and forget to return if it's two hours long, and you don't want them to completely skip the episode because they don't think it's worth their time.

Each episode should share content that the listener finds interesting and valuable, and it should get right to the good stuff. A good rule of thumb is the 30:3 rule, which states that a listener should know what the podcast is about and why they should stick around within the first 30 seconds, and within the first 3 minutes, they should get into the content.

About Luis R. Diaz

Luis R. Diaz is the CEO of Top 10 Podcasts, a company conceived for and dedicated to helping podcast owners build their listeners. The author of, How to Get Your First 100,000 Downloads in 100 Days, Diaz has worked with numerous clients from a wide variety of industries. His client list includes thought leaders, entrepreneurs, Olympic medalists, NFL athletes and venture capitalists. For more information about building a podcast, check out Luis’ website, Top10podcasts.com