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Every podcaster on the planet wants a bigger audience. Unquestioned. But most of us start out with a great idea for a podcast (at least we think so), grab a mic, plug it in, hit the record button, and we start talking.

We don’t start where we SHOULD start - with knowledge of the audience we want to speak to.

Why is that so important? To answer the question I’ve asked Tommy Walker to be my guest on this episode. Tommy has vast experience in Content Marketing (which is what podasting is) and the principles he’s learned there apply directly - almost across the board - to podcasting.

Listen up. Take notes. Work hard to understand what Tommy’s sharing. It could grow your audience like nothing else.

EVERYTHING COVERED IN THIS EPISODE

• [2:23] Tommy’s journey from acting to content marketing
• [5:54] Just because you publish something doesn’t mean people are going to find it
• [8:08] How to find the information and places where your audience hangs out
• [13:23] Case study: Finding demographics for a D&D Podcast audience
• [18:30] As long as you keep a spreadsheet, you can keep yourself focused
• [23:51] Other ways to find your audience: guest posts, talking to people, etc.
• [27:17] What is psychographics and why does it matter?
• [31:28] Is community the missing element in your podcast growth and promotion?
• [33:05] Why you need to analyze your audience like actors analyze scripts
• [37:08] Tommy’s role as the Global Editor in Chief for Quicken

FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE

• Connect with Tommy on LinkedIn
• Tommy on Twitter: @TommyIsMyName
• SPREADSHEET EXAMPLE Tommy mentioned (make a copy for yourself) as well as a detailed breakdown of how he uses it.
• Podcast Assessment and Consulting

 MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

• BOOKS: Entrepreneur Mind Hacks 1 and Entrepreneur Mind Hacks 2
• Tommy’s Crazy Egg article I referenced
• Shopify
• Google Trends
• www.CityStateInfo.com
• Google Maps
• www.GeekAndSundry.com
• www.SimilarWeb.com
• SPREADSHEET EXAMPLE?????????
• Critical Role Podcast
• Marc Maron Podcast
• Seinfeld TV show - No Double Dipping
• Entrepreneur On Fire with John Lee Dumas
• How To Analyze A Script For Actors

Who IS your audience, really?

Most of us podcasters don’t really know. We say general things about our audience that would be obvious to anyone - but what do those things tell us ABOUT them, about their habits, about their entertainment choices, about the things they might be interested in online?

When we know that kind of stuff we’re able to track them down, hang out with them, talk about the things they are already interested in, befriend them, and eventually, get them interested in our podcast (because they are the kind of people who will like it).

Tommy shares his approach to researching a target audience for content marketing - and it’s not so far off from what we need to be doing to find and befriend our listening audiences.

But that sounds like a lot of work, do I really have to do it?

Yep, it is a lot of work. And no, you don’t have to do it - not if you don’t care if your podcast audience grows. Not if you don’t want to find the people your podcast can truly help.

OK - I’m exaggerating a bit there. If you stay consistent with the production of great content, you MAY be able to attract a good following over time, through the slow trickle of word-of-mouth growth.

If that happens, it’s good. I’m happy for you - really. But if you want to get there faster… well, that’s why I asked Tommy to spill the beans for us.

On this episode he talks about things like demographics and psychographics - and unpacks them so we can understand what in the HECK he’s talking about.

SO THAT we can find, meet, befriend, and add value to the people who will benefit from our podcast. That’s something we all need, isn’t it?

To speak to your audience effectively you need to know how they think

You will speak differently to a 45 year old man than you will to a Jr. High girl - for a number of reasons. But one of the main reasons is because you know they like different things, relate to different things, have extremely different opinions, and behave very differently.

The fact that you know that kind of stuff is - wait for it - because you know some psychographics about them.

Simply put, psychographics has to do with studying the activity, interests, opinions, attitudes, values, and behaviors of a group of people.

In YOUR case: the type of people who listen to a show that is about what YOUR show is about.

Capiche?

You need to know everything about your audience you can possibly know. Of course, there will be individual differences, but generally speaking, people interested in Dungeons and Dragons are also interested in Game of Thrones. People who are interested in Justin Beiber are also likely interested in the Twilight movies and books.

How do I know that? Psychographics.

What that MEANS for your show is this: If you’re trying to reach the kind of people who are interested in Justin Bieber, you may want to hang out in Facebook groups and physical locations where Twilight is a topic. You’re hanging out with the crowd you’re trying to reach, based on what you know about their entertainment choices.

Tommy explains how to go in-depth with that kind of research, on this episode.

People who share your content aren’t jazzed about you. They share things as an extension of themselves.

It’s disappointing, I know - but the people who share your stuff do so because of how it makes them look - not because you are all that great. There’s nothing you can do about it - except capitalize on it (in a good way).

What is it that those “sharers” are trying to accomplish? How are they wanting to appear to their peers? You can help them achieve those goals by creating the kind of content they like to share.

And how do you know what kind of content that is? By doing your homework/research.

In this conversation Tommy Walker explains what you can do to create the kind of content your audience will be eager to share, so listen closely and take notes so you don’t miss it.

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