Datasheet

Broadening Your Focus to Appeal to New Listeners
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A little of this technique goes a long way.
Don’t use it as a crutch when you’re out of
things to talk about. And certainly don’t use it
in your first 20 episodes. There are few things
more annoying than a show host begging the
audience to come up with ideas. Audiences
see that as laziness on the part of the host,
and they quickly find someone else willing to
put forth the necessary effort to keep produc-
ing the content they want to hear.
Instead of asking your listeners outright what you
should do, pay attention to the feedback they pro-
vide you about the shows you produce. We go into
great detail about feedback and how to get it in
Practice 34.
One thing you’ll learn is that podcast listeners aren’t
afraid of letting you know what they think of your
show. When something out of the ordinary that you
do strikes a chord with them — either positively or
negatively — they’ll speak up. Pay attention to this
feedback and look for ways to keep doing more of
the things they like.
You can also consider learning more about your
audience and tailoring the show to their needs. If
your show on women’s hat fashion from the 1960s is
frequented by a high percentage of listeners from
the Eastern seaboard (you can find this in your
server log files), consider adding a recurring seg-
ment dedicated to the life and times of Jackie
Kennedy-Onassis.
The idea is to play to the audience. Find out about
them with surveys and server logs, or engage them
in an ongoing dialogue. Yes, the show is about you,
by you, and should be of primary importance to you.
But surely there is some common ground between
you and your audience, or they wouldn’t be listening
to you in the first place.
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