This is a frequently asked question, and a good one to tackle before we move on.
If you already have a blog or an online business of some kind or have a following on social media, you will already have an audience in place when you start your podcast. It might not be a large audience but at least you know that there are some people out there who want to hear what you've got to say.
If you already have an audience built around something other than your podcast, say for example, you're an accountant whose podcast will be about the importance of financial planning for your retirement, then you can use your existing audience to start a fanbase for your new podcast. Assuming, of course, that your podcast is relevant to your existing audience.
During the planning stages, you could survey your audience. A survey can give you lots of really valuable information, regardless of the stage of the podcast, because it will help you to tailor your content to suit your audience's needs.
NOTE: don’t let the results of a survey become a source of procrastination or “design by committee”. This is your podcast, and you need to make the decisions and move forward.
What If I Have No Audience?
Welcome to the vast majority of people who start a podcast! There are so many things that can put you off starting a podcast, but this shouldn't be one of them!
Almost every podcaster kicks things off by talking “into the void”, but follow the steps in this program and you’ll begin to steadily grow your own audience from scratch.
The good news is that a 2020 survey showed that potential new listeners don’t care if they’ve never heard of you. In fact, it’s the least important factor they’ll consider when weighing up whether or not to hit play.
The MOST important factors in whether people choose to listen to you is i) your show description followed by ii) your episode notes.
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