34. Getting Specific Can Make Your Podcast More Successful

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Laura: Welcome to Podcasting for Business Owners. I’m Your host, Laura McRae, a podcast consultant, educator, and self confessed podcast nerd. If you’re thinking of launching a podcast.

Laura: Or want to grow the one you.

Laura: Have, you’re in the right place. Hold on to your headphones and let’s go.

The number one mistake that stops most podcasters from growing is trying too many

Laura: Hello and welcome back to Podcasting for Business Owners. The podcaster helps you share your story, lead your industry, and grow your network through podcasting. I’m your host, Laura McRae, and today we’re talking about the number one mistake that stops most podcasters from growing. I’ll give you a hint. It’s not about your equipment or how often you publish. It’s something that might feel a little uncomfortable at first. It’s trying to appeal to too many people. In this episode, I’ll share how getting specific with your audience can be the best thing you do for your podcast. I’ll give you real examples from my clients who’ve seen incredible growth once they got clear on who they were speaking to. And I’ll take you through some practical steps to help you figure out your own podcast niche.

When you try to speak to everyone, your message gets watered down

If you’ve ever felt unsure about who you’re really speaking to on your podcast, I’ve got a free resource to help you get clear. Grab your free ideal listener list of questions. You can grab it right now through the link in the show notes. It’ll help you narrow down your audience so you can create content that truly connects with the right listeners. So what’s the problem with being too broad? When you try to speak to everyone, your message gets watered down. And when your message is vague, it’s really hard for your listeners to connect with it. I’ve seen this happen again and again with podcasters who start out wanting a massive audience. I, had a client who started a podcast. Her target audience was people in the building industry and individuals who have built their own home. On the surface, it seemed like a great idea. There are so many stories to tell. But because the audience was too broad and the message wasn’t clear, she struggled to come up with focused content. And after just 13 episodes, she ran out of steam. Fast forward to today and she’s refocused her, podcast. Now it’s aimed at women in the building industry who want to build their careers in a male dominated world. Suddenly, everything feels easier for her. her content ideas flow because she knows exactly who she’s speaking to and what challenges they face. This new direction is aligned with her passion and her experience, and I have no doubt it will resonate deeply with her listeners. It’s actually easier to connect with a smaller, specific audience because you’re speaking directly to their experiences. The more specific you get, the more your listener will think. It’s like your podcast was made just for me. When I first started helping people with podcasts, I wanted to help everyone. Coaches, creatives, authors, business owners, you name it. But my messaging quickly became confusing. Once I got clear on who I wanted to help best, which is business owners who want to use a podcast as a marketing tool. Everything changed. My content became more focused and I started attracting clients who were the perfect fit. They weren’t stuck wondering if I was the right person to help them, they knew I was because my message spoke directly to their struggles, not having enough time, being overwhelmed by tech and wanting a clear strategy to meet their business goals. And it’s not just podcasters. Big companies do the same. Think about Amazon. It started with just selling books and Facebook was just for college students. There were no groups or adverts. Take Amy Porterfield for example. These days she’s ah, a well known online marketing expert with courses on everything from list building to webinars and online course creation. But she didn’t start out that broad. When she first left her corporate job, Amy focused solely on teaching business owners how to use Facebook marketing to grow their businesses. That was her thing. Super specific and focused. By niching down and becoming the go to person for Facebook marketing, she built a solid foundation. Once her audience grew and her expertise became recognised, she was able to expand into other areas of online marketing. Her story shows how starting with a specific focus doesn’t limit you. In fact, it gives you clarity and

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credibility to grow your audience faster and create even bigger opportunities down the road. You have to be known for one thing before you can be known for everything. I know it can feel scary. You might be thinking, isn’t my audience too small? No, the Internet is massive. Trust me, there are more than enough people who need what you have to share. You might be thinking, but won’t I run out of things to talk about? Not if you know your audience well. In fact, the more specific you get, the easier it is to come up with new episode ideas because you’re solving real problems for your listeners. You’ll think, will I exclude people? Yes, you will. And that’s okay. You’re not creating a podcast for everyone. The people you’re creating it for will love it and keep coming back.

When you get specific, podcasting becomes so much more fun and rewarding

So how do you figure out who your ideal listener is? Here’s a few quick steps. Number one. Reflect on your experience. Who do you enjoy helping the most? What topics light you up? Number two, think about their struggles. What’s keeping them up at night? What are they trying to figure out that you can help them with? And number three be specific. For example, women in business is too broad, but female wellness coaches who want to grow their online presence is much more focused. If you’re stuck, I’ve got a free Ideal Listener list of questions that will help you get clear on who your podcast is for. You can find the link to that in the show notes. When you get specific, podcasting becomes so much more fun and rewarding. Content ideas flow effortlessly. Promoting your show is easier because you know exactly where your listeners hang out and what they care about. And growth happens faster because your message resonates with the right people. I know it feels uncomfortable at first to narrow your focus, but but I promise it’s well worth it. Trust the process, stay consistent and speak directly to your ideal listener. You’ll build a podcast that not only grows, but genuinely impacts people’s lives.

Have you found value in this podcast? Please leave a review

Until next time, grab your Ideal Listener list and start refining who your podcast is for. Thank you for listening and happy podcasting.

Laura: Have you found value in this podcast? Please leave. A five star rating and a review would be even better. Your support shows that this is a good show which will attract high profile guests and in turn deliver greater value to you. This podcast is produced and edited by me. Don’t waste your time on editing. Let me help you with your podcast. Check out the links in the show notes to get in touch.

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