January 1, 2021
Stu McLaren | Grow Your Podcast Audience Summit with Louis Shulman and Kyle Bishop
Check out the Louis and Kyle Show Podcast Page
Key Takeaways
- Appearing on other podcasts was Stu McLaren’s most effective way to gain new subscribers
- By appearing on other podcasts he can reach directly to people who regularly listen to podcasts (and are therefore more likely to subscribe)
- When he goes to other podcasts he mentions relevant episodes of his show that might appeal to that audience
- “Each episode is an asset, the more you use it, the more powerful it becomes to help you grow your show” Stu McLaren
- “As long as you have some idea of what the next show might be, tease it and create some anticipation for it” Stu McLaren
Intro
- Stu McLaren (@StuMcLaren) is an entrepreneur (expert in the subscription business model) consultant and the host of The “Marketing Your Business” Podcast
- Check out Stu’s website
- Host: Louis Shulman (T: @LouisShulman IG:@shulmanlouis) and Kyle Bishop (IG: @thekylebishop)
Most Effective Marketing Channels to Grow Your Audience?
- Stu doesn’t deny the effectiveness of promoting his podcast on social media
- But appearing on other podcasts was much more effective to gain new subscribers
- By appearing on other podcasts he can reach directly to people who regularly listen to podcasts (and are therefore more likely to subscribe)
- When he goes to other podcasts he mentions relevant episodes of his show that might appeal to that audience
Underrated Tactic to Attract Listeners
- Leveraging big promotional events of related businesses to drive people to your podcast
- Every year, Stu’s consulting business, Tribe, runs a big launch promotion that gathers a lot of attention
- This year, during the launch event, Stu assigned participants specific episodes to listen to as homework
- This led to a huge increase in downloads
- “Each episode is an asset, the more you use it, the more powerful it becomes to help you grow your show” Stu McLaren
- This year, during the launch event, Stu assigned participants specific episodes to listen to as homework
Converting Listeners into Fans
- During the podcast episodes, Stu shares a lot of anecdotes from his life
- This allows people to know him more deeply and create a strong connection
- To drive listeners back, Stu teases them about what they can expect in the following episodes
- “As long as you have some idea of what the next show might be, tease it and create some anticipation for it” Stu McLaren
- What is true with Netflix TV shows is also true for podcasts
- Teasing future episodes works
- Stu also refers a lot to past episodes
- When planning the content of a show, he carefully checks which previous episodes can be mentioned
If You Were to Start Your Podcast Again, What Would You Do Differently?
- Stu would batch produce several episodes in advance to release them consistently over time
- He tends to struggle to keep his consistency throughout the year
- His energy sometimes shifts away from the podcasts to the big launches for his business, Tribe
- Stu would be more proactive about making appearances on other podcasts and driving subscriptions
- In the past, he wasn’t actively seeking to be interviewed
- When he was interviewed, his call to action sought to capture emails
- With time Stu realized that podcast listeners don’t often get out of their podcast app to submit their email
- Today, he simply asks to subscribe to his show
- Stu waited a year overthinking how to create a perfect launch plan, but today he would release his podcast earlier
If You Had $1,000 to Promote Your Show How Would You Spend it?
- He would identify podcasts that have a similar audience to his
- Then he would develop relationships with them, look to appear on their show and advertise on it
- Developing a relationship beforehand is key as it allows the interview to be much more genuine and interesting
