“And there have it. First episode completed. Now, dear listeners, rate and review, subscribe, sign up to my newsletter, pay me through patreon, hit the donate button, get in touch with me via email, like my Facebook page, click through for the free eBook and tell everyone you know about the show, personally or through social and I’ll be back next week.”
Not surprisingly, this sort of thing does not result in the requested calls to action. All these things are possible, in time. Establishing authority is the first step. Authority in the sense that you know what you’re talking about. That you are in effect saying something, if not new then of value to your listeners. And given this “quote” is from a first episode, it’s likely your family and friends already know about the things you are asking them to do anyway.
It does take time to build an audience. Even if you have a following elsewhere, blog, novelist and so on but not everyone in that community will be interested in your podcast. Publish, publish and then publish. That is how you build your audience of raving mad fans.
Once you have your band of merry followers, then you can start asking them to perform tasks. Remember you are asking! I’ve heard certain podcasts, with a radio background, demanding donations to maintain their continued existence. What that sounds like is: “You people need to stump up or I’ll be out of a job!”
The best way to ask, from what I’ve learned, is to do so one request at a time. The quote at the beginning is just too overwhelming for a listener. Ten things are being asked for in that quote. Too many choices and nothing happens.
Knowing that any financial support for your endeavours will be at the pleasure of your listeners. It is not an entitlement. In the same way asking for any of the things in the initial quote is a request, a call to action, these things are not compulsory for listeners to have access to your audio. Remember this! It will ensure you frame your requests with respect.
You can offer lead magnets in your calls to action too but again these are not compulsory. They are, indeed a tool for you to hone your selling skills. It goes a little like this: Establish credibility through consistent publishing. Offer your lead magnet. Do so for at least a month, probably longer. People listen to your show in a myriad of settings and clicking through to your offer may not be physically possible. Give people time to absorb your message. Then see what happens.
If that lead magnet doesn’t result in what you want, change your lead magnet, alter your offer. You must though, give people time to respond. The easier the request, “Check out the website.”, the more likely you are to get results. If people have to hand over more than an email address to receive a freebie then it will take much trust. Building trust occurs through consistent publishing as an “expert” in your area, your niche, your sub niche.
You make your calls to action, they will tell you how much authority/credibility you have established with your listeners. It will be a useful learning tool.
Takeaways
- Establish credibility/authority through consistent content publishing.
- Do not bombard your listeners with more than one call to action.
- Remember you are supported at the pleasure of your listeners.