Did you know that 50% of all podcasts are listened to on YouTube?? It’s actually the #1 way people discover new podcasts. So, are there ways to maximize YouTube for the benefit of growing your podcast? There sure is! And that’s what we are talking about today.
Currently at Video Creators we are really only using our channel for our podcast at this point, so we feel like we can totally speak from experience on this. So let’s talk strategy.
Target Audience & Value Proposition
These are STILL important with your podcast. You need to know who you are talking to and why you are talking to them, no matter the form your content is taking. Everything you produce, should be designed to bring a very specific value to a very specific person. Knowing their story is vital: What do they want? What happens if they don’t get what they want? And how can we come alongside as the guide to get them what they want and experience the transformation in their lives that they are ultimately going after. Once you have nailed this down, your videos and podcasts will be so much better.
New Channel or Existing Channel
This really goes back to your audience. If you already have an established podcast audience, then you can absolutely start a new channel. But if you already have an established channel and your podcast is bringing the same value to the same target audience, then you should put it on your current channel.
On our channel, we feel like our podcasts have turned more into community content. However, when we share clips in the form of shorts, then they become more discoverable. And that can draw people in to listen to the long-form episode.
YouTube is actually creating intentional discovery mechanisms just for podcasts. Viewers can find discoverable content with a personalized page to their interests at YouTube.com/podcasts . This can be a great tool to draw people into your podcast.
YouTube is really a fantastic platform for podcasts. Really the only thing that apple podcast has that YouTube doesn’t is the option for channel reviews. But you can comment on each podcast, which is so great as a viewer. It helps listeners to feel engaged and connected to others as well as yourself.
Titles & Thumbnails
It’s definitely harder to make an accurate thumbnail when your podcast is much longer and covers multiple topics. However, it is really so important to make the best thumbnail that you can. Is it AS important as normal discoverable content? Not really, but you still want to be simple, clickable and stand out from the competition.
A lot of big names don’t really put much in their thumbnails, but they can do that. People know them, so just sticking their face on it works just fine. Their face is recognizable, so that will draw people in. But if people don’t know you, you need to present more of what your video is about to grab people’s attention.
Titles need to grab attention as well. Your title should build intrigue and peak curiosity. Make your viewer want to click based on the intrigue between your title and thumbnail. We actually found that 80% of the top podcasts do these two things and get twice as many views as a result.
1. They have the word podcast in the title.
Now, we are very much against “keyword stuffing.” So don’t think that’s what we are implying here. This is more of an accurate description which sets the viewer up for what to expect.
2. They have at least 15 mins of the host onscreen during the podcast. Normally, you’d think you need tons of editing to have a good video, but doing this allows your viewer to connect with the host.
Video vs. Audio First
We are on YouTube and Youtube is video, so having a video with your podcast really performs better. Listening is one thing, but the human elements of just looking at the person talking to you and seeing their facial expression, etc builds connection with your viewer and helps grow the know, like, and trust factor. But if you don’t have the resources for that, audio first is a great start.
If you have $500 and you could invest that in a high quality camera or a high quality microphone, we’d say invest in your audio. You can always just use your phone camera if you need.
The only time I’d suggest doing audio only is if you’re doing more of an on-the-go audio journal podcast where you record little pieces as inspiration strikes and setting up a camera isn’t possible. If that’s the case, you can actually get a good quality mic that plugs directly into your iphone . It has shockingly good quality for a much smaller price tag.
Ultimately success is all about meeting the needs of your audience. Don’t think about the algorithm. Think about the audience. Keep in mind that successful podcasts place people at the center of the content. You’re creating a deeper connection between your content and the audience. And the best time to start is right now.
Power Tip
Star utilizing premieres. Premieres allow your community to experience your videos together with you in real-time through live chat. Premiering your video allows you to schedule a video upload and to create buzz around the video.
Don’t just pick any video for this. Use them to create special moments with your community.
You can schedule your premiere up to 24 hours in advance, which gives your audience an opportunity to see the thumbnail in their subscription feed and home page. Then, when it’s happening, turn on the live chat and start sharing fun behind the scenes facts. Interactions help build excitement & encourages fans to stay to the end.