Influential Introvert: Communication Coaching for Professionals with Performance Anxiety - Who Is Your Podcast for? Defining Your Ideal Listener

Episode Date: March 28, 2019

Understanding your ideal listener makes your podcasting life so much easier. It gives you a clear vision for the content on your podcast, on your blog, in your social media posts. Everything you do is in service to that ONE person. Of course, your show will appeal to more than just your ideal listener, but this laser focus will bring out the uniqueness of your show and eliminate the confusion many podcasters feel when coming up with episode topics.    On this episode, you’ll learn how to craft a story to define who your ideal listener is.    Visit sarahmikutel.com for show notes.    Ready to start podcasting? Download my free guide: “8 Mistakes New Podcasters Make and How to Fix Them.”    I’m your host, Sarah Mikutel. Thank you so much for listening to this show. I know you’re busy and have many listening options, so it means a lot to me that you’re here. You are the best.Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot? I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

Have you been wanting to podcast for a while now, but something's holding you back? Maybe it's fear of putting yourself out there or confusion about the tech. I'm Sarah Mikital and on podcasting step by step, I'll break down how to podcast with a little loving motivation to give you the skills and the confidence you need to finally launch that show of your dreams. Let's get started. The U.S. has experienced a golden age of television over the last two decades. But I remember a time when network television in the United States was the worst.

Really bland sitcoms with hokey jokes that didn't really offend or interest anybody. TGIF, I am looking at you. Those shows were designed to appeal to the masses who did not have a lot of other content options. But today, there's a TV show for just about everybody, whether you're into fantastical dragons or whatever you like. I don't really watch TV, to be honest with. you. But the point is, well, these more niche shows have fewer viewers than the sitcoms of the 80s and 90s. Today's shows have fans who are often more loyal and passionate. The same thing applies to the kinds of podcasts we create. We cannot be all things to all people.

It's really tempting to try to create a show that appeals to everybody and to want everybody to like us, but that leads to really water down content that doesn't really interest or help anyone. And trying to please everyone holds us back from being our true selves. When we think someone might judge us, we're just not as open about what we share. We overthink how a certain podcast episode or social media post will be received. Sadly, no matter what we do, we will never be everybody's cup of tea. Someone might not be interested in our topic. They might just be a negative person who doesn't like anything. We don't need to worry about that. We don't need to worry about We're not creating for them. So instead of wasting our time trying to win over the wrong people,

let's focus our energy on the people who deserve it. Our ideal listener, the person who is all in on our message. So what exactly is an ideal listener? In business and marketing speak, this is often called your customer avatar or persona. For podcasting, I think ideal listener sounds a lot more human, and we are podcasting to connect with other humans, right? So your ideal listener is your super fan, the person you really want to serve. When you're speaking into that microphone, you are talking to that one person. And use that language when you podcast, say you, rather than you guys when you're talking into the mic. You're connecting with that one person. Defining your ideal listener is important.

Why? Well, knowing who this person is will make your podcasting life so much easier, because you will have a clear idea of the kind of content you need to create on your podcast, on your blog, in your social media posts. Everything you do is in service to that one person. Of course, your show is going to appeal to more than just your ideal listener, but this laser focus will really bring out the uniqueness of your show and eliminate the confusion that a lot of podcasters feel. when they're trying to come up with episode topics. Having a specific audience can also help with brand collaborations and sponsorships. Most podcasters actually don't make any real money with traditional podcast advertising.

This generally pays around $25 per 1,000 downloads per episode. And if you've joined an advertising network, they're going to take a cut of that money. And networks and advertisers, they usually want you to have at least 5,000 downloads per episode. before they're going to pay any attention to you at all. But you can be a much smaller show and still attract sponsors if you have a niche podcast with a loyal fan base. You are the influencer in this little group. There are other ways to make money podcasting too,

including promoting your own business or products like books. You can also get listeners to sponsor you through something like Patreon. We can talk more about monetization in another episode. But right now, I really want to focus. on how to come up with your ideal listener. So how do you come up with your ideal listener? Are we just making all of this up? Possibly.

Your ideal listener could be you. It could be you five years ago. It could be someone you know. It could be a TV character. It could be a complete invention. When defining your ideal listener, go beyond the basic demographics of age, gender, occupation. Create a story about who this person is.

What are their dreams? where are they stuck? What kind of podcasts are they listening to? For my travel podcast Postcard Academy, my idea listener is Amy. She's 36. She teaches English as a second language in Montana. And while she likes her job, it's not her passion. She's feeling quite stuck in her small town. And she wants to find a way to live in Italy, where she studied abroad for a semester during college. And this is more than a dream for Amy. she is actually taking action and evaluating ways where she can start an online business to work from anywhere. She'll drive an hour so she can spend an afternoon in a cozy bookstore and just flip through information on global travel and how to live abroad. And she'll also take a quick little peek at the celebrity magazines.

While she's jogging in the morning, Amy listens to a mix of 80s pop, MPR, and podcasts about travel and world affairs. She loves history and walking tours, and she really wants to learn how to salsa. She's not huge into social media, but you can find her on Instagram, seeking travel inspiration and sharing her passion for wine and Italian cooking. So that's my ideal listener. Who is yours? I've created a worksheet to help you write the story of your ideal listener. You can find the worksheet at sarahmicatel.com slash listener.

Once you've written the story of your ideal listener, go find real people who are similar to them. Join relevant Facebook groups and other forums. What questions are they asking? What are they curious about? What are they struggling with? Answer their questions. Be active in these groups. And you can also tell people that you're starting a podcast and ask what kind of episodes they'd be interested in hearing.

A lot of Facebook groups have rules against self-promotion. So just be careful about your wording. Make sure that what you're writing is following the rules and isn't service to helping other people out. To further flesh out your ideal listener, you can also follow related blogs and YouTube channels and see what is going on in the comment section. Those can get a little bit nasty sometimes, but if you're following a quality channel, sometimes people can ask really good questions.

So make a note of what these are and these could be potential episodes for you. you. You can also join meetup groups and other in-person events to engage with your ideal listener in real life and also to tell them about your show. When it comes to social media, you don't have to be everywhere. Choose one social platform to focus on the one where your ideal listener is hanging out. Yes, share your content across other platforms, but don't kill yourself over creating the perfect caption and image for Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and Pinterest. Just show up in one place and be real and intentional, listen to people, respond to their comments, and share content your ideal listener wants to see, hear, and read.

We're all a little bit burned out and bored of social media, I think, but it can still be a force for good sometimes. I've actually met really good friends through Instagram, and we've become travel partners. I'm actually about to go on a trip to Croatia with some friends who I met online. it's not totally toxic. It can be a good experience. So let's make it a good experience. As we talked about, defining your ideal listener serves as a guide for content creation, but it can also help you gauge how long your episode should be and when you should release them. If you make games for kids and want to start a podcast for busy moms who want quick tips on fun

activities to do with your children, shorter shows might make sense for you. If your ideal listener is a public policy junkie and once a week the roundup of what's happening in Washington or wherever, an hour-long roundtable could be your ideal listener's favorite option. Summing all of this up, knowing your ideal listener keeps you focused, but also flexible, which I love. I once planned on doing a travel episode on Charleston, South Carolina, but then I learned this really fascinating story about a slave named Nat Fuller, who became the most celebrated chef in Charleston during the Civil War. And when the Civil War ended, he brought the city together for a reconciliation meal.

And this was the first integrated dinner in the city's history. How did he do this? I mean, I was really blown away by the story. So instead of doing a travel episode on, you know, where you need to eat and the things that you need to see in Charleston, I decided to dedicate the episode to Nat and his story. and I knew my audience would appreciate me taking them on this different path. So knowing your ideal listener gives you the freedom to try new things and to experiment. And your ideal listener might grow and change.

You can revise their description as you go, as you start learning more about your audience, what they want, what you want as your show develops. Your listeners will start sending you feedback, though a lot of podcasters would say, I wish I heard more from my listeners. So you can ask them specific questions on your podcast and tell them to email you. You could send out surveys. Dave Jackson from the School of Podcasting often throws out a question during his show. And then his listeners will answer it via voicemail. And then Dave will weave this into his show, which I think is such a fantastic way to engage your audience.

So he knows who he's talking to. Focusing your creativity on one person, will attract a larger audience. One of my favorite podcasts is The Art of Manliness. Am I Brett McKay's ideal listener? No, I'm definitely not. He has a business gear toward guys. But he also has really interesting guess on his show.

He asks good questions. He's a great host. And even though I know this show wasn't designed for me, I don't feel excluded at all. And even though I'm not likely to purchase a stay manly mug on his website, I do tell other people about his show because I think it's great. And word of mouth is everything in podcasting. So your homework for this week, should you choose to accept it?

Define your ideal listener. Get really specific. Again, you can find the worksheet that I created for you at sarahmicatel.com slash listener. Thank you for listening to podcasting step by step. You are now one step closer to launching that podcast you've been dreaming about. but I want to get you even closer. I created a free guidebook for you with actionable worksheets called 8 mistakes new podcasters make and how to fix them.

To find that, head on over to sarah micahatel.com slash fix. Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot? I created a free conversation cheat sheet with simple formulas that you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you're in a meeting or just talking with friends. Download it at sarah micotel.com slash blank no more.