Podcasting is an intimate medium. Your listener literally has your voice in her head when listening through ear buds. You are building a special relationship so it’s not surprising to hear listeners say that they feel as if they know you and many may even consider you a friend.
By providing value, you earn the privilege to ask for something. This call-to-action (CTA) needs to strategic. Don’t waste a valuable opportunity.
Here’s one that most of us have used.
Please subscribe, rate, and review!
If it looks like a podcast and walks like a podcast, it is a podcast. Late nights of editing and a collection of podcast conference t-shirts already make me feel like a podcaster so I don’t need to use a podcasting trope that most listeners have heard so frequently that it barely works. We can do better.
Make it one thing
I want listeners to:
Tell a friend
Subscribe
Email or call me
Message me on Instagram
Visit my private Facebook group
Subscribe to my blog
Sign up for my email list
Not everyone will agree with this one. In my experience, I’ve repeatedly sprinkled 3-4 of these throughout an episode. Asking for too many things, and none stand out as important.
I’ve recently decided to pick one CTA in hopes of maximizing listener engagement. You might even experiment by asking for the same thing in two different ways — once in the middle and then again at end of an episode. Repetition can be effective.
Make it stand out
When bloggers use CTAs, they can make them stand out on a page by using colors, fonts, and good design. Podcasters with audio-only shows need to be different, funny, or creative. Figure out ways to make your CTA stand out so listeners don’t hit the skip forward button.
I’m thinking about saying, “Do not subscribe to this podcast. I dare you! I bet you can’t find that subscribe button. Prove me wrong.”
good CTA Advice & Examples
“If you want your question or comment read on the show, head over to gog.show/contact and send us your feedback or questions that we can read on the air. And if you’re so inclined, please head over to gog.show/itunes and toss us a five star and snarky review.”
Asking for snarky reviews has garnered 6,400+ reviews at Apple Podcasts. Wow!
Eric of Eric Hunley Unstructured:
A fun twist on asking for subscribers, the only things that moves the needle on the Apple charts.
“Thanks for listening and if you liked what you heard, please consider subscribing for free and I mean for free. It is always free. There’s no billing or anything else.”
Krystal of The Proffitt Podcast:
“Take a screen shot of this podcast and tag me on social media.”
A different way to get listeners to share your show and engage with them on different platforms.
Jim O’Kane of The Rocketeer Minute:
An attention grabbing and humorous way to remind listeners to subscribe.
Offering a “double your money back guarantee when subscribing” catches people’s attention. The big trick is to do all the pleading in under 15 seconds.
Callie Wright of Queersplaining:
Proof that storytelling and being funny can motivate action.
I got a ton of new patrons on Patreon when I started making jokes about all the ridiculous and silly stuff I was going to do with the money… like adopting a unicorn, building a rocket to fire terrible famous people into the sun, a fund to replace the snacks my former co-host’s boyfriend ate.
Dave Jackson of School of Podcasting:
Tell a friend1. It’s free
Keep it simple. Word of mouth is the best way for listeners to discover new podcasts.
2. Birds of a feather
Be Uniquely You
In honoring the connection that you’re building with listeners, don’t forget to make your CTA sincere and authentic. Your ask should fit your show and personality. As you deliver it, say it like you would to a good friend. As with everything, this is about establishing and maintaining trust.
Do you have an extraordinary CTA that has worked especially well for you?
