This is a reality check-in.
How’s your podcast performing?
Is it getting you the results you were hoping for? Or, is it stuck in the mud? Stealing time and not delivering leads or helping you convert with greater ease?
Maybe you’ve even considered scrapping it…
Hold on, there is another option — it’s the podcast pivot.
I talked about this in episodes 88 Is it Time to Pivot Your Podcast? and 89 How to Pivot Your Podcast and Get Results but just in case you missed them, I thought I’d share a bit more about the podcast pivot and give you 5 ways to pivot your podcast.
The podcast pivot is when you take what you’ve got and adjust. You could do this because you aren’t getting results, your business has changed (which means your podcast should also change), or because you’ve learned more about your ideal customer and you know you could serve them better with an updated approach to your show.
This can be a way to improve your show but sometimes, a pivot isn’t what’s needed. Sometimes you need to KILL IT! But let’s start by assuming that your show is worth saving and just needs a slight adjustment.
I’m sharing 5 different options for pivoting your podcast. These may seem small but we have seen them have a major impact on downloads and, more importantly, leads and sales.
WARNING: These changes need to be intentional and be properly tested and measured too.
Here are 5 ways to pivot your podcast.
Press PLAY on this short 10-minute episode for more details on the podcast pivot.
- Niche Your Topic Down. Here’s how you do it – take the topic of your podcast and find a sliver of it that people are interested in and focus on just that. It might feel like you are limiting yourself but what you’re actually doing is becoming the go-to person for that specific thing.
- Niche Your Audience. This second option in the niching realm can be incredibly powerful but we meet a lot of podcasters who get so nervous doing this. Here’s the typical push back ‘But I want my show to help everyone!’ Of course you do – but by being a generalist, you’re generic.
- Audience Shift. This is slightly different from niching your audience because instead of narrowing down your existing audience, you’re shifting it. Hopefully to a niched audience (because niched is better). This might look like going from speaking to CEO to HR managers, or from swim coaches to parents of swimmers.
- Show Format. Giving your podcast a polish might be as simple as pivoting to a format or show structure that is more appealing to your ideal listener. Maybe you started your show doing what everyone else was doing – interviewing other people with a podcast. That was great to get you going but now that you want to have a podcast that performs (aka sets you up as the go-to person for your ideal client) instead of just having a podcast, it might be time to update how you deliver your message and content. Or, you may be going the other direction – from having a solo podcast without guests to having an interview podcast. You may also be adjusting the length of the podcast (maybe you’ve discovered your ideal listener doesn’t have an hour to listen your show), or you might be changing the frequency of publication.
- Intention. Podcasters decide to start their show for all kinds of reasons but often it’s because it seems like a good idea. I can’t tell you how many podcasters I’ve talked to that, when pressed, can’t tell me what the intention of their podcast is. I’m talking hundreds of podcasters who couldn’t tell their ‘WHY’ when I asked them (so don’t feel bad if this is you, but also, fix it!). One of the ways you can pivot your podcast is to change the intention (or set an intention). This might be subtle and the audience may not notice, but it’s an excellent way to improve your podcast’s performance. You might shift your intention so that your show is more listener-centric (which I recommend as a bare minimum).
The reality is that as our businesses grow and shift, our podcast needs to be along for the ride. When your podcast is an authority builder and/or a marketing tool for your business, then you need to make sure it’s doing the job. If it’s not, then it’s time for a pivot.
Keep in mind that a podcast pivot may result in a new name (or a new tagline), new music, new artwork, and (at the very least) a new description.
There is a difference between tweaking your show and pivoting. When you pivot, your listeners should hear the difference.
You need to know who that ideal listener is, what they need from you as a podcaster and, ultimately what you want them to do once they listen and fall in love with you! Once you’re clear on this then you need to take a look at your existing podcast and ask the hard questions – is your current podcast serving your listener, your business, and you?
If not, then it’s time to pivot baby!
Good news – you don’t have to navigate this pivot alone. Our Podcast Tune-Up is exactly what you need.
