Stop Talking. Start Engaging.
How to Spark Real Conversations with Your Podcast Audience
Your podcast shouldn’t be a one-way street. If your audience is only passively listening and never engaging, you’re missing a massive opportunity.
And no, just hoping people will comment or reach out is not a strategy.
If you want your podcast to drive real engagement, nurture relationships, and generate leads, you need a plan.
In this episode, I share the 3 best places to engage with your podcast audience and offer up one gem from my radio days that will change the way you ask for engagement.
Where to Engage Your Podcast Listeners
There are many places where you can make real connections with your audience. Here are my top 3 places to engage your podcast listeners:
1. Social Media (But Keep It Strategic!)
Yes, social media is the obvious choice. But are you using it strategically? Here are a few tips:
- Pick ONE Core Platform. Find where your audience already hangs out and focus your efforts there. And remember, just because you like LinkedIn/Instagram/Blue Sky doesn’t mean your listeners do. Go where they are.
- Be Crystal Clear in Your CTA. Don’t send listeners on a scavenger hunt. Tell them exactly where to engage and how. For example: “Find today’s episode recap on LinkedIn (posted February 18, 2025) and drop your thoughts in the comments.”
- Use DMs Intelligently. If you encourage DM responses, give listeners a keyword so you can track which episode they’re responding to. Better yet → use a chatbot to streamline responses.
Bonus Tip: Engagement should be easy. If your audience has to think too much about what to do next, they won’t do it. Make it easy to find you, connect with you, and respond (check out my radio gem at the end for more on this last point!)
2. Private Communities (Substack, Facebook Groups, Circle, & More)
A private community takes engagement beyond quick social interactions and builds deeper connections.
Why Podcasters are Loving Substack Right Now:
- It’s having a moment—many podcasters (especially thought leaders and authors) are using it as a central hub.
- Listeners can comment, reply, and even financially support your content.
- You can create exclusive content for deeper engagement.
Not into Substack? Maybe your audience isn’t using or aware of Substack. Consider a Facebook group, Discord, Circle, Skool, or a Slack community. The key is choosing a platform where your audience actually wants to engage.
3. Your Email List (Engagement Goldmine!)
Most podcasters treat their email list like a monologue. Big mistake.
Your email list can be an incredible engagement tool—if you use it right:
- Encourage Replies. Don’t just send info—ask a question and invite responses.
- Make it Personal. Let your audience know you’ll actually read and respond.
- Tie it to Your Podcast. If your email goes out on the same day as your episode, reference it directly:
- “Check today’s email with the subject line ‘Episode #229.’ I’m asking an important question—I want to hear your take. Hit reply and let me know.”
Bonus Tip: The inbox is way more personal than a social media comment. Listeners who engage via email are far more likely to become clients.
How to Ask for Podcast Engagement the Right Way (Radio Gem 💎)
Want more engagement? Ask better questions.
Most podcasters ask boring questions. That’s why nobody responds.
The Fix: Ask Black-and-White Questions. I learned this during my radio days when the wrong question would mean no calls and a host trying to fill, fill, fill with more yammering. Not good radio. So, we always asked polarizing, black-and-white questions that people instantly have an opinion about.
For example, instead of: “What are your thoughts on today’s episode?” Try: “Do you think having an engagement strategy is essential for a podcast? YES or NO?”
Why does this work? ✔ Easier to answer (low effort, quick response) ✔ Forces a stance (people want to share their opinion!) ✔ Creates a conversation starter (“Tell me why.”)
But you can definitely turn it up a notch to really get people responding. Get creative…
- Is social media doing more harm than good? Yes or no?
- Should podcasters charge for premium content? Yes or no?
- Do you think AI-generated content is ruining creativity? Yes or no?
- Which is more important—your morning routine or evening routine?
- Could penguins fly if they just fixed their mindset?
- If you use warm milk in cereal it becomes a soup and is perfectly acceptable to serve for supper. Agree or disagree?
Make it fun. Engagement should be easy, clear, and interesting.
Now, I know that engagement seems like a lot of work for you as a podcasters – you’ve already got so much to do to make your podcast great.
But, when you engage with your audience, they become your community and if you’re podcasting for your business, this gets them one critical step closer to becoming a client.
To make it feel a bit easier, let me recap this 4-Step Engagement Strategy
1️⃣ Engage in at least one of these places:
- Social Media (Pick ONE and optimize it)
- Private Communities (Substack, Facebook Groups, etc.)
- Email List (Make it two-way!)
2️⃣ Ask the right questions (black-and-white, easy to answer)
3️⃣ Only commit to what you can handle (don’t burn yourself out!)
4️⃣ Use engagement to refine your strategy (learn more about your audience!)
Still feel like a lot?
It might be because your podcast isn’t aligned with your business or the right audience. Let’s find out with our 6-step Podcast Tune-up program. This is a done-with-you coaching program that reveals and corrects the issues that are making your podcast less than optimal as a marketing tool.
Why wait another episode? Let’s get that podcast tuned up right away.
https://podcastperformancecoach.com/podcast-tune-up
