Overview

Sarah Francois, Head of Customer Success at Ausha, shared ten actionable tactics for enhancing audience engagement in podcasting. She emphasized the importance of discoverability, starting with Podcast Search Optimization (PSO) to ensure podcasts rank high in search results on platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Francois highlighted the necessity of understanding and utilizing relevant keywords, supported by Ausha's AI-driven tools. She also stressed the value of transcribing episodes to improve web SEO and the significance of compelling titles and descriptions.

Additionally, Francois recommended distributing podcasts on YouTube, even if only audio is available, and maintaining a robust social media strategy with multiple posts per episode. Finally, she underscored the importance of newsletters and private content to foster a deeper connection with the audience, backed by data analytics to refine strategies.

Core Concepts

PSO Strategy for Podcast Discoverability

A well-implemented PSO strategy can significantly enhance your podcast's discoverability on major platforms.

Key Points:

• Identify relevant keywords using tools like Ausha's PSO control panel

• Focus on search volume and difficulty score to balance between popular and achievable keywords

• Track visibility score and average position to monitor progress

Examples:

• Ausha's PSO control panel helps identify keywords by scanning your podcast's metadata and listener platforms

• Using AI, the tool provides insights into the most effective keywords for your podcast

Quotes:

Search bar is really the biggest thing for podcast discoverability

There is no good or bad visibility score. There is only progression

Importance of Transcriptions for SEO

Transcribing podcast episodes can significantly improve web SEO by indexing all spoken content.

Key Points:

• Transcriptions make every word in your podcast searchable, enhancing discoverability

• Use AI-powered tools like Ausha's transcription service for high-quality results

• Transcriptions can be applied to both new and old episodes for maximum benefit

Examples:

• Transcribing long episodes can turn them into valuable SEO assets

• Ausha's in-app tool provides high-quality transcriptions, making the process seamless

Quotes:

Transcription has this magic. Actually, you can then with transcription index all of your podcast episodes

You need to start transcriptions now, not only for your next episode but also for the previous episodes

Consistent Social Media Strategy

A consistent and strategic approach to social media can significantly boost your podcast's visibility and engagement.

Key Points:

• Promote each episode with at least three social posts

• Include video trailers with impactful quotes and subtitles

• Use tools like Ausha's social media manager to plan and track your social strategy

Examples:

• Creating video trailers with subtitles ensures your content is accessible even on mute

• Ausha's social media manager helps plan and execute a consistent social media strategy

Quotes:

You need to have a strong episode marketing strategy, actually to be as serious on your episode promotion as the first time you were releasing the show

People are going to socials on mute. So you need to also add subtitles on your video trailer

Utilizing YouTube for Podcast Distribution

Publishing your podcast on YouTube can expand your reach, even if you don't have a video setup.

Key Points:

• Distribute your podcast audio on YouTube with dynamic graphics or static images

• YouTube listeners often consume content without watching the video, making audio-only uploads effective

• Use tools like Ausha to automate the process and maintain your brand identity

Examples:

• One YouTube listener out of two will not watch the video when listening to a podcast

• Ausha allows you to publish your podcast audio on YouTube with a single click

Quotes:

You need to start broadcasting your show on YouTube, even though you don't have this perfect, wonderful Instagram-friendly video setup

One YouTube listener out of two will not watch the video when listening to a podcast

Engaging with Newsletters

Newsletters can create a deeper connection with your audience and provide additional engagement opportunities.

Key Points:

• Sending newsletters can double your visibility by providing two notifications for new episodes

• Share behind-the-scenes content, challenges, and personal stories to build a stronger connection

• Use tools like Ausha to manage and track your newsletter campaigns

Examples:

• Sharing bloopers and behind-the-scenes content in newsletters can increase listener engagement

• Ausha's tools help manage and track the effectiveness of your newsletter campaigns

Quotes:

Newsletter is magic for the connection with your audience

You give yourself two opportunities out of one to be visible and to have more listens on your new episodes

Conclusion

The talk provided a comprehensive guide on enhancing podcast discoverability and engagement through actionable strategies. Implementing a PSO strategy, utilizing transcriptions for SEO, maintaining a consistent social media presence, leveraging YouTube for distribution, and engaging with newsletters were highlighted as key tactics. These strategies, supported by tools like Ausha, can significantly boost your podcast's visibility and listener engagement.

Food for Thought

• How can you identify the most effective keywords for your podcast's PSO strategy?

• What are some creative ways to promote your podcast on social media consistently?

• How can you leverage newsletters to build a deeper connection with your audience?