Podcast Not Growing? Here’s Your Action Plan

While scrolling on Threads or your favorite Twitter-like app, you may encounter people celebrating podcasting milestones like:

“My podcast just hit 1,000 downloads!”

“100 podcast downloads in less than 24 hours!”

“Woke up to 15,000 podcast downloads!”

And meanwhile, you’re looking at your podcast analytics like:

It’s so SOOOO easy to get discouraged with your podcast when starting out, but have no fear. If you’re feeling frustrated by your podcast’s lack of growth, I’m here to get you fired up and back on track!

How long do podcasts take to grow?

The truth is that podcast downloads are pricier than social media views.

What I mean is — your listeners have to go out of their way to find your episode and then consciously click on it. It’s not shoved in their face like a Tiktok video.

They have to choose it.

And then, if they like what they hear, they still have to commit 15, 30, or even 60+ minutes of their time to listen…. while paying attention!

It’s a huge ask in our fast-paced, instant-gratification-obsessed world.

Just look at these stats from The Podcast Host:

“If your new episode gets, within seven days of its release:

• more than 28 downloads, you’re in the top 50% of podcasts.
• more than 109 downloads, you’re in the top 25% of podcasts.
• more than 462 downloads, you’re in the top 10% of podcasts.
• more than 1,101 downloads, you’re in the top 5% of podcasts.
• more than 4,707 downloads, you’re in the top 1% of podcasts.”

So each and every podcast download is a monumental achievement.

Podcasts take TIME to grow. I’m talking months, maybe even years. And I encourage you to keep that in mind and be patient with your growth.

Now being patient does not mean crossing your arms and doing the same thing over and over forever while hoping for the best. You can (and should) be strategic, adaptable, and intentional during this period.

Here’s what I recommend doing:

Revisit your foundations

As time passes, your podcast will evolve. Remember that intensive brainstorming session you had when you first launched your podcast? The one where you made decisions on things like episode topics and the structure of your show?

Wherever that document is, go ahead and open it. Depending on how long it’s been, you might feel like much of what you wrote there, no longer fits.

And that’s awesome! It means you’ve gained knowledge and experience that will now improve your show.

So fix yourself your favorite beverage, light a candle, or [insert whatever ritual you enjoy here] and set apart some time to update this document.

And while you’re at it, open your analytics — you’re gonna need them!

Things to focus on:

1. Episode topics

Great episode topics are found at the convergence of what you really want to talk about and what your listeners really want to hear.

Take a look at your episode analytics and look for patterns: which episode topics does your community respond well to? Which episodes have the most downloads and the highest retention rates? There are obviously a bajillion variables at play here apart from just interest in the topic, of course. But looking at your analytics is a good starting point.

You can also create polls, audience surveys, check out what your listeners are talking about on social media, or just ask them straight up!

As for the topics YOU want to cover, literally just set a 10-minute timer and write down as many topics come to your mind.

Finally, compare both sets of episodes topics and you should have enough solid episode ideas for the next couple of months.

You’re welcome!

2. Who your listeners are and what makes them stick around

When was the last time you thought about your ideal listener? If you also have this in a document somewhere, go get it!

Now pull your audience demographics and check out the people who follow or interact with your podcast content on social media. Compare what you learn to the listener profile you previously made and make any necessary updates.

When you get feedback from your listeners, really listen to it.

What do your listeners want more of? What doesn’t excite them? Check your stats. See where people drop off. Adjust accordingly.

3. The structure of your show

The English teacher in me is going to take over for a sec, so bare with me!

Picture your podcast episodes as if they were essays. They each have an intro, body, and conclusion. Picture segments as paragraphs.

Can you map out the typical structure of your episodes?

For example, a typical episode of the podcast Good Hang with Amy Poehler looks like this:

• Starts with a 30-second intro in which Amy welcomes listeners, briefly introduces her guest of the day and what they talk about.
• Ad
• Title music and graphics
• Bonus segment: Short video call with someone who knows the guest. This person talks with Amy about the guest and gives her interview questions she can ask them.
• Ad
• Main interview with guest
• Bonus segment: The Poehler Plunge- Amy asks the guest what has been making them laugh lately (or she shares what has been making her laugh.)
• Podcast credits and music

Once you map out yours, look at the listener retention rates of your episodes and figure out if there’s a part of the episode in which listeners consistently drop off.

You can also reflect on whether or not this structure still lights you up or if you and your listeners are due for a change.

Which brings me to my next point…

Try a new strategy consistently, and then be flexible

When making any changes based on the analysis you just did, you want to try the strategy for a while (at least 1-2 months) and then re-assessing.

Maybe you started a fun segment at the end of your episodes, but after two months, you notice that’s where most people stop listening.

Well, for the love of chocolate-filled croissants, DO SOMETHING.

You could:

• Tweak the segment
• Promote it more
• Move it to the beginning
• Drop it altogether

The point is to experiment but also give yourself enough time to truly test whether or not something is working!

Set small, achievable goals and work your way up

If growth is slow, this is not the time to set a goal of reaching 500 downloads next month.

Instead, set goals that feel doable:

“Increase my average episode downloads by 10% over the next two months.”

“Get 3 new reviews this month.”

“Promote my podcast in 5 new places this week.”

Hit those, celebrate the wins, hype yourself up, and keep building momentum.

And if you don’t meet a goal? Reflect on why, but don’t let it discourage you.

At the end of the day, you can make a podcast about any topic in the world, find an audience, and grow. But it won’t happen overnight.

Be patient, be strategic, and course-correct as you go.

And if you have absolutely no fucking clue what’s “wrong” with your podcast or why growth feels stagnant, book a Strategy Session with me.

It’s my joy in life to help you solve a specific problem in a 60 minute call (or 3 days of async support in Slack!) and save another podcaster from getting discouraged and giving up.

Go forth and podcast. You got this!

Want more podcasting tips like this? Sign up to my newsletter Sounds Like Brunch and you’ll get them every Wednesday!

If, in this process, you noticed that listener retention is low overall, check out my podcast episode for Point of the Story:

Thanks for reading! 🥂

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