Did you know you can start a podcast with no audience today? Yes! You heard me right, and I will show you exactly how to do that. If you are now thinking of starting a podcast but don’t know how to go about it because you don’t have an audience and think your dream will be a waste of time, then this piece is for you.

This post is for a beginner starting a podcast with a Zero (0) audience. By the end of this piece, you will discover some of the best practices to kickstart your podcast career from zero to pro.

Every successful podcaster you know today started with 0 audience before they got to where they are today. Even Joe Rogan, the highest-paid podcaster today, started his podcast with no audience. 

So hey, you’re not alone. Only promise to be consistent with the tips I will share with you in this post. You may have read many blog posts about how to start a podcast with no audience before pumping to this post; this is your last stop. This post is tailored right for you, buddy!

Without wasting much time, I would like to start from the basics for the sake of those who are entirely new to what a podcast is about.

What Is A Podcast?

Some beginners here don’t know what podcast is all about. Simply put, a podcast is an audio program that people subscribe to and listen to. Yeah, simple like that! 

A podcast is a series of spoken-word audio episodes centred on a particular topic or theme, such as cycling or entrepreneurship. 

You can subscribe to the show via an app on your mobile device and listen to episodes on headphones, in the vehicle, or through speakers at any time. Let me show you an example of a podcast. Below is an RSK xfm podcast show.

Yeah, the audio you just listened to is a podcast, and I will show you how to start your podcast show today, even without an audience. And one good news is that you don’t have to be popular before starting a podcast. The best time to start a podcast is now! So, please pay close attention to everything I will share with you here in this post.

I am not promising you that your podcast journey will be easy. Although it requires hard work and commitment, starting a podcast and generating revenue is possible. You can even transform your podcasting hobby into a profitable source of income with the proper strategies and commitment I will share in this piece.

Now that you know what podcast is about, let me introduce to you the best ways to start a podcast with no audience.

How To Start A Podcast With No Audience [Proven Strategies]

The best way to stand out in your podcast career is to treat it as a business, not a hobby. Sara Blakely, the founder of SPANX, once said, “Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning, because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will be doing things differently from everybody else.”

Here are some of the best strategies to start a podcast with no audience.

1. Define Your Podcast Niche

Choosing your podcast niche is the most effective way to build authority and garner audiences interested in your podcast. If you skip this step, it will severely affect your podcasting career, and you don’t want to do that. Select a topic that interests you and correlates with your area of expertise.

Most beginners start a podcast by uploading random audio, thinking their show will soon hit a milestone. Do not rush in this step of choosing a niche for your podcast. Do a thorough research on your preferred niche to see its relevance before you step into it. There are a few questions you have to ask yourself when choosing the best niche for your podcast show:

• What do people come to you for advice for?
•  What are you comfortable talking about at length?
•  What hobbies or activities do you enjoy?
•  What makes you excited every day?
•  What do you feel passionate about?
•  What would other people call you an expert about?

Carefully answering these questions will give you a fair idea of where to start your niche research. You must also check the niche’s trends to see how relevant or evergreen it is. To help take some burdens off your head, below are some Podcast niche ideas to help you with your research.

Top Best 20 Podcast Niche Ideas

1. Personal Development & Growth
2. Health & Wellness Tips
3. Business & Entrepreneurship
4. Sports News & Analysis
5. Pop Culture Discussions
6. History & Culture
7. Science & Technology
8. Comedy & Entertainment
9. Music News & Reviews
10. Celebrity Interviews & Gossip
11. Food & Cooking Tips
12. Environmental Issues
13. Art & Creativity
14. Politics & Current Events
15. Psychology & Mental Health
16. Literature & Writing
17. Fashion & Beauty
18. True Crime Stories
19. Parenting & Family Dynamics

2. Define Your Target Audience

At this point, starting a podcast with no audience doesn’t mean that there is no audience at all. You have to do research and see where your listeners are hiding. You can use the Dream 100 strategy to find out where your target audience is or what podcast they’ve already subscribed to. The Dream 100 List concept is a fundamental yet highly effective marketing strategy. Chet Holmes first proposed the Dream 100 List strategy in his classic sales and marketing book, The Ultimate Sales Machine.

Create an audience persona for your podcast based on the audience’s interests, needs, and pain points. Make a list of all the successful podcasters in your niche, about 100 of them, and follow them all if you can. This will help you know how they interact with your dream audience and what content they feed them.

The secret to starting a podcast with no audience is to be as specific as possible about your ideal audience so that everything you create, from your content to your branding, is geared toward attracting them.

3. Planning Your Podcast

The next step is to have a clear plan for your podcast. Start by defining your podcast’s format, style, and goal.

“Planning is a process of choosing among those many options. If we do not choose to plan, then we choose to have others plan for us.”

~ Richard I. Winwood

You can follow other successful podcasters in your niche to see how they have structured their podcast episodes to identify gaps and opportunities.

4. Create An Engaging Podcast Episodes

Once you know your target audience and where they are conjugating, it is time to start creating engaging podcast episodes to get their attention. Your target audience will follow you once you prove value to them. Engaging podcast content requires time and effort, but the investment is profitable. Focusing on creating captivating podcast episodes is primarily motivated by the ability to help you build an enthusiastic fan base. These listeners come to your show every week, giving to its success by leaving positive reviews and recommending it to their friends.

5. Set Up The Technical Side Of Your Podcast

The technical aspect of your podcast is the tools or equipment you will use for your podcast show. You can even start a podcast with your phone and free software like Audacity and Anchor. All you have to do is learn the basics of recording and editing your audio.

There are plenty of videos you can find on YouTube about how to edit your podcast audio. Please make use of it as you set your mind for learning.

6. Build Your Brand And Online Presence

Now, it’s time to brand your new podcast show. How do you want your audience to recognize you? What image or tone do you want them to have about your podcast show? Having a brand identity can make your podcast more recognizable to your audience. Since you’re starting your podcast with no audience, you are in the best state of creating your brand from the ground up.

Brainstorm on your new podcast brand name or “show name” (Domain Name) that is unique and easy to remember. Choosing a name for your podcast show can sometimes be daunting, but the results are efficient. With time, your listeners will start searching for your brand name due to its valuable content — insightful, entertaining, etc. — not because of its name.

You can also use Canva to create an eye-catching logo and banner for your podcast. Canva is an all-in-one design suitable for marketers. Since you’re starting a podcast with no audience, don’t go and spend so much on a logo or banner; you can use the Canva free version to design a perfect logo for your podcast brand.

More importantly, you have to choose a reliable hosting for your podcast show. You can start with Anchor, Spotify, Podbean, PodOmatic, etc. Create an account and optimize your online presence for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to get an audience from the search engines.

7. Launch And Promote Your Podcast

This part best answers your question: “How to start a podcast with no audience.” If you carefully follow the “Dream 100 Strategy,” you will find that most of your targeted audience hang out on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and other social media platforms. So, once you know where your listeners are conjugating, the best thing to do is hook them with your content.

Let your dream podcast listeners find out about you. Put your brand before them. Collaborate with the most successful podcasters in your niche to build authority and trust. Ask them to promote your brand to their audience and implement the best marketing strategies, like paid Ads, to push your podcast.

8. Be Patient, Consistent, & Persistent

Starting a podcast with no audience is not an easy task at all. But once you decide to do it, you must be patient and persistent. Growing a fan base requires hard work and time. You won’t see results as fast as you want, but you must maintain your commitment. Many successful podcasters today began with little or no audience and grew consistently over time.

9. Engaging with Your Listeners

Engaging with your audience builds trust. Start interacting with your listeners on social media, via email, and in the comment section. Their feedback can guide the direction of your podcast, and you don’t have to miss that.

10. Monetize Your Podcast

I intentionally added monetization to this piece to inform you that you also need an audience to make money from podcasts. Therefore, you have to start implementing the steps I’ve shared on starting a podcast with no audience and building a huge fan base for your show.

Once you have built a following, explore monetization options such as sponsorships, affiliate marketing, merchandise, and subscriber support. Timing is crucial, so consider when and how to begin generating revenue.

Let’s Put It All Together

There you have it! How to start a podcast with no audience. Launching a podcast with no audience may seem complicated, but as you can see from this post, it is possible. By defining your niche, planning your content, and delivering consistent value, you can attract listeners and develop a loyal following over time.

Patience, consistency, and persistence are your allies throughout this podcasting career. So take action and start sharing your distinctive voice with the world. If you have any further questions about how to start a podcast with no audience, don’t hesitate to hit me up in the comment section below. You can also message me on my Instagram handle @awuahgidigon, and I will answer you as soon as possible.

Happy podcasting!