Your audience are your biggest supporters, so here are some of the ways you can get your listeners involved in your podcast and give back to them too
‘Podcast community’ has become a bit of a tagline, and for good reason. From TV to books, podcasting builds a sense of community way quicker than any other media and tends to foster stronger ties between its listeners. As your audience grows, you may also start to wonder: is there a more formal way to build this community and also give back to your listeners? And good news is that there is – a membership!
Memberships for podcast communities can take so many different forms. Apple and Spotify have their own paying membership systems and then there is also Patreon, Supercast and Discord. Plus, you can now also create memberships for your YouTube channel! This could include up to 5 tiers of different memberships that could offer anything from exclusive videos and even badges and emojis that only your members can use.
So clear, what really constitutes a membership model are the perks that you give back to your audience. Beyond your YouTube membership, these could include:
- Bonus Episodes – Extra content only available to paying members of your community
- Ad-Free Listening – A premium, uninterrupted experience for those in the club
- Early Access – Members get episodes before the general audience – this works especially well for serialised podcasts
- Behind-the-Scenes Content – Insights into the making of your podcast!
- Live Q&A Sessions – Exclusive chats with hosts or guests that are reserved only for your most dedicated listeners
- Merch Discounts – Special deals on branded merchandise or live events can make your community feel seen, too
These memberships start at as little as £0,99/month and go up to anything like £20/month, with an average cost of a podcast membership being around £5/month. The amount of listeners that would actually pay for a membership would also vary based on the podcast and its size, as well as the content. On average, you might see around 1%-2% of listeners convert to paid subscribers.
This direct relationship with your listeners is unique to podcasting and other online communities, and should be taken seriously. For a small show with few listeners, these numbers might add up to a nice cup of coffee for the hosts for each recording or a new mic upgrade, but when you have a lot of listeners and communities in the millions, you are looking at memberships potentially fully funding your podcast.
So what are the pros of memberships for podcasters?
- A Consistent Revenue Stream
Unlike sponsorships and ads that can fluctuate, a membership can provide a somewhat predictable income for your show. Even with a small base of paying members, this kind of stability should not be underestimated.
- Increased Loyalty from Your Listeners
Memberships make your show seem more exclusive and therefore, you will likely see more people pledge more loyalty to your podcast. This deepens the connection between you and your listeners and these superfans are way more likely to spread the word about your show, too.
- Creativity and Scalability
With the stability of a revenue stream, you will be less reliant on advertisers.. Meaning you can create even more content that serves your audience! As your podcast grows, your memberships will also increase and this upward climb in revenue will only positively reflect on your content if you consistently put it back into the show.
But, there are some challenges to monetising your podcast content with a subscription model too…
- Demand for New Content
The key with any membership is clearly defining to your listeners what they are paying for. It is absolutely fine to say that they are simply supporting the podcast as is, but if you promise extra content – you MUST deliver. These exclusive perks take time and effort, so make sure you are ready to execute your promises.
- Retention and Churn
People have a LOT of subscriptions. You might offer free trials to get people to understand the value of your show’s membership, but even that might not be enough to convince someone to stay. You need to have clear messaging for all of your paying members that defines the value of the subscription month after month. It is always much harder to find a new paying subscriber, than to keep an old one – so make sure to treat your community with the attention they deserve!
- Marketing Your Membership
As with any podcast initiative, you will need to shout about your subscription from the rooftops to get anyone interested in the first place. Don’t assume people will start subscribing and paying straight away – it is NOT automatic. Converting listeners to paying members means promoting it consistently across your website and socials, as well as everywhere else your listeners might be listening and reading about the pod.
So are podcast subscriptions worth it for podcasters? The answer is – yes, probably.
Any podcast could benefit from having dedicated listeners at their fingertips that are ready to engage with the show. Just make sure to always start small and don’t overcommit and break promises for your listeners. Promote the subscriptions regularly and engage with your listeners – never take anyone taking the time to listen to your show for granted and always deliver real value!