🤖 Better Than Algorithms

Imagine you’re talking to your best friend about your current struggle with your waistline (even Keto doesn’t cut it) and she perks up to recommend a great new podcast on that very topic.

Excited, you grab your phone and search for the podcast to subscribe. On the way home, you listen to the first episode and you’re all fired up! Only, that’s where the show ends.

Wouldn’t you be disappointed? Lose interest? Are you likely to stick around for a week to see if the second episode is any good?

Of course not, and that’s exactly why you should launch a new podcast with at least three episodes at once (that’s just one of the many tips that Pat Flynn shared in his recent training webinar).

Prioritize Your User Experience

First and foremost, you should make choices based on what makes your content better for your users. That’s true whether you’re publishing a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel.

In this case, the decision to launch with 3+ episodes is a win-win because you’re also helping your podcast rank well online.

iTunes rankings are the definitive leaderboard, and they’re based on a combination of downloads, subscribers, and reviews in a short period of time.

That’s how most algorithms are designed today, to optimize the user experience and promote content that keeps people on each platform for a longer period of time.

It’s easy to get caught up in chasing the algorithm, but you can actually beat the algorithm best by focusing on user experience, and serving your audience well.

Here’s how to try this yourself:

1. Close your eyes and imagine someone in your audience, waking up at the start of the day.
2. Mentally walk through how they start their day, what they do, and where they go next. Where do you and your content fit in?
3. Identify one way you could make your content more accessible or enjoyable to consume.

For example, you could deliver your weekly newsletter at the same time each week, based on when your target audience is most likely thinking about the topic you cover.

Or, you could create a new guide that’s interactive, so your audience can put your ideas into practice and activate change in their lives.

Or perhaps you could launch a new podcast, so your audience can hear the heart in your message with your voice, and listen in while they commute to work or work out at the gym.

Regardless, look for opportunities to optimize your content for your subscribers and you’re bound to succeed.