Like most creative careers, podcasters rely on connections. While you might be a solo act when it comes to recording your show, remember that you’re part of a vibrant, diverse, and supportive community of podcasters. Joining the podcasting community opens up new opportunities for your podcasting career. But, where do you find podcasting communities to join?
How Can Networking Improve Your Podcasting Career?
Networking is not just an optional extra for podcasters, it’s the lifeblood of this thriving ecosystem. So, here are a few ways networking with other podcasters can help your podcasting career.
Opportunities to Collaborate
The podcasting community is a hotbed for collaboration. Networking opens the door to exciting opportunities like guest interviews, co-hosting episodes, and even creating entire series together.
Collaborations not only infuse fresh energy into your content, but they also broaden your reach. Your guest’s audience becomes your potential audience, and vice versa. It’s a win-win situation.
Expand Your Audience
Speaking of reaching new audiences, networking with other podcasters is an effective way to broaden your listener base. Cross-promotion with other podcasters allows you to tap into their audiences. From sharing your Instagram posts on each other’s stories to shouting each other out in your shows, once you start networking with other podcasters you can access these promotional opportunities.
Learn from Other Podcasters
Every podcaster has unique strengths, insights, and experiences. Networking allows you to tap into this wealth of knowledge. You can learn from the triumphs and trip-ups of your fellow podcasters, gaining invaluable insights that can save you time, money, and head-scratching moments.
Whether it’s technical tips, content creation hacks, or marketing strategies, the wisdom of the crowd is at your fingertips when you network.
Finding Podcaster Communities
So you’re ready to rub shoulders with other podcasters, but where do you find them? Well, the good news is that the podcasting community is buzzing in many corners of the internet and in real life too.
Online Communities
You can start your search for podcasting communities online on Reddit and Facebook. Both platforms offer a few different communities where you can find lively discussions and helpful tips to grow your podcasting career.
- Reddit’s /r/podcasting: A bustling community of over 100,000 podcasters regularly posts helpful information, news, questions, and conversations all about creating and running podcasts.
- Podcast Movement: One of the largest and most active online communities for podcasters on Facebook, Podcast Movement gives you a place to share your wins, seek advice, or discover potential guests for your show.
- Podcaster’s Hangout: With about 10,000 members, the Podcaster’s Hangout is a relatively small but supportive community perfect for asking questions and sharing your work to create great conversations. You can expect to regularly see the same names in this smaller group making it perfect for finding genuine connections.
- Podcaster’s Support Group: Comprised of professionals in the podcasting industry, this group offers valuable insights about podcasting trends, idea sharing, technical support, and best practices.
Podcast Networks
Podcast networks are like close-knit families of podcasts that operate under one umbrella. They are excellent platforms for connection, collaboration, and growth. A few key benefits include:
- Sponsorship opportunities: Most networks maintain relationships with a variety of sponsors. The network provides these connections to its members making it easier to find and secure your first sponsor.
- Shared resources: Networks can provide resources such as studio space, editing services, or marketing assistance to help its members create high-quality content and a constantly expanding audience.
- Community and collaboration: Beyond the practical benefits, being part of a network also means joining a community of like-minded podcasters. This can open up opportunities for collaboration, shared learning, and mutual support.
The Independent Podcast Network can help you every step of the way from creating your first podcasting episode to securing your first big-ticket sponsorship deal. Reach out to us today to see how joining the Independent Podcast Network can help grow your podcast!
Podcasting Events
Live events offer a unique opportunity for podcasters to immerse themselves in the world of podcasting, networking with peers, and gaining invaluable insights. Here are some key events that you might want to mark on your calendar:
- Podcast Movement event: As one of the largest gatherings of podcasters worldwide, Podcast Movement is a must-attend event. It offers a blend of educational workshops, keynotes from industry leaders, and networking sessions. This year’s event goes from August 19-22, 2024.
- PodFest Expo: Priding itself on its community spirit, the PodFest Expo brings podcasters from a wide range of niches together to create insightful panels and workshops for attendees. It’s an excellent place to meet fellow podcasters and industry experts. You can catch the next PodFest Expo on the last weekend of January 2024.
- She Podcasts LIVE: Designed for women and non-binary podcasters, She Podcasts LIVE offers a supportive and inclusive space to learn and connect. You’ll find sessions on everything from technical aspects of podcasting to content creation and marketing.
- Outlier Podcast Festival: As a traveling event, the Outlier Podcast Festival brings together podcasters and creative entrepreneurs with a focus on networking opportunities in the local area.
How to Build Meaningful Relationships with Other Podcasters
After joining podcasting communities, you need to start building relationships to get benefits from these communities. So, here are a few tips to help you develop meaningful relationships when navigating new communities:
- Lead with value: Engage in meaningful dialogues about experiences, challenges, and achievements in podcasting to start the conversation off with value.
- Understand etiquette: Familiarize yourself with their content before reaching out, and when you do, ensure your correspondence is concise, respectful, and relevant.
- Build genuine relationships: Focus less on self-promotion and more on fostering authentic relationships based on mutual growth and support. Genuine connections occur when you show interest in others’ work and perspectives, not just your own.
- Offer reciprocal support: Embrace the spirit of ‘give and take.’ Support other podcasters by sharing their content, providing feedback, or collaborating where possible. This reciprocal support will enhance your standing within the community and foster an environment of growth.
- Maintain long-term relationships: Cultivate long-term professional relationships with consistent and active communication. Regular check-ins, progress updates, and open dialogues can keep your connections engaged.
Conclusion
Whether it’s online communities, podcast networks, live events, or one-on-one interactions, every time you interact with other podcasters can open up new opportunities. So, get out there and start joining podcasting communities that align with your goals and values. Once you get involved in the podcasting community, you’ll be amazed at how helpful other podcasters can be!
