The short answer? Yes.
If you want listeners to keep checking in with your show you need to set an appointment with them so they know when to expect your content. That means you need to release your podcast on the same day every week.
Growing an audience is about building a relationship with listeners and if you want people to keep turning up for you, you need to be turning up for them.
How do you build a relationship with people you’ve never met?
Your audience needs to know they can rely on you and that if they commit to you, you’ll be there when you say you’re going to be there.
By releasing your podcast on the same day every week listeners know what to expect and can build your show into their weekly routine. They’ll also know you’re taking your show seriously and this can encourage them to stick with it as well.
Nothing says “this is more of a hobby than a commitment” than releasing episodes on a random schedule that suits you rather than your audience.
If you’ve already built a following of fans who are happy to consume your content whenever you create it, you can do this and probably still get people to listen.
But if you’re building a following from scratch you need people to feel like you’re committed to releasing content consistently so they know it’s a show worth dedicating their time to.
This commitment helps build trust and trust is what encourages people to come back and recommend your show to other people.
Building a podcast audience takes time
The thing that has the biggest impact on whether your podcast is a success or not is whether you’re delivering content consistently.
Podcast growth occurs incrementally and the best way to bring more people to your show is by releasing new content on a regular schedule (ideally weekly at a minimum).
By dropping episodes on the same day, over time you’ll start to see your podcast build as more people find out about it and your listeners know when they’re going to get new stuff in their ears.
I know consistency sounds boring when everyone wants to know how to get a million listeners in five seconds but podcasting doesn’t work like that and you need to put in the hard work to get the rewards.
Be realistic about what you can achieve
Since you need to deliver content consistently and on the same day each week, you need to factor this in when you’re planning your show.
Hitting a weekly deadline isn’t easy so think about whether you have the capacity to deliver an episode every week.
If not, think about putting the show on ice until you can commit to that schedule of delivery.
Or, look at whether you can delay your release date and use that time to batch record episodes so you’ve got plenty of content in the can and you’re not racing to create new episodes every week.
Got a burning podcasting question you’d like answered? Send me an email.
Want to start your own podcast but need a little help? Download my “How To Start A Podcast” guide or sign up for my online podcasting course, PodSchool.
