5 growth tips for burnt-out podcasters (+ why we love Kradl)
We spoke to the new anti-algorithm podcast platform Kradl about why many growth hacks don’t work. Here’s what podcasters should be focusing on instead.
(Opens in a new window)Kradl (Opens in a new window) is a new podcast discovery platform that's going against the grain—and we're big fans over here at Steady.
You're invited to choose a podcast based on your current vibe, encouraging you to dive deep into a specific niche.
On Kradl, the typical big sweeping categories like “society” and “tech” have been broken down into more specific subgenres. Based on your preferences, Kradl will suggest single episodes rather than a whole series.
For instance, you can listen to a curated playlist of episodes about the Irish novelist Sally Rooney, or discover a comedy podcast critiquing the movie ET, if that’s what you’re in the mood for. 👽
Putting passion first
Kradl is designed to encourage podcasters to focus on the enjoyment of creation. Due to the way the bigger discovery platforms operate, podcasters have been feeling pressure to use "growth hacking" tactics.
Kradl founder Anna Grigoryan used to follow all the classic growth hacks for her newsletter and podcast until she realised that it wasn’t getting her anywhere. All her energy was spent repurposing content for different platforms and agonising over release times. She soon burnt out.
(Opens in a new window)“I wanted to make something for creators that will make their life easier."
We spoke to Anna to find out why she has done away with growth hacks and how she is trying to solve podcasters' biggest problem: discovery. Here are her tips to help creators launch a successful podcast while still enjoying the process of putting it out there.
1. Feel in control – Don’t play to the algorithm
“Right now we're feeling like we don't have control of our feeds anywhere. The idea of not having an algorithm on Kradl is to give back control to the people who know what they want.
With Kradl, creators will have at least one platform where they don't have to think about: when is the perfect time? When is the perfect place? How should I market this in a certain way that will get picked up? They can just come and tag their podcast episodes.”
2. Focus – Don’t spread yourself too thin
“The idea that you need to spread yourself all over the place just to find your audience felt very counterproductive to me. The audience also knows what they are looking for and what they're interested in.”
“Instead of going on 10 different social platforms, I would suggest picking one social platform that you love, that you don't have to learn how it works. If you're not comfortable with a channel as a creator, you will never stick to it and be consistent with it.
Try to find communities, newsletters and publications that are already talking about the things that you're talking about and go and share your content and collaborate with them.”
(Opens in a new window)A selection of topics with their own curated playlists on Kradl. (Opens in a new window)
3. Chill – don’t stress about the timing or quantity of your posts
“Finding the perfect time to post just doesn't work, in my opinion. When people are interested, they will find it. Obsessing over whether it’s 3:00 PM or 4:00 PM will not get you anywhere.
Don't try to post every day, don't even try to post every week. Find a pace that will be comfortable for you as a creator and just execute your best at that pace. Quality over quantity and your mental health as a creator over everything else.”
4. Speak to your niche – don’t chase trends
(Opens in a new window)“As a creator, you need to think about that one person a day who will be browsing the internet and they will see your podcast/newsletter/blog post, and they will say, 'Yes! Someone also thinks the way I am thinking.' I feel like chasing that is much healthier than making it to the top of a trending page on YouTube.”
5. Be patient – don’t expect the big platforms to push your new content
“YouTube and Spotify are more interested in promoting their big shows because those are bringing the advertisers money, so they are not necessarily investing in new content being discovered. You can get on those platforms and be discouraged that you're not getting the big, big numbers that you were expecting. I would say just be chill and don't give up.”
If you want to try a different way of discovering podcasts, or even simply have an appreciation for design, then check out Kradl – we think it's great.
