In this article, we feature one of Firstory’s users “Hey! I am Here” podcast as one of FLink’s success case stories. A few weeks ago, we received a message from their creators telling us about how much they loved FLink’s episode-level function; so we sat down to have an interview with them and found that their podcast downloads grew by 6 times in just 1 month!
Here are our key takeaways from how “Hey! I am Here” used FLink to grow their podcast and help their podcast downloads grow in the right direction.
- “Hey! I am Here” is a Taiwan-based podcast aimed at accompanying listeners who are at rock bottom or are experiencing the troughs of life.
- Having published their first episode only in November 2021, “Hey! I am Here” has mastered a strategy that drives downloads traffic to the episode of their choice through audiences’ listening habits
- After 2 weeks, they observed clear changes in traffic patterns and later managed to squeeze into Apple Podcasts’ Top 10 Mental Health podcast charts for Taiwan.
Driving Compounded Results for Half the Effort
“I’ve promoted my podcast on Facebook and Instagram groups; but why am I not getting any podcast downloads growth?”
Podcasting isn’t JUST about creating interesting podcast content. Many times, it also involves learning and applying the art of social media marketing and digital marketing concepts to help the show grow.
One of the creators behind “Hey! I am Here” comes from the advertising industry; so he knows it’s not easy to make people click and check out your show immediately upon seeing a social media post about it. This is why the hosts of “Hey! I am Here” invite guests who have already accumulated a strong following or social influence to help spread the podcast episodes and maximize the fruit of their efforts.
On one hand, the creators made sure that the content remained to be of quality and of depth. On the other hand, they focused on expanding the post-production promotion breadth of reach, making sure to reach audiences who didn’t know about the podcast before (plus diffusing information around the guests’ personal social circle of friends and family). Both breadth and depth matter.
Finishing up each episode’s recording only marks the beginning of every creator’s marketing and promotional strategy. When Firstory interviewed multiple other users in the past, their podcasting workflow seemed to be a unified as follows:
- Uploading and publishing an episode
- Wait for each podcast directory to update and scan for the latest episode
- Copy the show links from Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Amazon, and other platforms
- Write up a post promoting the new episode, including the links to the various platforms
- Post it on social media and wait for results
The problem with this process is the lack of certainty and the time lag in and between each step. After all, there have been instances when podcast sites failed to update the latest episodes; what would the creators do then?
Having too many links crowding your promo can also negatively affect the visual presentation and readability of your post.
How "Hey! I am Here" Managed to Grow Their Podcast Downloads in Just 1 Month
During our interview with “Hey! I am Here,” the creators shared an interesting observation: Using multiple podcast directories attracts diverse groups of audiences. Because of RSS technology, the podcast is delivered to multiple platforms after release and listeners come from all directions in an extremely decentralized manner.
When “Hey! I am Here” first started their podcast, they used to paste the links of each podcast directory onto social media after each episode release, hoping that it would reach a wider audience. After a number of episode releases, they observed a strange pattern of behavior:
Not taking into account the differences in content and special characteristics of invited guests, the team behind “Hey! I am Here” podcast hypothesized that sharing all these links may simply be too much clutter for certain audience groups. Most importantly, sharing the link to the podcast doesn’t direct listeners to the latest episode. This means that if you wish to drive traffic specifically to your latest episodes, you’ll have to copy and paste the links to these episodes EVERY SINGLE TIME… that was, before “Hey! I am Here” discovered Firstory’s episode-level FLink.
When “Hey! I am Here” tried FLink’s episode-level function in Episode 4, they were able to solve this gnawing pain point. Because FLink is a universal, single link that acts as a doorway to all platforms and external sites (e.g. Social media accounts, website, e-commerce, donation), they no longer have to cram multiple links into one post. ONE LINK & ONE CLICK was able to do the job in the most precise manner.
The precision and aggregation of information directs listeners to the platform of their choice through a really friendly, intuitive, fast, and convenient way. This also saves time from all the copy and pasting while greatly improves overall post aesthetic which encourages audiences to read its content better.
The KEY success factor of “Hey! I am Here” podcast, in its simplest terms, is this: The focus of their efforts was shifted from doing this mechanical, repeating action to carefully selecting and contacting the right guest, ensuring content quality, and streamlining administrative process which lead to better social marketing efforts.
Check out "Hey! I am Here" through their FLink:
The Secrets of Driving Podcast Downloads Traffic, According to "Hey! I am Here" Podcast
- Take advantage of your connections. Invite guests who have a stronger social circle, following base, or network impact. One person can run fast, but a group can go further. Your guest doesn’t necessarily have to be a celebrity; having a small, strong following would be enough to make good allies. When these allies share your show to others, their social circle would then take notice of your podcast (the credibility and trust also increases as you slowly become an insider from being an outsider).
- Use the freed up time from using FLink to focus on content strategy. Increasing the depth of your content and marketing (promotion) capabilities is no easy task. FLink is a tool that every podcaster should try out. However, WHAT you do with the additional freed-up time greatly affects how well this tool can help your podcast’s downloads growth.
- With precision, due diligence, and patience, you’re sure to experience some changes. Every listener has their own preferred platform; go ahead and provide them with what they like. Just like 2 rivers that flow separately, they will surely merge back together in the end.
Ultimately, it’s not about the tools that you HAVE, but rather WHAT you do with it and the “SO WHAT” or “WHAT THEN” factor. How do you maximize the strengths and competitive advantages acquired from owning certain tools: Do you sit back, do nothing, and expect great results ORRR or do you continue the grind?
Read more about Firstory FLink here:
Show-level FLink is free for every Firstory user, while Firstory Pro users get to enjoy both show-level and episode-level FLink for a minimal, seriously affordable monthly fee of $15 (annual billing) to $19 (monthly billing).
Drive your audience with precision to the latest episodes after every upload, without needing to copy and paste the links all over again. Simply grab your episode-level FLink (care of Firstory) and promote your show!