Episode 212 | Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast | Courtney Elmer

0:03 - Starting a Podcast? Why You Don't Need a Big Audience to Succeed
1:25 - Social Media is Dead: Here’s Why
4:25 - Build Relationships Over Numbers When Starting a Podcast
7:48 - Why Every Top Podcaster Started from Zero When Starting a Podcast
11:36 - Learning How to Speak Your Listener’s Language

Starting a Podcast? Why You Don't Need a Big Audience to Succeed

I’d stamp this on my forehead if I could. (And in big, black ink). "Can I be successful starting a podcast if I have a small audience?" The short answer: Yes. ABSOLUTELY. And I've got reasons to back me up. But first let's rewind the tape to 4 years ago: on the outside I looked like this rockstar mom CEO who was growing a company with a baby on her hip like it was the easiest thing in the world. But it was not, in fact, the easiest thing in the world. Most days I was wearing pajamas with baby spit all over my shirt, Voxering my business friends and calling it work.

"Work" also looked a lot like taking my son on a daily stroller-tour of our neighborhood so I could get a hands-free minute to myself. While my little man chowed down on his stroller snacks, I pounded the pavement binge-listening to James Wedmore and Amy Porterfield and Jenna Kutcher just hoping-praying-begging to find the "secrets" to growing my audience without running ads — because ya girl needed to make some freakin’ money.

Then it hit me: while these experts were talking about showing up on social media and growing an email list, they were actually building their platforms through podcasting. That’s when I realized I didn’t need a big audience to start a podcast; I needed a podcast to grow my audience. Thanks to that one insight, starting a podcast has single-handedly fueled the growth of my audience over the past 4+ years, and with these same strategies, we’ve been able to help more than 60+ experts and online business owners start, rank, and grow their own Top 100 podcasts, too.

Why Every Top Podcaster Started from Zero

You see the big names with millions of downloads and think, “How can I possibly compete with that?” The good news is, you don’t have to. Most people think that people like Amy Porterfield and Joe Rogan are successful because they had a big audience when they started their podcasts. But nope. It's actually the other way around.

Most of today’s top hosts started their podcasts before they had hundreds of thousands of followers on social media or an email list worth envying. Case in point: Jordan Harbinger started his podcast before Twitter (now X). Joe Rogan had his show before Instagram or Snapchat ever existed. Amy Porterfield and Tim Ferris started their shows long before viral platforms like TikTok hit the scene ...and I know for a fact that every one of them started with exactly zero downloads.

So "Can I be successful with a podcast even if I have a small audience?" is the wrong question to be asking. The better question is: What did these Top 100 hosts do to become so successful? The answer: from the moment they started their podcast, they positioned it to attract the right audience, not the other way around. Because the key to being ultra-successful with a podcast isn’t about how big your audience is when you start. It's about knowing how to differentiate yourself to attract the right audience so you can grow.

Build Relationships Over Numbers

In the world of podcasting, it’s easy to get caught up in the numbers game — downloads, subscribers, followers. But here’s the truth: a small, engaged audience is more powerful than a massive, disengaged one. (This is one of the biggest reasons niche podcasts grow faster, too). When you focus on building genuine relationships with your listeners, you create trust, loyalty, and advocacy — turning casual listeners into a loyal fan base that sticks around and converts into leads.

So, how do you do it? Simple: engage with your listeners as if they’re sitting right next to you. Respond to their comments, answer their questions, and create content that feels like a two-way conversation. When your listeners feel seen and heard, they’re more likely to come back every week to binge your episodes, leave positive reviews and tell your friends about your show, and become your biggest fans.

Remember, succeeding as a podcaster isn’t about how many people listen to your show — it’s about how deeply you connect with those who do.

Learn to Speak Your Listener’s Language

If your podcast isn’t growing like you hoped, or if you’re gearing up to start a podcast and want to hit the ground running, it’s not enough to just put content out there and hope people find it. If you want to attract the right listeners, you first have to understand what makes those listeners tune in. Why? Because successful podcasts aren’t just about delivering information — they’re about creating hyper-relevant content that speaks directly to your audience’s needs.

So, what keeps your audience up at night? What specific problems are they wrestling with that you can solve? You need to get inside their heads and craft your content like you’re having a one-on-one conversation with each person who hits ‘play.’ When you do this, you’re not just creating content; you’re creating a loyal following that will see you as the expert who’s help they need and trust what you have to say.

And if you want more tips for creating a listener experience people rave about, make sure you’re following Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast on your favorite podcast app so you can turn your show into a podcast listeners can’t ignore.

Or if you’re like, “Can you do it for me?!” Yep we sure can, and we’d love help. Book a free strategy call with our team to find out if you’re a fit for PodLaunch and get the blueprint you need for a bingeworthy top podcast that converts listeners to clients on repeat.

Next Up: 

Ever worry about running out of things to say on your podcast? I’ve got you. In the next episode, we’ll dive into how to create content so relevant, your listeners will be saying, "OMG, it’s like you’re in my head!" (In the best way, of course). Don’t miss it!