There’s a reason why you decided to start a podcast. Whatever that reason may be, you need to make sure your podcast episodes’ call to action (CTA) will help you achieve your goals. You don’t want to just say “Thank you for listening” and then call it a day. No, you need to tell your audience what you want them to do so you can reach your goals.

There are many different kinds of calls to action you can use in your podcast. However, it’s important to note that your CTA can change from episode to episode depending on how far along you are in your podcast journey.

For instance, if you’re just starting and you’re looking to grow your audience, then your CTA can be something like asking your listener to subscribe to your podcast and then help promote your show on social media.

When you’ve got a good number of followers, and you’re now looking to monetize your podcast, then you can start promoting your products or your service to your audience.

Whatever your call to action may be, make sure you spell it out for your audience. Make sure what you’re asking them to do is relatively easy. Don’t make them jump through hoops. If necessary, repeat your CTA a few times during your show (but not to the point of annoying your listeners).

For best results, tell them how they’re going to benefit if they follow your CTA. Some of your avid fans will do as you say with no questions asked. However, for the most part, the great majority of your audience will be asking “What’s in it for me? Why should I follow this guy’s call to action?” This is especially true for CTA’s involving buying products or subscribing to services. You want to soften the ‘blow,’ so to speak. You don’t want people getting scared of committing to something they’re not ready for yet.

Always put your audience’s needs before yours. You’re there to serve them, to help them reach their goals, or to address their pain points. Sure, you want to get something out of the relationship too, but if you want to gain something, you need to give a ton of value first!