Why You Need 1 Million Fans
By: Brandon Beeyard
Tags: Content Strategy, Podcasting, Content Creation, Showmaking, Podcasting Strategies

Why You Need 1 Million Fans

Photo by Fab Lentz on Unsplash

The prevailing podcast wisdom says find your niche — your little sliver of the podverse — and eke out a nice living by serving that small, well-defined audience. I say you should aim higher…way higher. Why settle for 1,000 listeners when you should try for 1 million. It’s an audacious goal, I know, but it’s easier than it sounds. Let me explain.

Let's break down some popular shows

First, you have the current big daddy of podcasting: Joe Rogan. As of this writing, Rogan has about 200 million monthly listens. That equates to about 12 million listens per episode. Do you actually listen to every Joe Rogan episode? You probably pick and choose the guests you find interesting. So his core audience — the ones who listen to almost every episode — is much smaller than his total audience. I’d say it’s around 1 million people.

(Note: I’m using round numbers and approximations in this article to make a point. Don’t overthink the math. It’s close enough.)

Another example. The Flagrant 2 is a show that ranks among the top earners in Patreon. They currently have 19,000 people paying at least $5 per month. Patreon patrons are a great gauge of a show’s loyal fanbase. I call them the raving, paying fans. These 19,000 fans pay for an otherwise free show. The raving, paying fans should be the focus of your efforts.

A show’s casual fanbase is slightly different. They are the raving (not paying) fans. For a popular show, I would estimate this number is 5 to 10 times larger than the paying fanbase. For Flagrant 2, it would be about 200,000 people. Their total reach can be 5 to 10 times larger still. So I’m estimating Flagrant 2 has about 1 to 2 million podcast listens per month.

The takeaway: a popular show’s casual fanbase can be 10x larger than its core audience (the raving, paying fans), and the total reach — the number of individuals who have heard at least a few episodes — can be up to 10x larger than the casual fanbase. Your total reach also includes viewers on YouTube as well as social media followers. So to reach 1 million people, you only need a base of 10,000 raving, paying fans.

It’s getting easier every day

Just find 10,000 fans; easy right? I know it’s a lofty goal. If you find 10,000 fans, you’re already a big success in the podcasting world. Yes, this is still a monumental task. But what if you made this your goal over the next 5 years? It becomes attainable.

It takes just as much effort to reach 10,000 people as it does to reach 1,000. It will just require more time and different strategies. I advise you set your sights on the larger audience because it forces you to scale your thinking and approach.

The global podcast audience is growing every day, therefore reaching 10,000 people is becoming easier all the time. According to Libsyn, the top approximately 4% of podcasts on their platform receive over 10,000 listens per episode. Can you be a top 4–5% podcaster? Sure you can. It doesn’t take more talent or luck; it takes persistence.

So how do you build a fan base of 10,000 listeners? They are out there. Just find them. They already listen to other podcasts, read blogs, and interact on social media. Join the conversation. Get creative. Be a guest on other shows with the same target audience, write a blog on a platform that your audience already reads, participate in relevant trending topics on social media. While you do this, continue to hone your message.

Why aim for 1 million when you can be successful with a smaller audience?

For starters, you’ll make more money, but it isn’t about the money, is it? It’s about impact. If your message is compelling, your fans, who already think like you, will spread the word to others in their network — those who think slightly differently. Now your message has grown beyond its core audience. It gains momentum and shapes minds. It influences opinions. It challenges preconceived beliefs and biases. Do it enough times and you’ll eventually reach 1 million minds. That’s enough to spark a movement and create change on a global scale.

I want to reach as many people as possible through my podcast and online content. My goal is to empower my listeners to be more self-reliant and to have more freedom and mobility in their lives. I want to help fellow creatives reconnect with their voice and fulfill their destiny. The money is just a byproduct of providing value. It’s all about showing people a better way to live.

No matter if you’re an experienced content creator or just starting out, I hope you will think bigger. It’s great to give value to a small audience. This is how we all begin our journey, but the end goal is to help as many as possible. Don’t play small when you can play big. It doesn’t take more effort, just a different way of thinking. Now go reach 1 million people and make the world a better place!