Five Ways To Care For Your P1s
What have you done for your P1s lately…other than take them for granted?
What’s a P1?
Trust me on this. If you owned a radio station and all your listeners were P1s, you’d be well advised to buy a nice, gold ring because everyone would want to kiss it.
P1s are your core, or loyal, listeners. They listen to your station more than they listen to any other. They forgive the occasional clunker of a record, a morning show DJ’s lame joke or a down day for a talk-show host. You have your closest relationship with P1s, and they talk up your station to their friends.
But we’re not talking about radio here
Yes. And, no.
Tom Leykis is a former radio star turned successful podcaster. (By successful, I mean he has people paying for his podcasts and he’s able to make money from the gig.) Leykis told RadioWorld magazine that in radio
you spend 77 percent of your time chasing P2s and P3s*, the people who don’t love you. In podcasting the P1 is everything. They pay your bills, show up at events and tweet about you.
In the same article, Norm Pattiz, who founded PodcastOne after spending 35 years in radio broadcasting, added, “…[all] podcast listeners are P1 listeners.”
P1s are made, not born
It’s easier to lose your P1’s loyalty than it is to earn it. Take the time to show your P1s some love:
- make it easy for them to get in touch with you. Remember, they may hear your phone number or email address when they’re in the car or sweating on a treadmill. Consider using a url-shortening service to create an easy-to-remember url and sprinkle it throughout your podcast;
- faithfully return their communications. P1s are loyal, but they’re not stupid. If you give them a way to reach you they’re going to expect you’re there at the other end paying attention;
- take their suggestions seriously. That doesn’t mean doing everything everybody suggests, but you if you use a listener suggestion, credit the listener on the program. P1s are P1s because they want to feel a part of your show. Give them the chance;
- take a lesson from successful ebook authors and let your listeners get to know you. P1s listen to you in part because they can’t have a relationship with that voice on the syndicated radio program or NPR podcast. Talk to your listeners as individuals and as friends;
- finally, in every podcast, do at least one thing that makes your P1s smile.
Having an audience of P1 listeners is a privilege, not a right. Abuse it and you’ll lose it.
