When you want to attract new members to your podcast community, you face a dilemma: give away too little about the community and people don't know what you stand for.
But if you give away too much, there's no reason to join the community because it's all available on the outside.
I’ve been looking at how great online communities strike this balance and I think I found the answer.
It came from a place where I never thought to look: Monaco.
Every summer, the Espace Grimaldi in Monaco hosts a big-name art exhibition. Previous years included Francis Bacon, Claude Monet and JMW Turner.
This year, the theme was a little different.
The famous Pompidou Centre in Paris is closed for renovations, during which time they shared their collection with other museums.
So the Espace Grimaldi borrowed some of their art and turned it into ‘Colours’: an exploration of what colour is and how it makes us feel.
Set in two concentric circles laid out like a colour wheel, I walked from the outer circle where the paintings were displayed into the inner circle: a room dedicated to the essence of a colour.
Each of these rooms was carpeted and painted in a single shade, with music and scent that matched the ambience of the colour.
From the outside, you could begin to sense the experience awaiting you on the other side of the plastic drapes.
Black was ominous, laden, threatening. Green was lively, fresh, inviting.
But the colour that everyone talked about was pink. That was the room that created a community.
The pink room had a tangibly joyful atmosphere. It was heady, carefree, exuberant. It was getting your first bike and learning to ride it all on the same day.
People came in dancing. They laughed, talked, made eye contact, enjoyed the moment together.
The room set the tone and drew in the people who instinctively got it.
Just like how you should when you're looking for new members for your community.
When you’re marketing your community, project the vibe but not the content.
Shout from the rooftops about the values you stand for and the atmosphere you’ve created.
This kind of promotion means that you’re both advertising your community to the people who will get it, and you’re putting off those who won’t.
Then, when you get the right people to your front door, get more specific about what your community offers. And once they’re inside, they get access to your exclusive benefits.
So if you’re a podcast-based community for women who enjoy reading fantasy, tell non-members about how your community is inclusive, fun and encourages respectful discussion.
Then tell prospective members about your AMA sessions and private email list with bonus character analysis. Then once they’re in, share that content with them.
Put your colour vibe out loud and proud and let members dance through your doorway.
And if you need help cultivating an email list that will attract new members to your community, book a call with me.
I’ll set you on a path to getting the right people through the door.
Looking forward to hearing about your community vibe,
~Sarah at CopyHop~
I'm Sarah Hopkinson and I write meaningful emails that help podcasters increase their revenue and build a community around their podcast.
Do you want emails like this for your listeners too?
Book an exploratory call with me to get an email plan for your podcast.
Did a friend forward you this email? Sweet! Subscribe to On The Same Wavelength here to get these emails sent straight to your inbox
