In this episode, we explore the significant impact listener surveys can have on a podcast's success, especially during the holiday season. Listener surveys allow us to connect directly with our audience and understand their preferences, making it easier to create content that resonates. In the radio world, we called this “Hugging your P1s”—a term for our most loyal listeners. Providing incentives, like gift cards, can increase participation, especially during this time of year when engagement may naturally decline.

Listener surveys also serve as valuable content. By dedicating an episode to discussing survey questions and linking a Google form in the show notes, we can keep our audience engaged and gather data simultaneously. Credit for many of these survey strategies goes to Melissa Joy Dobbins of the Sound Bites podcast. Here are the ten questions we recommend asking:

1. How long have you been listening? This helps us gauge listener loyalty and the effectiveness of outreach over time.
2. How did you discover the show? Knowing whether it was through social media, a search engine, or word of mouth can refine our marketing strategies.
3. Where do you follow or subscribe? Asking this not only provides insight but also reminds listeners to follow or subscribe on platforms like Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.
4. How do you consume the show? Identifying whether listeners prefer audio, video, or both informs future production plans.
5. What topics or guests should we cover more? This ensures our content aligns with audience interests.
6. What topics should we cover less? Feedback on what isn’t working is just as valuable.
7. Have you shared an episode? Understanding how listeners share the show helps us improve its reach.
8. Would you leave a review? While not a primary call to action, reviews offer social proof and strengthen credibility.
9. Would you support the show financially? Options like listening to ads, Patreon subscriptions, or buying merchandise can diversify our revenue streams.
10. Demographic insights: Gathering age, gender, and other details respectfully helps us better understand our audience.

By using these questions, we gain actionable insights to refine our content, marketing, and engagement strategies for 2025

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