Thursday - June 4th, 2026
Apple News
×

What can we help you find?

Open Menu

How to Source Listener Questions Before You Have an Audience

  1. How to Source Listener Questions Before You Have an Audience Dave Jackson 6:05

The struggle is real when you’re launching a podcast aimed at answering listener questions, but you can’t even get your mom to tune in.

I tackle this conundrum with a blend of sarcasm and genuine advice, emphasizing that while it might feel like you’re shouting into the void, there are ways to build that listener base.

I suggest simple strategies like inviting friends and Family to send in questions or creating fake ones to maintain the illusion of engagement. I also touch on the importance of persistence and creativity in building a connection with potential listeners. It’s a lighthearted yet insightful look at the early days of podcasting, reminding us that every popular show started somewhere, often with a few awkward moments along the way.

Takeaways:

  • Launching a podcast with no listeners means you gotta get creative with listener questions.
  • It’s totally fine to pretend you have questions from imaginary friends to fill the void.
  • Use your website to encourage questions and make it sound like you’re super popular.
  • Engage your cousin or friends to send in questions, because why not?

Links referenced in this episode:

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 – https://op3.dev/privacy

Dave Jackson Podcast Consultant

Dave Jackson began podcasting in 2005 and launched the School of Podcasting (schoolofpodcasting.com). His School of Podcasting show has over 3 million downloads. He has helped hundreds of people plan, launch, and grow their podcasts. He is the author of the book Profit from your podcast and is a featured speaker at events.   In 2018 he was inducted into the Academy of Podcasters Hall of Fame. He served as the Head of Podcast at Libsyn for 8 years before moving to Podpage where he is the Head of Podcasting

Find all his shows at www.powerofpodcasting.com