It's easy for Joe Rogan to pull in millions of listeners to his podcast. He's a celebrity. But what about for the rest of us?

Follow these 7 best practices and you too can build a large fan base, becoming a celebrity in your own right.

• 1.) Have Fun

This one might sound simple. But it's profound in its effectiveness. Don't be afraid to cut loose and have a little fun while you're doing your podcast.

If you're not having fun when you record your podcast, listeners won't have fun when they're listening to it. Don't be an uptight perfectionist. Nobody wants to hang around someone like that. Instead, have fun while you're recording your podcast.

Laugh, joke around, be real with your listeners. Give them a good time, and they'll be coming back for more. And they'll even bring some friends.

• 2.) Be Consistent

Consistency is key to the success of a podcast, both in release timing and subject matter.

If your listener expects a new episode every Monday for their morning commute, you better be there. If not, they'll look for something new. And if they find it, now you'll be competing for air time. Pick a day and time to release your podcast, and stick to it.

This also applies to the content of your podcast. If I tune in one week and hear something that interests me, but next week is something I care nothing about, good luck getting me back for week 3. Make sure you know who your listener is, and what they listen for, and deliver that.

Be consistent in your delivery, and they’ll be consistent in their downloading.

• 3.) Sharing is Caring

The best way to get the attention of your listeners is to get put your podcast where their attention already is. This means share your podcast on social media, topic-related forums, and wherever else their attention might be.

Find out where your ideal listener hangs out, and start becoming a regular of those communities. This will keep you up to date with what's going on in the community and come up with things to cover on your podcast. It'll also give you some great leads on people to interview, and make your promotion seem like more sharing, rather than spamming.

Best of all, it's free.

• 4.) Mail Your List

If you have a podcast, you need to be using it to grow your email list. Likewise, if you have an email list, you can use it to grow your listener base.

Every time you release a new episode, make sure you mail your list and let them know about it. Let them know what they'll get from listening, and where they can go to listen.

That way, if they missed you in their iTunes feeds, or simply forgot to check their subscriptions, you're there with a friendly reminder. When someone's as big of a podcast addict as I am, we need all the reminders we can get.

If I see you in my podcast feed, and you remind me in an email, you're more likely to be the one I listen to on my nightly walk.

• 5.) Invite on Big Name Guests from Within Your Niche

As a podcaster, you are the new media.

Television viewers are tuning out. Newspaper readers are canceling their subscriptions. But podcast downloads are on a steady climb. And that means you are the platform that celebrities need to promote from.

Invite on some of the people you look up to. If they have a new project to promote, they'll be looking for people like you to help them do it. And they'll bring their fans with them.

People searching for them will come across you, and consume your content. It will also have the halo effect of making you look more like a celebrity. After all, you're the one who gets to rub elbows with their heroes.

Just make sure you reach out to these people in the right way. You can learn all about how to do that in this guide to booking guests for your podcast.

• 6.) Be a Guest on Other Podcasts

Getting exposure on other people's podcast is a great way to grow your own audience. But it has to be done tactfully. You can't just reach out and say "hi, I'd love to put myself in front of your audience." So let's look at some ways that don't seem so outputting to other podcast hosts.

You could always invite them on your show first, and ask if they'd be down to do an interview trade. This gives them a chance to get in front of their audience, and you in front of theirs. As long as they aren't way outside of your league, most podcasters will love this idea.

You can ask your listeners to write their other favorite podcasters and recommend you as a guest. If someone listens to your podcast, it's likely you'd be a good fit as a guest on other podcasts they listen to. And most podcasters take requests from their listeners as cues about who they should have on.

If you do want to just reach out and propose yourself as a guest, do it in a professional manner. Have an assistant, real or imaginary, make initial contact. Let the host know that they were selected because of what makes them uniquely attractive to you. And emphasize what their audience will get out of a conversation between you and them.

Frame your request in how it meets their needs, and the needs of their listeners, and it'll be much better received.

• 7.) Call Your Listeners to Action

After you've given some value, it's not unreasonable to ask for something in return. Don't be shy about calling your listeners to action. Let them know how they can help you out, and most of them will be happy to do it. This is called the CTA (Call To Action).

End each episode with a call to action.

It doesn't have to be the same CTA at the end of every show. But repetition is the best way to get something done. So, if you want them to do something, ask them. And remember, new listeners might not have heard the last few episodes, so ask again at the end of this one.

What should you ask them to do? Well, I'm glad you asked.

The best CTA's should be easy to do, and help grow your show. For that, Subscribe, Rate and Reviews work best. When your listeners do these things, iTunes gives you a bump in their algorithm. Asking them to share your show with someone they know would like it also helps a lot.

• 8.) Patience and Dedication

This is the least sexy, but most important practice on the list.

If you show up, episode after episode, so will your listeners. As you build your archive, so too will your fan base grow. But if you give up before you your podcast hits its stride, you'll never reach your true potential.

Growing a podcast is like pushing a train on a slight downward track. It takes a lot of work at first, but once you start picking up momentum, the payoff becomes exponential.

Rome wasn't built in a day. But brick by brick, a great city came into being. The same will be true of your podcast, as long as you let it be so.

And there you have it; 8 proven strategies for growing your podcast audience.

Have fun.
Be consistent.
Share your show.
Mail your list.
Interview celebrities.
Appear on other podcasts.
Call your listeners to action.
Have patience and dedication.

Implement these into the way you approach your podcast, and you will see the size of your listener base grow. Stick to it, and who knows, maybe you could be the next Joe Rogan.

So, one of the most annoying things in the world to me is bad marketing.

I see people with great products or services, mixed with horrible marketing that leads to inevitable failure. And it drives me insane.

Podcasters are often guilty of this. From their show notes to their facebook posts, podcasters are messing up, bad. "In this week's episode, we talk about blah, blah, blah." "Our special guest So-and-so joins us to discuss such-and-such".

BORING.

If this is how you promote your podcast, you've already lost my attention.

And it doesn't stop there.

One of the most common ways I see podcasters try to earn a little money is to sell some branded shirts. The go to Tee-Spring and put their "super cool" podcast logo on a T-Shirt, with dreams of making millions. They spam they crap outta their facebook feed, they tell their listeners to go buy the shirts, and they shut down the sale with nothing to show for it.

Both of these are examples of the most common marketing mistake made by business owners, as well. They make their marketing all about themselves, and how cool they are, rather than about their audience.

"We started our business back in 1975."

"We offer a superior product at a lower price."

"We were voted best in town by such-and-such magazine."

NOBODY CARES!!!

People don't care about how cool you think your business is. People don't care about how cool you think your podcast episode. People care about one thing and one thing only... themselves.

And if you want them to pay attention to you, you need to grab their attentions by addressing what's important to them. That being; themselves.

Don't tell them about how cool your latest podcast episode was. Don't tell them about how smart your latest guest was. Tell them what they will get out of listening. Tell them how their lives will be improved if they listen. Tell them what danger they can avoid if they listen to your latest episode.

Don't tell them about what you put into it. Tell them what they'll get out of it.

Same thing goes for selling branded t-shirts.

People buy clothes as a way to express themselves. But a t-shirt with your podcast logo plastered on the front only gives them the opportunity to express you. That's not gonna sell a lot of shirts.

Don't make a shirt that gives your listener the chance to tell the world about you and your podcast. Make a shirt that allows your listener to tell the world about themselves, and tie it into your podcast.

My podcast is about freedom and business ownership. My listeners care about self-ownership and being their own boss. When I make a shirt to sell to my fans, my podcast logo is the smallest thing on it. The majority of the design is about letting my listener express themselves.

The full print will be a quote that tells the world who they are and what they value. It will be a design that expresses their personality. Then, off in the corner, will be a small version of my podcast logo. But the shirt is about them, not me, and not my podcast.

And guess what; every time I do a run of them, I sell out.

So here's they point: make your promotions about serving your fans, not your own ego. If you want their attention, start where their attention is already focused; on themselves. I'm sure your podcast is great and it deserves to be listened to, but self-centered promotional tactics will not make that happen.

I want you to succeed. I want your podcast to succeed. And I don't want you to make the biggest marketing mistake that rookies fall victim to; self-centered self-promotion.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

For most listeners, your Episode 0 is that first impression. An Episode 0 is like an introduction episode; something new listeners can tune into, and see if it's something they can get into. Not very many podcasters record an Episode Zero. And those who do, rarely do it right.

But, since I've recorded close to 20 of them for different podcasters, I know what works and what doesn't. And because it's top of mind right now, I figured I'd share my formula with you. So, what follows is my method for recording an Episode 0 that'll make listeners click that subscribe button.

• Step 1.) A Brief Introduction

Welcome the listener to your new podcast and thank them for tuning in. Follow that up by a brief introduction. Let them know your name, and any relevant accomplishments that may help establish your credibility. But avoid doing a deep dive into your background; we'll get into that later.

This is just like meeting someone in real life. If you spend the whole time talking about yourself, they’ll lose interest. But this is a podcast, so you have no choice to do all the talking. So instead of talking all about ourselves, let’s talk about what the listener really cares about: what’s in it for them.

• Step 2.) Features and Benefits

Your listeners want to know what they get for listening, so you want to tell them, as soon as possible. Explain the format of the show, the topics you'll cover, and how often they can expect new episodes. Then, let them know what they get for listening. What's the main benefit they'll receive for listening? Make it clear. Make them the promise.

• Step 3.) What's Your Desirable Difference?

Whatever your podcast is about, it's likely that someone else is already doing something similar. So you need to give the listener a reason to listen to you. And this is probably the most neglected step in the whole process.

Most podcasters don't give much thought to what sets them apart. But it's a vital step. Clearly identify what makes your show different, and make sure it's something that matters to your listener. Once you know your desirable difference, make it explicit. Let them know why yours is the podcast for them.

• Step 4.) Call Them to Action

Now that you've done your part, let them know what they can do for you. This is called a Call To Action, or CTA. Ideally, you should have a CTA at the end of every show, and your Episode 0 is no different. Finish your episode by telling your listener what to do next. Subscribe on iTunes, leave a comment, rate and review, share with someone you know. These are all great Calls To Action, be sure to include at least one.

• Step 5.) Close the Show

Thank them for listening and let them know how glad you are to meet them. Tell them bye, until next time, and let them know you'll be talking to them soon. Cue the outro music.

Fin.

One last note; your Episode 0 doesn't have to be the first episode you record. You can record and release it at any time, even if you're already 10 episodes in. In fact, I often wait until about that time, just so we have clear answers to all the points we want to make. And if your podcast evolves, you can always go back and re-record a new Episode 0.

Just make sure it's something that you do. It's a little bit of effort that will have a huge payoff.