Chief Audience Officer Episode 230 Summary: "Want Faster Audience Growth? Follow This One Rule"
In Episode 230 of Chief Audience Officer, host Kev Michael delves into a pivotal strategy for accelerating audience growth by focusing efforts on a single platform. Drawing from his extensive experience with over 500 entrepreneurs and his own success in generating millions in revenue through his podcast, Kev offers actionable insights and compelling analogies to help business owners streamline their content strategies for maximum impact.
Overwhelmed by Multiple Platforms
Kev begins the episode by addressing a common challenge faced by many content creators: the struggle to grow across multiple platforms simultaneously without seeing proportional results.
"Are you publishing everywhere but growing nowhere? Let's fix that."
—Kev Michael [00:00]
He shares the story of a client who was juggling five different platforms—YouTube, podcasts, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Substack. Despite gaining substantial traction on YouTube, averaging 30,000 views a month, other platforms lagged behind.
"She started getting serious traction on YouTube, like averaging 30,000 views a month. But even when we would get together and talk about how great she was doing on YouTube, she would then say, yeah, but why isn't my X growing? Why aren't I getting any more podcast downloads?"
—Kev Michael [02:15]
The Cupcake Bakery Analogy
To illustrate the pitfalls of spreading efforts too thin, Kev introduces a relatable analogy comparing content platforms to bakery locations.
"You are a baker. You bake cupcakes. Your thoughts and ideas are the cupcakes that you want to sell to the world. And having an audience is like opening a bakery."
—Kev Michael [03:00]
He explains that each platform acts as a separate bakery, each with its unique challenges. Trying to manage multiple bakeries simultaneously, especially without prior experience, is likened to trying to expand across five platforms without a focused strategy.
"It's like, if someone opened a bakery for the first time and said, hey, I love making cupcakes I think I'm going to open five bakeries now. We chuckle because it's like, no, of course someone who's never run a bakery before shouldn't try to open five bakeries at once."
—Kev Michael [04:10]
Success Through Focused Effort
Transitioning to the experience with another client, Kev discusses a podcaster excelling in long-form content but hesitant to branch out into short-form platforms like Instagram.
"She said, I feel like I should [grow on social media]. And I said, why? ... You have a really niche show, but her ads are sold out for the whole year."
—Kev Michael [05:00]
He extends the bakery analogy, comparing long-form podcast episodes to intricate wedding cakes and short-form clips to simple cupcakes. The mismatch, according to Kev, results in ineffective audience growth.
"Long form is like baking a wedding cake. It is big, it is intricate, and it is expensive. Short form clips are like cupcakes, tiny little cupcakes."
—Kev Michael [06:20]
Key Takeaways and Strategic Recommendations
Kev distills the episode’s lessons into clear, actionable advice:
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Consolidate Efforts to One Platform: Focus your energy on mastering a single platform before expanding.
"Put all of your energy on one platform and getting really good at that one bakery, that bakery is going to have lines out the door."
—Kev Michael [07:45] -
Leverage Strengths: Align platform choice with your content strengths—e.g., if you excel in long-form content, prioritize platforms like YouTube or podcasts over short-form social media channels.
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Iterative Growth: Once the primary platform is thriving, use the established audience and resources to venture into additional platforms smoothly.
"Growing one, you will learn how to grow that one bakery. And then bakeries two through five will be so much easier because you've already done it once."
—Kev Michael [08:30] -
Avoid FOMO: Resist the fear of missing out on new trends or platforms until your primary platform has achieved substantial growth.
Conclusion
Kev wraps up the episode by reinforcing the importance of strategic focus in content creation and audience building. By treating each platform as a separate entity and prioritizing one before expanding to others, business owners can achieve sustainable and measurable growth.
"If your audience isn't growing yet, pick one platform and go all in. I recommend it be YouTube. But even if it isn't, go all in on that platform until it's painfully obvious that you need a second location."
—Kev Michael [09:15]
Through relatable analogies and real-world examples, Kev Michael provides a clear roadmap for business owners aiming to transform their content efforts into a robust and profitable audience.
Episode Details:
- Title: Chief Audience Officer
- Host: Kev Michael
- Episode: 230 | "Want Faster Audience Growth? Follow This One Rule"
- Release Date: July 15, 2025
For business owners striving to grow their audience effectively, this episode serves as a valuable guide to refining content strategies and avoiding the pitfalls of multitasking across too many platforms.