Grow The Show – Episode 236

"Fix Your CTAs: 8 Ways to Get Listeners to Take Action"

Host: Kev Michael
Date: September 16, 2025

Episode Overview

In this value-packed solo episode, Kev Michael (aka Kevin Schmidlin), podcast growth coach and founder of Grow the Show, breaks down the real reasons listeners respond to (or ignore) your calls to action (“CTAs”). Instead of offering scripts or timing tips, Kev dives into eight psychological and practical factors behind why podcast audiences actually take action—from joining your Facebook group to rating your show or buying your offer. Drawing from coaching more than 500 podcasters, Kev delivers hands-on advice, real-world analogies, and actionable tweaks to help your CTAs finally stick.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Listeners Must Want to Take Action

• (02:40)
  • “If people are not doing the thing that you’ve asked them to do, it’s because they don’t want to do it.” (Kev)
  • No matter how strong your CTA, people won’t do something unless they want to. This is the essential ingredient.

2. Your CTA Must Make Sense as the Next Step

• (06:44)
  • “So many podcasters, I listened to their episode for the first time and they essentially asked me to get married on the first date.” (Kev)
  • Don’t propose too soon! Ensure the action you request is the logical next step in your relationship with your audience.
  • Example: Don’t ask for a five-star review before giving value.

3. You Must Have Built Trust First

• (09:30)
  • Listeners only take action after receiving value (entertainment, education, empowerment).
  • “You have to earn the right to ask them to do something more.” (Kev)
  • Don’t lead with asks; earn trust by overdelivering.

4. Be Ultra-Specific About the Benefit for the Listener

• (12:00)
  • “Anytime you ask a listener to do something, tell them what specific benefit they will get for taking that action.” (Kev)
  • Avoid vague language (“connect with others”). Specify the concrete value (“get actionable advice from podcasters who have already solved your problem”).
  • Listeners care about their gain—not yours.

5. It Must Be Absurdly Easy to Do

• (15:20)
  • Case study: Changing the Facebook group link to a URL Genius link boosted conversions because it jumped users directly into the app, skipping extra logins.
  • “If it’s more than two or three steps, it’s way too much and you need to make it easier.” (Kev)
  • Simplify steps and minimize friction.

6. They Need to Know How to Do It

• (17:36)
  • Example: If your audience doesn’t understand Patreon, bitcoin, etc., they won’t take action.
  • “Don’t assume that your listeners know how to do the thing you’re asking them to do.” (Kev)
  • Either choose universally understood actions or educate the listener.

7. There Must Be a Sense of Urgency

• (19:15)
  • People procrastinate unless you give them a reason to act now.
  • Two ways:
    • Scarcity/Time-limits: “Only 10 available,” “limited time only.”
    • Internal Urgency: Explain the benefit of acting soon (“Join today to get feedback so next week’s content is better.”)
  • “If I don’t join the group today, my content next week isn’t going to be as good as it could be.” (Kev, example)

8. You Must ACTUALLY Ask!

• (22:13)
  • Many podcasters expect results without asking enough.
  • Don’t fear being repetitive—if a listener finds your CTA repetitive, they’re your biggest fan.
  • “If you take away anything from this, it is that more calls to action will mean more action.” (Kev)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Human beings don’t do anything that they don’t want to do. That is a controversial statement that I really strongly believe in.” (Kev, 03:05)
• “You have to earn the right to ask them to do something more.” (Kev, 09:54)
• “Mediocrity is death in this content game.” (Kev, 11:13)
• “It would mean a lot to me if you rated and reviewed the show—that does nothing for the listener.” (Kev, 13:08)
• “If it’s more than two or three steps, it’s way too much and you need to somehow make it easier for them.” (Kev, 16:19)
• “Don’t assume that your listeners know how to do the thing that you’re asking them to do.” (Kev, 17:55)
• “You’re not going to annoy them. They want to support you and the show.” (Kev, 23:02)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:40 — Reason 1: Listeners must want to take action
• 06:44 — Reason 2: CTA must fit as the next step (dating analogy)
• 09:30 — Reason 3: Necessity of audience trust & value
• 12:00 — Reason 4: Specific, listener-focused benefit
• 15:20 — Reason 5: Make the action stupid-simple
• 17:36 — Reason 6: Ensure they know how to do it (Patreon, bitcoin examples)
• 19:15 — Reason 7: Add urgency—scarcity & internal
• 22:13 — Reason 8: You must actually ask, and ask often

Actionable Advice and Recap

Kev concludes with a recap of all eight reasons, emphasizing that you don’t need to overhaul every CTA—tweaking just a few can massively boost results. The goal isn’t perfection, but progress: “Implement one, two, or maybe three of these and you’ll see way better results.”

Kev’s Call to Action:
"Go make more calls to action. That’s my call to action to you." (24:18)

TL;DR for Podcasters

• Make your CTA something your listener wants and that makes sense at that moment.
• Earn their trust—don’t ask too early.
• Spell out exactly what’s in it for them.
• Remove friction: fewer steps, more clarity, and educate if needed.
• Give a reason to act now—either by scarcity or by immediate value.
• And above all: Ask, and ask again.

For More:
Join Kev in the Grow the Show Facebook group for deeper community input and tips (but only if you now see the benefit!).

(Summary covers episode content only; advertisements and non-content sections omitted.)