While everyone and their brother is starting a podcast these days, there's a few things you can do to stand out from the crowd - Be Consistent!
Be consistent in releasing new episodes
It doesn't matter how amazing your podcast is (okay, it does matter some), if you don't release new episodes regularly and consistently, your followers and subscribers are going to forget about you. Plus, any easy way to boost your downloads is simply releasing new episodes regularly! That being said, if you can't release episodes consistently, wait until you have several (like 1 -2 seasons worth) in the "bank" so you don't become "out of sight and out of mind" to your followers. Be consistent in releasing new episodes!
Be consistent in your formatting
If your show is an interview show, stick with interview. If your show is a monologue, just do that. As a listener/consumer, it's terribly confusing to listen to one episode in which you're interviewing someone, then another in which you're monologuing, then another in which you're replaying a panel discussion. Again, these aren't hard and fast rules, some podcast creators can get away with it because they've got tons of followers and a great track record, but if you're just getting started, keep it simple and be consistent in your formatting!
Be consistent in your length of episode
This relates to consistency in formatting, but be consistent in your episode length. People often listen to podcasts while they're doing other things; driving to work, working out at the gym, mowing the lawn, etc. People want to know what they're settling in for. There's a reason network TV consistently keeps show run-times at 30 minutes to an hour (okay, yes, ads are the primary reason!), people know what to expect! Even the streaming channels have a basic time-framework they adhere to (30 minutes to an hour). You don't mind if your favorite streaming show runs 5-10 minutes long, but if it ends after 15 minutes, or runs for 90 minutes, you're likely going to get a little annoyed. Be consistent in your length of episode!
Not sure how to do it all? – Resonate Media is here to help!