Your Members Are Talking. Are You Listening?

Written By Mike McAllen

Association Podcast Pro Tips

Your Weekly Boost from Podcasting4Associations

Before We Dive In...


Your Fourth of July brought a moment to reflect and recharge. I’ve felt both appreciation and unease, gratitude for our freedoms, but concern over the uncertainty many are facing right now.

That’s why something happening in my Oakland neighborhood felt extra special: a pair of bald eagles nesting right in the city. In a place as beautifully diverse as ours, it was a powerful reminder that resilience and renewal are possible. Sometimes, progress flies back in—slowly, but surely.

How are you feeling lately? I’d love to hear. Just hit reply.

 

Your Members Are Talking. Are You Listening?


This week, I spoke with an association leader unsure if her podcast was landing with members. The data looked fine but she hadn’t asked her audience.

Here’s the insight:
Download numbers don’t tell the full story. Conversations do.

Darrell Vesterfelt calls it the “transformation gap”—the distance between where members are and where they want to be. Nathan Barry reminds us to ask, analyze, and adapt.

Start simple:
Ask your audience what they need. Then build your next few episodes around their answers. One client saw a spike in engagement just by shifting topics toward what their members actually cared about.

 

Insight of the Week

The Listener Survey Advantage/

Create a quick listener survey and link it in your show notes and email. Ask:

  • What topics help you most in your role?

  • When/where do you usually listen?

  • Who or what would you like to hear more of?

Bonus tip: Revisit responses quarterly. Let members know how you’re applying their input—it builds real trust.

 Quick Tool Spotlight

Tool: Typeform

Elegant, mobile-friendly, and easy to complete.
Keep it short: 5–7 questions. Add a fun incentive like a guest shoutout to boost participation.

One Last Thought

The best podcasters don’t just create they co-create with their audience. Don’t aim to have all the answers. Focus on asking better questions.

(Also, it’s National Kitten Day and Piña Colada Day take a break and celebrate whichever one speaks to your soul!)

Ready to connect deeper with your members through podcasting?

Talk soon,
Mike






Mike McAllen
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