One of the best ways to turn social media followers into listeners is the “self-call-out + follow-up” method. When you are small, you can still reach people individually so you should use that to your advantage.
Start by asking people to self-identify with a simple prompt or poll. For example: “Leave a 👍 if you are excited for [upcoming niche event].”
Once someone reacts, they have signaled interest. That becomes your opening to follow up, either in the comments or via DM. The most effective approach is a short, personalized voice note.
“Hey @Username123, I saw you have been into [niche] for a while. I run a podcast on this and would love to hear your thoughts on [Episode #X]. Thanks for connecting!”
From there, you can ask for a rating, invite them to an email list, or point them to Patreon depending on how direct you want to be.