The Complete Guide to Promoting Your Podcast: Best Marketing Strategies for Building a Huge Audience | Amplify My Podcast

17 min readAug 2, 2021

“How do I promote my podcast?”

This is a question that many podcast creators ask themselves. Luckily, this article has the answers! We will be discussing 10 different strategies for promoting your podcast and building an audience of loyal listeners.

These are great marketing tips to start implementing today if you want to grow your podcast and have it reach millions of listeners.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog post. I am going to be talking about how you can promote your podcast and reach a huge audience. There are many different ways that you can do this, but it all starts with understanding what strategy will work best for your show. You also need to think about who you want as an audience and how they might find out about your show in order to create a marketing plan that is tailored just for them!

What is podcast promotion and why does it matter?

Promoting a podcast can be challenging. Unlike most social media, podcasts often sit outside of the feed and are easily missed by people scrolling past them on their Facebook or Twitter feeds.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to promoting your podcast that will work for everyone. The best way to promote your show depends on what type of podcast you produce, the audience that it appeals to best, and how they might find out about your show.

Founder of podcast network Earwolf and host of Comedy Bang! Bang!, Scott Aukerman talks about his own experience with podcast promotion: “It’s weird because I think people are just starting now to sort of figure out there is a way to promote a podcast. It has been so long since podcasts have existed that no one knows how.”

Aukerman’s network, Earwolf Media, produces dozens of high-quality comedy and nonfiction shows — and Aukerman himself is the main reason they’re as successful today as they are. He was generous with his time when he was interviewed by Mashable and credited his success to being active on social media platforms.

“I was always tweeting, I was always posting stuff,” he said. “A lot of podcasts don’t do that at all.”

It’s true: most people who make a podcast aren’t invested in the marketing side of things. So they might not know what the best approaches are, or they might not have time to do them.

The first step in any successful marketing campaign is understanding who will be an ideal listener for your show. Do you want podcast listeners from a certain age group? Gender? Location? Podcasts can appeal to all types: there are sports podcasts, cooking shows, science programs, and more. It is important that you know who your podcast may appeal to so that the first step in marketing can be understanding what content style would work best for them on social media.

Do I want listeners from a certain age group? Gender? Location? The next question that needs to be answered is how they might find out about your show.

What are my listeners looking for?

Do I need to set up a website or blog as well, so that people can subscribe and be updated with new episodes of the podcast?

How does Apple’s Podcasts app work in regards to promoting podcasts?

It may seem like a lot, but once you have an audience in mind and know where they might find your show-and how to tell them about it — promoting the podcast becomes easier.

You’ll also need some tools for promoting your show online: social media, email lists, websites with RSS feeds or blog posts that drive traffic back to podcasts… There are plenty of ways to promote a podcast, and it’s up to you how much time and energy you want to put into it.

3. 10 podcast marketing strategies to grow your podcast’s audience

Podcasting has exploded in popularity over the past few years. A recent study revealed that one out of every five Americans have listened to a podcast, and 44% of those listeners are under 35. With numbers like these, it’s no wonder why there is so much interest in how to grow your podcast audience! In this blog post, we’ll explore 10 different podcast marketing strategies that will help you reach new listeners.

We’ll start by exploring some ways to get more people on your email list before launching into content marketing and social media campaigns that can drive traffic back to your show page.

It’s no surprise that the more listeners you have, the better your show will do! These strategies can help grow your following and keep them coming back for more.

1.) Repurpose Podcast Episodes into various formats: audiograms, artworks, quote cards, infographics, youtube videos, podcast transcripts, podcast transcripts with images, etc.

The more formats you have your content in, the easier it becomes to find and share with new audiences. For example, if someone is looking for an audio file of a specific episode that they missed while listening on their commute home from work or school, they might not be able to find it because the show doesn’t post transcripts like this. Repurposing your content into various formats saves it from being lost in the depths of an apple podcast search and makes it easier for people to find you.

More on repurposing podcast episodes into other formats:

Create audiograms, or an audio file with a visual representation of how the sound waves change over time. This is great for someone who likes to read while listening and don’t want their eyes distracted by visuals.

Make artworks out of your episode transcript that can be used to promote your show on social media or other online platforms.

Create quote cards, which are a text version of the episode with quotes that can be tweeted out individually at various times throughout the day. Canva makes this easier.

Use infographics created from images in each podcast episode to post as you share episodes on social media channels. This is a great way to quickly summarize a podcast episode in an eye-catching image.

Create YouTube videos with just the audio from your episodes or create video transcripts of what is being said on each episode. You can even make “video podcasts” by adding images and visuals that correspond with the content being discussed throughout the show

More on repurposing podcast episodes into other formats:

Create audiograms, or an audio file with a visual representation of how the sound waves change over time. Websites like wavve and headliner make this very easy to do.

2. Create a podcast website

-Use a podcast website to show off your episodes, the people you interview and any important links.

This can be done easily with WordPress or Squarespace. You’ll want to make sure the site is mobile friendly so that listeners don’t have an issue accessing it on their phone as they are driving down the highway from work.

-If you create a page on your company site or personal blog, make sure it is easy to find from the homepage and include images of each episode. This way listeners can scroll through all of them without having to click on each individual post

3. Use your show’s social media profiles to share episodes

-Tag the person you interviewed at the start of your post so it will show up on their feed and help them build a following:

-Use hashtags in your posts to grow awareness and discovery for your podcast

This is also where you can mention any sponsors who helped make that episode possible. This allows new podcast listeners to find out about mutually beneficial opportunities.

-Above all, remember to be authentic and genuine. Your followers will appreciate your authenticity more than anything else

More On Using Social Media To Share Episodes:

-Add a call to action in the post so listeners know exactly what they should do next after finishing listening on their favorite podcast app or by downloading it from apple podcasts.

-Do not mention your competitors unless you have something positive to say about them.

-Don’t just post when you release a new episode. It’s important to share old episodes as well with people who might be interested in hearing it but weren’t subscribed at the time or for some reason missed out on that particular show.

Offer a Show Sponsor: You can offer people who are interested in sponsoring your show an opportunity to do so with the added incentive of being mentioned on social media or through other promotional channels. Make sure you mention this at the end of each episode.

4. Make your podcast easy to find by using the right keywords in your show notes, tags, and title

-Use keywords in your show notes, tags and title to help people find you and aid in podcast discovery

-Make sure there are some variations of the word podcast or audio on the first line of each episode’s description so it will be easy for someone who is looking for that particular type of content to find you

Naming Your Podcast: When naming a podcast, it’s important to make sure there is some kind of relevance so that people can identify with the topic and understand what they’re getting into. Just like you would write an article title or blog post headline, think about how your podcast relates to others in its genre and what it’s about

More On Creating Podcast Show Notes, Tags and Episode Titles:

-Make sure the title of your podcast is compelling. If you have a show on cooking for instance, make your headline sound like an inviting invitation to someone who might be interested in that topic but doesn’t know anything about it yet. Give them

-Use keywords in your show notes to make it easier for listeners to find episodes with specific topics that they might be looking for. You can also use this opportunity to give people a preview of what the episode is about

This will help when someone searches for something like “podcasts on eating healthy” and you’ll come up as one of the first results

-Tag your posts with relevant keywords in order to connect them with like-minded content.

For example, if you have a podcast about veganism then tag it as “vegan” or “plant-based”. You can also use hashtags such as “#podcasts #vegansofig” to increase the likelihood of your posts being seen by that audience

5. Ask for reviews from listeners and influencers who have enjoyed episodes of your show then include them on your site and social media pages

Reviews from influencers or podcast listeners are a great way to get your podcast noticed and create social proof, especially if it is new

It’s important that you make this easy for people by including a call to action at the end of each episode and in show notes so they can easily contact you. You could also include their email address as well

-You can also send a follow-up email to the person after they’ve listened and ask for their feedback. If you have an online form, make sure you include a link on that as well so people don’t need to type your name out

-Give them some time before following up with them because it’s easy for someone who was enjoying your podcast to forget about it.

-Provide value without asking for anything in return and these people will be more likely to help you out, just like they would a friend

-Offer them the opportunity to share their review with their social media followers if that is something they’re interested in doing.

-Reviews are also an important factor when it comes to the ranking on apple podcasts and google podcasts. The more reviews that you have the higher your podcast will rank which is why getting those first ones may be key!

6. Share your podcast in online communities and Facebook groups relevant to the topic of your show

There are many different subreddits that have communities for podcasts. You can find these by searching “podcasts” on a topic relevant to your show .

r/podcasts, r/podcasting, and a couple have a weekly round-up dedicated to podcast promotion.

-Sometimes the best way to get listeners is just by being active in those online spaces and answering questions or sharing content from other members of the community

-You should also look at communities that are dedicated to podcasts and share your content there too

-If you can’t find a relevant community, consider creating one of your own! It’s not as hard as it sounds. A great way is if you have an online form on the site already, include links to other popular podcast sites like apple podcasts or Stitcher so people know where to find your podcast

-Remember that it’s never too early to get the word out about your show. Start setting up those communities and providing value as soon as possible!

Start by searching for all the Facebook groups related to your niche. For example, if you had a podcast about veganism then search “vegans of IG”

-This will give you a list of communities that are specifically geared towards people who share those interests

-Join these FB groups and introduce yourself so they know what the podcast is about.

-You can also share your posts in these groups and even post links to episodes of the show. This will increase your chances of being seen by that community who would likely be interested in listening!

7. Create an email list to connect with listeners and send them updates on new episodes

-An email list is a great way for you to connect with your listeners on a more personal level. Online gurus swear by email lists.

You should set one up as soon as possible and when someone subscribes, send them an automated welcome email that explains what the podcast is about and offers some content from previous episodes. This will also make it easier in case they unsubscribe because they’ll know what to expect and will be more likely to stay subscribed.

-It’s also a great idea to include any information about the other places that you share your show such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

-You can provide updates with new episodes on this list too! Make sure people are aware of when an episode goes live.

-You can also send out regular newsletters with content from previous episodes and other information that you find valuable such as interviews or guest posts related to the topic of your show.

-It’s a good practice to set up an autoresponder so that when someone subscribes, they’re automatically added to this list without any additional work on your part.

-The more personal you are with this email list, the better!
You can always get started for free with mailerlite.

8. Produce high quality episodes so listeners are more likely to recommend it to others

Jean Balzan from Pexels”/> Photo by Jean Balzan from Pexels

-This is one of the most influential factors in whether or not people will share your content on social media and with their friends outside of social media It’s important for you to have a good level of production and sound quality.

-It’s also important to have a content plan for your show and be intentional about the message you want it to convey.

The more value that is provided in an episode, the better chance of people wanting to share it on social media or with their friends outside of social media.

-Lastly, make sure that all episodes live up to the standard that you set for your show. If listeners are expecting a high level of quality and the content isn’t up to par, they may leave disappointed or worse — unsubscribe.

-A way to ensure this is by setting out what’s expected before each episode goes live This includes sound design, length and content.

Take your podcast from good to great by following these top tips!
If you are not an Adobe Audition pro you can get started with Descript.

9. Building relationships with other podcasters

Building relationships with other podcasters is a great way to grow the audience for your show since you share a similar target audience.

You can form mutually beneficial partnerships; being podcast guests on each others’ podcasts in order to promote and share content from one another’s platforms. This would be an excellent strategy on social media too, because you’re helping someone else out who may have a smaller audience and in turn they will help you to grow your own.

-Reaching out to podcasters who are in similar niches as yours is also an excellent strategy for growth; this may be one of the most effective strategies because people who listen to podcasts gravitate towards material that’s aligned with their interests (insert cross-promote here).

Find other podcasters who are in the same space as you and reach out to them about guest appearances on their show, or vice versa.

-This could also be done through social media; find influencers in your industry that have a similar podcast audience.

Podcasts can’t grow without relationships so make sure to follow these top tips!

10. Submit to Podcast directories

If you’re a podcaster who wants to have his or her podcast listened to by more people, it’s important for your podcast to be listed with popular podcast aggregators and directories. Submit your podcast to sites like apple podcast, Stitcher, and more. These sites allow users to easily find new podcasts, which means it’ll be easier for listeners to find yours.

This is a lot of hassle, but it’s worth it. You can find all the directories and submit your RSS feed to them individually.

Rewrite and expand Create accounts and submit your RSS feed to every podcast directory so new episodes will automatically be published to each platform.

11. Paid Ads Media Buying

If you’re looking for a way to grow your podcast, paid ads or media buying might be the answer. There are several ways to do this including through Facebook and Google Ads. The key is to create a plan that focuses on the right keywords and includes an analytics element. This will help you identify which content works best with your audience while also understanding what campaigns are yielding results so that you can optimize those strategies in order to increase ROI (return on investment). It’s important not just to know how many people clicked on the ad but how many of those people converted into podcast subscribers or buyers of your product(s). There are some free tools out there like AdEspresso that can help track these metrics as well as offer optimization tips and insights.

Purchasing or sponsoring slots in podcast niche newsletters

Another strategy is to purchase or sponsor slots in podcast niche newsletters. The idea here is that you’ll be getting your content in front of people who are already interested and engaged with podcasts, which increases the chances that they will click through to either download episodes from your show or subscribe via RSS feeds, etc. On top of this being an easy way to promote your show, you’ll be helping to support other podcasters in the same niche.

Be sure to include a resource box at the bottom of all long-form blog posts that include links to additional content where appropriate (i.e., podcasts, ebooks). This will help readers who are interested but not ready for more reading come back to the post in their own time.

Google Adwords

The key is to create a plan that focuses on the right keywords and includes an analytics element. This will help you identify which content works best with your audience, while also understanding what campaigns are yielding results so that you can optimize those strategies in order to increase ROI (return on investment).

For example, if you have a cooking podcast and want to find out what keywords are relevant in your niche, then Google AdWords is an excellent place to start. It’s free to use, so there’s no risk involved. The key with this tool is that it will show you how much competition there is for each keyword — the higher the competition, the more expensive your ad will be.

In order to create a manageable plan for our cooking podcast example, we could start with the following three keywords: “healthy dinner ideas”, “easy recipes” and “vegetarian recipes”. We can then work out how much it would cost us each month (assuming $50 as an average cost per ad) in order to advertise on each of the three keywords.

Facebook Ads

Facebook Ads is a powerful marketing tool that allows companies to advertise on Facebook. It can be used for almost any type of business, from e-commerce stores to restaurants or even podcasts. The only problem with the service is that it typically requires a hefty investment and not much knowledge about how they work in order to see results. This guide will show you how to use Facebook Ads for podcast advertising and the best practices that apply.

Every company is different, but if your goal in using Facebook Ads on podcasts is to increase listenership here are a few tips: Create an ad targeting people who like or follow other similar shows. Use Adwords bidding strategies such as “CPC” and “CPM” to maximize the number of people who see your ad. These strategies can help you control how much money is spent on a specific campaign.

Quora

This is a great way to get your podcast content in front of new audiences. The more people that are exposed to your show, the more likely they will subscribe and share it with their friends! This can also be done on Twitter by answering questions with links back to past episodes.

The best way to use Quora is by answering questions. The more specific you are with your answer, the better! Make sure that if someone asks a question about something in one of your episodes, link them back to an episode or include a relevant quote from it. If they’re talking about something totally different then just mention what they said in passing, and link them to something more appropriate.

If you want to really make a splash with Quora then answer questions that are about your niche or expert in the field. For example, if you have a podcast on fitness, answering “How can I get thicker thighs” would be perfect! If someone asks how they can improve their running, then you can link them to your episodes on running.

There are many more ways that Quora can be used as an effective marketing tool for your podcast, and answering questions is only the first step! Give it a shot, and see what happens! You might be surprised at how quickly people start subscribing to your show when they find out.

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If you’ve been putting off the task of repurposing your podcast episodes, we can help. Our team of experts are ready to partner with you and transform all those hours of audio into a variety of formats including audiograms, artworks, quote cards, infographics, and youtube videos. We also offer transcripts that include images so that people who might not be able to listen due to hearing disabilities or other reasons will still be able to enjoy your content.
We know how important it is for you to get maximum exposure from every episode you publish while maintaining an authentic voice throughout each one.
Let us take care of this tedious task for you!

Originally published at https://amplifymypodcast.com.