Podcast Promotion: From 100 Listeners to Your Next 100K – Let’s SCALE
Podcast promotion is on many podcasters’ minds, even before launching their first episode.
It’s true that the best way to grow an audience is to create great content. But it’s rarely as simple as that. If you never do any podcast promotion, then it’s unlikely your show will fulfil its true potential.
Building a bit of marketing into your workflow from day one is advisable. There are loads of different ways to promote a podcast – some may appeal to you, others might not.
The aim here is that you can pick and choose the ones that feel like the best fit. With podcast promotion, there’s no silver bullet and no shortage of trial and error. But, armed with these tips, you’ll be ready to go out there and double, treble, or even quadruple your downloads – if you’re willing to put the work in.
Our ultimate guide to podcast promotion is a list of the various routes, strategies, and options gathered together in one place. You can pick a few and try them over time to see what works for you and what doesn’t.
And, because we love a framework, we’ve packaged our podcast promotion guide into one. It’s called 🪜🌱 SCALE 📈🚀
The SCALE Podcast Promotion & Audience Growth Framework
Each podcast promotion tactic in this guide falls into the following categories:
- S – Syndication
- C – Communities & Collaboration
- A – Advertising (Paid Promotion)
- L – Live & In-Person
- E – Email & Engagement
Are you ready to SCALE your podcast growth? Then let’s get into it…
Syndication
📡 Be everywhere your audience listens and searches.
Submit Your Show Everywhere You Can
The beauty of running a podcast is that people can consume it on platforms you’ve never even heard of.
Once you submit your show to Apple Podcasts, it will appear in the vast majority of directories and apps out there. Then, Submit to Spotify, and you’re catering to the large chunk of users over there. The final place to consider is YouTube. You can put a podcast on YouTube even if you don’t record video, too, so this is definitely worth doing!
Optimise Your Website for Podcast Growth
A great podcast can still suffer from having a poor website associated with it.
Many podcasters limit their show’s growth by overlooking some low-hanging website-based fruit. You want to enable your audience and traffic to help you grow.
If you don’t have a home for your show yet, check out our ultimate podcast website guide, which covers the whys, hows, and wheres.
But here are some important things to consider right off the bat;
- Do you have an About page where you sell the benefits of why people should listen? What’s in it for them?
- Do you have a Subscribe page where you link to podcast directories like Apple, YouTube, & Spotify? You could even explain here why and how to subscribe to the show.
- Do you have a Contact page listing how folks can get in touch? Stick your email address and social media links here.
- Do you have a media kit page?
- Do you have social sharing buttons on your posts? You want to make it easy for your listeners to promote your episodes.
- Is your domain name descriptive or memorable and easy to spell?
- And does your site display properly on mobile and tablet?
Be sure to create a short promo trailer for your podcast and embed it on your homepage, too. That way, potential listeners on your site can get a taster of the show immediately!
SEO & Google Search for Podcast Promotion
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation.
No matter how or where you set up your website, you now have a base to create searchable content that can rank and be found on Google, Bing, and the ever-evolving AI search and LLMs, where an increasing number of folks are finding their info.
If you’re using WordPress, the Yoast SEO plugin is a great tool for optimising your shownotes. It’s worth checking out this full guide on how to make your podcast SEO-friendly, too.
Of course, a huge part of this is your episodes’ actual names and titles, so how do we make the most of those?
Create Clear & Compelling Episode Titles
The way you title your episodes has a significant impact on your overall download numbers.
The worst thing you can do is to use a naming system like “Episode 6” or “The Whatever Podcast – Episode 6”. You don’t need your show title in there at all. And simply labelling content with numbers does nothing to tempt anyone to listen. It gives no hint of what’s on offer, so there’s no incentive to hit play.
Be as descriptive about the ‘hook’ of each episode as you can. It all depends on the content, but there are certain formats you can use to make clicking the play button irresistible. We go in-depth in our WHISPER TITLES Framework, and the following video will show you how to utilise them in your own topic or niche.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you should try to shoehorn these episodes if they’re not a good fit for your show. Just be as descriptive as possible. Let your target audience know at a glance this is the show they’ve been looking for.
For examples of ultra-descriptive episode titles, check out our show Pocket-Sized Podcasting.
Build Great Blog Podcasts Around Your Episodes
The blog post you write around each episode is also called your podcast show notes. The more detailed and helpful these are, the more they can work as stand-alone content to get your show in front of new people.
Add links to any tools or resources mentioned in your episodes, and Google will appreciate that, too. Some folks recommend copying full episode transcriptions into your show notes, but this content is often badly written – we talk very differently to how we speak, after all. Instead, it’s better to make your transcripts available elsewhere and clearly link to them in your shownotes.
Here’s our full guide to writing great podcast show notes for a deeper dive on that topic.
Communities & Collaboration
🤝 Grow through people, shared audiences, and strong fan culture.
Run Regular Audience Surveys
This isn’t a strategy for brand-new podcasters who don’t yet have an audience. But if you’ve been running a show for six months or more, you can get some invaluable growth insights from an audience survey.
Your existing fans can tell you a lot about your show. For example, how or where did they discover it? If many listeners find you in the same place or way, you can do more of it.
Likewise, if you’ve just spent $100 on an ad campaign and literally not one person discovered you that way, you can save yourself the money in future.
You can ask your listeners what things they like about the show. What topics do they like you to cover? What would they like to hear in future episodes? Give them a place to tell you all their likes and dislikes, and then tailor your content around that data going forward. It’s a lot better than trying to guess what your listeners want!
Sell Podcast Merch
Many podcasters see merch predominantly as a monetisation strategy rather than a podcast promotion tactic. And, whilst it’s true that it can be both, it’s usually more effective as the latter.
The vast majority of podcasters use third-party print-on-demand stores to create and sell their merch. This means that prices can be high and profit margins low.
If you run a merch store in this way, it’s worth selling stuff as cheaply as possible to maximise the amount of it out there in the wild. After all, every t-shirt, sticker, or mug with your logo is like a little billboard for your show.
Here’s our full guide to running a podcast merch store, as well as our podcast monetization roundup for more effective ways to earn some pennies from your show.
Collaborate & Cross-Promote
If other podcasters cover similar topics, you don’t need to see these shows as your competition.
It’s not like old-style TV, where folks had to watch one or the other. Podcast listeners subscribe to lots of different shows, and they’ll usually be based on similar subjects.
So, what active podcasts are putting out content for the same target audience as you? Why not draw up a list and reach out to the people behind them?
Here’s our full guide on podcast collaboration and cross-promotion, with 14 actionable tips.
Working together can help share your collective audiences, which will benefit everyone. Here are some top-level suggestions:
Swap Trailers
You might initially consider doing a ‘promo swap’, where you each play the other show’s promo trailer on an episode or two.
Create Content Together
You could look at collaborating on some podcast content. A common way of doing this is to co-host an episode together, which is then published to both of your feeds.
Build a Montage Episode
If you’re in touch with a handful of podcasters in your niche, you could also create a montage episode. This is where you reach out to them with a question and have them answer it in an audio form. Then, you piece these together into a single episode.
For example, a writing podcast might ask, “What’s your best tip for overcoming writer’s block?”. Or a health podcast might ask, “What does your morning routine look like?”.
Montage episodes are well shared amongst everyone involved. In turn, everyone’s audience gets a boost as a result!
Create Content for (Or About) Others
This follows from the collaboration angle and is also based on creating shareable content.
Guest Posting
A popular way to promote your podcast is to post a guest blog on a site with a similar target audience. With a guest post, you’re creating insightful and helpful content for their readers and, in turn, can link back to your own content.
Reviews
You can also create content that’ll be well-shared by reviewing a product or service you like. For example, if you do a cooking podcast and use a specific type of whisk, you could review it on an episode, then get in touch with the company that makes it and let them know. The chances are, they’ll share it with their own audience, many of whom will be interested in your show.
Guesting on Another Podcast
Another way of creating content for others is to be a podcast guest on their interview show. However, it’s not as easy as approaching someone and saying, “Hey, bring me on, please!”.
If you’d like to be interviewed on a specific podcast, give them a thorough proposal on what you can offer their listeners. What unique insights can you bring to the table? Personalise this to the show’s format and previous episodes. Only reach out to podcasts you’ve actually listened to.
You might even want to make your proposal in video rather than in written form. This will be much more likely to resonate with the podcaster. It’ll also set you apart from the many other requests they might get in.
Here are some useful tips on how to get booked as a guest on a podcast.
Advertising (Paid Promotion)
💸 Use strategic spend to boost visibility and reach new listeners.
Pay to Advertise Your Show
If you’re a traditionalist, you might see podcast promotion as simply paying to get it in front of some new eyeballs (or ears!).
And advertising your podcast can be a great way to kickstart your growth if you have some budget behind you.
You can pay for podcast ads to promote your show in many places. It’ll always depend on your topic and audience, but these range from Google and social media ads to newsletters and print magazines.
One of the most effective ways we’ve found so far is on the podcast listening app Overcast. Here’s the lowdown (and our data) on Overcast advertising.
Other podcast apps offering ads include Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, and Podbay. You can find full details in our podcast advertising guide.
However, a creative “Guerrilla Marketing” campaign might be the best option for those with little or no budget!
Gain Visibility Through Financial Support
Just like the traditional advertising route of podcast promotion, you might be able to dedicate a small budget towards gaining extra visibility.
You could literally sponsor another podcast in your niche or wider topic. If done well, this could be a very effective way of gaining new listeners.
Some shows run Patreon accounts (other crowdfunding platforms are available), and rewards often include being mentioned on their episodes or websites. If you find a popular show with such a reward tier in your niche, you could chuck some money their way.
This route doesn’t only apply to other podcasts, either. Perhaps there’s a charity in your niche you could support? An example of this could be a tabletop wargaming podcast supporting a veterans’ charity. Or a writers’ show supporting an organisation that helps fund books for kids in socially deprived neighbourhoods.
Obviously, with charities, it’ll be more of a reciprocity thing than a direct transaction of money for promotion. You’ll need to be respectful here and keep in mind that this is an ongoing relationship rather than a service.
Live & In-Person
🎤 Create real-world connections that deepen loyalty and word of mouth.
Real World Podcast Promotion
Believe it or not, promoting your podcast away from the screen is possible!
For starters, are there in-person events in your area based on your topic? If you join a local club or society, you’ll naturally meet folks interested in what you do.
Are there any conferences or conventions happening in the next year? Why not inquire about running a booth or organising a session, panel, or workshop?
Finally, you can use the montage episode idea to promote your show in person with Vox pops. Vox pops are basically just clips of numerous folk answering the same question. You can record vox pops anywhere, from a dedicated event to out in the street.
If you go down this route, give each person you speak to a business card promoting your podcast. Let them know that this is where they’ll hear the finished piece. Most of them will be keen to check it out!
Email & Engagement
📬 Build lasting direct relationships and drive listener action.
Embrace Email Marketing
When we ran our podcaster cares survey, 40% of respondents agreed that “any serious podcaster must run an email list”.
If you’re a “serious podcaster” and don’t, though, there’s no need to go on the defensive about this. If you’ve no time or enthusiasm for email marketing, then it’s better not to do it.
However, if you can muster the time and motivation, email is a great way to keep in touch with your listeners.
“But I already do that with my podcast episodes” is a valid answer. The thing about audio, though, is that CTAs are tricky. Often, our listeners are busy doing other things whilst we chat to them in their earbuds. Very few are looking at their screen or in a position to immediately click any link.
So, an email list can act as the perfect complement to your show. You can use it to mail out your show notes or any other offers, competitions, or sales you’re currently running.
If you’re interested in setting up or improving your email marketing strategy, our full guide has you covered!
Optimise Your Calls to Action (CTAs)
Finding new listeners is a huge part of this podcast promotion guide. But one place you certainly will find your target audience is at the end of each of your episodes. Those loyal folks who listen right to the end are your biggest fans, and they’ll be willing to help you out if you ask in the right way. That means honing in on your Calls to Action.
Two of the most common podcast promotion mistakes are;
- to overlook those who are already listening
- to waste your Calls to Action
Even if you’ve ‘only’ 20 regular listeners, those 20 people can help you reach a much bigger audience.
You can give your Call to Action (CTA) at the end of each episode. You’ve served the listener with great content, and they’ve really enjoyed and benefited from it. Now, you can ask them for a small favour.
Many podcasters ask for reviews because they think that’ll help the podcast grow. Sure, they can be great social proof, and we’ll talk more about that shortly. But don’t focus exclusively on reviews in your CTAs.
Instead of constantly urging your audience to review your podcast, try some other CTAs that could make more of an impact. A great place to start is by asking your audience to recommend the show to one friend they think would enjoy it.
You could even make an engagement-forward game out of it: ask your fans to recommend your podcast to a friend directly on social media and tag your show in the post. Then, thank that listener in your next episode!
Podcast Promotion on Social Media
Social media may seem like the most obvious place to promote your podcast. But if all you do is post, “Hey everyone, check out my podcast!” then you’ll be another meaningless voice amongst a very loud noise.
If you want to use social media for your podcast (and, by the way, you don’t have to!), then pick a few where you think your audience is most likely to hang out. In What’s the Best Social Media Platform for Podcasters, Kristina gives the lowdown on each app, from Twitter/X and TikTok to Pinterest and Reddit.
Facebook isn’t the goliath it once was, but its ‘groups’ feature can still be an excellent place to find or create communities around your topic or niche. If you can contribute to these in a way that’s positive and helpful to others, your podcast can find new listeners as a result.
You can also use micro-content to run effective Facebook ads. Or, you might opt for a platform like Instagram to pay for some potential traffic. But I’d recommend starting with a very small budget and only investing more if you see promising results.
Promoting a podcast on WhatsApp is also a thing, and joining or running a Discord community offers all the benefits of social media without algorithm-led issues and distractions.
In terms of the content you create for social media, most of these platforms now lean heavily into video, so let’s take a look at that…
Create Shareable Videos
Audio is notoriously hard to “go viral” because it’s long-form and non-visual. A good way to make your audio more shareable on platforms that cultivate short attention spans is to turn it into short video clips. Traditionally, the most popular way of doing this was with Audiograms, but creating video (especially ‘Shorts’) has become simpler and more accessible in recent years,
Perhaps the most innovative and fun approach here, though, is to have a clip from your show turned into a cartoon. We tried that with our show Hostile Worlds a while back, and got a really nice response.
Text-Message Marketing
Text-message marketing is similar to email marketing, though arguably a lot more personalised. You’ve probably had a marketing text from your local gym, hairdresser, or takeaway shop before, and you can use that same technology to grow and engage your podcast audience with regular updates and unique offers. Check out our full guide to text-message marketing to learn more.
Use Podcast Reviews As Marketing Material
As mentioned earlier, podcast reviews can be great social proof for your shows. Here are some tips and tactics for getting more podcast reviews. Once you actually have a few, you can start sharing them, too.
This is much better than telling people how great your show is – now, you have others to do it for you.
There are still some tactful and elegant ways to share your reviews on any platforms you’re active on. Even bad podcast reviews can be used humorously as part of your podcast promotion toolkit.
You can use podcast reviews on your website or on your podcast merch. You can even grow your podcast by writing podcast reviews for other shows!
Ready to SCALE Your Podcast Growth?
Hopefully, that’s given you plenty of ideas and tips for drawing up your own promotional strategy. Combine these approaches with creating great, unique content, and you’ll be well on your way to running a successful podcast.
Remember, if you haven’t done so already, check out our article on what’s a good number of downloads for a podcast. Setting realistic goals and expectations is important to avoid disillusionment with your show.
And, if you’d like some real-world examples and case studies of indie podcasters promoting and growing their shows, check out the following Podcraft episode…
Top Promo & Growth Lessons From Successful Indie Podcasters
Read article called: Top Promo & Growth Lessons From Successful Indie PodcastersFinally, be sure to join us in the IndiePod Community, where you can discuss your latest growth plans and strategies with an enthusiastic group of like-minded podcasters. We’d love to see you in there!
