How to Promote a Podcast
If you’re looking to promote your podcast look no further than here with WORD EMPIRE®s comprehensive 8 -step guide plus some extras thrown in. These apply to both B2B and B2C podcasts. So read on and get your podcast marketed in the best possible way!
1. Start with your Podcast Audience
Just like with any content type your podcast promotion should begin with your audience. You must first have an audience. Even if its not a huge following, you need to have an audience that consists of more than just your mum and best friend! Your audience will by default help promote your podcast through shares on social media and word of mouth which still remains a highly potent form of marketing in the digital age.
Once you have your audience established you need to continuously be growing your podcast it through good marketing practices. WORD EMPIRE®s blog is jam packed with all sorts of marketing tips and strategies that you can use to promote your podcast and business for that matter.
Do your research and establish what your audience want to know and hear when it comes to your podcast. Create a topic list that aligns with both your brand’s expertise and your audience’s needs. Keep measuring and tracking your progress and seeing what works and what doesn’t, favourite topics, topics not so popular etc.
Insider tip - Go straight to your audience and ask for their feedback and opinion on what they want. You can even create a poll or survey on social media.
2. Get your Guests to Promote your Podcast
Podcast guests especially media personalities and even influencers already have an audience of their own and so are great for promoting your podcast. Remember they have a vested interest in promoting your podcast- they want to promote themselves while promoting you. It’s a win -win for both. Its like a guest blogger promoting someone else’s blog. This reach depending on the guest could even be global.
Aside from media personalities and influencers also think of people like established business owners. They often have a large network and so will further promote your podcast.
For instance, Amazon bestselling author and highly sought after business mentor Mary Philippou from Melbourne, Australia was a guest on Legacy Building Mamas podcast and Karyn Harte’s The Buzz Podcast. Mary has a vast network of people that she can promote these podcasts too.
Insider tip - Think big and outside the box with your podcast. Invite influencers (check out Tribe Influencer Marketing platform ), celebrities, local politicians, industry experts etc promote your podcast.
3. Be a Guest on other Podcasts
This should be a no brainer as being a guest on other podcasts will naturally not only help you promote and amplify your podcast but also help you make connections and expose your podcast to a different audience. But it’s important that you be a guest on a podcast with a reasonable size following. There’s no point in going on a podcast that hardly anyone knows about or tunes into.
Insider tip - build long-term relationships with fellow podcasters and share ideas and even challenges both online and even in person. Catch up over coffee and talk podcasts!
4. Create Epic Content to Promote Your Podcast
The phrase ‘epic content’ maybe overused and somewhat cliche but it’s so true and applies to all content aside from podcasts- blogs, videos, social media posts etc. Essentially epic content is content marketing that has your audience hooked and has them coming back for more. After all, no one wants to listen to a podcast with poor content. People all over the world search for and tune into podcasts that offer them value.
Don’t just get behind the mike and talk and boast about yourself. No one wants to listen to someone boast about themselves. It’s okay at times for relevance and context to mention yourself but you don’t want to go on and on about yourself. It is a instant put off and will sure keep listeners away.
Insider tip - add value to your audience by creating content that educates, entertains, motivates, and inspires them. Don’t sell them things. Instead offer giveaways and promotions.
5. Be Consistent with your Podcast Schedule
Just like with anything in life, consistency is what gives you results. You must have a consistent podcast schedule. This creates momentum and helps get your audience’s loyalty. They tune in at the time you podcast or later if it’s different time zones. Your podcast wont work if you just get lazy and do a podcast only when you feel like it or when time allows. You must make the time and show up consistently. If you can’t because of unforeseen circumstances in your life than have a backup- someone else who can fill your place.
Insider tip - plan your podcast episode weeks in advance so if anything changes you have time to readjust. Use a simple Excel spreadsheet to do your schedule or even tools like HubSpot, Asana & Trello.
6. Optimize Your Podcast for SEO
It’s not just text-based content anymore that needs to be SEO optimized. In this digital age all types of content need Search engine optimisation. Proper SEO will ensure your podcast gets a boost in rankings and a boost in its overall reach. To optimise your podcast, include relevant keywords, topics being searched for, a compelling visual and descriptive title for each episode. You have at your disposal a wide range of SEO keyword research tools, both FREE and paid to help you to do this like Ahrefs, Semrush and even Ubbersuggest.
In addition, you have analytics data like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and other tools and resources to assist.
Insider tip – always do both your topic research and your keyword research first before doing your podcast episodes.
7. Repurpose your Podcast
Repurposing your podcast is one of the best ways to promote and amplify your podcast on a huge scale. Repurposing is essentially a form of recycling and amplification of content on a digital scale. When it comes to your podcast consider repurposing it into the following mediums which will help your podcast gain traction and further reach which then can help you get more subscribers:
- Transcripts of your podcast audio
- Blog posts
- Quora posts
- Reddit posts
- Website content
- Live question and answer sessions
- Images and Infographics
- Audiograms
- Social Media
- Checklists
Insider tip - Don’t forget to add a powerful close to action (CTA) in all of your podcast episodes. Remember your CTA is one of your most important forms of marketing. It tells your audience why and how they should contact you. It impacts your ROI.
8. Submit Your Podcast-to-Podcast Directories
Just as there are business directories there are also podcast directories. These are great to further help promote your podcast to a new and wider audience. After all you want to get as many subscribers as you can. So consider registering your podcast on platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Podbean. Although highly competitive these platforms account for the majority of podcast listeners and registration is FREE.
Insider tip – aside from submitting your podcast to the bigger directories consider also getting your podcast listed on smaller directories. There is still an audience for you and it gives you a backlink to your website too.
Extra Tips in Promoting your Podcast
We wanted to throw in for you some extra tips that will further help in promoting your podcast in 2024 and beyond which consist of the following:
Look for Cross-Promotional Opportunities
Essentially this is all about collaborative partnerships where both parties promote each other’s podcast. This can even be done with a fellow competitor in your industry. Who says that competitors can’t work together? You just need the right strategy and attitude. Remember there is enough audio and material to go around along with audiences so don’t get into the scarcity mindset.
Create Podcast Content That’s Relevant and Timely
No matter what times we find ourselves in people want content that’s relevant and timely. When was the last time you consumed content about news or a topic from five years ago? even five months ago? There are exceptions of course, but in all people need content that’s relevant and timely. Bear this in mind when doing your podcast.
A great tool to use is Google trends and online forums like Quora and Reddit that show you in real time what people are talking about. The news is also another source of inspiration despite its often-negative outlook.
Do your own Promotion
Don’t forget the obvious – do your own promotion! Promote your podcast across all possible avenues- at in person events, online events, Facebook groups, etc. Sometimes we get so busy with life and working in our businesses that we forget to promote our products and services. Let your local council know as if they are vested in supporting local business they want to know about your podcast and they might even promote it in their newsletter or online resource page.
Podcasting is one of the best marketing opportunities for brands right now. Want to find out more about podcasting? Just Book a Time with WORD EMPIRE® who helps build business empires with epic content and SEO.