Trappe Digital LLC may earn commission from product clicks and purchases. Rest assured, opinions are mine or of the article’s author.
Growing a podcast audience can be so rewarding for a business, but how to develop a podcast is undoubtedly an ever-evolving strategy. In this article, I share 17 proven podcast promotion examples. Specifically, the podcast promotion examples that I share are:
- How to start podcast growth – the basics
- Livestream it
- Simulcasting
- Get on a schedule
- Invite the right guests
- Marketing strategies
- Repurposing
- Podcast networks
- New distribution channels
- Paid promotions
- Contests
- Website integrations
- Build an email list
- Partnerships
- Wear apparel
- Email signatures
Starting to grow your podcast – the basics
There are some basic steps to keep in mind to grow your show. Some may even seem common sense, but they aren’t common practice at times.
You have to start and continue your show. Many podcasts publish a few episodes and then stop. That’s not the key to success and won’t grow an audience.
Distribute the podcast correctly to all podcast networks. Spotify for Podcasters, Podbean, and other platforms help you get started here, as do other podcast hosting providers. If nothing else, your podcast should be submitted and available on:
- Apple
- Spotify
- Amazon Music
Also, use descriptive headlines and text in the description of your episodes. This will give those episodes the potential to show up as related and recommended content near other similar content on podcast apps.
Read next: Podcast SEO: How podcasts help you rank in search
Be realistic in your goals. Podcast networks are new for most brands and creators that start a new show. You have to build the following there, and we all start at zero.
Livestream it
Sometimes, it’s not about the post-production podcast promotion examples but the entire process. Consider livestreaming your podcast to social media to reach your already existing audience there.
Simulcasting
Restream, which I use to live stream my podcasts, now offers a simulcasting feature that allows your guest ot set up the broadcast on their own page. It’s super easy to set up and a great way to increase reach.
Read next: Does Apple Podcast Have Transcripts?
Get on a schedule
People do wonder: How often are podcasts released? And the answer is that it depends. But some of the most successful ones are on a weekly schedule. They drop a show the same day each week. Something to consider, but if this is the reason you can’t keep up schedule-wise, I wouldn’t let this kill the progress.
For example, I have weekly openings on my podcast, but publishing dates do move around. We live-stream and record when guests are available.
Invite the right guests
Some guests will do a better job at promoting your show than others. Finding those guests who will partner with you can do wonders.
Read next: 9 Ways to Find Podcast Guests
Talk about your podcast
Promote your podcast. Share it far and wide. “Hello, everyone. Here’s a new episode. This episode talks about xyz.” Share it on all of your existing networks – especially the ones where you already have a good following.
That’s why I’m a big fan of livestreaming my podcast recordings. Livestreaming to networks where I already have an audience. Likewise, share it via email if you already have a good-sized email list.
Repurpose
There are several ways that you can repurpose your podcast. You can create:
- Audiograms
- Short video clips, which can then be used as:
- Articles from the content
- Pitch the content to media
Become part of a podcast network
There are several podcast networks out there that might be worth exploring. For example, Jason Falls launched the Marketing Podcast Network, which helps marketing podcasts partner and promote each other.
Whether or not a podcast network is right for you depends on the network’s goals and your goals. As long as they are aligned, it could be an excellent way to grow your podcast.
Part of this can also include creating Apple Podcast channels – a strategy to have shows tap into other show’s audiences.
Look for new distribution channels
How podcasts are distributed can change. Livestreaming podcasts weren’t and still aren’t that common of a strategy. Broadcasting your show on television isn’t, either. Over 100 of my 650-plus episodes are also broadcast on the DBA Television Network. That’s an added audience to grow a podcast that wasn’t an option a couple of years ago.
Read next: What’s the difference between promotions and distribution strategies in digital marketing?
Paid promotions
Paid promotions can work. For example, you can run an ad on Spotify or Pandora to promote your show. In addition, you can run ads on other channels like Google Ads or social media.
This can also include paid promotions with the right publications. For example, this Boston Children’s podcast runs a paid campaign with the New York Times, and this landing page is linked to many article pages.
You can also consider promoting the YouTube version through a paid YouTube video promotion.
Read next: How to grow social media (with expert tips)
Run contests
Use tools like Outgrow to run contests and giveaways. For example, you could encourage listeners to get more entries by sharing the podcast to their networks and inviting their friends to join your mailing list or at least to listen.
Read next: Creating buzz: Giveaway ideas for businesses
Website integration
Think of podcasts as part of an integrated strategy. That can mean that I use podcast content for articles, email campaigns, and more. But it also can and maybe should mean that my podcast episodes are displayed in relevant high-traffic places on my website.
For example, I have shown new episodes in the sidebar:
This is automated, and I use the WordPress sidebar RSS widget to get this to work.
Then, I embed my podcast episodes in articles when I either write about those specific episodes or mention something in the article mentioned on the podcast episode.
However, the strategy on my website that has been most successful for podcast listeners has been this: I embedded the last episode, followed by more recent episodes directly after all post content.
I have used the Castbox.fm player for the embed and the WordPress Insert Code plugin to get it in the right spot. The widget automatically updates when I publish new episodes. Apple also has a widget you can use.
This strategy has increased immediate listenership for new episodes almost 10x on average, so it’s been a real success. That’s likely the case because the pages on the site get a ton of traffic, and users seem to listen there.
Another strategy: Set up a subdomain. Use Podpage to set up an automatically created page that you can then point to a subdomain of your website like podcast dot.
Build an email list
Build an email list and send people new podcast episodes. Placing the signup form in strategically good places on your website and even showing notes can drive signups.
Read next: Balancing Business Goals and Subscriber Respect: An Ethical Email Marketing Discussion
Partner with somebody with an audience
At times, you might see podcasts created in partnership with another company. That company will then also promote and share the podcast. This is also an excellent strategy to get your show in front of more people. Just pick the right partner and have a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Usually, this includes the podcast that will be mentioned with that partner company. For example, The Business Storytelling Show with Christoph Trappe in partnership with xyz.
Feed drop exchanges
Partner with another podcast in your vertical and drop one of your episodes in its entirety in the other podcast’s feed. In return, you would drop one of theirs into your feed.
Read more: How to swap podcast episodes to promote your podcast
Wear apparel
Bruce Wawrzyniak mentioned on Episode 655 of “The Business Storytelling Show” that wearing podcast-branded apparel at conferences and out and about is one of the top podcast promotion examples.
When my podcast first launched, I created clothing using Amazon Merch.
Email signatures
Promote your show in your email signature to the level that makes sense for your overarching goals. Here’s how Bruce handles his show in the email signature.
Conclusion
So, you can use these 15 podcast promotion examples to grow your podcast.
Where to promote your podcast and what strategies to use depends on your podcast’s goals, and you’ll likely have to prioritize where to start. But at the end of the day, plans to grow our podcast shouldn’t be overlooked. Sure, it’s about creating a good show, and that’s part of it, but we also need to run additional strategies to get it in front of people.
Discover more from Christoph’s Content Corner
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.