3 Ways to Promote Your Podcast That Don’t Feel Like Hard Work
Just a few days ago, I received an email from a new listener of my language learning podcast, the Fluent Show, who told me
"I've just discovered your podcast and am enjoying going through the old episodes on my commute to the new job."
Podcasting has taught me that lasting content is the way to reach people without having to work hard every day. It starts with making some brilliant episodes, and putting it somewhere it won't disappear after 24 hours (👀 tiktok).
When you produce a great podcast, it will encourage listeners to
sign up to your newsletter
reach out to you and make a personal connection
pay attention the next time you’re offering a great course or programme.
But that's not all. Of COURSE not.
The next step is all about promoting what you've got, spreading the word, and creating a buzz. Many people tend to over-complicate podcast marketing, but you don't need to work extremely hard for it at all.
How to Grow Your Podcast Audience
Here are 3 ways to market your podcast that will truly pay off for the long term:
Build momentum with the metrics that matter
Create a promo checklist to take out the guesswork
Learn how to pitch your show
Build Momentum With the Metrics That Matter
Podcast statistics can be a messy forest to untangle. You’ll naturally wonder how you can get to your first 100 or 1000 listeners, but don’t get too obsessed with the exact numbers.
So Podcast Downloads Don’t Matter?
Industry insiders in podcasting know that download stats are not that reliable. Some apps cache downloads, others stream, and other ones don’t stop auto-downloads from bots.
Add to that the fact that a “download” is not the same as a “listen”, and the conclusion is that you can definitely take your stats with a pinch of salt.
This doesn’t mean you have to live without metrics. If you’re a new podcaster looking for download numbers, I’d recommend checking the trends, not the actual numbers.
The key question to ask is “is the number going up”, and once you have more than 10 episodes you can also ask “which episodes are doing well?”.
Here are 3 Podcast Metrics That Mean More Than Download Stats
Instead of download statistics as the measure of your podcast. let’s focus on 3 better podcast metrics. Focus on improving and increasing these to get great results from promoting your podcast.
Number of 5 Star Ratings and Reviews
Fan emails with questions and feedback
New buyers and customers who say "podcast" is where they first heard about you
When you make community the focus, community becomes the magic!
Take Out the Guesswork With Promo Checklists
The easiest way to market while you go is to create a step-by-step checklist for things you want to do after you publish a new episode. These will be your no-brainer steps and no publication is complete without them.
For each new podcast episode, make sure you complete 3 or more marketing related-actions, for example:
Create a cover image for the episode to share on social media
Write show notes that are easy to scan
Give the episode an inviting title
Research a few SEO terms and add them to the show notes
Tag any guests and sponsors and ask them to share
Convert your show notes into a blog article
Email your newsletter about the new episode
The list of promo ideas is endless, and the key here is to pick your regular tasks and repeat, repeat, repeat.
The Best Tools for Easy Podcast Marketing
The small marketing jobs you’ll do for new podcast episodes don’t have to be a firework of creativity. Bring in checklists and automated tools!
Project Management Software
I found the most fantastic way to plan ahead, produce episodes, and stay organised was to use Notion. My custom-built Notion Podcasting HQ comes with templates for producing and marketing new episodes, and it will make your podcast life easier than ever.
AI-Based Podcast Marketing Help
AI tools like 🪄 Castmagic and 🪄 Marketing Magic help with the creation of show notes, social media posts, and newsletters. I make use of both for first drafts and recommend them - get in on that AI utility! (🪄 These are my affiliate links.)
Learn How to Pitch Your Show
With millions of podcasts already out in the market, your show topic is not unique. So it matters a LOT that you know exactly how to pitch yourself to new listeners.
Your Unique Ingredient
The easiest marketing trick of all is to make sure you’re saying something unique.
Why is your show is worth every minute of your listener’s time?
What makes it different?
What will your listeners get from you?
YOU are a key ingredient in this formula, so don’t hide your light here. Share why you make the show and what you are really like.
As an example, I knew that there were many language learning podcasts out in the market. But only my Fluent Show gives listeners access to me: a woman, non-native speaker, with 20+ years of experience, and regular jokes about Sean Paul.
Where else are you gonna get all that? Nowhere!
Know and Use Your Podcast Archive
In most conversations about my podcast, people smile politely but they don’t think it’s for them.
But that changes when they bring up a specific question and I say “I’ve got a podcast episode about that!”.
Making personal, specific recommendations will go a long way towards making people feel like you’re speaking to them. And if they like the way your show sounds, they’ll stick around and become a long-term listener.
In Summary: How Can You Promote Your Podcast?
You know it, I know it: Podcasting is not the “laziest” way to make content.
Not only does it take some work to put your voice into a fun half hour for your fans and great customers. (That gets a LOT easier with practice though!)
It also bucks the trend of instant gratification, because podcast stats are messy and unreliable.
And despite all that, creating your podcast can and will be one of the best marketing decisions that you can make in your business.
With low-effort strategies like promo checklists and smart pitches, you can achieve long-term success. And they’re so easy and fast to set up that I encourage you to take action right now and give one of them a try!
Need More Support?
Get in touch with me on Instagram @kerstin_fluent if you need more help with your podcast marketing.
For in-depth courses and programmes that will show you how to make a standout podcast and promote it to thousands of listeners, check out:
Podcasting 101 for the tech and planning behind your new show
Easy Breezy Podcast Promo for easy podcast promotion
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