12 Smart Ways to Promote Your Podcast

A lot of preparation goes into launching a podcast. For example, you will have to find the right equipment, interview the guests, and edit the sound to feel right. After you’ve finished producing the podcast, the next major challenge to tackle is how to get listeners.

Luckily, we have the promotion strategies you can implement to make your podcast reach your target audience. Implement these smart podcast promotion strategies before, during, and after the launch date.

Get on iTunes

Your first goal should be to get on iTunes. Even if you are not an Apple fanboy, ignoring iTunes will be at your own peril. According to Neiman Lab, 70 percent of all podcast listening happens on iTunes. If you can make it on iTunes, you’ll have won 50 percent of the promotional game.

Use different strategies to encourage listeners to download, listen and rate your podcast on iTunes. We’ve covered some of these strategies in the next points.

Promote on Social Media

Social media promotion can significantly drive listeners to your podcast and help you garner new subscribers. You need an elaborate social media marketing plan from the onset. Here are some promotion strategies to consider:

• Share your podcast link on Twitter and Facebook
• Share the podcasts to relevant niche forums where you are active
• On Instagram, use hashtags that your target audience uses on your images and include a link to your podcast

Release 3-5 Episodes on Launch Day

Produce multiple episodes in advance and upload 3 to 5 on iTunes when you launch. This way, you can give listeners a taste of what to expect in the coming weeks. Make sure you promote each episode separately on your social media accounts.

Connect With Partners

Find podcasters in your industry and connect with them either via email or social media sites for possible partnerships and promotions. Do this before producing your podcasts. In your podcast episodes, you can mention some of the brands you hope to collaborate with. This should encourage the brands to share your podcasts when they know they have been mentioned in it.

Build an Email List Early On

Email is an excellent source of the initial traffic you would need to push your podcast’s ranking up on iTunes. Start building your email list long before the launch date. You can set up a waitlist landing page to get subscribers that would be interested in your podcast.

Submit Your Show to Podcatchers

Go all out to get the word out about your podcast. For example, submit your episodes to podcast aggregators and “podcatchers.” These are apps or services that allow listeners to discover new podcasts.

Here is a list of podcatchers you should submit your episodes to.

Upload Your Show on YouTube

Convert your audio to a video and upload it on YouTube to significantly expand your reach. Moreover, you can embed your YouTube videos on your website for SEO benefits.
When uploading your podcast on YouTube, optimize it by using target keywords in the title and tags for easy discovery by your audience.

Leverage Your Guests’ Audiences

Make it easy for your podcast guests to promote your podcast by keeping them on the loop when their shows are about to be uploaded. For example, create pre-written tweets or Facebook graphics for your guests that they can easily share with their audience. Don’t forget to link to the show’s iTunes page.

Be a Guest on Other People’s Podcasts

Start promoting your podcast early on by being a guest on other people’s podcasts. Ideally, you should look for people whose audiences will find your podcast helpful. These are likely to be podcasters in your industry.

Reach out to the podcasters and request to be a guest on their shows. Most podcasters struggle with finding awesome guests and will be happy to have you on their shows.

Throw a Launch Party

Let your followers know about your podcast by throwing a launch party. You can livestream a few minutes for one week on Facebook Live or Instagram Stories to promote the podcast. Interact with your audience during these party launches by answering their questions and gathering feedback about the podcast.

Run a Giveaway Contest

Everyone loves winning. Hold a giveaway during the launch to encourage podcast subscriptions, downloads, and reviews. Offer prizes to people that leave a review of your podcast on iTunes. Use viral competition tools to get traffic to your podcast.

Transcribe the Audio

Finally, you can utilize transcription services to get your podcast audio transcribed for content repurposing. You can offer the transcribed audio as a downloadable PDF on your website and use it for lead generation.

Without a launch and promotion strategy, your podcast risks getting buried in the millions of podcasts in the digital mines. Follow the 12 strategies above to promote your podcast launch.

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