Podcasting is a great way to reach a wide audience, but it can be tough to market your show effectively. In this blog post, we’ll cover ten different approaches to marketing your podcast, covering the benefits, disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses of each approach. We’ll also provide some tips on how to measure their impact and effectiveness.
1. Social media
Social media is a great way to reach a wide audience with your podcast. You can promote your show on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and you can even run ads on social media to reach even more people. The downside of social media is that it can be time-consuming to keep up with, and you may not reach as many people as you’d like if you’re not using it effectively.
2. Email marketing
Email marketing can be a great way to reach people who are already interested in your podcast. You can add a subscription form to your website or blog, or you can reach out to people who have subscribed to similar podcasts in the past. The downside of email marketing is that it can be time-consuming to build up a list of subscribers, and you may not reach as many people as you’d like if your emails are not well-targeted.
3. Advertising
Advertising can be a great way to reach a wide audience with your podcast. You can run ads on social media, on your website, or even on other podcasts. The downside of advertising is that it can be expensive, and you may not reach as many people as you’d like if your ads are not well-targeted – so it’s critical to test and adjust very quickly if ads are not performing as you’d like.
4. Publicity
Publicity can be a great way to reach a wide audience with your podcast. You can pitch your show to media outlets, you can submit it to directories, and you can even hold live events or record at other peoples’ events (with their permission) to support your podcast if it lends itself to this type of promotion.
5. Word of mouth
Word of mouth is a great way to reach a wide audience with your podcast. You can promote your show to your friends, family, and colleagues, and you can even ask your listeners to spread the word. The downside of word of mouth is that it can be difficult to measure and generating the initial buzz can require a lot of focused effort.
6. Reviews
Reviews can be a great way to reach a wide audience with your podcast. You can submit your show to directories, you can post reviews on your website or blog, and you can even ask your listeners to leave reviews and ratings on your podcast hosting service. It can be hard at times to encourage folks to leave them, but the value of a good review can’t be underestimated!
7. Collaborations
Collaborations can be a great way to reach a wide audience with your podcast. You can promote your show on other podcasts, you can guest on other podcasts, and you can even hold live events with other podcasters. The downside of collaborations is that they can be time-consuming to coordinate, but they’re well worth the investment.
8. Social proof
Social proof can be a great way to reach a wide audience with your podcast. You can post testimonials on your website or blog, you can ask your listeners to leave reviews on iTunes, and you can even ask your guests to promote your show.
9. Podcast directories
Podcast directories can be a great way to reach a wide audience with your podcast. You can submit your show to Apple Music, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and to hosting services and directories like Omny.FM, PodBean and PodOmatic. The downside of podcast directories is that they can be time-consuming to submit to, and you may not reach as many people as you’d like if your show is not well-known or promoted within them. Be prepared to push folks to these directories to hep you get found.
10. SEO
SEO can be a great way to reach a wide audience with your podcast. You can optimize your website or blog for keywords, and use services like reNotes to generate show notes, social posts and articles for your episodes.
Additional tips:
- Keep your marketing effort consistent. It takes time and effort to build an audience for your podcast, so don’t give up after a few weeks or months.
- Be patient. It can take months or even years to build a large audience for your podcast.
- Focus on quality. It’s better to have a small but engaged audience than a large but unengaged audience.
- Be persistent. Rejection is a part of any creative endeavor, so don’t let it get you down.
- Have fun. If you’re not enjoying the process, it’s less likely that your audience will enjoy your podcast.