Here’s a hard truth every podcaster must learn: you need more than high-quality content to reach a larger audience. Countless podcasts get launched every year, and the vast majority won’t last longer than three episodes. Unless you’re taking your marketing seriously, you can’t expect to grow more than a few dozen downloads per episode.
It’s not all doom and gloom, however — because podcast promotion can be learned. With the right tools, strategies, and resources by your side, you can easily improve your podcast’s visibility and make the most of your professional show.
This guide will cover a range of promotional strategies (plus tips and tricks) you can use to boost your audience. We also cover cost-effective ways to delegate your marketing so you can save more time on repetitive tasks.
- How Do Successful Podcasts Promote Themselves?
- Leveraging Existing Audiences
- Email Marketing for Podcast Growth
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Podcasts
- Using Paid Advertising and Promotions
- Podcast Influencers
- Google Ads
- The Bottom Line on Podcast Promotion
How Do Successful Podcasts Promote Themselves?
Around 65% of podcast creators get less than 1,000 downloads per episode, with an annual growth rate of ~20% on average. This isn’t surprising, considering most creators say they’re unfamiliar with marketing. But it also means podcast promotion is key.
According to a PMA report from the PMA, the fastest-growing and most successful podcasts share the same five factors:
- High-growth social media channels (including podcast apps)
- Podcast app syndication
- Writing emails and newsletters
- Blogging and SEO
- Paid ads
Don’t have the time to dedicate to these? A podcast marketing service may be in your best interest.
But if you still have the drive and passion for DIY, let’s jump into everything you should know about promoting your own podcast.
Social Media Promotion for Podcasts
With more than 4.8 billion social media users online, failing to leverage at least one (or more) platforms could negatively impact your show. Nearly 100% of the fastest-growing podcasts use social media to get the word out. However, the channels, content, and messaging you use will primarily depend on your show.
Let’s break down your options into two different categories:
Organic Social Media
Organic social media is exactly what it sounds like: creating content designed to draw interest to your show. This is often a slower-moving strategy that takes a long time to get results. But you can still pair it with paid ads to get more bang for your buck (we’ll get to that later).
For now, you need to think about the right channels for your show. You have plenty of options available, but research shows there are four primary platforms:
- Instagram is the top performer overall
- Facebook is a tried-and-true runner-up
- X (Twitter) is popular among already-established shows
- LinkedIn makes sense for professional shows covering marketing, finance, and more
You don’t need all three to make your podcast visible, but you should choose at least one to get the word out about your show.
Next, you need to think about shareable content. These should be engaging, short-form social media posts with bite-sized pieces of what your show is about. You can make this process easier by simply repurposing your content with audiograms, short video clips, still images, and more.
Keep in mind that the platforms you use will ultimately dictate the type of content you create. With Instagram, for example, reels perform better than still images. But posting multiple still images is the best engagement strategy on LinkedIn. Twitter (X) requires hashtags to get maximum engagement from your post. Other platforms (like TikTok and Pinterest) require completely different approaches.
Is hiring a marketing or production agency out of your price range? Here are a few free DIY tools for creating engaging social media content:
- Canva: Perfect for social media collateral and short-form videos.
- Buffer: You can push pre-written content to three social media channels for free (and more if you’re willing to purchase a paid plan).
- Buzzsprout: Distribute your podcast to all major directories, with additional tools available with a paid plan.
If your free time is too limited and valuable to devote to learning DIY tools, consider delegating your show to a podcast production company with experience in your industry. These allow you to delegate audio or video production, show syndication, and social media services.
Pssst — these are all things we do at The Podcast Consultant. You’re welcome to browse our client shows to see examples of our work.
Paid Social Ads
If you don’t feel like waiting on results from your organic social media, you could always turn to paid social ads. These allow you to target new listeners and potentially increase your audience size.
Ads will look somewhat different depending on the platform you’re using, and the price you end up paying depends on your platform, audience, campaign, and ad type. It’s a complicated subject with lots to learn, but if you’re just looking for the basics, here’s a table that can help:
| Platform | Ad Types | Avg. Cost per Click (CPC) | Avg. Cost per Thousand Impressions (CPM) | Target Audience | Best For | Sources |
| Image, Video, Carousel, Story Ads | $0.97 | $7.19 | 25-34, Broad demographics | Detailed targeting, Wide reach | WordStream 2023 / Hootsuite 2024 | |
| Image, Video, Story, Reels Ads | $1.11 | $7.91 | 18-34, Visual content consumers | Visual storytelling, Brand awareness | AdEspresso 2023 / Sprout Social 2024 | |
| Text, Image, Video, Carousel Ads | $5.26 | $33.80 | Professionals, B2B, 25-45 | Professional networking, Industry-specific podcasts | LinkedIn Advertising 2024 / WebFX 2023 | |
| Twitter (X) | Promoted Tweets, Image, Video Ads | $0.38 | $6.46 | 25-34, News/tech enthusiasts | Real-time engagement, Trending topics | Revealbot 2024 / Hootsuite 2024 |
| TikTok | In-feed, Branded Effects, Hashtag Ads | $1.00 | $10.00 | 16-24, Younger audiences | Viral content, Entertainment podcasts | Influencer Marketing Hub 2024 / TikTok Business 2024 |
Don’t forget these are averages only — your mileage may vary depending on your industry, campaign type, podcast budget, and more.
And if you want to learn more about using paid advertisements, you’re welcome to skip to the section below.
Leveraging Existing Audiences
If you host guests on your podcast, you already have thousands of potential audience members. It’s just a matter of getting in front of their network, either by cross-promoting or collaborating with them in the future.
There are two ways to do this effectively (and at scale):
- Cross-promoting on guest shows. Make an agreement to show up on your guests’ show in exchange for their time on yours. That way, you can share each other’s social media posts, offer images or collateral, or even make announcements with services or new offers.
- Collaborations and/or partnerships. Building mutually beneficial relationships with other podcasters is one of the easiest ways to improve the reach of your show. They also allow you to monetize beyond ads — you can pool resources together to create truly engaging work.
Of course, finding collaborators can be challenging if you’re newer to podcasting or have a small network. Social media is a great (and free) first step, but you could also leverage paid-for podcast networking sites like MatchMaker.fm or Podmatch.
Email Marketing for Podcast Growth
Email is one of the most cost-effective ways to promote your podcast without breaking the bank. Depending on the software you use, it could be less than $20 per month (or even free).
That doesn’t mean it’s always easy to do, however. You’ll need at least three pieces to complete the email marketing puzzle:
How to Start an Email List
The first step in setting up your email marketing campaign is getting consent from your audience. Failing to do so will be more than just annoying — you might also violate the CAN-SPAM Act.
There are a few different ways to gather consent, although by far, the easiest is using a signup form. Well-established email platforms like HubSpot, Mailchimp, and Omnisend come with built-in consent forms tracking subscriptions, unsubscribers, and re-subscribers.
So how do you ask people to join your email list? Let’s look at some case studies that might spark some inspiration:
- “Before the show started, I started posting in different Facebook groups and forums, saying, hey, this is coming soon. I did a big giveaway where I bought games from the five designers who were the first five interviews. I bought a game from each of them and then made that a giveaway.” — Gabe Barrett, Board Game Design Lab
- “Speaking in your voice is really important. Also, I think it’s important you’re not always asking your email list to do stuff, like buy stuff.” — Vicki Weinberg, Bring Your Product Idea to Life
Newsletter Content Ideas
If you want your podcast newsletter to stand out from the crowd, you need to spend time building a truly valuable email.
This should include audience-focused content like:
- Episode recaps
- Recent highlights
- Tips and tricks
- Documents, videos, or images referenced in the podcast
- A link to the video version (if this is something you offer)
- And more
Automated Campaigns
It gets more and more difficult to welcome new subscribers as you grow — which is a good problem to have, albeit frustrating at first.
This is where the power of automated campaigns comes in: you can let AI-powered systems handle emails while you sleep.
For example, you can use automatic email platforms to queue newsletters in advance, or set up separate campaigns that make scheduled campaigns easier to manage. This could be a welcome sequence for new listeners, special notes for premium subscribers, or automated messages that notify listeners of new episodes.
There are many different platforms depending on your needs:
Again, don’t send automated messages without express consent from your listeners. And be careful with the frequency of promotional messages: most subscribers only want emails once per month or once per week.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Podcasts
You’ve probably heard of SEO before, but felt intimidated by the lingo and was afraid to ‘mess something up.’ The good news is that it’s easy to learn with time and practice. The overall goal is to help audiences find your content by making it appealing to both humans and robots.
There are three different kinds of SEO you should know: on-page, off-page, and technical.
While there’s not enough space to give you a crash course on everything, you’ll still get enough knowledge to get started today.
But First: A Word on Keywords
Keywords are phrases that human beings use to find content through search engines like Google or Bing. Adding high-quality keywords to your digital footprint can help search engines retrieve your content for searchers and possibly rank it higher in the search results.
Not sure how to find keywords for your next podcast episode? Here’s a quick crash course to get you started:
- First, leverage keyword tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to hunt down phrases people might use to find your show. If you host a podcast on Bitcoin, for example, this might be a keyword like ‘crypto podcast.’
- Next, narrow down your search to find the perfect ‘trifecta’ of keyword attributes. Your keywords should have low competition, a decent search volume, and a low cost per click (especially if you want to leverage paid ads in the future).
- It’s time to find and incorporate multiple keywords into the relevant parts of your show. This doesn’t mean stuffing as many as you can find, though — just one or two keywords that can positively move the needle. Keep in mind the keywords you choose should depend on the subject it’s describing. If your podcast on crypto covers something like Dogecoin, for example, you should use Dogecoin-related keywords in that episode’s title and descriptions.
A word of caution: don’t allow your keyword efforts to sacrifice the creativity of your podcast topic and format. There needs to be a balance between catering to search engines and fun, flavorful content for human audiences to enjoy.
With that out of the way, let’s look closer at SEO.
On-Page SEO for Podcasts
This includes any and all of your owned media, including your website, social media pages, and audio/video. For example, you might generate a transcript of your podcast’s audience to embed on your website or add as a blog post.
| On-Page Task | What It Does | How You Do It |
| Metadata Optimization | Improves search visibility | Craft keyword-rich titles and descriptions that accurately represent episode content |
| Transcript Creation | Enhances crawlability and accessibility | Develop comprehensive, searchable transcripts that complement audio content |
| Content Structure | Improves content hierarchy | Create logically organized show notes with clear headings and contextual links |
| Keyword Integration | Increases organic search potential | Strategically incorporate relevant keywords throughout episode metadata |
| Media Optimization | Improves search visibility | Enhance visual and audio assets with descriptive, keyword-focused elements |
Off-Page SEO for Podcasts
Off-page SEO is anything you do outside of your owned media. Backlinks and guestposting are the two biggest elements, but there are a few other tasks worth considering here.
| Off-Page Task | What It Does | How You Do It |
| Backlink Development | Increases domain authority | Build high-quality, relevant connections with industry-related platforms |
| Social Media Engagement | Expands audience reach | Actively promote and interact with podcast content across multiple platforms |
| Directory Submissions | Increases discoverability | Maximize podcast visibility through strategic platform listings |
| Content Syndication | Builds content ecosystem | Repurpose podcast content across multiple channels and platforms |
| Community Building | Develops engaged audience base | Create meaningful interactions that transform listeners into loyal followers |
Technical SEO for Podcasts
Technical SEO is about optimizing your owned content for search engine bots. It’s often the hardest and most technical aspect of SEO, especially if you’re unfamiliar with website design or coding.
| Technical Task | What It Does | How You Do It |
| Site Performance | Reduces bounce rate, improves ranking | Optimize website and audio file loading speeds for seamless user experience |
| Crawlability | Maximizes search engine visibility | Ensure search engines can easily discover and index podcast content |
| Mobile Optimization | Enhances mobile search rankings | Create a responsive design that functions perfectly across all devices |
| Security | Supports search engine credibility | Implement robust security measures to protect site and build user trust |
| Structured Data | Improves rich snippet potential | Provide clear, machine-readable information about podcast content |
Still feel intimidated by all these SEO elements? The good news is, you don’t have to manage it all by yourself.
There are plenty of podcast sites with built-in SEO tools to help you (or a competent professional) make the necessary adjustments.
This includes:
- Riverside (for generating transcripts)
- Podpage (for SEO-friendly podcast websites)
- Buzzsprout (for syndicating content)
- Headliner (for AI blogs and newsletters)
💡Related: 10 Proven Podcast Growth Strategies
Using Paid Advertising and Promotions
Paid advertisements are the final frontier for well-established podcasters with extra money in the budget. It may not be cheap, but it will certainly get results — paid search plus display ads provide a 61% return on investment (combined).
You’ve already learned about the basics of paid ads, so we won’t belabor the point too much. However, we’ll still dive into paid mentions and promotions, including podcast networks, influencers, Google Ads, and more.
Podcast Networks and Paid Mentions
- Cost: None
- Earnings: Flat rate per 1,000 downloads/listens
- Best For: Established shows
Podcast networks are large groups of shows kept under a single brand or label. They operate a little like book publishing companies — they typically specialize in one or two topics and cut a cut of earned funds in exchange for their services.
You can use podcast networks to boost your visibility and tap into ad streams that were unavailable before. You could also potentially get venture capital funding, which is an exciting prospect for monetizing your show.
Just keep in mind you’d be working with a brand label, so you may have to sacrifice some earnings and creative control. You might also be forced to leave your podcast hosting platform depending on the needs and requirements of your network.
| Pros | Cons |
| No cost to join | A chance of no creative control |
| Help with marketing and visibility | Lost a cut of your earnings |
| Possible venture capital funding | Feel forced to switch podcast hosts |
Podcast Influencers
- Cost: Flat rate per follower count
- Earnings: Varies (~500% ROI)
- Best For: Fast results
Influencer marketing is nothing new, but you may not be familiar with podcast influencer marketing. This involves hiring a niche content creator to promote, sponsor, or appear on your show.
This strategy provides fairly high ROI, in terms of economic impact and audience gain. You might also end up building a genuine relationship with the influencer, which leads to ongoing partnerships at a lower cost in the future.
But influencer marketing can be expensive depending on the individual, and your results may vary depending on the influencer in question. Keep in mind you’ll also have limited message control. If the influencer becomes embroiled in controversy, so too might your podcast.
| Pros | Cons |
| Better reach to niche audiences | Variable performance |
| Authentic connections | Potential high cost |
| Boosted credibility | Limited message control |
Google Ads
- Cost: $100 to $10,000 per month
- Earnings: 200% ROI
- Best For: Big budgets
Google Ads can help you target audiences that may be interested in your podcast (but don’t yet know it exists). With it, you can push search, display, and video ads across Gmail, YouTube, and of course, the search engine itself.
The best part of Google Ads is its scalability — you can start making campaigns on almost any budget. It also provides robust reporting and tracking tools so you really get granular with your targeting and outcomes.
But Google Ads isn’t the most cost-effective platform, and with its smaller ROI, it might be more pay-to-play than you’d prefer. Keep it mind it’s not the most intuitive interface, and the learning curve might be steep if you’re unfamiliar with the setup.
| Pros | Cons |
| More precise audience targeting | Steep learning curve |
| Measurable/trackable performance | High cost per click |
| Flexible to a variety of budgets | Low conversion rates possible |
The Bottom Line on Podcast Promotion
As you can see, the art and science of podcast promotion is not for the faint of heart. There are a lot of moving pieces to keep track of over time, and if you’re a brand-new podcaster, you might feel beaten before you’ve started.
But podcast promotion is a marathon, not a sprint. As you get more comfortable, you’ll find it easier to branch into new fields.
Ready to put your skills to the test?
Check out our free guide on top tips to grow your podcast.