There are over 800,000 active podcasts that are currently available worldwide. That may seem like a huge number with no possible way to start a new podcast but it can totally be done! Breaking out into the podcast world can be a bit difficult but as long as you learn how to market a podcast, have the time, dedication, and drive you could create your own successful podcast.
There are plenty of ways that you can learn to market your podcast that can cost you little to no money at all.
Keep reading for our guide on how to market a podcast and easy tricks that you can use to grow your podcast audience.
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Make Connections
One of the best ways to market your podcast is by making connections with other people who create podcasts. Making friends in a professional setting is a good way to get the word out there about your podcast. If they enjoy listening to your podcast, then they may even promote it on their own.
Networking is essential when it comes to marketing for any brand so you’re going to want to start right away.
When it comes to making connections you’re going to want to think of creative ways to reach out to people.
Asking someone from another podcast to be on your podcast is an awesome way to gain new listeners. You may think of this as a free advertisement for someone else but you will actually both be benefiting from it.
If someone else asks for you to be on their podcast, then you should take the opportunity. Getting interviewed on another podcast can be fun and it gives you a chance to introduce yourself to new people. Make sure you let your personality shine through if you have the opportunity to go on another podcast.
Invest in Your Equipment
An important aspect of podcasting is having good audio so people will want to listen. Investing in podcasting equipment may not be as expensive as you think. There are good products for a decent price but overall equipment is something that you will need to invest in.
You may be wondering how having good equipment can help with your marketing! Well, when you create a good podcast that is interesting and has crisp quality, then you can gain and maintain more followers.
People don’t want to listen to podcasts that have a lot of background noise or aren’t edited well. Make sure you take the time to find a good place to record, get some decent microphones, and find a software that you can edit your podcast on.
Find Your Target Audience
When it comes to creating your podcast brand you need to ask yourself who will be listening to your podcast? You don’t want to start off in the mindset that your podcast is for everyone because it most likely is not.
Narrow down your thoughts and ideas on who will be listening to your podcast by asking yourself a few questions. Is it for a certain age range? Will you be talking about certain topics that will interest more females than males?
Once you’ve come up to the answers to all of these questions then you will know exactly who your target audience is.
Now that you know who will be listening to your podcast you need to find more things that they will be interested in. Do some research and see what topics your target audience is interested in and expand from there.
Your audience will continue to listen to your podcast every time that you post as long as you’re talking about interesting and relevant topics to them. Sticking to a niche topic that you actually like will be more beneficial to you because it won’t feel so much like work but rather a hobby that you’re interested in.
Social Media Marketing
Now that you’ve found your target audience you need to figure out where they are on the internet. Social media marketing is crucial for expanding any business and gaining more traffic which is why you should be doing it right away.
When it comes to social media marketing you have many options. Don’t start making accounts on every platform possible but rather pick one or two to focus on in the beginning.
Depending on your target audience and your niche you may consider making a social media account on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, or even LinkedIn.
Instagram is one of the best places to start marketing a new podcast. You’re going to want to start by creating relatable content to gain a following.
Using hashtags on Instagram is also very important because it helps new people find your page. Do some research and see which hashtags are the most popular and pertain to what your podcast is about. Sometimes just posting an interesting photo or video with #podcast can get you new followers as well as listeners.
Interact With Followers and Listeners
Another good way to market your podcast and gain new followers is by showing that your podcast cares about its listeners. There are plenty of ways that you can interact with your followers and listeners to show that your podcast is relatable.
Make sure you’re posting interesting content on your social media accounts and always try to respond to the people that interact with you. Getting engagement on your social media posts is a great way for more people to see your posts and then hopefully follow you.
One other way to interact with your listeners is by finding a way to include them within your podcast. You could have people call in or send you voice memos of questions that you can include within the podcast and help to answer.
Another great way is by creating an email address where listeners can email you questions, comments, or even bring your attention to cool topics. Make sure you get the okay from the listener to share their name within the podcast.
People enjoy listening to podcasts that they feel like they’re apart of. A podcast takes up a lot of a person’s time to listen to so when they feel like they’re included in the podcast, then they may be interested to listen to every episode.
Be creative when it comes to interacting with your followers and listeners and find new ways that they can be included within your podcast. The more innovative and creative you are, then the more people will be interested in listening to your podcast.
Create a Posting Schedule
When it comes to gaining loyal listeners to your podcast you’re going to want to create a posting schedule. There are many different types of schedules that you can have when it comes to podcasting but you’re going to want to make sure that you stay consistent each and every week.
If you only plan to post once a week, then you should pick a specific day and time that you will be posting your podcast. Make sure to make this announcement in each podcast so your listeners will know exactly when you’re going to post.
On the other hand, you might be interested in posting more than one podcast a week. In this case, you should dedicate which days that you will be posting as well.
Another great way to post podcasts is by posting a full episode on a certain day during the week and then another shorter episode on another day during the week. This is a great way to constantly give your listeners something new and interesting to look forward to.
Having a schedule is a good way to keep consistent listeners as well as gain more. Your followers will come to learn your posting schedule meaning that your podcast might even find its way into their daily routine.
Video Component
Did you know that 93% of internet users watch videos online? If you feel like you need another place to post your podcasts and gain more traffic, then you should think about making a video component for your podcast.
YouTube is another great social media platform as well as a search engine that tons of people use on a daily basis which is why you should try to gain a following on this platform as well.
Once you’ve gained 1,000 subscribers on YouTube and accumulated a watch time of 4,000 hours you can even start monetizing your podcasts to make money through Google Adsense. You can make money when ads play before, after, or during your podcast.
Creating a video component to your podcast can be easy! You can start off by using your smartphone to record video and save up for a better camera if you don’t have the money right away.
You should find a space in your home or office that has an interesting but not too busy for a background. Then all you need to do is grab some comfy chairs and maybe even a table and you’re good to go.
When you have a video component for your podcast you also open new doors to the way you edit and display information which can make your podcasts even more interesting.
Start a Blog For Your Podcast
Another great way to gain more traffic and listeners to your podcast is by starting a blog for your podcast. Blogs are great because you can produce more content that your listeners enjoy. It can also be a place where you interact with your followers and listeners more.
Besides interacting with your current listeners, you can also use your blog to try and gain new traffic to your podcast.
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a crucial way to market your podcast and your blog can help you do just that. Do some research to see what SEO keywords are good for your blog to gain more traffic.
Make sure that you create a posting schedule for your blog and be consistent with it. Blogs that post consistently with interesting content can generate more traffic and leads through SEO.
The great thing about having a blog for your podcast is that your readers can become listeners. When you post interesting content on your blog you could go more in-depth and discuss it more on your podcast. Let your readers know that the topic they’re reading about goes into further detail when they listen to your podcast.
Ask for Reviews
Online reviews are a huge part of podcasts and why people will start listening to your podcast. If you have 4 out of 5 stars or higher on Apple Podcasts, then more and more people may find themselves clicking on your podcast to see what it is all about.
One good way to get reviews is just by asking your listeners to review your podcast. The more good reviews you can get, then the chances are higher for a random person to stumble across your podcast.
You can also give your listeners incentives to leave a review on your podcast. One incentive could be that you read your favorite review each week during your podcast. Giving your listeners a shoutout for leaving a good review is a simple and easy way to get more reviews as well as making your listeners feel special.
Another way to persuade your followers to leave you a good review is by hosting a giveaway contest. There are a few things that you can giveaway to your listeners that won’t cost you much such as if you have merchandise or sell a product yourself.
You could also find a big prize that your listeners would be truly interested in. It is all up to you to figure out what type of prize would be worth it to you and your listeners if you plan to do a giveaway.
How to Market a Podcast in 2020
When it comes to figuring out how to market a podcast in 2020, there are plenty of things that you can do! Either do a combination of all of them or figure out what works best for you and your podcast.
Overall, creating and marketing a podcast should be a fun experience. Make sure you’re talking about topics that are interesting to you so it doesn’t feel like work at all.
When you create content that you find interesting and enjoyable, podcasting and marketing will seem more like a fun hobby.
Make sure to check out all of our resources if you’re looking for more ways to grow your online business and make money.
