7 best ways to market your podcast

You’ve created an awesome podcast and you want more people to know about it. What do you do? These 7 tips will help you market your podcast and drive more listeners.

Number 1: First impressions matter

You need your show to be awesome and catchy right from the start. Remember that your voice and your guest’s voice are literally in your listeners’ heads. And in many cases, during very intimate times like a run, on a train, or in the car. They’re on their own. Just you, your show, and them. So forming a relationship really matters. It’s easier to develop a relationship when you get off to a good start.

Number 2: Benefits, not features

In traditional marketing speak, it’s important to talk about the benefits, not the features of your product or service. This same philosophy applies to your podcast. What is the listener going to get out of your podcast? Why should they spend time listening to you versus doing something else? And listeners want to understand what they’re in for right away. Get right to the point or you will risk losing them. There are numerous stats that show that listenership drops off precipitously when podcasts have drawn out intros.

Number 3: Build a web presence

While many listeners may find you through iTunes, Spreaker, or GooglePlay, having a web presence is important. It shows your serious and gives a little more background as to who you are, and why you created your show. Your website needs to work well on any device. Especially mobile. Your listeners are on the go and so it follows that your website caters to mobile users.

Number 4: Transcribe your podcast

Optimizing SEO is paramount. Transcribing your podcast is the first step to getting SEO benefit. If you are not familiar with SEO, it stands for Search Engine Optimization. Search engines like Google can’t crawl audio so it’s best to have a transcript of your podcast alongside the audio. You can also use excerpts from the transcript in social media.

Services like Sonix convert audio to text very inexpensively. Sonix also provides a media player that will host your transcript with the full transcript driving you better SEO.

Number 5: Promote on social media

Social media is a relatively easy way to promote your show and engage with your audience. Best thing to do is just get in the habit of posting regularly on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Create a simple spreadsheet so you can keep track of your social posts. Also, you should consider posting things that aren’t readily available to your audience. Things like a quick behind-the-scenes video can add personality and help you develop a relationship with your audience.

Number 6: Collaborate with other podcasts

Get on other podcasts! This is one of the most useful things you can do. Many podcast listeners find out about other shows from the shows that they listen to regularly. Getting on another podcast gives you the perfect opportunity to plug your own show–if you have a big-name guest coming on your show, make some noise about it! A good way to develop relationships with other podcasts is to hype up other podcasts on your show.

Number 7: Send email and newsletters

Emails and newsletters are great for sharing details that entice people to listen to your podcast and spread the word. In these communications, you can talk about popular guests you’ve had on your show, share feedback you’ve received from listeners, or even ask your audience for ideas for upcoming shows. Email and newsletters help you cultivate a relationship with your listeners.