How to grow your podcast

It’s estimated that in the past 3 years, the number of people choosing to consume audio content in their free time has grown by 29.5%.

So the listeners are there, but how do you get them to listen to your podcast?

Here are 10 ways to distribute your podcast for more growth:

Use video

You’re already sitting down to hit record, so why not capture your podcast in video format too? Only 17% of podcasters do this, which means it’s a great way to stand out. Uploading episodes to YouTube, which is a search engine,  increases your discoverability and helps you to engage with your audience in the comment section. It’ also helps to build feelings of trust and relatability when your audience can see you and your guests.

Repurpose your podcast into shareable content

Repurposing is a great way to maximise on content you’ve already created and it you gain a wider reach to audiences on different platforms. There are several ways you can do this:

• Turn key moments into short video clips or create audiograms using tools like Wavve. These clips can be shared on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, TikTok or newsletters.

• Write a blog post about your podcast episode.

• Create visuals of quotes or key points shared in the episode.

If you have guests on your podcast, this is also a great chance to tag them and it makes it easier for them to share on their own platforms.

Create a landing page for your podcast

Your podcast should be listed on as many directories as possible. Even if you think most of your listeners will use Spotify or Apple podcasts, with so many options like Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, and Player FM, it’s worth putting your podcast everywhere! Once you’ve listed your podcast on multiple directories, make it even easier for your audience to find you by having a dedicated landing page or website. This page should have links to all of the directories, a list of full episodes, and maybe even a podcast trailer to draw audiences in.

Use your socials

If you already have an audience on other social media platforms, make the most of it! This could include:

• Having a link to your latest podcast episode in your bio
• Mentioning your podcast in YouTube videos or in your newsletter
• Tweeting recent episodes or sharing them on Instagram stories

Communities

Don’t just rely on your audience finding you, try and find them too! There’s Facebook groups, Twitter spaces, Reddit, Quora, Indie Hackers, and other forums where you can spread the word about your podcast. The most authentic way to do this is by providing value. For example, if your podcast is about being a writer, find relevant communities and share your best pieces of writing advice with a link to your podcast.

Get social proof

Psychology shows that we tend to value the opinions of those who seem similar to us. This is why social proof is so valuable. It shows listeners that other people have listened to your podcast and enjoyed it, making them more likely to do the same. Ask your audience to write a review on Apple podcasts, leave feedback in on other social media platforms or email you reviews that you can share on your podcast landing page.

Cross-promotion

Find podcasters who have a similar niche to you and work with them in a mutually beneficial way. This could be in the form of shout outs, but a more strategic approach is to do guest appearances where can provide value to their audience and show you’re worth listening to.

This isn’t limited to podcasters- maybe you could write a guest blog post for someone in a similar niche or contribute to someone’s newsletter.

Build in public

Sharing your progress online is a great way to build trust with your audience. You might want to post a behind the scenes photo of your podcast set up, recent milestones or any struggles you’ve had to overcome. If you’ve had a guest on, you could even write one thing you’ve learned from them and tag them in the post. This will bring more people on the journey with you and pique their interest.

Get support

Join communities such as On Deck Podcaster Fellowship or Podcasters on Indie Hackers where you exchange what you’ve learnt with others. Growing a podcast doesn’t have to be a lonely journey.

Connect with your audience

This could be through other social media platforms, having shout outs in your podcast episode, setting up your own community group, or getting them to send in questions which you can answer during episodes. It’s not just about getting more people to listen to your podcast, you also want to build a community around it.

Growing a podcast can take some time and effort, so always remember why you got started in the first place and have fun with it!

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