For marketers that work with podcasts, podcast promotion is on their minds, even before they launch their first episode. While we all know that creating excellent, value-add content is the best way to grow an audience, it’s rarely enough.

Without podcast promotion baked into your growth strategy from the beginning, your show will not likely reach its full potential. In this article, we’re going to dive into the top 7 podcast marketing strategies that are guaranteed to boost your show’s reach. 

Let’s dive in!

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1. Optimize your podcast for search engines 

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a critical aspect of digital marketing that drives more visitors to your content, increases visibility, and gives you a competitive edge. It involves optimizing your show, website, page or content to rank as high as possible in search engine results. 

If your brand has a podcast, there are several ways to use SEO to your advantage.

• First, it’s crucial to pick the right keywords for every episode. This tells search engines that your content’s relevant to a user’s search, increasing the likelihood of it being featured in the results. Conducting in-depth keyword research is necessary to identify the keywords that your target audience is searching for.
• Second, make sure to use the selected keywords throughout your episodes. Since Google now indexes audio content, your podcast episodes can show up in search results when users search for relevant keywords. To optimize your podcast, incorporate the target podcast keywords your audience is searching for into your episode’s script naturally. This also means they’ll be in your transcriptions, another SEO booster.
• Third, adding written content for each podcast episode enhances your podcast’s optimization. This gives search engines more content to index and increases the chances of ranking an episode in search results. You can do this by including brief podcast show notes or transcriptions which Google loves. 

• Finally, it’s essential to put keywords in the right places. Certain parts of an episode carry more weight with search engines than others, so including the target podcast keywords in strategic locations can improve your podcast’s SEO. Remember to include keywords in the following:

• Title of the post
• Title of the podcast episode 
• Subheads
• Image file names
• Image ALT attributes
• URL of the post 
• Beginning and end of the page content 
• Sprinkled naturally throughout the page content 

2. Encourage listeners to subscribe, share, and leave reviews

In the world of podcasting, growing your audience and maintaining their engagement is crucial, especially for brands since you want to build trust with listeners which takes time. 

An effective way to engage listeners and build trust signals for new listeners is through asking them to subscribe, share, and leave reviews. Not only does this increase your visibility, but it also creates a sense of community among listeners while offering valuable feedback for your show's growth. 

Sometimes this isn’t easy, but it is critical to your show’s success so below we have our top tips of how to make this happen:

• Simply ask for it: Make sure to ask your listeners to subscribe, share, and leave a review at the end of each episode. Sometimes it’s just that simple! You can also include a call-to-action (CTA) in the show notes or on your podcast’s website. 
• Offer incentives: Offer your audience an incentive such as exclusive content or giveaways for subscribing or leaving a review. Remember swag and gifts always help to motivate people to take action!
• Make it easy: Provide clear instructions on how your listener can subscribe, share or leave a review. Include links in your podcast on different platforms and provide step-by-step instructions on how to leave a review. Sometimes you have to be prescriptive! 
• Engage with your audience: Respond to comments and feedback on social media and episodes. Staying engaged helps build a sense of community around your podcast and encourages people to leave reviews as they feel a sense of connection.

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3. Submit to podcast aggregators and directories

A director, which is a platform where you can listen to podcasts, is a crucial tool for reaching a wider audience. While Apple Podcasts is the one of leading directories there are several others you can distribute your show on, including Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, Podbay, Podtail, Amazon Music, and more. 

By creating accounts and submitting your RSS feed to each podcast directory, you can ensure that new episodes will automatically be published on every platform. 

This increases the likelihood of your show being organically discovered by new listeners as they search for new content on their preferred listening app.

Typically, your podcast hosting platform will distribute your show across all distribution platforms but it never hurts to double-check with their team to make sure this is the case. 

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4. Publish at strategic times 

Timing is key when it comes to posting and promoting your podcast. The easiest thing you can do is research and take note of when others in your niche are publishing their episodes. 

If you notice a pattern with your competitors, there’s usually a good reason for it. Follow this pattern until you have enough data of your own to garner insights. 

Make sure to review your podcast analytics to determine when your audience is listening to your episodes. If you observe a trend within your audience, test and confirm its validity and then implement it over time.

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5. Be a guest and invite a guest

Reaching out to other podcasts and proposing yourself as a guest is an effective method to introduce your content to a relevant and interested audience. When seeking out potential guest spots, prioritize podcasts that are within your niche and share a similar audience to yours.

Additionally, having guests on your own show can add an exciting perspective to your episodes and create a more engaging listening experience for your audience. It also gives you the opportunity to have the podcast promoted to an entirely new audience when your guest promotes it. 

There are tons of great tools out there that help you either guest on podcasts or find guests on your existing show, here are a few popular ones: 

• PodMatch
• MatchMaker.fm
• RadioGuestList
• Interview Connections
• PodcastGuests.com
• Expertise Finder
• Podbooker

Quick Tip: To make it easy for your guests to promote the episode, consider creating a press kit for your podcast that includes shareable assets, captions, call-to-actions, etc. The easier you make it for your guests to promote your show, the more likely it is to happen. 

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6. Leverage paid advertising but on podcast platforms

While various advertising avenues exist, there's no place quite like home - that is, advertising directly on podcast platforms. 

Paid advertising can be an effective way to boost your podcast's visibility, reach a wider audience, and convert new listeners. Although you can absolutely advertise your podcast across social media or Google Ads, we’ve found the most success in advertising podcasts within actual podcast platforms. 

This is because users on these platforms are already in the headspace of wanting to listen to a podcast, so what better way to grab their attention? 

Here are some of our favorite podcast directories for advertising:

• PlayerFM 
• TuneIn 
• Podcast Addict 
• Overcast 
• Spotify 
• Castbox 
• Stitcher 

There’s another route you can take which is advertising on other podcasts. By leveraging podcast advertising networks such as AdvertiseCast and Midroll, you can place ads on other podcasts within your niche. 

This can be a great way to reach a similar audience and promote your podcast to listeners who are already interested in your topic.

When using paid advertising to promote your podcast, it's important to set clear goals and track your results to see what's working and what's not. With the right strategy and targeting, paid advertising can be an effective way to grow your podcast audience and increase your reach.

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7. Offer exclusive content and generate interest

To stand out in the bustling podcast industry, offering something unique and exclusive can be a game-changer. Offering exclusive content not only differentiates your podcast but also piques curiosity and generates interest among your listeners, turning them into fans. 

Here are some ideas for exclusive content you can offer:

• Bonus episodes: Create extra episodes that are only available to subscribers or members. These can be extended interviews, bloopers, behind-the-scenes discussions, or special topics that aren't covered in regular episodes.
• Ad-free episodes: Offer ad-free episodes to subscribers or members as a perk. Many listeners are willing to pay to avoid ads, so this can be a valuable incentive.
• Early access: Give subscribers or members early access to new episodes before they are released to the public. This can create a sense of exclusivity and make listeners feel like they are part of an exclusive community/family. 
• Exclusive interviews: Offer exclusive interviews with industry experts, celebrities, or other notable figures that aren't available on the regular podcast. This can create buzz and attract new listeners who are interested in hearing from these guests.
• Q&A sessions: Hold live Q&A sessions with subscribers or members and answer their questions about your podcast or related topics. This can help build a stronger connection with your audience and make them feel more invested in your podcast, especially if they will be featured. 
• Merchandise and discounts: Offer exclusive merchandise or discounts on merchandise to subscribers or members. This can help generate revenue and create a sense of community around your podcast.

Remember, the key is to offer something of value that’s exclusive to your subscribers. This will, in turn, attract new listeners, retain current listeners, and create FOMO for those who are not tuning in. 

Overtime, exclusive, bonus content helps build loyalty, engagement, and buzz around your podcast, helps differentiate your podcast from others, and provides value.

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Podcast marketing strategies guaranteed to boost your show’s reach

By implementing these 7 podcast marketing strategies, you can increase your show's reach and attract a larger audience. 

But remember, podcasting is a marathon, not a sprint, and consistency and dedication are key to building a successful podcast. 

If you’re interested in learning more, be sure to get in touch with the team at Quill.