3 Ways to Market Your Podcast (That You Haven’t Heard Before)

Everyone has a course explaining how you can launch your podcast. Enough! We don’t need any more podcast launch experts. What you need is a strategy to market your podcast that is efficient and effective. You know about microphones and what platforms can host your podcast. Now let’s discuss ways you can get downloads and subscribers.

Now it doesn’t matter if you want to get sponsors or generate leads for your business. Your podcast needs a solid marketing strategy that will be effective. Most podcasters just launch their show and start posting episodes. I hope that wasn’t you. I want better for you! Here are three ways you can market your podcast.

Market Your Podcast Using Medium Articles

Medium is a very underrated platform. They have millions of readers subscribed to receive their content. There are free and paid levels which provides versatility to the platform. What I love about Medium is anyone can join and write about their passion or business. This creates a very unique opportunity for podcast hosts.

Most of Medium’s readers are also podcast listeners. People that consume content usually do it in more than one way. Whenever I’m trying to learn something new, I do a Google search first. This leads me to blogs and websites. Then, I end up searching on iTunes to see what podcasts cover that topic in depth. If I’m really trying to learn, I’ll go to YouTube.

Writing about your podcast on Medium is a great way to attract new listeners. You can reach millions of people with your article! The best part is these are all new people outside of your network. Most podcasters post their show on their social media pages. That might seem like a great idea but all you’re really doing is showing episodes to people that are already in your network. Medium articles help you reach. new audience.

How to Write Medium Articles to Promote Episodes

First of all, don’t charge people to see your articles. Medium has an option to generate revenue from articles. That is a great idea for bloggers but if you’re a podcaster you want as many eyeballs as possible. Your goal is to get as many people reading as possible so they become subscribers to your show.

The Medium article should focus on promoting your podcast episode. Describe your episode to the readers. Tease them a little and make them want to listen to the full show. The article doesn’t have to outline every single aspect of your episode but it should inspire readers to make a move towards subscribing.

Pro Tip: Use a Wavve link to promote your podcast in articles. You never know where someone listens to podcasts. Wavve links allow you to promote every podcast platform as the same time! Never heard of it? Check mine out: Personal Branding Playbook

Paying Influencers to Market Your Show

Influencers have gotten a bad wrap because of the Kardashians. That is sad because influencers will always be powerful in the world of business. An influencer with even 5,000 followers has an engaging audience that trusts their opinion and listens to what they have to say. This makes their voice valuable to companies and now, podcasters.

Influencers have attention. You, a podcaster, want attention. See where this is going? The influencers in your market have a strong hold on the people you want to connect with. Look at it this way: everyone has a favorite influencer. It might not be Gary V on Instagram or Jackie Aina on Twitter but they have someone influential they follow. When you can tap into that influence and leverage it correctly, your podcast will explode.

How to Work with Influencers to Market Your Podcast

The very first aspect of working with influencers is research. You need to know who the industry leaders are, how long they’ve been relevant, products they sell, etc. The more you can know about an influencer, the better. This information is important because you’ll soon ask the pricing question. If the influencer doesn’t have certain things in line, their pricing will not be justified.

One big thing you want to look for is engagement. Pay attention to the real impact influencers have in the market. Some large accounts have bought their followers. That manufactured attention will not help you generate more real listeners. Check out the reactions they get to posts. Are there real comments? Are people asking questions and talking back? The engagement is a tell-tale sign if an influencer is legit or not.

Pro Tip: Use Instagram and Twitter influencers. Influencers live on Instagram and Twitter and they thrive on these platforms. If you do want to try Facebook, reach out to group leaders in your market and negotiate promotion content and rates.

Payment is very important. You have to be careful when working with influencers. I’ve heard of some influencers stealing payments, never posting content and completely ghosting clients! It can happen to you. The best way to safeguard yourself is to (1) have contracts that outline what the influencer must do and (2) pay half up front and the other half when the campaign is finished. If the influencer doesn’t want to sign a contract, you should not have them market your podcast!

Host Meetup Groups!

I know Meetup groups sound unconventional but thats what this is about! You have to be different from every other podcast host out there. Hosting Meetup groups is a great way to connect with your ideal podcast listeners locally. This is especially important for business owners that host a podcast. Imagine being the leader in a room full of your ideal clients? That’s exactly what a Meetup group is!

How to Host Meetup Groups

Using the local library is actually a great hack. You don’t need to rent the fancy co-working space in the city. A private room in the library is more than enough. It’s guaranteed to be quiet, private AND you’ll have tools. They give me markers for the whiteboard when I pull up!

Obviously you can also host your Meetups virtually. Zoom is the best tool for this. A simple $15 per month can allow you to use the software for bigger meetings. Plus, you can record calls and sell them later! (Yes it works, I’ve done it.) The virtual aspect is actually better sometimes because you can connect with people around the world. A few clicks and you’ll have a room full of people tuning in!

No matter if you’re hosting Meetups virtually or in person to market your podcast, you need to be memorable. Don’t make the mistake of being boring. Always be entertaining or educational. People rarely forget someone who made them laugh or taught them something valuable.

Market Your Podcast on the Next Level

Marketing your show is more important than anything else. Even if your content or audio is bad, you won’t know it until people listen! You have to get new listeners checking out your content as much as possible. I’m sure you want one of two things from your podcast, sponsors or leads. You have to build an audience for either one to be possible.

The Elite Podcast Marketing Agency can help you build that audience. We have the Podcast Roadmap that is designed to help you build your audience and reach your podcast goals. We start with the Podcast Audit to analyze the current state of your show. Then we set some realistic goals that will help you track your progress. Lastly, we create a solid marketing plan so that your podcast can reach the next level. Learn more about the Podcast Roadmap here.