Social media has been an incredible resource to businesses and small companies, allowing them to realize new revenue streams and develop new customer connections through online interaction.
It’s literally never been easier to reach the general public, which is great news for podcasters looking to promote their programs and expand their audiences.
And although utilizing social media to grow a brand has become increasingly popular, it’s not a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Because even though social media marketing is a common phrase, not all social media marketing campaigns are successful. You have to know how to use social media platforms for your particular brand.
And when it comes to using social media to grow your podcast, there are even more nuances to be aware of. Utilizing social media is a great way to reach new listeners, you just have to know how!
Which is exactly where this post comes in. So, if you’re a podcast host looking for ways to grow your podcast via social media, we’ve got 20 tips just for you.
1. Be Strategic with Your Platform Picks
Today, there are no shortages of social media platforms to choose from. You’ve got the OG Facebook, and then there’s Instagram and Twitter. There’s Pinterest. And then, of course, you’ve also got TikTok. Not to mention YouTube, which is also showing signs of being a promising platform to grow your podcast, particularly with their launching of the YouTube Shorts feature.
So, you’ve got options. But not all of them will be effective for promoting your podcast. Consider which platforms will help you reach your target audience, and focus your efforts there. Think about your audience. On which platforms can they mostly be found?
Then think about your content. Which platform does it lend itself to?
This is the foundation of using social media to grow your podcast successfully. You have to be strategic with the platforms you pick. It is much more effective to focus on one or two platforms and really use those well, than sharing mediocre content on all platforms and missing your target audience.
2. Make a Social Media Plan
So, you’ve picked your platforms, now you need a plan! Before you can start successfully promoting your podcast on social media, you will need a plan for how you want to approach it.
Your plan will be specific to you, your podcast, and your audience. But there are some basic starting points. Start by looking for best practices, tips and tricks, or the latest trends for your platform(s) of choice. This will give you a great idea as to how to get the best results.
Then, find ways to align your content to those tips, and, most importantly, to what type of content your target audience is looking for, and you’ll have the makings of a winning social media strategy.
3. Use High-Quality Visuals
I’m sure I don’t need to tell you this, but there are a LOT of brands, businesses, and individuals on social media. Like, a LOT! It doesn’t mean that there’s no space for you. But it does mean that you have a to find a way to stand out from the noise.
And the best way to start is with high-quality, eye-catching visuals. Social media is a visual medium, so if you want to use these platforms successfully, you have to use this to your advantage.
Bottom line? Make sure to use high-quality images or videos when posting about your podcast.
4. Always Share Relevant, Valuable Content
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it (probably) 1,000 times. Content is king! If you’ve read any number of our posts, you’ll know how we feel about podcast content. It has to be consistently valuable.
And when it comes to successfully using social media as a way to grow your podcast, the same principle applies. Make sure that your content is relevant to your target audience and that it always provides them with value!
Whatever you’re sharing – whether it’s episode sneak peeks, insider tips and tricks, or cool niche-related infographics, make sure it’s of high quality and full of value, and it will be exactly the type of content your audience is looking for. And the more they engage with you on social media, the more likely they’ll be to tune in to your podcast, and so your audience will consistently grow.
5. Engage With Your Audience
And speaking of your audience…tip Number 5 when it comes to using social media to grow your podcast is to engage with your audience.
A successful social media account it one that actually engages with its followers! This is how you grow and strengthen your community. This is how you turn social media followers into raving fans.
So, when people leave comments or questions on your posts, make sure to answer them! When you see that someone has shared one of your posts, take the time to like it or leave a comment. These small actions will go a long way in making your audience feel valued. And your podcast will have their loyal support.
6. Look for Partnerships
Tip Number 6, look for partnership or collab opportunities.
Partnering up with other accounts is one of the most effective strategies to get exposure and reach new audiences. But in order to be successful, you have to pick the right partners! You want the relationship to be mutually beneficial. And the best way to ensure this is to look for partners whose audience aligns with yours.
That way, when you and your podcast are featured on their account, there is a very high probability that your social media accounts, and then your podcast, will experience some serious growth.
7. Promote Your Episodes
You’re looking to use social media to grow your podcast. So, make sure that you’re making it easy for your social media followers to become loyal listeners.
You should be promoting each new episode, as each new post is a way to engage with your audience and grow your listenership. The trick here is the how.
You can, of course, create eye-catching images announcing your next episode. Those can be really effective.
But there are actually a lot of ways to promote your episodes.
You can create great audiograms to share sneak peeks or hot takes from your latest episode. You could share a little about your guest if your upcoming episode features an interview. Or you can share some behind-the-scenes fun via your Stories. Make sure you add the link to your podcast in the appropriate places, and you should start to see a steady increase in your download numbers.
Related read: The Best Tips and Tricks for Awesome Podcast Audiograms
8. Promote Strategically
This tip can be viewed as a “clause” to Tip 7. Yes, you should be promoting your podcast on your social media platforms. This is the whole point of this post! But! You also need to promote strategically if you want to successfully use social media to grow your podcast.
And all that means is, don’t be overly pushy! Your platforms shouldn’t only feature content that promotes your podcast. Remember, you want your platforms to be valuable to your audience. So make sure you provide content that offers that value, amongst content that shares the latest updates about your podcast.
If you make a conscious effort to aim for value and steer clear of anything that feels to ‘sales-y’ you’ll consistently hit the mark.
9. Run Giveaways and Contests
Next up, a tried-and-test social media marketing strategy, running giveaways and content.
This strategy can certainly work for podcast growth, too…if you go about it strategically!
Remember, your aim is audience growth and retaining that growth. So be sure to target your giveaways to your target audience. You want them to stick with you long after the giveaway date is passed.
10. Set Monthly Goals
We’re at the halfway mark of our tips for using social media platforms to successfully grow your podcast. And if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed with what seems like will be a significantly increased workload, that’s totally normal! And also why we’ve included the next couple of tips. They’re here to help you sustainably use the platforms for podcast growth.
The first of these tips is to set monthly goals.
You don’t need to “do it all” by the end of month one. Slow and steady growth is still growth! And probably more beneficial in the long run. But it is still important to set the goals and monitor that growth.
This is one of the ways to know if your social media strategies for your platforms are working. So set your goals, however small, and then review your numbers at the end of the month.
You will then be able to gauge whether or not a strategy is working towards your ultimate goal of growing your podcast through social media.
11. Create A Publishing Schedule
So you have a monthly plan, now you need a content plan!
A content schedule is the best way to make sure you are consistently publishing content on your social media platforms. With a content plan in place, you can create posts ahead of time, and build up a content bank, ensuring that you keep the pressure off, and never miss one of your strategic posts.
And with apps like Canva to help you create those eye-catching posts in no time, and scheduling apps like Buffer, to help you plan out and schedule your content, you’ll always have a post ready at the right time.
12. Always Provide Links
This has been mentioned previously. But it is important enough that it should have it’s own feature. Always provide the relevant episode links on your social media platforms.
One of the key ways to grow your audience is to make it easy for new listeners to find your show. So every time you publish an episode, feature a guest, or share hot tips, make it easy for your followers to find the relevant episode.
Bear in mind that the different platforms treat links differently, but don’t let that stop you! Remember to make it easy for listeners to find your show, and your show will grow!
13. Focus on Community Building
Part of the reason why podcasts have really experienced this surge in popularity is because of the sense of community that develops between the hosts and their listeners, as well as between the listeners themselves.
This is where that “podcast magic” happens. But, it doesn’t just happen. You as the host have to cultivate it. And social media is a fantastic help in this regard.
So as you’re planning out your content, have community building in mind. Ask questions, use Live features, and above all, interact with your followers. And you’ll be on the right path for building a healthy, growing, community.
Related read: How To Build a Thriving Community Around Your Podcast
14. More Is More
When it comes to using social media to grow your podcast, more is more. And more is best!
It’s easy to think the adage “less is more” works for everything. When it comes to social media platforms, more is always better! The key is to consistently “show up”.
Keep your account active and updated. This is a great way to show your followers that you are still engaged, and want to give them the best content possible!
15. Let Your Audience In
This simply means inviting your listeners to give you feedback. Scary, I know! But feedback is vital! And actually really beneficial. Particularly when it comes to using social media as a way to grow and engage your podcast audience.
As a podcast host, you’re likely really hungry to know whether or not your podcast is hitting the mark with your audience. But, because it’s a podcast, there’s no immediate way to garner feedback.
But with active social media platforms in play, you can get feedback (good or bad!) fairly easily. You just need to ask.
This feedback can be invaluable! And a great way to make any changes to ensure that you are serving your listeners and giving them the content they’re after.
Making sure your podcast is always serving up desirable content is key to growth, after all!
16. Keep Up to Date With the Trends
Whether you’re a natural trend follower or not, the undeniable truth is that viral trends on social media attract the most people!
Sometimes it’s flat-lays. Other times, it’s using a particular viral audio. Or it could require you to show off those dance skills!
Now, you don’t have to follow all of the trends – remember, your first priority is serving your audience. But if there is a viral trend making the rounds, and there is a way for you to align this with your content and your audience, jump on that trend!
17. Stay True To Your Podcast
Yes, follow trends. But also, stay true to your podcast!
For all it’s pros, social media can also be toxic. There can be an overwhelming sense of ‘sameness’ and worse, ‘falseness’ that has the tendency to creep in if we are not careful.
But if you remember to be true to you and your podcast, you’ll create a level of authenticity. And this will be attractive to your audience.
18. Make It Shareable
Using social media to grow your podcast works when you’re consistently gaining new social media followers. And key to this is to make content that is shareable. I don’t mean “content that can be shared.” I mean content that users want to share!
If your current followers love your content, and find value in it, whether that be a good laugh, or a great tip, they will want to share it. And the more your content is shared, the more followers you’ll gather on your social media platforms. And, if you follow these tips, the more growth your podcast will experience.
19. Understand the Algorithms
A while back, this tip would probably have been something along the lines of “Use Hashtags Strategically.” But (with what feels like every other week) the algorithms governing the different platforms changes.
So, the best tip here is to just make sure you’re understanding what’s going on. Don’t let the changes sway you too much. Highly valuable content will always be “on trend”. You can just stay aware of how and when to use hashtags, for example, or when the best time to post is currently landing for the different platforms you use.
20. Track Your Growth
And now for our final tip, track your growth.
This tip is important because it’s all about keeping you motivated. So, periodically, take a step back, and see how far you’ve come. By tracking your growth, you can determine whether your current strategies are working, which channels aren’t pulling their weight, and where you should focus your energy.
But most importantly, fully appreciate the growth your podcast has experienced. This is a great way to keep you motivated as you set new goals for the next milestone.
There you have it!
20 social media tips to help you grow your podcast. Which ones will you be putting into action? Let us know in the comments below! And, if you’re looking for more ways to make your podcast the best that it can be, be sure to check out our other posts on the blog.
