It’s never been more important for podcasters to market their podcasts. And while it’s certainly true that the podcast industry is still in its infancy, and there is still plenty of space for new shows to join the sphere, it is also true that the number of active podcasts continues to rise at a rapid rate. We’re currently standing at 1,800,626 active podcasts, and the numbers keep rising on a daily basis!
And that’s why knowing how and where to market your podcast is so important, and why it’s vital that podcast hosts have clear social media marketing strategies in place. Podcast hosts need to know what platforms are available to them as channels to connect with their listeners and promote their content, and they also need to know which platforms to use if they want to successfully reach more members of their specific target audience. Putting out amazing Facebook content is great, but if your target audience are all on TikTok, you won’t be achieving your marketing goals.
On today’s post, we’ve got an overview of a variety of social media marketing options podcasters have at their disposal when it comes to promoting their show, gaining more loyal listeners, and strengthening their podcast brand.
Each overview also has links to full posts where you can learn more about how the social media platform in question can help you promote your podcast and grow your audience.
Related read: How to Build and Strengthen Your Podcast Brand
1. Email Marketing
The real OG when it comes to marketing, the email. While not quite classifying as what we know to be social media marketing, email marketing has earned it’s spot on this post as it is more than capable of holding its own against those other platforms. In fact, email marketing still holds the title of being the platform with the highest return on investment when compared to all the other marketing channels at our disposal. That’s right! The humble email is still an excellent marketing tool, and so if the other social media platforms are just not a good fit for you, your podcast, and most importantly, your audience, then getting social by sending out some top-notch email newsletters is the way to go.
Emails are still the most direct route we have available when it comes to reaching people. And they’re an effective marketing strategy as they create amazing opportunities for you to deliver more value-rich, personalized content directly to your audience. And by getting your readers hooked on your content via your engaging emails, you’ll easily be able to direct your subscribers to your podcast as the best place for them to get their ears on all you have to offer.
Related read: Growing Your Podcast Audience Through Email Marketing
2. Facebook
When it comes to social media platforms, Facebook holds the accolade of being one of the longest-running options out there. And depending on the demographics of your podcast’s target audience, as well as your niche, Facebook could really help you expand the reach of your show, and help new listeners find your amazing content. Episode snippets, content or niche-related images, as well as longer-length videos all work well on the platform, but it also caters to simple text-based posts, meaning that you can share your expertise across a variety of formats.
But one of the biggest pros of using Facebook as a way to promote your podcast is the ability to create groups, either public or closed. These groups can provide an incredible space to connect deeply with your audience, or even others connected in some form to your niche. These groups can then form the foundation of your podcast community, and your show following can grow from there. You as podcast host can also really benefit from this feature as there are an abundance of podcast-related Facebook groups you can join! Whether you need encouragement or advice, or you’re just looking to make more connections in the industry, Facebook is the place to turn to!
Related read: How to Use Facebook to Promote Your Podcast
3. Instagram
Next up we have Instagram. Instagram may be the most versatile of all the available social media platforms as it caters to a whole range of users across the age and interest spectrums. It’s also a firm favorite for brand building because of the variety of content you can share. You can share snaps of your day-to-day life as a podcast host, you can go live and interact with your listeners, or you can create hilarious videos which show off more of your personality. Instagram is also great for sharing audiograms and running giveaways, and it also allows you to share longer form content, either in your captions or via your stories.
You do need some solid Instagram-focused marketing strategies if you really want the platform to work for you, but with a little research, some practice, and the right hashtags you could really see a marked increase in your subscriptions and continual growth of your loyal podcast community.
Related read: Tips for Using Instagram to Promote Your Podcast and Grow Your Audience
4. Twitter
Getting active on Twitter could help you seriously boost your podcast following and help you grow your show’s reach as the platform has a very active podcast community. If your loyal listeners are already tweeting up a storm, then it might be time for you to join the party. Twitter stands out over the other social media platforms as one of the best ways to really connect with your audience. The focus on short form content makes it the perfect place to promote an upcoming episode, let your followers know about your incredible upcoming guest, or even as a way to find out what your listeners would like to hear more of on your show.
You can also share your audiograms, episode sneak peeks, or even go live and host your own mini podcast event! And if you play your cards and hashtags right, you’ll successfully get your content in front of new followers who can then become new listeners. And with features like Twitter Spaces on the cards, specifically focused on sharing audio on the platform, Twitter looks to become an even more attractive place to grow your podcast brand.
Related read: How To Use Twitter to Boost Your Podcast Audience
5. Youtube
YouTube might not be your first choice as a social media platform to help promote your podcast, but we’re seeing a growing trend when it comes to video podcasting. And one of the main reasons for this is because having your content available in another format, in this case, video, makes it all the more accessible, as well as helping establish your voice as one of some serious authority in your niche. Having a YouTube channel provides you with so many new opportunities to direct new listeners to your podcast. Whether you share full video recordings of your podcast episodes or only share quick snippets aimed to entice and intrigue your viewers, YouTube can really help grow your audience. And if your podcast niche lends itself to tutorials, or some other type of demonstration or presentation, that YouTube will be a natural next step in your podcast marketing strategies.
Related read: How To Use YouTube to Grow Your Podcast Audience
6. TikTok
TikTok is a video app where users create short-form video clips of up to one minute. TikTok also currently holds the title of fastest growing social media platform. Many big companies have also turned to the platform to further cement their brand and reach new audiences. So if your target audience is one who are hooked on viral videos, or even if you’re looking to branch out to new listeners, then TikTok might be a great marketing opportunity for you and your show.
But if you want the platform to work for you, then you’ll need to exercise your creativity when it comes to making your videos. You can use snippets from your show, behind-the-scenes clips with your latest guests, or you could even try your skills at some of the current viral TikTok challenges as a way to put more eyes and ears on your amazing content.
Related read: How to Use TikTok to Promote Your Pinterest
7. Pinterest
Pinterest might not seem like the likely choice to be featured on a list about social media marketing, but Pinterest can actually be a really effective platform to promote your podcast and your brand. This is because Pinterest is really a visual search engine, and so depending on your niche and your target audience, you could get amazing traffic to your podcast from every pin you upload. If your target audience is active on the platform, and you create the pinnable content they’re after, you’ll be able to use Pinterest to direct substantial traffic to your podcast. Turn your content into fun infographics, snippets of your episodes into audiograms, or create some inspirational images, and Pinners will quickly become podcast subscribers!
Related read: Leveraging Pinterest to Promote Your Podcast
Closing Thoughts
High-quality valuable content and knock-out sound quality are two of the most important factors when it comes to achieving long-term success with a podcast. The third factor needed to achieve this success is knowing how to promote your podcast in order to grow your loyal listener base. By knowing which platforms are available, and, most importantly, knowing which platforms your target audience uses, you will be able to formulate a social media marketing strategy that actually yields results. Have a look at the options available, do some thorough research as to which platforms appeal most to your target audience, then get creative with your social media marketing strategies! With a plan in place and some diligent effort, you should soon see the fruits of your labor reflected in your subscriber numbers and download figures.
Related read: Top Tips to Make Your Podcast Stand Out
