Once you’ve started recording your podcasts and learned how to edit and publish them, you’ll need to promote them. You may already have a small list of subscribers or a group of friends who will listen to your episodes, and that’s a good thing. But to grow your audience and make it worthwhile, some promotion is required. Here are a few different ways to promote your podcast.

Post it to iTunes (Apple Podcasts)

There are a lot of people who listen to Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes), including other podcasters, so this should be one of the first things you do. Even if you’re not an iPhone user, millions of people are. Just having your Apple Podcasts podcast in the marketplace can help it stand out.

Many people don’t know what podcast they’re looking for and will simply search for a topic or search for the most recently published episodes on the topic of their choice. If they find your podcast, they may listen to it and then subscribe through Apple Podcasts to have your new episodes automatically sent to them. If people find it this way, they might as well tell others about it. That is why it is important to have it in multiple markets.

Use of the social network

It goes without saying that most people who listen to podcasts also use social media. Learning how to share your episodes on social media will also help you grow your listener base.

Start talking about your podcast on different social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and even YouTube. Share the link on Reddit and use your Snapchat account to discuss what your latest episode is talking about. When you promote it on social media, use tags related to the topic of the podcast, your name, the title of the podcast, and the various topics you’re covering. This will help more people find you and your podcast!

Have your own website and blog

You need to have a place where you can upload the podcast right away and have others listen to it right away. If you have an urgent topic you want to cover, you might not get as much attention as you want on Apple Podcasts.

When you start using Apple Podcasts, it can take up to 2 weeks for your podcast to be approved. They typically have a turnaround time of about 7 days, but it could take longer.

For time-sensitive topics, have a website where you can upload it, then share the links on social media. This is also a good place to have a blog where you include text for your podcast topics, which you can then target and get more listeners through social media searches.

I also use links that take people to my website from my podcast. And links that take people from my podcast to my website. In SEO circles, this is called a backlink and it helps search engines find you better.

Include a link in your Google profile

All the different areas, formats and properties of Google’s social networks are linked to each other and the search for those backlinks all over the Internet. Therefore, you must link all your profiles with each other. This will allow you to be seen every time someone searches for you using any type of Google method, be it YouTube or Google. You want to have that link in as many places as online as you can to start promoting yourself and getting the attention of more listeners.

As you get more listeners through those links, you move further up the algorithm towards more and more searches. This allows more people to find you, and as they do, it moves you even higher up the search results. It’s one of the best and fastest ways to grow your audience!

Post it on Pinterest

One of the most amazing ways to promote a podcast is by using Pinterest. This is mostly used for images, although they can link directly to the website the images came from. Use this to your advantage by posting a simple image, with the title of the podcast or topic, and a few brief show notes. If someone is browsing Pinterest, they might find your image and then go to the link to listen to the podcast.

Include information in your Amazon author account

For those of you who are authors and sell your books on Amazon, you can create an author profile. As part of that profile, mention your podcast and then include a link in your profile that takes people directly to your podcast. I know many people I’ve interviewed over the years who don’t do this. When I explain to them how simple it is, they are amazed!

You will be surprised how well it works. For additional exposure for your book(s), don’t forget to talk about them on your podcast! That helps build those back-links again!

These are just a few simple tips for increasing listenership by promoting your podcast using resources most people are already familiar with. You do not need to invest in heavy and expensive advertising. Really, all advertising does is send someone to your website or podcast site to “see” you.

Do the same on the platforms you are already using. Instead of “cat pictures” or funny memes, use these platforms to promote your podcast! Drive some traffic from those who already follow you. In the process, you’ll generate additional listeners, subscribers, and maybe some additional income (which we’ll discuss in a future article).

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