Congratulations on publishing another crazy-great podcast episode! That was the easy part. Now, you have to promote your podcast so others can benefit from the episode’s valuable content.
But maybe you’re tired of the same old ways you’ve been promoting your episodes. After all, it can seem much easier to promote a blog than a podcast. You want to breathe fresh life into your podcast promotion strategy.
Fantastic!
Let me make that process easier for you by offering 15 creative ways to promote your latest podcast episode.
And not to worry, these strategies won’t cost you ANY extra money.
(Yes, you read that correctly. Each strategy in this list is FREE to do.)
I’ve saved the most effective strategy for last, so be sure to stick with me to the end of this blog!
1. Promote your podcast by sending it to your email list.
This one might be a no-brainer for you. But you’d be surprised how many of your listeners will forget you come out with a new episode every Tuesday.
Remind them with a fresh email that gives them a sneak peek behind the podcast studio veil.
2. Create a blog post out of the episode. (Or several blogs.)
You can either create one giant blog post that encapsulates your episode’s entire message. Or you can select specific portions of the episode and create an article around them.
Either way, use the blogs to point readers back to the podcast episode. Then promote that blog on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, or wherever your listeners hang out online.
Success!
3. Create a Q&A out of it.
If your episode was an interview, consider turning it into a Q&A and posting it on your site. This can be an easy way to work on SEO for your podcast and draw in readers who care about your content.
4. Post the best quotes from the episode with a link to the podcast.
The best quotes are often inspirational or eye-opening. If you hear any of those gems, snag them and save them for social media promotion!
If your episode is an interview, use a quote from your guest and attribute it to them.
Then simply design an image with that quote and promote it on your favorite social media.
5. Post a snippet of the audio with a link to promote your podcast.
OK, so this one is actually super cool! You basically create a short video that plays a snippet of your podcast episode.
You may have seen podcasters use these on Instagram or Facebook.
And oddly enough, it doesn’t HAVE to cost money. There are several apps that offer free plans you can use to promote at least one episode a month.
Check out Wavve, which lets you customize your design and create 1 minute of video monthly. (Their design is included in the video with the free plan.)
Another way to do this is with Headliner, whose free plan lets you post 10 videos a month directly to social media, transcription included.
6. Share on social media the top 3 takeaways people will learn from the episode.
If your podcast is your way of drawing visitors to your business, then your listeners are likely tuning in to learn something from you.
In those cases, their ears are perked to hear what they’re going to get out of the show.
So tell them up front!
In your social media post promoting the episode, tell people the top three things they’re going to learn from your latest podcast.
7. If the episode is an interview, share a photo of you and the interviewee with a link to the episode.
This is a fun way to let listeners look behind the scenes and see you and your interviewee actually bonding.
If the person is in studio, snap a quick selfie with the two of you. Or if you have a photo of the two of you in general, post it!
8. Take a selfie of you recording the episode and share one major takeaway people will get.
This goes back to the whole idea of people loving to have a look behind the scenes.
You can build up hype for your upcoming episode by promoting it beforehand.
Or you can simply post the photo once the episode is live with your favorite lesson from the episode and link people can click to listen.
9. Create an Instagram story about why you’re excited about this episode and how it will impact your listeners.
I think this is one of the most engaging ways to promote your episode, honestly.
At least, it works to pull me in! I’ve heard some podcasters share why this episode was so important to them or share some of the feedback they’ve already received from it.
10. Tell listeners to promote your podcast by sharing it with a caption related to the topic.
When they share it, tell them to tag you so you can either keep them accountable or cheer them on, whatever the episode’s topic calls for.
An example would be that you just released an episode about waking up 15 minutes earlier than normal every day to exercise. You could tell your listeners to share your podcast episode with a caption declaring what small habit they were committed to forming so they could make time for exercise.
It’s an easy way to connect with your audience and create a sense of commitment to what you’re teaching.
11. Stick your latest podcast episode at the very top of your website.
I see a lot of podcast hosts do this, and it seems pretty effective.
At the very top of your website, even above your menu and your logo, create a header that promotes your latest episode.
12. Tell listeners to share the podcast episode and tag you for a chance to be a guest on the show.
This is especially great for podcasts that occasionally host live coaching calls or Q&As.
Tell your listeners to share the episode with a question they have and tag you.
And the “prize” doesn’t have to be inviting them onto the show. That may not be feasible for you for some reason. Find something else to incentivize them to share your content.
13. Create a quiz out of the episode and share it on social media to promote your podcast.
Now, you could go all out and be super fancy with this one with a paid quiz tool.
But if you want to keep things simple, then simply form a few questions around your topic and post them online. Then say, “Find out your results in my latest episode” with a link to your podcast.
It could be the type of quiz that tests people’s knowledge, like “How Much Do You REALLY Know About Content Marketing?”
Or it could be something more fun, like “What’s Your Podcast Style Based on Your Personality?”
14. Tag your podcast guest on social media.
This one is especially helpful if your guest has a large social media following. When I’ve interviewed Christian influencers, I try to remember to tag them when we promote the show.
This isn’t just so that the guest sees it. It’s so that their followers see it.
15. Ask your podcast guest to promote your podcast episode on their social media.
This one is, by far, the MOST EFFECTIVE promotion strategy I have ever seen when it comes to podcasts.
I mean to the point of making the difference of thousands of downloads.
And, again, if your guest has a large following, it makes it that much more effective.
Whenever I interview someone for a podcast, I make it my goal to share the link with them and ask them to please share it on their social media and, if they have one, even with their mailing list.
And there you have it!
What are some other free promotion strategies you use for your podcast? Share them in the comments below!
Jenny Rose is a freelance copywriter and content marketer specializing in B2B marketing, real estate, and accounting. She's written for clients like AAA, Edward Jones, Flyhomes, Guild Education, and more. Her writing has also appeared in publications like Business Insider and GOBankingRates.
