11 Clever Ways to Promote Your Podcast to the World Have you exhausted all the different channels for marketing your show?
By Joan Stewart Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
If you're used to sharing text and video, the world of podcasting can seem like a planet of its own, especially when it comes time to promoting a new show.
Don't just wait for your target audience to find it through the search engines. You can't rely on podcast directories either.
Taking extra time to promote your show can be well worth it because the audience for podcasts has been growing steadily during the last decade.
Edison Research, which studies consumer adoption of digital media, reported this year that three-quarters of Americans 12 to 24 and half of those 25 to 54, say they have listened to online radio or streamed audio content available only on the Internet in the last month.
Related: Why You Should Use Blogs and Podcasts to Market Your Business
Podcasting isn't exactly cutting edge. So why the rise in popularity?
Because the old model of creating news for the masses isn't working anymore. New media channels such as Internet radio are competing against traditional media companies for advertising revenue and audiences. Also many Internet shows give listeners information on topics that they might not find anywhere else, like how to create a self-sufficient homestead.
Videos require your attention in front of a screen. But you can listen to Internet radio while walking the dog, working out or driving.
If you're podcasting, you're probably already communicating with your target audience on a variety of other sites. That's the best place to start. Here are 11 ideas on how to promote your new show.
1. Submit it to iTunes.
iTunes has eclipsed 1 billion podcast subscriptions. People can search the iTunes podcast directory and then opt to listen to your show.
If you're just starting a podcast, create several episodes, an RSS feed for your show, tags and album artwork. Then go to FeedValidator.org and make sure it says "Your feed is valid" before submitting to iTunes.
2. Include the podcast in a Google profile.
This often overlooked resource, the Google profile, is available on all Google properties. While you're busy creating content in various formats, it's easy to forget that your Google profile is the perfect container for links to all that content.
3. Include show notes on Pinterest.
Show notes provide a quick summary of what a specific podcast episode includes. They should have a captivating title and copy that compels visitors to listen to the show. A simple image like this from the DollarsAndSenseShow.com can be pinned with the description harboring show notes and relevant keywords.
4. Put a link on other social media profiles.
LinkedIn lets you insert media links in your profile: The summary and project sections are ideal for featuring a podcast. On Facebook, link to your podcast and include show notes in a status update or a note. Don't forget to share the podcast with your Facebook groups.
Related: 6 Key Shifts in Thinking About Social Media
5. Interview a celebrity about a new book.
Authors look under every rock for ways to promote their new books. Ask for a celebrity or influencer for an interview and the person might opt to use your podcast interview promote the book. Many of these big names have huge followings and share every video, podcast, article and blog post that features them, especially during book launches.
6. Post a YouTube video showing a recording of your podcast.
Create a two-minute video as you record a segment of your show in front of the microphone. Shoot several segments from the same podcast and assign those videos to a YouTube playlist. Why bother? Because each video can have its own description and keywords that will pull in more traffic.
Your current fans will love this "behind the scenes" look at how your show is produced. Be sure to lead your podcast subscribers to the videos.
Use Spreaker, a podcasting service that can be connected to your YouTube account. Spreaker will turn an audio podcast into a static image video for your YouTube channel.
7. Tap Amazon's Author Central account for promotion.
Include a link to your podcast on your Amazon profile. Author Central lets you import tweets and recent blog posts. Those, too, can be promote your show. Readers who love your books might be excited to find your content available in formats other than text.
8. Trade promotion favors with other podcasters.
Find a podcaster who targets an audience similar to yours. Agree to promote each other's shows. You can even interview each other.
9. Create a collage of photos.
Craft a collage of photos that explain quickly who you are, your guest and what the show is about.
Jim Palmer's Stick Like Glue radio show created a collage for an interview with social media expert Amy Porterfield. This communicates quickly and far better than just one photo could exactly what listeners will learn. This image is perfect for social sharing.
10. Market a top 10 list of the best podcasts.
Let's say your show features interviews with startup founders. Compile a list of the top 10 podcasts featuring startups and include your show. Pitch it to bloggers who write about startups and to the other podcasters on your list.
11. Pitch a story on earning money from podcasting.
Many hobbyists, regardless of how passionate they are about their topics, can't turn their shows into revenue. If you can, that's a business story you can invite a financial publication to cover.
More than a dozen people who subscribe to receive my twice-a-week email tips on publicity have asked me to start a podcast so they don't have to be in front of their computers to read them. I've added podcasting to the top of my to-do list for 2015.
If you create podcasts, how do you promote your shows and which ideas have been the most successful?
Related: Should Your Business Have a Podcast?
