Question for you: How do you promote your podcast?
Do you post audiograms? Fancy headshots of your guest? Do you post little 2-minute video clips with captions and headlines?
That strategy that I just described – where you’re consistently posting promo content on social media week in and week out – is probably bringing in some new listeners and extra downloads.
The thing is, we have been working hard to create amazing podcasts, and we don’t just want a few new listeners every week. Instead, we want our downloads to be pouring in, and we want our posts to reach a potential audience outside of our loyal followers.
So, how can you adjust your podcast promotion strategy to most effectively drive new listenership?
Hala Taha, the founder and CEO of YAP Media and host of the Young and Profiting podcast has some answers.
Hala launched her first podcast in spring of 2018, and today, her download count is in the millions. She was able to grow so quickly in large part due to her social media and expertise.
According to Hala, the secret sauce for creating social media content that delights your followers and brings listeners to your profile is actually pretty simple: add more variety to your content. More specifically, your social media content should fall into one of three buckets. It should be either sharable, personal, or promotional.
Sharable Content
Sharable content, Hala says, “is something that could go viral.”
Think about content that you share on your social media profiles. You could love inspirational quotes, fun facts, or maybe you’re a meme fiend.
Either way, the content you like to share is usually not heavily branded and is relevant to a wide range of people. Ideally, somebody who has never heard of you will see their friend repost your sharable content, like what they see, and then click over to your profile.
For example, if you have a podcast about the sports industry like Grow the Show accelerator student, Brock Hendricks, you might post an inspirational quote from a famous player or industry executive along with your thoughts on the quote’s content. The key here is that the content is appealing to people who both are interested in the business of sports, but also people outside of that group who appreciate the post’s sentiment.
Personal Content
Psychologically, we are built to crave human connection —we love relating to other people and hearing their stories. This is why posts with a personal spin are going to be an important part of your social media strategy. With this type of content, you want to tell a story that centers around you.
Pro Tip: According to Hala, you shouldn’t shy away from putting photos of yourself on your personal content because people are more likely to check out posts when they see photos of other people. “Make sure your face has the most real estate on the post,” she says.
The post might be as simple as sharing an anecdote that demonstrates why you love your line of work, or you can talk about a struggle you faced and how you overcame it. Don’t hesitate to be real with your followers and go in-depth into your thoughts and feelings. Authenticity is key.
Ideally, people will read what you write and see some of their own emotions and experiences reflected in your posts. Your unique point of view and relatability will reel in consumers who want to learn more about you and what you do.
Promotional Content
Promotional content, as the name suggests, consists of posts that directly promote your podcast or business. This is where the audiograms and interview videos you’re probably already doing are going to come in handy. According to Hala, this type of content actually gets the least engagement out of the three, and, especially when you are first starting out, is the type of content you should post the least.
“Your goal, especially when you’re starting out, is to grow a community and to get them to trust you,” she says. “And then, you can start to promote to them and sell to them.”
That said, promotional content is also how you sell, so you still need to weave it into your feed. Hala says one promotional post per week is enough for her, however, this is not a hard and fast rule. Use your social media accounts to experiment and figure out the post cadence that works best for you and your business goals!
In Conclusion…
Chances are, you are probably already doing a lot of what you need to do to make your social media shine. By adding intentional variety and cadence to your posts, you can take your podcast promotion to a new level.
Listen to the full podcast episode to learn more podcast promotion tips, including how in-app promotion strategies can lead to explosive growth.