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We Didn’t Know How to Promote a Podcast. So Here’s All We Learned or you hire transcriber from Fiverr

How do people promote podcasts? We didn’t know. We’d never promoted a podcast before! So we went to work, researching all the best tips and strategies for getting a podcast seen by as many people as possible, downloaded as many times as possible, and maybe hopefully listed on iTunes’ New and Noteworthy list.

Here’s all we found and all that we’re excited to try. We’ll be sure to report back with what works! The #1 Goal: Do Really Great on iTunes! iTunes is responsible for as much as 70% of a podcast’s listens and downloads

I’ve heard similar rumblings from others, too. When we launched our culture-focused podcast, CultureLab, my teammate Courtney’s primary goal was getting to a good spot in the iTunes listings. She was our oracle: iTunes is really important.

How to promote a podcast: 10 strategies to try

Many thanks to the people and brands who have been generous to share their podcasting tips online. Some of the best advice I found dated all the way back to 2012, which shows just how long some folks have been excelling in the podcast game. I’ll link to some favorite resources at the end of this article as well.

Here’s the big list of podcast promotion strategies we’re keen to try.

1. Leverage your guest’s audience, Make it easy for guests to share by creating snippets and quote images

2. Promote on social media … in a dozen different ways, Share rich media, soundbites, video, images, teasers, evergreen — anything you can think of

3. Release at least 3 episodes on launch day “I actually received negative reviews from people who had listened to the first episode and were upset that there was only one.”

4. Convert the audio to a YouTube video, Name your video “Interview with …” for potential SEO

5. Submit your podcast to podcatchers and aggregators

6. Transcribe the audio - Try to get a service from fiverr

7. Throw a two-week ratings party - One of the most significant factors in driving a podcast up the charts in iTunes (and into the New & Noteworthy section) is the rate at which you collect downloads and positive reviews in the first couple weeks.

8. Run a giveaway contest How to enter: Leave a review on iTunes - The allure of free stuff and discounts can be a powerful motivator to get more listens to your podcast. And here’s the clincher: Ask for a review on iTunes as part of the entry requirements for your giveaway. This will hopefully earn you more reviews, which will boost the social proof on your podcast and get iTunes to take notice.

9. Find partners to mention you, Mention brands in your podcast. They might just mention you back! - This strategy has roots in content marketing where there’s often a reciprocal effect when you mention a business in a blog post. You’ll often find that business then mentions your post on their social channels.

10. Be a guest on other people’s podcasts - Just like movie stars hit the talk show circuit to promote a new film or politicians travel the country before an election, you can head out on a podcast tour and make guest appearances on podcasts in your niche. Booking guests for regular, weekly podcast episodes can be a bit of a challenge. We’re noticing just how much work this advanced planning can be as we fill out the interview calendar for the Buffer podcast. Many podcasts are likely to appreciate the proactive outreach. Any who take you up on the offer will make for a great promotion opportunity for your new show.