Audio Money | A Podcast About Podcast Advertising

Arielle Nissenblatt and Sumanth Jois discuss how niche podcasts can build an audience and support a business without chasing massive download numbers or committing to full-time video production. 

Arielle shares practical strategies for podcast discovery, search optimization, audience partnerships, feed drops, platform promotion, and guest outreach.

In this episode:

• Why adding video does not guarantee algorithmic reach, audience growth, or business results.
• How to use video selectively for clips and visual segments while keeping the main podcast audio-first.
• Why podcast growth often depends on borrowing audiences from complementary podcasts, newsletters, influencers, and curated lists.
• How to contact authors of “best podcasts” articles and ask to be included in existing or upcoming lists.
• Ways to pitch a new show to Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Castbox, and other podcast platforms.
• How podcast search optimization tools such as Pod SEO and Ausha’s Pod Wars can help identify search terms and improve episode titles, descriptions, and metadata.
• The difference between a promo swap and a podcast feed drop, including how each introduces one show to another show’s audience.
• Why a podcast title should communicate the subject clearly without excessive keyword stuffing, using Ariel’s show Trailer Park, the art and science of podcast trailers as an example.
• How to approach brand-side podcast advertisers as guests by focusing on their expertise and decision-making process.
• Why a natural interview style can work without a script, provided the host has a clear outline and knows the key points to cover.

Timestamps

00:00 - Recording begins with unexpected connection problems
01:50 - Building a business with a small, targeted podcast audience
02:45 - Why video does not guarantee podcast discovery
03:41 - Using video clips without making video the main product
05:22 - When a podcast should be designed specifically for YouTube
07:37 - The value of audio for multitasking and everyday listening
08:32 - Why some informational topics do not require a visual experience
10:23 - The traditional audience-growth playbook for audio podcasts
11:14 - Borrowing audiences from similar podcasts and newsletters
12:07 - Pitching podcast appearances, recommendations, and collaborations
14:31 - Reaching authors of podcast recommendation lists
15:27 - Using newsletters and guest exchanges as promotional leverage
16:53 - Pitching podcast apps and editorial curators
17:24 - How to submit a show for Apple Podcasts consideration
18:22 - Finding opportunities on Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Castbox
19:46 - Why niche podcasts can still be editorially featured
20:20 - Researching podcast search demand and rankings
21:41 - Ranking podcast episodes in Google and answer engines
22:36 - Publishing an audio podcast on YouTube through an RSS feed
23:44 - How podcast promo swaps work
25:21 - What a podcast feed drop is and why it can convert listeners
27:17 - Using IntroCast for paid podcast feed-drop campaigns
28:57 - Why a new show should establish quality before buying promotion
30:38 - Choosing a searchable but memorable podcast title
32:50 - Inviting podcast advertisers and brand buyers onto the show
35:19 - Deciding whether to serve creators, brands, or both
36:13 - Connecting a podcast with a newsletter
38:21 - When an interview outline is better than a full script
39:46 - Arielle’s creator education and podcast marketing resources
40:30 - Podcast promotion is often creative outreach, not rocket science

 In this episode of The Podcast Geek, host Sumanth Jois sits down with veteran podcaster Jim — host of Cybersecurity Today and Hashtag Trending — to unpack the strategies that grew his daily tech news podcast from 1,000 to over 5,000 listeners. 

Jim shares the philosophy, content structure, and monetization tactics that have kept him in the top 2% of podcasters worldwide, offering candid, practical advice for emerging podcasters looking to build an audience and attract sponsors.

Key topics & timestamps:

~0:26 — Jim's creative life today: writing sci-fi (The Compassion Virus), long-form vs. short-form, being "in the zone"
~3:00 — Deep Work by Cal Newport: focus, isolation, and the creative process
~7:00 — Intro to Cybersecurity Today and Hashtag Trending; growing from ~1,000 to 5,000+ daily listens
~9:20 — The "News You Can Use" philosophy and why it drove 5x audience growth
~11:40 — How Jim picks topics: Google, Reddit, and filtering for usefulness
~13:45 — Episode format: under 10 min, newspaper "inverted triangle," no clickbait
~16:35 — Knowing your audience, response rates, and word-of-mouth growth
~17:25 — Jim's new music podcast with a community radio partnership
~21:00 — Audio vs. video, YouTube/Instagram, and social proof over ads
~25:35 — Picking guests who'll promote; audience growth as the #1 podcaster problem
~27:25 — Monetization deep dive: direct ads, affinity vs. announcer-led, media kits
~33:10 — Sponsorships for smaller shows and niche/passion audiences
~36:40 — Cold outreach: leading with value, framing around the buyer
~43:00 — Name recognition, seven impressions, relationship-building
~46:00 — The mindset of great salespeople; the Wayne Gretzky analogy