The Podcast Why

What can you do to promote your podcast? We have done some research with our clients, and fellow podcasters, and put together 13 different buckets of ideas on how to do it.

The best tip - Don’t get overwhelmed by marketing tips. Every tip you read has worked for that particular person. Do what’s comfortable, do what you will do consistently.

Let's dig into how to collaborate.

1) “Brand partnerships” with an organization or brand product that has a similar audience. Cross-promote by mentioning them in your podcast, and ask them to spotlight you in their newsletter.

2) Don’t try to recreate the wheel or build an audience from scratch. Podcasters already have audiences, so tap into them by having them on your show. Encourage them to share the episode with their audience! This is an immediate way to get in front of thousands of new people, without spending a dollar in ads!

3) Network with other Podcasts. Partnering with other Podcasts is valuable. Don’t look at everyone as competition. You have an opportunity to capture their audience and vice versa.

With an estimated 2 million podcasts (2021), stats are showing only 300k to 600k podcasts publish on a regular basis. There is enough space for everyone!

4) Show your fandom. Amplify the shows you love and that favor will be returned.

5) Start a traditional street team. Arm your super fans with stickers and flyers, digital postcards, podcast business cards, and audiograms, to help spread the word.

6) Partner with established businesses and have them link to your podcast. This is a win-win as you get access to their clientele while you provide them with valuable content to share with their audience.

Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you.

Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website at circle270media.com

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter. It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Developing a podcast brand may be the last thing you think about when putting together your podcast.  And this may be why most podcasters fail.

The term “brand” refers to a business and marketing concept that helps people (your listeners) identify a particular company, product, or individual. Brands are intangible, which means you can't actually touch or see them. They help shape people's (your listeners) perceptions of companies, their products, or individuals.

Here's an easy way of wrapping your head around branding. 

What do people say your podcast is when you're not in the room?Can a person (you) be a brand?

Anyone can quickly and easily be a brand. You don't need to be famous.

Branding is important because not only is it what makes a memorable impression on your listeners, but it allows your listeners to know what to expect from your podcast.

A strong brand will help your audience identify with your message and keep them coming back for more content. It also helps establish your topic as a credible source. The best podcasts have a distinct voice that is personable and authentic.  Which leads to a loyal following who will continue to listen even if they don’t have anything new to say.

The key strategies to build a strong brand are:

-Define it

-Match your podcast name to it

-Develop it

-Develop the look

-Get it out there

-Get it out there consistently

Define your podcast brand

To create your podcast brand effectively, you need to have a clear idea of the type of the brand you are wanting to create. You need to understand what your ‘brand’ is. Here are some questions that can help you.

• What is your podcast’s mission?
• What is your podcast’s vision?
• Who are you targeting as the key listeners to your show?
• Why should they listen?
• What can they expect when tuning into your show?

Match your podcast name to the brand

After defining your podcast brand, decide on a name for your show. But not just any name! You need to decide on a name that strengthens your brand, and leaves no doubt about your brand in the mind of your targeted listeners. Your podcast name needs to match your brand.

Your podcast name should be:

• unique
• catchy
• easy to remember
• consistent with the message on your podcast

Put the time in to find the right name.

Use Google searches. Brainstorm with your podcast partners, family and friends (you’d be amazed what will come out of a “beerstorming or beanstorming session”). Keep the list, let it set for a day or two, and come back to it with fresh eyes and a clear mind. Let the process work, and you’ll have the perfect podcast name that is your brand identity!

Develop that podcast brand

Develop your own signature style for your podcast. There are countless things that work together to produce your podcast’s “unique voice”, including your:

• personality
• co-hosts
• guests
• interview style
• delivery and tone of voice
• “audio logo” or intro music
• expertise in your content area
• connection with your listeners
• unique angle on your content

Develop your podcast brand look

Use color and imagery to further develop and strengthen your podcast brand’s unique identity.

Your podcast’s thumbnail cover art is typically the first thing people see when it comes to your podcast. It’s got to be on your brand! Great podcast cover art gets listeners to engage with your podcast brand. 

Get your podcast brand out there

To strengthen your brand, you need to be out there. Be present with your podcast  This simply means finding other places for your podcast and brand to be seen and heard.

Some ideas include, but are not limited to:

• guest appearances on podcasts
• speaking opportunities at conferences
• strategic social media content postings and tagging key individuals
• guest blogging
• networking events

The more places people are able to “find” your podcast brand, the stronger your presence will become.Keep your brand out there consistently

Implement and stick to a schedule that guarantees you will successfully publish valuable content. To grow your podcast brand, you can’t change the type of content and message you are sharing. Maintain your focus to build your authority within your category.

A consistent presence of your podcast will solidify your podcast brand and help you develop a strong identity.

Podcasts are a great medium to interact with audiences and share information. A strong brand is essential for any podcast. It helps listeners identify you as an authority in your niche. It helps you cut through the clutter of podcasts in your category. 

Building a strong brand for your podcast takes time, and these are steps that can help you achieve this more quickly.

Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you.

Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website at circle270media.com

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic And Speak. It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

We as podcasters, on the whole, underutilize LinkedIn as a marketing and connection tool. A majority of our time is spent on the other big three - Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

So what are we missing? Why are we NOT living on LinkedIn like we do these other social media platforms? Could it be we just don't know about some best practices and new features?

So what better way to learn how to use this business professional media platform than to talk to one of the preeminent LinkedIn experts.

Debra Mathias is the owner of Connect To Clients, based in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina area. Since 2011 she's been assisting entrepreneurs, small business and Fortune 500 companies to use her proven method of Networking with LinkedIn

She is a LinkedIn Business Coach. Career Transition Expert. LinkedIn Sales Strategist, Relationship Builder, LinkedInLocal Host, and a Connection Specialist using Networking with LinkedIn and Career Transitioning with LinkedIn.

So what are some best LinkedIn practices we need to know about?

Deb's top 3 include:

1. Check your dashboard daily for leads.

2. Post creative content 1 or 2 times per week. We can expound on creative content and what it takes to get people to "view your content", tagging, hashtags etc.

3. Like, comment, and share your network's content. It gets you in front of their audience and vice versa.

How about new LinkedIn features? Deb's top 3 include:

1. Cover Story. Create a video to replace your photo on LinkedIn.

2. Provided Services on your profile: Add up to 5 services that your business does.

3. Creator Mode. This is for influencers or anyone wanting to get their name and content out there. It will flip your activity, Featured and About Sections so that people see your content first. It will also show how many followers you have instead of connections.

Keep up with what's new on LinkedIn by following Deb. And connect with her as well. When you connect, tell her you heard her on the Note To Future Me podcast, and mention your favorite ice cream flavor (she'll understand!).

Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you.

Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website at circle270media.com

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter. It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

This Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp incident on October 4, 2021 was more than a mild inconvenience. Or as Facebook internally called it "a snow day."

As a podcaster, we hope you now see the urgency in creating a standalone website entirely separate from social media. If this downtime were to happen to Spotify or Apple, far too many podcasters would end up losing listeners.

And even worse, revenue.

My guest is Laura Oldham, founder of Starburst Media. I have known Laura since 2017, as she was the first guest on the TriVillage Chamber Partnership podcast Business Inspires. We've worked together over the years on a few projects.

I wanted to get her insight on how important a website is for podcasters.

Her focus with Starburst Media is mainly on building websites in WordPress, Shopify and Squarespace and giving her clients the tools to make their own changes so they don’t necessarily need to depend upon Starburst Media (or another firm) to keep their websites up to date.

If you haven't built a podcast website, now is the time. And by podcast website, we mean a standalone website not through your hosting platform. This Facebook incident on October 4, 2021 won't be the last time social media will go down.

And if you completely rely on social media to promote your podcast, to promote your business, you're building your "castle on sand," as the saying goes.

As she states...

If there's ever been a time, it was made clear why you shouldn't have one company controlling such a big chunk of your communications. Where people in countries weren't able to communicate with family members. And businesses weren't able to do basic commerce that rely upon Facebook.

Laura covers some do's and don'ts when creating a website. Her main advice is just don't overthink it.

...enough that someone can find you and get a feel for what it is that you're trying to share with them, sell them, whatever it is. But even the most basic Wix website or Squarespace website can be really easy to throw together as long as you just don't overthink what should go on the website.

Is WordPress the best route to go? If you blog and podcast, yes. WordPress was made for this. If you are looking at adding very little blog content to your website over time, Squarespace and Wix are good, easy options.

When the time comes to build, or update, your website, you may want to consider outside help like Starburst Media offers. Laura offers some advice on what questions you should ask.

Plus, notice what questions are asked of you from the perspective of a web designer. You need to know this person is on your team. Not only to build your website, but to help you maintain the best website you can. For today, and for the future.

Podcasts added to your website have shown to help with your website SEO. Laura has been helping her clients with this as well.

I think that's fantastic when people do take the time to make sure that their podcast is on the right services so they can easily embed each podcast.

Contact Laura about your podcast website questions. Her email address is [email protected].

Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you.

Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website at circle270media.com

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter. It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Before you launch your podcast, so much of your time and energy will be spent getting the sound and feel just right. Choosing the right format. Researching the best publishing frequency and day of the week. You're doing all the podcast things you’re supposed to do in order to make a really great podcast. Soon the time will come to press publish, and you need a plan to promote the podcast.

Here are 5 simple ways to ask your listeners to support your podcast.

1) Ask them to sign up for your newsletter.

That being said, your newsletter needs to be subscriber-worthy. What are you doing with your newsletter beyond promoting your current episode?  How are you engaging the reader?  Is signing up worth their time?  How easy do you make it to sign up?

If you already have a newsletter with subscribers, congratulations.  You now can implement one of the most effective marketing tools a podcaster can have.  

Building an email list from scratch?  Here are some ideas to consider…

• Choose A Trustworthy and easy-to-use Email Marketing Platform. 
• Give People Incentives to Sign Up. 
• Create Pop-Ups For Your Website. 
• Leverage Your Social Media Accounts. 

Additionally,

• Emphasize how easy it is to sign up for your newsletter
• Keep stating your call to action over time 
• Put the link everywhere

It will build over time: You’ll see some fans subscribe immediately, but you’ll continue seeing substantial growth even 3-6 months after you launch. The key is consistently including your call to action and experimenting with what gets listeners excited to sign up. 

2) Ask them to write reviews or comments about your podcast.

This could take the form of 

• Leaving a review of your podcast on iTunes, 
• Leaving comments on your podcast Facebook page, 
• Encouraging comments on your podcast website blog post that features your podcast episodes,
• Setting up a Google My Business page for your podcast, or
• Ask for feedback on a Google Voice phone number.

3) Ask your listeners to share your podcast on social media by specifically tagging their friends.

Not only does this share the podcast, tagging friends can encourage the listener to comment to the tagged friend WHY they should listen to the episode.  Feedback for you, and social media loves shares.

4) Ask listeners how the podcast (or a specific episode) has helped them.

There are basically 6 things you need to do in a podcast.

• laugh
• cry 
• think 
• groan 
• educate
• entertain 
• or a combination of any of these

If you're not doing one of those 7 things, you're boring. And there won’t be any incentive for your listener to WANT to talk about your podcast.

5) Ask them to follow you on social media

Same rules apply about the why’s of following you as I just addressed with newsletters.  Make your posts engaging, interesting, inviting, and share-worthy. It can’t be just about your latest episode publishing.

If you’re looking for more tailored help, then be sure to connect with our dedicated team of podcast professionals. We’ll help your business create a podcast from planning and launching to editing, presentation skills, promotion, and monetization. 

Interested in speaking with one of our professionals? Click here! We’ve put together a questionnaire to quickly fill out.  This will help us help you prior to our first information meeting, which you can schedule when you complete the questionnaire. 

Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you.

Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website at circle270media.com

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic And Speak. It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

September 2021 marks 5 years for Circle270Media Podcast Consultants.

And what a 5 years it's been.

I wanted to put together a quick "look back" for me, and for anyone else looking for advice, incentive, or insight, on how to march forward from working for someone else to working for yourself.

What have I learned?

• Trust your gut instincts on when to start.
• Surround yourself with trusted people to hold you accountable.
• Be open to any and all opportunities.
• Protect your time.
• But, put in the time, with focus.
• Always have "plan B."

What should have I done earlier?

• Engaged with a business manager and/or mentor.

How's your journey? Contact me at [email protected] or go to My Podcast Guy.

Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you.

Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website at circle270media.com

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter. It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Success stories are always fun to talk about. My client, Yavitch & Palmer, Attorneys at Law, produces a weekly podcast, Lawyer Talk: Off The Record.  In September 2021, Steve Palmer, the host, will be recording and publishing the podcast’s 200th episode.

What keeps this podcast going?  Well, I can tell you, it has seen it’s ups and downs since the first episode published in February 2018.  

Some ups include moving the recording “round table” from Steve’s office to opening the 511 Studios in the lower level of his building in downtown Columbus. Which now has expanded into video production and video streaming.  If you get a chance, go to channel511.com and take a quick tour of the place.

And there have been downs.  COVID set back Steve’s practice, and caused a reduction in staff and attorneys who were co-hosts on the podcast.

But through it all, the podcast has remained a staple for the law firm, in its marketing and networking opportunities.

What did we learn?  What are we continuing to do to keep the podcast fresh, and to keep increasing listeners?  

Here are three areas we never deviated from...

1) Seek out stories that stand out and stack up

It’s easy to take the same route as other attorneys and law firms in terms of marketing, but creating a podcast helps differentiate Yavitch & Palmer from the competition. We continually find a creative approach to showcase thoughts from Steve and his attorney guests’, on hot topics in the legal industry. We don’t shy away from trending pop culture stories that could tie back to the practice area. The goal is to create content that builds a following.

2) Focus on relaxed table talk

We know what makes Lawyer Talk: Off The Record one of the best law firm podcasts. We have niche topics that allow co-hosts and guest attorneys to take a different approach to a subject and share their perspective. One key is to ensure attorneys are relaxed and conversational so that discussion flows like a table talk. That’s why we record the podcast at a round table. We know more structured, scripted podcasts prevent listeners from relating to the hosts and guests.

3) Define success

Once we made the strategic decision to add podcasting to the law firm’s marketing mix, we set defined goals. These include driving more website traffic, increasing the visibility of a certain practice area, and nurturing relationships with guests, like potential clients and referral sources. 

A big part of gaining a degree of authority is positioning yourself as an expert on a topic while being completely honest about it. Because of the format of Lawyer Talk: Off The Record, Steve Palmer, his law firm attorneys, and his guests know being a part of this podcast allows them to “show off” their knowledge in an informal, relatable setting.  Which makes an easy podcast to listen to, even with a roundtable full of lawyers!

We also know we have a “secret ingredient” no other law firm has for instant promotion and exposure. For over 10 years, Steve guests during a weekly call-in slot on a local rock station in the Columbus, OH market.  He answers listeners' questions, steered by the morning show team.  And each week he promotes the Lawyer Talk: Off The Record podcast to 1000’s of listeners.

If you’re looking for more tailored help, then be sure to connect with our dedicated team of podcast professionals. We’ll help your business create a podcast from planning and launching to editing, presentation skills, promotion, and monetization. 

Interested in speaking with one of our professionals? Click here! We’ve put together a questionnaire to quickly fill out.  This will help us help you prior to our first information meeting, which you can schedule when you complete the questionnaire. 

Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you.

Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website at circle270media.com

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter. It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

A 5-Step "Podcast Guest Pitch" Process

There are hundreds of little details to think about when pitching yourself as a podcast guest. But for now, focus on these basic elements:

1) Listen to a few episodes of a podcast before pitching. If a podcast isn't a good match for what you do, don't pitch it. If a podcast doesn't have guests, don't pitch it.

2) Check for a "guest submission" process before pitching. If there is one, follow it to the letter.

David Hooper from The Big Podcast - 3 Rules for Podcast Guests (and Those Who Book Them) and his recent round and round with a potential podcast guest and her personal booking person

3) Focus your guest pitch on a specific solution for their audience. What can you do for this audience?

4) Be detailed in your pitch. Mention specific episodes and elements of the podcast. Sincerely talk about what you like about the podcast.

5) Be patient. Give the host enough time to follow up with you. Their timetable is not your timetable.  And recognize they may be in a different time zone than you.

If you’re looking for more tailored help, then be sure to connect with our dedicated team of podcast professionals. We’ll help your business create a podcast from planning and launching to editing, presentation skills, promotion, and monetization. 

Interested in speaking with one of our professionals? Click here! We’ve put together a questionnaire to quickly fill out.  This will help us help you prior to our first information meeting, which you can schedule when you complete the questionnaire.  The link is in the podcast show notes.

Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you.

Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website at circle270media.com

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter. It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

I occasionally like to go through podcast Facebook groups and save posts that have interesting questions. And then go back over time, say two, three, four weeks later, to see all the comments.

And this post from a few months ago was asking the question, what was the worst advice given to you as a podcaster? The answers were really insightful and contradictory. I think a lot of it comes back down to the focus of your what do you want to accomplish. And as I read through these comments, you'll see the contradictions.

Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you.

Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website at circle270media.com

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter. It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

One of your top priorities for your podcast is to increase your audience size.

So at first glance, you may think that running Facebook Ads or organic posts would be a good marketing option to help increase your listening numbers and followers. After all, Facebook ads allow you to finely target your audience. And you can do it in a very cost-effective way.

The point with this episode is not so much to argue that Facebook is inherently a poor platform to advertise or organically post podcast information. But rather to point out that there is a better way.

What you need to consider is where you send traffic once someone clicks on your ad or link from your post.

For the most part, podcasters promote their podcasts and episodes on Facebook by directly linking to the Apple Podcasts or Android episode pages.

This could be because of a couple of reasons.

One, podcasters have been indoctrinated from the start that Apple Podcasts is the largest and most listened to podcast directory. And for Android users, Spotify is most friendly and universal. Then it stands to reason that when you promote your podcast, send the listener there. This should make it very easy for your potential listener to listen to your podcast.

Apple Podcasts and Spotify are, after all, where you want people to go to follow your show. And this seems to be the best way to meet your potential listener halfway. To capture people on mobile devices. Target an iOS audience to the direct link of the Apple Podcasts episode. And for Android users, by sending them to the Spotify episode link.

Secondly, this could be coming from the fact that most podcasters do not have a standalone website. That is, a podcast website outside of your hosting platform. A website you own and maintain. Or, at the very least, the podcaster’s website is not user friendly, and does not represent the branding of the podcast. Is it “free” with your audio hosting platform, or a free version of Wix, or similar free web hosting platforms.

To that end, I have seen comments in Facebook podcasting groups arguing that sending your listeners to Apple Podcasts or Spotify is better than sending people to a podcast show notes page on your website. In fact, many of these posts argue that you don’t need podcast show notes pages at all. So save the time and effort.

There are a few reasons I fundamentally disagree with sending new listeners to your Apple Podcasts and Spotify podcast links.

Apple Podcasts and Spotify don’t need more traffic from your Facebook organic or paid podcast marketing. You are paying, with your time or money, for traffic that you’re sending to Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Really?

Instead, your podcast website could be benefitting from greater search engine authority, rank and traffic. That increases your find-ability for all Google searches.

Buying Facebook ads will cost you too much in the long run. ​​Your ads may result in getting more followers to your podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The cost per new listener is usually quite high.

Facebook podcast marketing ads should have a better goal than just to add listeners to your podcast.

Think of it this way. You could be adding leads for your business, building your email list, increasing the rank and traffic for your site, and building a digital asset for your brand.

Facebook ads should focus on lead generation and list growth instead of getting more listeners.

Additional episode information. Your podcast listeners should be coming to YOUR podcast website, because you should be offering valuable additional episode information. They could be signing up to receive podcast notifications via email. Listeners could be finding links and resources about your guests. And they could be downloading these resources from you in exchange for an email address.

Social media has its place to help you market your podcast. Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all the other podcast players have an important role in making it easier for listeners to follow and listen to your podcast. However, traffic to promote your podcast should land on your podcast website.

And your podcast content should live on your own website, first and foremost. Then share content from there, spreading out to 3rd party platforms for social engagement.

Having your own SEO optimized podcast website with podcast show notes pages for each episode increases your opportunities for podcast growth. Wouldn’t you rather have free traffic and rank for your podcast website? How about earning organic search traffic over time? And we know most marketers agree that email lists are still the most valuable asset to build for your digital presence.

Creating and maintaining a highly converting website for your podcast is important. This will help you promote your podcast, and build a subscriber list outside of Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast directory. And so is having episode specific show notes pages. Successful podcasts do.

If you promote your podcast by Facebook ads or organic traffic directly to your episode pages on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, I highly encourage you to rethink this strategy.

If you’re looking for more tailored help, then be sure to connect with our dedicated team of podcast professionals. We’ll help your business create a podcast from planning and launching to editing, presentation skills, promotion, and monetization.

Interested in speaking with one of our professionals? Click here! We’ve put together a questionnaire to quickly fill out. This will help us help you prior to our first information meeting, which you can schedule when you complete the questionnaire.

Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you.

Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website at circle270media.com

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter. It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy