Why You Have to Promote Your Podcast & How to Actually Build an Audience

Intro: The episode that went nowhere because nobody knew it existed

Intro 0:00

The Podcasting Morning Show is your morning meetup where podcasting meets purpose and creativity, sparking connection. Hosted by Mark Ronick with two decades of experience and elevated by a team comprised of award-winning podcasters, accomplished entrepreneurs and producers, and podcast hosts with years of experience. Together, they form the backbone of the podcasting morning chat, diving into the nuts and bolts of content creation, sharing real-life challenges, solutions, and success stories. Streaming live every weekday at 8 a.m. Eastern Standard Time from Clubhouse, yes, Clubhouse, and available as a podcast just a couple of hours later, the show has evolved into a go-to resource for content creators worldwide. Imagine a mastermind group's collaborative spirit combined with the engaging vibe of a morning drive radio show. That's what we're all about. Learn more at www.podcasting morningshow.com.

Gabe 0:57

Welcome to the podcast about podcasting.

The Importance of Promotion in Podcasting

Speaker 3 1:00

I'm your host, Gabe Leal, and today we're going somewhere that makes a lot of new podcasters uncomfortable because it should. We're talking about promotion, why you have to do it, why most of you aren't doing it, and what actually works when you stop waiting for the algorithm to notice you. If you've been publishing episodes and wondering why nobody's showing up, this episode is going to tell you something you probably already know but haven't been willing to sit with yet. Let's jump into it. Here's the thing nobody tells you at the beginning making the show is only half the job. The other half is making sure the right people know it exists. And I know what some of you are thinking. My content should speak for itself. If it's good enough, people will find it. I don't want to be one of those people constantly plugging their stuff. I hear you. And I want to challenge every one of those beliefs before this episode is over because they're not protecting your integrity. They're protecting your fear. So let me ask you the question we ask everyone on the show. Turn back to you, the listener, the new podcaster, the aspiring podcaster who wants to start. The listener. Why should you promote your podcast? And I'm not looking for the you know generic version of that answer. Not because you want more downloads. The real answer, the one that connects, you know, the one that connects to why you started this thing in the first place. Just hold that thought for a second. Think about that. Because everything else in this episode is going to build off of it. So let's start with the core of what we're going to be talking about. Why promotion is not optional. Let's start here because I think the framing is wrong for most people. When you hear the word promotion, you probably picture someone spamming Facebook groups or cold calling, DMing strangers with a link. That's not what I'm talking about. That's just noise. What I'm talking about is distribution. Making sure that people who need to hear what you're making actually get the chance to hear it. And here's the truth Podcast Discovery is broken. There is no Netflix algorithm surfacing your show to the perfect listener. There is no Spotify editorial team picking up a six episode feed and pushing it to 50,000 people. The platforms are not working for you. They're waiting for you to do the work first. And this is where a lot of new podcasters get this backwards. They think I'll get the audience, then I'll promote. The reality is you promote to get the audience. You don't earn the right to promote by already being popular. You promote your why into being known. So if you've been waiting for the show to get better for the right episode, for some external signal that now is the time, I'm telling you that signal is not coming. The show gets better because more people hear it, give you feedback, and pushing you to sharpen your thinking. Promotion is not the reward for doing a good job, it is part of the work. So let's talk about that fear underneath. Because I am someone who is guilty of what I'm about to talk about myself. So what I'm explaining is is something I've personally experienced. So let's name what's really going on for most of you. Because I think if we skip this part, none of the tax it, none of the tactics I'm about to give you will stick. The reason most new podcasters don't promote their show is not that they don't know how. It is that promotion requires you to say out loud and publicly, I've made something and I think it's worth your time. And that is terrifying for a lot of podcasters. Because what if you're wrong? What if you post and nobody engages? What if someone that listens decides that's not good? What if the people who know you personally think you're being arrogant? That's the resistance talking. And here's what I want you to understand about the resistance it is not protecting you from failure. It's protecting you from visibility from visibility. Those are two different things, and visibility is what your show needs to survive. Let me say that again. Visibility is what your show needs to survive. There's a version of this I've lived again, I'm telling you. You've built something that you are genuinely proud of. You work on it late at night around the edges of a full life. And that's when it's time to tell people it exists. And you whisper. You post it at midnight with a caption that basically apologizes for taking up space. That's got to stop. Not because you need to be become some hustle hustle culture hype machine, but because the person you made this for deserves to find it. And they can't find what you're hiding. Let me say that again. They can't find what you're hiding. And self-promotion is it's very difficult because many of us I'm speaking, this is my I statement. It's very hard sometimes when you feel yourself being humble and you want to be genuine. But yet you don't want to be the loudest voice in the room. So I I I totally get that. So we're gonna talk about the methods that actually build an audience. Alright, let's get tactical. I'm gonna I'm going to walk you through the methods that actually work. Not the ones that sound good in a YouTube tutorial, the ones that move the needle in the real world.

Overcoming Fear of Self-Promotion

Speaker 3 7:52

So, method one, start with your existing network and work outward. This is the step most people skip because it feels too small. You have a network, family, friends, co-workers, people you've met at church or in your industry or in an online community. Those people are your launch pad. Not your permanent audience, your launch pad. When your show goes live, reach out personally. Not a mass email blast, not a hey everyone check out my podcast post. A direct, genuine personal message to twenty or thirty people who might actually care. Tell them what the show is about, why you made it, and ask them specifically not to share if you like it. Ask them to listen to one episode and leave a review. Reviews matter algorithmic algorithmically algorithmically. Let me say the review reviews matter algorithmically. Especially in the early days. But more than that, hearing from someone that your show is landing, that is something for them. That is what keeps you going past episode five when the numbers are still small. So lean into your network. Lean into the people that you know comfortably and trust. So that's method number one. Method number two, show up where your audience already lives. Your listeners exist somewhere before they find you. They're in subreddits, they're in Facebook groups, they're in your LinkedIn communities around your niche, they're following hashtags on Instagram and threads, they're watching YouTube channels that cover adjacent topics. Your job is to go there. Not to drop links, but to be present. Answer questions, start conversations, contribute something real. And then when it's genuinely relevant, mention the show. Not as a pitch, but as a resource. It compounds more. The trust you build in a community before anyone knows you have a podcast is worth more than any cold click or call. So lean into those communities if you already have them built socially, where you're hanging out, or if you're put if you're looking to jump into a particular niche, jump into a lot of those communities. Get to know a lot of the folks in those places. And again, not to just go and cold pitch your podcast, but to genuinely add to a conversation. Start building the foundations of relationships. So that's method number two. Method number three, build a repurposing, build a repurposing system from day one. This is the stuff that a lot of there's a lot of podcasters who leave meat on the bones, is what I like to say. One recording session should never produce just one piece of content. If you record a 45-minute episode and the one thing that goes out is the episode itself, you're leaving most of the value on the table. Again, you're leaving the meat on the bone. From every episode, you should be pulling at least one short clip for Reels or TikTok or YouTube Shorts. The single best 60 seconds your guest said, or the single sharpest thing you said, a quote graphic, a LinkedIn post written from your perspective, not a summary, a reaction, a newsletter that unpacks one idea from that conversation. That system turns one hour of recording into a week of content across every platform. And more importantly, it means people who don't listen to your podcast can still encounter your thinking, your voice, your point of view, and some of them will follow the trail back to the show. So lean into your social medias. Build a repurposing stack that you're going to be able to reach out and post to where you're where again your voice can be heard. So people get to know who your personality is and realize, oh my God, this guy has or this individual has a podcast. I like them. Let me go check it out. So that's another way. Again, method three, building a repurposing system from day one. If you're gonna start your podcast from the ground floor, or if you're already in the midst of having a podcast, go back and look at building a repurposing system

Effective Promotion Methods for Podcasters

Speaker 3 13:31

to distribute your content that comes out of your episodes. All right, method four. And this is one I'm trying to do myself. And part of the reason that I launched this show is to get people to come on the mind. So method four is guest on other podcasts. This is the single fastest way to put your show in front of an engaged, already podcast listening audience. Find shows in your niche or adjacent niches. Pit yourself as a guest. Come prepared with something specific and valuable to say. When you're on someone else's show, you're speaking directly to people who are already in the habit of following and subscribing. A good guest appearance converts better than almost any other any other form of promotion. And it costs nothing except preparation and the willingness to ask. One thing I'll say here that a lot of people miss. Pit yourself before your show is huge. Don't wait until you have 500 episodes. The honest story, I'm building this show, and here's why I'm right I'm the right voice for this conversation. It's often more interesting to a host than the guest who's you know already everywhere. So lean into the idea of being a guest on other people's podcasts. Jump from the the host chair into the hot seat of being a guest and bring a lot of value. That is one way to get discovered very, very quickly. So that's method number four. Method number five, email is your anchor. Social media platforms change their algorithms. Reach shrinks, feeds get crowded. The one promotional channel you actually own is your email list. Start building it from episode one. Give people a reason to sign up, a resource, a guide, early access to your guest lineup, something specific to your show, and then show up consistently in their inbox. Not every time an episode drops just to say new episode out now. That's the worst subject line in podcasting. Show up with something worth reading, an observation, a story, a question, something that respects the fact that you, you know, that that gave you access to their inbox. Email listeners convert to podcast listeners at a higher rate than almost any other channel. And when platforms shift, and they do, those listeners, they're still there. Those people in your email list, they're still there. So just a quick recap again. We talked about five methods to help actually build your audience. Method number one was start with your existing network and work outward. Method two was show up where your audience already lives. Method three, build a repurposing system from day one. Method four, guest on other podcasts. And then method five, email is your anchor. And here's the thing that nobody says out loud. Here is the honest part. Promotion is uncomfortable because it requires you to believe repeatedly and publicly that your work matters. That's a muscle. You have to start working and flexing that muscle. It doesn't come naturally to most people who are wired to create rather than to sell. So if your background is not in sales, in talking and building relationships, this is a very difficult part for a lot of podcasters. There is someone right now, someone who keeps almost starting their podcast, someone who's three episodes in and wondering if anyone's listening, someone who's been grinding on the creative life around the edges of everything else. And that person needs to hear what you're building. They're not going to find it by accident. You have to go get them. You have to take your show to them. And that's not arrogance. That's being responsible as a creator. As a podcast host. You have plenty of things to talk about. You've decided your niche. You know what avenue you're going to go down. You spent a lot of time in doing the investigative work. You've chosen your short your show format. Whether you're doing an interview show, whether you're doing a solo show. You've figured out how you want to present your show to the world. You figured out how you're going to record it. You've worked at the editing part. You've gotten to the point of where now you're distributing your show. You're putting it out there for the first time. Now here comes the part that, again, a lot of podcasters get hung up on the promotion, the self-promotion.

Building Your Audience: The Role of Visibility

Speaker 3 19:49

Because I'm here to tell you, it can feel icky. Sometimes it's hard to tell somebody else, hey, listen, this is what I got. Why don't you take, you know, I think you would be interested in this. Or even, you know, pushing it out and saying to someone, hey, would you would you give this a listen? Give me some kind of feedback on this. Like when you put your podcast out into the world, when you've put all this, you know, all the creative ideas into motion, you actually have something that you want to present out to the world, then you come to the point where you have to constantly push it out. That scares off a lot of podcasters. Self-included. Again, I I have a background in sales. I have to talk with people all the time. I have to learn how to build and maintain relationships. And then putting out something creatively, the fear was for me at the point was the judgment. What would people think? What have I created? I and I kind of expressed it in the in the beginning. Would this be good enough for people to decide to listen to? But you at least have to put it out there into the world for people to even have that judgment. And if you don't talk about your show, if you don't put it out there, if you don't promote it, you can have one of the most well put together podcasts that you could probably create. You could start out with a lot of money, you could have it done in a nice studio, you could have all the beautiful visuals, the lighting is perfect. You could be paying a producer to help you record it and edit and put it together professionally. But if you do not promote your show, you're just spinning your wheels. So the methods that I've tended to lean on a lot was leaning into my network. And I'm going where my audience already lives. So in the beginning of the show, um, I've I created an ad for something that I'm learning from and listening to now daily. It's called the Podcasting Morning Show. And this is where a lot of great podcasters share so many awesome insights. So I'm trying to contribute myself as well to the conversation. So I'm going to where the audience is. And uh learning as much as I possibly can along the way. The reason that I wanted to start this show in the first place was because I wanted to help podcasters find their voice, create the avenues for them to put it out there into the world. And if they have a business or want to start a business around there uh using a podcast or in the podcasting space or in the production space, however they want to use it. To give them the ability and the tools to do such. So these five methods I'm applying to every aspect of what I have done since I launched this podcast back on April 2nd. So only one month in and creating this show. So there it is. Why you have to promote and the methods that actually build an audience over time. It is that it's that reframe, excuse me. You are not promoting yourself. You are finding the people who need what you've made. Think about that, reframe that. You're not promoting yourself. You are finding the people who need what you've made. That shift from I'm asking for your attention to I'm doing my job as a creator changes everything about how you show up. Because there's something underneath this conversation I'm not done with yet. The thing that keeps sitting with me from everything I've been learning from the host I've from the host I've talked to on this show is this the podcasters who make it past the first twenty episodes all have one thing in common. And no, it's not the best microphone, not the best editing, not the best guest. Without apology. And

The Mindset Shift: Promotion as a Responsibility

Speaker 3 25:20

somewhere in my own journey building this, again, I had to sit down and ask myself, am I actually doing that? Or am I making content and then waiting to be discovered? Because those aren't the those are not the same strategy. One of them is a creative act, the other is a wish. So here's where I want to complicate the standard advice a little though. A lot of the promotion content out there is about volume. Post more. Be on every patform, be on every platform. Repurpose everything, be everywhere. And I get it, exposure matters, distribution matters. I've watched people build massive promotion systems around shows that don't have a real reason to exist yet, and the promotion just accelerates the reveal that there's no there. Think about that. So let me add something. Promotion works when your show has a specific point of view. When the person who lands on it immediately knows immediately whether it's for them. When every episode delivers on a clear, specific promise. If you're promoting a show that's still trying to figure out what it is, the promotion, it's gonna feel hollow. It's going to uh it's gonna convert poorly. So do both things in parallel. Keep sharpening what your show actually is while building the audience. The clearer, the clearer, the clearer your show becomes, the better your promotion works. Promotion amplifies a signal. Make sure there's a signal worth amplifying. So that's where everything that I've kind of leaned into and talked about with you guys. You can do the exposure, you can do the distribution, but again, leaning into your Y and figuring out and chipping away at what the heart and the root of your show is about is gonna help when you promote. It's gonna amplify what you're talking about. So let's dive a little bit into the uh homework. So before the next episode drops, I

Homework and Conclusion

Speaker 3 27:55

want you to do one thing and one thing only. Write down the name of one person, one specific person who needs to hear your show. Not a demographic, a person. Someone you know, someone in your life or your network who is dealing with exactly what your show is about. And then send them a message today. A real message. Not a link. Not a d not don't drop a link on them. Not a hey, check this out. Tell them why you thought of them. Tell them what episode to start with. Ask them what they think. One person one person, one message, that's the homework. Because uh because building an audience starts before the algorithm, it starts with one person who tells another person, and that chain only begins if you start it. So that's your homework. Think about it. And we will be back next Thursday. So that's all for this episode. Thank you for listening. And please consider subscribing to the podcast. We'll see you on our next episode. That's a wrap on another episode of the Podcast About Podcasting, the show where we bring in podcast experts and hosts every single week to help you build, grow, and sustain your show. If you found today's conversation useful, do us a huge favor and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It truly helps us reach more podcasters just like you. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Thursday, so make sure you're subscribed and we'll see you next time.

Speaker 2 29:46

If you've been listening to this show, you already know the audio quality isn't an accident. Those intros and outros created with 11 Labs. And no, I didn't spend a fortune or waste hours in a studio to get there. 11 Labs gives you access to a massive catalog of professional great voices. Or you can clone your own. Either way, you get broadcast quality sound that makes your content feel legitimate from the first second. Right now, you can start a free trial and get 10,000 credits for just $11 a month. That's professional level audio production for less than two cups of coffee. Click the link in the show notes and start elevating your creative process today.

Speaker 1 37:38

That is how pod fade starts. Podglue is the podcaster's operating system. One workspace for creation, planning, growth, and guest relationships. Import your RSS feed, fill in your episodes, and turn each one into a living asset with transcripts, social copy, and launch ready materials. No more tool sprawl. No more broken handoffs. Potblue is the vehicle. Relationships are the engine. Stop letting disconnected tools kill your momentum. Join the wait list at potblue.com.