Creating an online advertising strategy to promote a podcast is a phase every show host must go through to help their show grow. Some people think good podcasts sell themselves, but most don’t consider how much planning is required before that happens.
Click here to learn how to leverage the existing podcast advertisement space to benefit your podcast. There are different ways to promote a podcast, and this guide explains simple steps to start podcast advertising online.
How to advertise a podcast in 10 simple steps
This section will cover how to use online advertising platforms to promote a podcast. Many people are familiar with how podcast advertising works for businesses. But, for podcasters, what are the steps to advertise your podcast to get more subscribers?
1. Create a listener’s persona
Knowing your ideal audience is the first step to promoting your private podcast. You have to determine who your content strategy is targeting and the group of listeners that will enjoy your podcast.
Otherwise, creating engaging podcast episodes becomes a challenge, and you’ll struggle for impressions. Failure to identify your target listeners also increases the chance of making podcast ads that subscribers don’t find relevant.
Some essential information to help create a perfect listener’s persona includes the audience’s age range, profession, geographical location, gender, behavioral traits, and interests.
2. Choose a podcast advertising platform
Selecting the best online advertising medium should be your next step after identifying your target audience. The online space is vast, and you will only achieve results if you have a plan.
Therefore, answer the following questions:
- Where do you want to promote your podcast?
- Do you plan to advertise your show on another podcast?
- Will it be social media, and if yes, what medium? Facebook ads? Google ads?
Your answers to these will indicate the direction to take.
Always remember that there is no one way to advertise your podcasts online. Hence, feel free to try different channels.
3. Create compelling content
Creating a valuable content strategy becomes important after choosing a podcast advertising platform. However, it depends on two factors: will you use ads or appear on media platforms?
Opting to appear as a guest on podcast networks or other online advertising medium requires your content to be informative, well-researched, and relevant to the listeners. That is how to attract them to your business podcast’s primary content.
You could also choose to create podcast ads to place on other public shows. Make sure they sound professional and engaging.
4. Host contests
Hosting a podcast contest or giveaway program is another strategy to improve your show’s visibility. People love gifts. Hence, providing them with compensation rewards for niche-related tasks will be a welcome idea.
More importantly, let the contest completely relate to your podcast, or you could attract the wrong audience. Moreover, the rewards shouldn’t just be cash; create promotion-based rewards. You can give out free product samples or even allow free consultation or an invite as a guest to your show.
What matters is increasing audience engagement to make your podcast more popular. You will be surprised to see some audience self-advertise your podcast to friends.
5. Set a budget
Write an estimated budget you don’t want to exceed for online advertising your podcast. It should be simple but contain different alternative advert routes. You can start by comparing the cost of a sponsored ad on varying social media channels.
Also, evaluate how much it costs to promote a podcast on another podcasting show. That will depend on the sponsorship payment plan you choose.
Depending on your budget constraints, you can pay per featured ad or pay-per-thousand downloads. A third option is paying a commission for every sold product.
6. Partner with other podcasts
Collaborations or cross-promotional shows with another podcast are also effective online podcast advertising. You can appear on their podcast as a guest or invite them to your growing business podcast show.
It is a promotional strategy that involves combining your audience. Hence, such collaborations are best when the other podcast is in a complementary niche. Smaller podcasts could also decide to go for other similarly developing ones instead of the bigger shows that might not find the collaboration proposal attractive.
7. Use social media channels wisely
Growing podcasters can also consider using social media to advertise their podcast online. Start by offering helpful content to build an audience that shares the same interest gradually. But your choice of online platform depends on the persona of the audience you want.
Professional podcast topic adverts are better placed on a space like LinkedIn. Similarly, a lifestyle podcast would generate higher conversions on another platform like Instagram or even Twitter. With billions of social media users, strategic planning is a core podcast advertising skill.
8. Set up a podcast landing page
Another online podcast advertising method is setting up a landing page for your content. While some hosting platforms offer simple websites to arrange podcast episodes, we often recommend creating a professional one.
The website would serve as a blog for transcribed podcasts with an on-page link to your podcasts. Also, optimize the descriptions, titles, and content to increase its visibility online. Podcasting sites help to reach an audience that prefers written content over audio recordings.
9. Leverage your mailing list
Creating a podcast website also offers the chance to build an email list. Provide free access to a privately transcribed podcast and request user emails before downloading. There are other ways to collect potential podcast subscribers’ emails.
Email marketing is effective for podcast advertising online. You can use emails to inform your website visitors about upcoming episodes. However, don’t be too promotional. Also, consider sending regular valuable tips related to your podcast content and niche.
10. Monitor podcast advertising analytics
Podcast advertising does not end after launching your adverts or appearing on other shows to promote your content. It is just the beginning, and the real work depends on how ready you are to make data-driven decisions to improve audience engagement.
Check your media platforms for metrics like click-through rates and the number of impressions, and your hosting platform to see which podcasting episodes are gaining views.
Conclusion
These are our tips for starting online advertising for increased podcast engagements. Anyone can start a podcast, but do you have what it takes to promote it to target listeners?
Carefully follow our recommended step-by-step methods to advertise your podcast online. And remember, there is no one way to advertise podcasts. Continually check the performance analytics of your episodes and be ready to make necessary adjustments.
Happy podcasting!