If you landed on this article it means one thing: That you have a podcast and you want to learn how to promote it on social media.
Social Media can be a good way to start growing your podcast, besides other strategies like content marketing, email marketing, or any other strategy we can use to grow a brand.
But guess what, a podcast is not only a type of content. A podcast can be a sub-brand for your main brand. This means that it requires special attention if you want to get the target audience to start listening to it and if they like it, to subscribe to it.
To this end, here in this article, we will talk about how to promote a podcast on social media.
How much time do you invest in your podcast?
Before we start talking about how to promote a podcast on social media we need to understand that the strategy must include right from the start a few marketing elements.
What’s your workflow system?
I believe that having a workflow system in place for your podcast could help you save more time, more energy, and also give you the right space to create more value for your community.
When I talk about the “workflow system” I am referring to the amount of time you spend recording and editing the podcast. I am referring to the amount of time you spend taking the show notes, doing the transcript, writing the content and your website, publishing the podcast, creating the graphic elements, scheduling the episode, promoting the content, and other steps you might deem important for your show.
When we have so many points in a system, it means that we need to create a flawless workflow that will allow us to create and publish new episodes weekly or once every two weeks.
It’s important to think about your system. Write down all the steps you will undertake in order to create the podcast. How much time do you spend editing the podcast? Will it be the type of podcast with a short intro, audio jingle, the record, outro and that’s all? Do you use the same templates over and over?
Write down all the steps you are doing when you create the podcast and also write how much time you spend at every episode. This will give you an overview of the time you invest in a podcast.
And now, look at it and see what only you can do, who can help you with other steps, where you can create templates of work and which one of those steps takes more time and energy and can be managed by someone else.
I don’t want to give you the right workflow because I don’t know it. I also don’t know your resources, your time invested and what do you want from your podcast.
The only one who can create a workflow for your system it’s you.
What’s my workflow to create and publish my podcast?
Here’s the workflow that helps me stay in the system and continually publish new content without burning out
- I record the episode podcast – sometimes I do it on Zoom and sometimes I go face to face and meet in person with my guest. This takes me around 1 hour of recording and another half an hour of preparation.
- I edit the podcast – this takes me around maxim 40 minutes because I already have the audio template in my Garage Band. This takes a maximum of 40 minutes because there are moments when I need to clean it up as well. On the other hand, you maybe needed to insert an ad in a podcast or other audio elements.
- Shownotes and Quotes – I send my audio to my “secret weapon” who takes all the show notes and quotes (on every minute) from the podcast. And this is my blessing because I know that taking these notes can take a lot of time and energy. So that’s why I’m working with her and I just love the work she is doing.
- Create the visual – this takes me around 20 minutes of work. I’m doing the visuals in Photoshop, then I move to Bannersnack, animate the visuals, and download them.
- I publish the audio on Libsyn – this takes me around 10 minutes because now I have all the headlines, show notes, visuals, and audio.
- I publish the audio on my blog – this takes me around 15 minutes. It’s just copy/paste from the show notes I get from my transcriber. I also optimize every piece of content so that’s why it takes me around 15 minutes.
- I publish the podcast on social media – this takes me around 10 minutes because I already have the copy and the visuals. I also use bitly to short the links from Spotify and Apple Podcast because I’m also sharing these elements too in my post.
- Send the newsletter – around 10 minutes.
- In 2 or 3 days I share a quote from that podcast – this takes me around 15 minutes to create the audiogram to publish on Instagram and other channels.
The total time I use to create a podcast episode:
- 210 minutes
- 3 hour and 30 minutes
Now think about the fact that I invest this amount of time every 2 weeks to create a podcast episode and I also have a normal job, I wake up every morning at 6 a clock, I also write articles, create visuals for my Instagram, I have a weekly live Instagram with my friend, I sometimes speak at events or do online interviews, I don’t work after 6 pm and I don’t work in weekends.
So I think it’s a pretty decent time invested in such a project as my podcast. And I’m proud of it.
How to promote your podcast on Facebook
We all know how important is Facebook these days. You can’t just simply launch an online project and don’t have a Facebook page or just share it over there.
Facebook is also a good way to promote your podcast because it helps other people discover something their friends are listening to. And, this recommendation is the word of mouth marketing you want to happen with your podcast.
What can you do to promote your podcast on Facebook?
I think you have friends who are following you. Friends, family, and other people who are friends with you on Facebook. You interact with them, connect with them, talk with them, and share stuff with them. Why not sharing your podcast as well?
When I first launched my podcast, I documented the entire process of how I did all the work involved in this process. I shared notes about everything: from branding to talking with the first guest and how I edit the audio. And guess what, people loved to be in the center of the process. And also, this decision made me be more responsible for it as well.
2. Create a group around an interest
I have already written about why do you need to create a community around an interest and not a brand. That’s what you have to do. If your podcast is in the sports category, create a group around that niche. If your podcast is about motherhood, start your online community around motherhood.
You can share your podcast over there, along with all the other insights, you might have around that topic. And in that case, it will make you a specialist in that field and people will think about you when they talk about that topic.
3. Promote the audio podcast using video content
These days you can easily record a podcast via audio and video. All you have to do is to invite a guest, do the interview online with an app like Zoom, Skype, or other similar tools, and save it in both formats, video and audio.
I did this with my first video recording on Zoom. I did the podcast interview on Zoom, recorded the audio and video, edited both types of content, and published it on different platforms. I used Facebook to schedule the video as a premier. And, after the launch, I had over 2000 views, only for that video. Later on that day, I also shared the audio episode of that podcast. This strategy gave me the leverage to show the podcast multiple times.
That’s why I recommend you to start using video content for your podcast on Facebook. This way, you can promote the podcast in different formats.
There are some people who love to consume audio content and there are people who love to consume video content. Why not have both of these types of people sharing an interest in your content?
These are only a few things you can do on Facebook.
B. How to promote your podcast on Instagram
I love Instagram and I love to create content only for Instagram. More of that, Instagram is my testing ground. This is why you won’t see a beautiful feed on my Instagram and you won’t see every Tuesday morning at 9 a clock a photo from me. I’m testing and experimenting.
This is what I do with my podcast on Instagram. That’s why I’m promoting my podcast on Instagram. I love to try new things, new strategies, and new ideas. Here are a few things I did that worked for me, and maybe they will also work for you.
1. Transform your Instagram live shows in audio content
Now is the right moment to start doing live Instagram shows for your podcast. Just take that podcast to the next level and use the live video feature from Instagram. Not only that you are making it live, but people can also interact with you and your guest and the most interesting thing is that you can save it on IGtv, and make sure your live show won’t disappear after 24 hours.
I had a second podcast with my friend where we did a weekly Instagram live show where we talk about topics associated with the marketing industry. One week I do the Instagram live on my account and the other week we do this on my friend’s account. That’s why we can promote the podcast on 2 accounts for 2 audiences.
Also, with Instagram IGtv, you can publish the website of your podcast in the description of the video. And yes, the link is working.
2. Create a carousel with your guest’s quotes
Instagram carousels are making their way into your feed. More creators are using Instagram Carousel to connect with their users. They are teaching them new things, inspiring them to take action, while showing them new stuff they discovered as well.
I love Instagram Carousel because it gives me a new chance to be more creative with my content.
Think about creating several carousels with your guest’s quotes. Or, you can take some notes from the show, work with a designer, and promote the podcast using an Instagram Carousel.
You can add photos and videos to your Carousels.
And, keep in mind that Instagram loves this type of content because it makes the user spend more time on the platform and use more the social network.
3. You need to use Instagram Stories to promote your podcast
I wrote an entire article on how to use Instagram stories to promote your podcast.
But what I really enjoy in Instagram Stories is that they are constantly launching new features and you can use them to promote your podcast.
Just think about the Countdown sticker which you can use in order to announce your new Instagram live with your guest. Tag the guest on your story and ask him/her to repost on their Instagram feed. This way, you can get access to a whole new audience for your podcast.
Or, think about the Question sticker where you ask your audience to send questions to your next guest. This way, you can interact directly with your listeners and use their questions in your podcast. People will love to listen to that specific podcast because you used their questions to talk with your guest.
And there are several other strategies to use Instagram to promote your podcast.
Don’t forget to change the link from your profile every time you have a new episode. So, when you publish a new photo or video, you can just ask the audience to go on your profile and click the link from bio.
4. Share your podcast from Spotify or Overcast
Spotify has this feature which allows you to share your podcast episode directly on Instagram or Instagram Stories. And I see more and more people who are recommending new episodes on their Instagram feed.
Overcast is also a great podcast network to use for promoting your podcast. It’s not just for uploading your podcast there. You can do short videos from that specific episode and share them directly on your Instagram feed as well.
That’s why you need to submit your podcast to as many podcast networks you can. Because there is always a new audience waiting for you and you just need to be there, where they are. You can, however, use every platform’s own features to promote your podcast on your favorite social media channels.
However, the most important thing that you can do with your Instagram is to connect with your audience. If you see that they are sharing your podcast on their Instagram Stories or Feed, make sure you are thanking them.
Connecting with your audience is more important than promoting your podcast.
C. How to promote your podcast on Linkedin
I’ve started using LinkedIn more often lately. I do it because the interaction and reach I see over there is similar to what I have seen on Facebook in its early days. And it’s great because I can connect with people from my niche, the marketing industry.
So, can you use Linkedin to promote your podcast?
1. Dedicated content on their platform
The biggest mistake every podcaster and marketer is doing on Linkedin is that they think short term. Every post they are putting there is a link that gets the user outside of Linkedin and sends them on a specific website.
That’s why I recommend you to create a long term strategy. Look at Linkedin as a platform where you need to create content dedicated only for that platform, without asking your followers to get outside of it. How can you do it?
2. Create Linkedin Slides
In fact, all you have to do just change the Instagram Carousel a little bit. I mean, convert them into .pdf file and change the CTA at the beginning or at the end of the slide. Upload the slides on Linkedin and write a short question in your post, in order to allow people to engage with your post and you to talk with them directly.
3. Write dedicated articles for Linkedin
What if you transcribe 2 or 3 paragraphs from your podcast interview, edit the text as an article, and publish it on Linkedin? Think about this. You have dedicated content only for Linkedin. And the best thing you can do is to ask the reader if they are interested in listening to that specific episode. And, when they ask for that episode, you can connect privately with them and share them the link of the episode. This way, you get to interact both ways, privately and publicly with them.
4. Share the video on Linkedin
You know that Zoom video you published on Facebook. Now think about your Linkedin audience as a different audience than your Facebook audience. Upload the video on Linkedin as well, make sure you tag the guest and use hashtags to get some traction on your video as well. Thus, you create content for Linkedin and people will see it, consume it, and maybe interact with you.
Don’t treat Linkedin as a platform where you share content only, thinking that people will come and consume it.
Build the audience you want to have. Think about the long term and create opportunities that will bring not only more downloads but also connect people on a much higher level.
Why do you need a visual template for your podcast?
When I first started with my podcast show, I knew that I had to create a visual template for it. Because visual templates will give me space and time to focus more on the podcast itself while keeping my branding on the right track as well.
That’s why I create a simple template every time I publish a podcast. I have the featured image. The primary image I’m using on my blog. It’s the main visual I’m using as a template for every piece of content I publish on social media.
I make copies of that initial visuals and save them in different sizes (1:1 or story size) so I can share it on my social channels. The primary tool I’m using is Bannersnack.
Templates save you time and energy.
Templates can give you time to create more visual content.
How? Just think about this. You have your podcast visual template and you have already published the episode. But you want to share it again, after a few days. However, you won’t share it with the same visual, right? Well, you can work on another visual, maybe starting from that template or use another kind of approach. It depends on you.
But now you have the time to be more creative when you think about your visuals.
Conclusion
Social media can be a good choice for promoting your podcast.
However, I believe that every podcaster should have a mindset of building their audience on those platforms and think about them as networks where you connect with your audience and not just some platforms where you promote your content.
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