Today I’m going to cover some basic strategies to push your podcast downloads and start reaching more of your market. Because let’s face it — the biggest reason people launch a podcast is to build their community and reach more people. In turn, this enables them to:
- Capture a new audience (a fresh form of lead generation)
- Strengthen engagement with their existing audience
Podcasts are still a great avenue for content marketers to go down, especially because they allow you to repurpose your blog content (and with a more personal touch, too). Implement these strategies to boost your podcast listeners.
Get into iTunes ‘New & Noteworthy’
One of the easiest ways to get traction when starting a new podcast is to make your way into the “New & Noteworthy” part of iTunes. This area is reserved for new and popular podcasts within about eight weeks from their release date.
That means there’s a particular period during which you can take advantage of the iTunes homepage with your artwork and podcast name. This is prime real estate when it comes to podcasting potential.
While Apple doesn’t reveal exactly how people enter the “New & Noteworthy” category, some of the metrics they look at include:
- A consistent stream of new episodes being released to subscribers
- An increasing rate of subscribers to the podcast
- High engagement and listen time per episode
- Positive ratings and reviews
The “New & Noteworthy” section is competitive, and your goal is to have much of this prepared from the beginning. This way you are ready to roll when you go live (keep in mind, that might involve asking family and friends to help you initially reach that goal).
Use your email list when episodes release
Leverage your existing email list by sharing your podcast with your subscribers. They already know who you are and have subscribed to hear more from you.
I transcribe the podcast and send a snippet of what was discussed to my subscriber base. This gives my community an idea of what the episode is about — and of course, they can click the link and listen to the entire episode. It’s a clean and easy way to spread the word.
You can also give your subscribers an opportunity to do some Q&A with the guest you interviewed as a bonus. This not only shows you care about your loyal subscribers, but it also generates engagement and rapport.
A headline I like to use when sending out this type of email is:
[Podcast EP #42] Talking Content Marketing With Expert {name}
Share across your social media accounts
This tactic requires a bit of work, as you’ll need to go to each of your social accounts and share your podcast (unless you have scheduling software like Hootsuite, which I highly recommend).
However, when you’re spreading the word about your latest podcast, you also have the opportunity to repurpose it. Try transcribing it and sharing it on a platform like Medium. This way, people who are more of the “reading” type can access it.
Include a summary at the beginning along with some time stamps, too. This makes it easier for people to skim the content and read the parts that interest them the most (especially useful for long interviews).
Keep a consistent podcast schedule
Hold yourself to a schedule. Your 
listeners should know when to expect content from you. And when you share your podcast across social media and via email, you should also keep that on a consistent schedule. Whether you’re releasing episodes every day like Entrepreneurs on Fire or on a weekly basis like Grant Cardone’s Cardone Zone, remain constant.
So what now?
Take your podcast to the next level by implementing these changes. You’ll notice your reach begin to increase and see new listeners take an interest in your material, while your existing prospects and customers become more engaged in your business.
