Podcasting: everybody’s doing it! And if you want to do it too, how can you ensure that you’re positioning your podcast to reach the right people and be as successful as possible?

I’m assuming you already have social media accounts and a healthy following (which is why those suggestions aren’t included below). I’m also assuming you plan to eventually run ads (or not) and not to use Patreon. Here are a myriad (over forty!) tactics you can use to make the most out of your new or growing podcast:

Community Marketing

1. Join podcast communities, like these
2. Submit your podcast to all directories see a list here) (and here) as well as feedly
3. Participate in forums or on Quora and link to episodes
4. Do a ratings and reviews swap with friends and colleagues who have podcasts
5. Add podcast list to your email signature
6. Sponsor an event that your ideal listener attends

Every Episode Marketing

1. Ask listeners to subscribe in every episode
2. Ask listeners to leave reviews in every episode
3. Read listener questions or feedback on air so they feel involved
4. Read great reviews on air and thank the people who wrote them
5. Submit each episode to Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/podcasts/
6. Tease the next episode at the end of each show
7. Send draft text to each guest for sharing their episode on social media and with their email list

Guest Marketing

1. Feature guests with large podcasts of their own
2. Cross-promote with other podcasters
3. Show swap with friends and colleagues, or pitch people you admire
4. Guest hosting on other people’s podcasts, or invite guest hosts

Listener Marketing

1. Host a giveaway and send prizes to everyone who leaves a review within a certain span of time
2. Create a “how to leave a review” page on your website, so it’s easy for listeners to figure out how to do it
3. Offer exclusive content as a reward for loyal listeners – could be a private community, could be a video series, could be an ebook
4. Ask listeners for topic ideas

Media and PR Marketing

1. Build relationships with editors, influencers and journalists so they look to you for quotes and insights to get your name out there
2. Pitch roundups or article ideas to to them, or work with a media company to do so
3. Connect with people who have written “Best business” podcast lists in case they will do an update for this year
4. Apply for awards for your podcast or your business
5. Take out an ad in a publication your ideal listener reads

Paid Ads Marketing

• Run ads: Google Adwords, Reddit Ads, Facebook Ads, and Stumbleupon Ads
• Promote Apple Podcasts page in FB ads only to people on iOS devices, so they can immediately open the podcast page on their phone’s app

SEO Marketing

1. Get ranked in search (via keyword-rich show notes, interview transcriptions, and blog posts)
2. Update your show title and description with keywords, and ensure that each episode title and description has keywords
3. Create a page on your website that lists all the locations listeners can find you

Social Media Marketing

1. Share quote tiles, audiograms, teaser images and more on social
2. Ask people to leave Twitter/IG handles in reviews so you can shout them out on social and thank them
3. Use polls related to the episode topic to drive engagement
4. Run a contest asking people to tag friends who would enjoy the show – the people who tag 5+ (for example) are entered in a drawing for a prize
5. Publish SoundCloud link on Twitter so people can listen directly there
6. Share older episodes every #ThrowBackThursday or #FlashbackFriday and email the guest to let them know that you’re promoting their episode again

Video Marketing

1. Record video of the episodes in addition to audio
2. Add episodes YouTube and set up YouTube cards and end screens
3. Syndicate videos of episodes on Facebook Watch
4. Record live videos to promote each episode

This post is part of my 100 Blog Posts in 100 Days series. View the rest here.