Podcast marketing is hard because most podcast apps are good at serving shows to people who already know them and less good at introducing new ones. Search inside an app usually means searching for a name. So most growth comes from outside the apps: a website people can find on Google, guests who share their episodes, clips on social media and listeners who recommend you.
Here are nine approaches that grow a show without a big budget, roughly in the order we would tackle them. We design and run websites for podcasters, creators and personal brands, so where we mention how we do something, those are our own terms.
Why the right approach matters for a show
A new podcast competes for time, not money. Listeners already have more episodes queued than they can play. To earn a place, your show needs to be easy to find, easy to sample and easy to share. Every approach below serves one of those three.
Be findable
1. A website you own
A podcast app listing is someone else's page with someone else's rules. Your own website is the one place you control: your show description, your episodes, your guests, your email list and your sponsors. It is also what appears when someone searches your show or a guest's name on Google.
Do this: make sure your show's own domain shows the latest episode, a subscribe link for each main app and a way to join your email list.
2. A page for every episode
Each episode page should have a clear title, a short summary in plain words, the guest's name and links, the main topics covered and ideally a transcript. These pages can be found by people searching for the guest or the topic, long after the episode airs. Google's guidance on helpful, people-first content favours content created to benefit people, and a well-written episode summary does exactly that.
Do this: rewrite your three most popular episode pages with a better summary and the main questions answered.
3. Claim your show in the main apps
Make sure you control your listing in each major app, so the artwork, description and categories are right. Apple's Podcasts Connect invites creators to claim their show and "reach more listeners". The other big apps have similar tools for creators.
Do this: check your listing in each main app on your own phone and fix anything out of date.
Be easy to sample
4. A clear "start here" page
New listeners don't know where to begin with a back catalogue. A short page with five episodes to start with, and why, gives them an easy way in and shows the range of your show.
Do this: pick five episodes that best represent the show and link them from your homepage. Add one line for each saying who it is for and why it is a good first listen.
5. Short clips with captions
A one-minute clip with captions gives people a taste of the show where they already spend time. Choose moments that stand on their own: a strong opinion, a surprising fact or a good story.
Do this: cut two clips from every episode and link each back to the episode page.
Be easy to share
6. Guests who share their episode
Every guest has an audience. Make sharing easy: send them the episode link, a clip and a short suggested post on the day it goes live. Guests who look good are glad to share.
Do this: create a simple "you're live" email for guests with everything they need.
7. Guest swaps with similar shows
Appearing on another show in your area of interest puts you in front of listeners who already like that kind of podcast. Offer to host them in return.
Do this: list ten shows with a similar audience and approach one a month. Pitch a specific topic you could cover for their listeners, not just a general offer to appear.
Keep listeners coming back
8. An email list
Apps can change how they show your episodes at any time. Your email list is the one audience you own. Send a short note with each episode, plus something extra, such as notes, links or a behind-the-scenes story.
Do this: offer something specific for joining, such as show notes or an episode guide, not just "updates".
9. A clear way to support the show
If listeners can support you, through a membership, merchandise, a sponsor's offer or simply a review, make the ask clear and specific, on the website and at the end of each episode.
Do this: choose one main ask and repeat it consistently, rather than asking for five things.
Make every episode work harder
Recording is the expensive part of a podcast, so it pays to get more from each episode. One conversation can become an episode page with a summary and transcript, two or three short clips, a short email to your list, a quote card for social media and a post for your guest to share. None of these needs new recording time, and each one reaches people the audio alone would not.
A simple routine helps. Write the episode page the day you publish, cut the clips the same week, and send the guest their sharing kit on release day. Keep a list of the questions listeners ask, too. They are the best source of future topics, and episodes that answer real questions tend to be the ones people share.
Measure what matters
Track downloads per episode, but also website visits, email signups and where new listeners heard about you. Ask in an episode and on the website. After a few months, you will see which approaches bring listeners who stay.
Red flags in podcast marketing
Buying downloads or reviews
Fake numbers don't bring real listeners, and they put your show at risk with the platforms.
Only posting inside the apps
If your show exists only in apps, you depend entirely on how they choose to promote it.
Episode pages with one line
A single sentence and an audio player gives search engines and new visitors nothing to work with.
Inconsistent schedules
Listeners build habits around regular releases. Gaps make them drift away, and they rarely come back on their own.
Questions to ask before hiring help
Have you worked with podcasters or creators before? How will new episodes appear on the site? Will each episode have its own page with a summary and transcript? How will the email list and sponsor pages work? Who owns the website and content?
The short version
Podcasts grow outside the apps. A website you own, a page for every episode, your listings claimed, a start-here page, short clips, guests who share, guest swaps, an email list and one clear way to support the show do most of the work. Keep releasing on a steady schedule and measure which approaches bring listeners who stay. Our page on website design for podcasters shows how we build these sites.
FAQ
How do I grow my podcast audience?
Make the show easy to find with a website and episode pages, easy to sample with clips and a start-here page, and easy to share through guests, guest swaps and listener recommendations.
Does a podcast need its own website?
It helps. A website is the one place you control, it can be found on Google, and it is where your email list, sponsors and episode pages live.
What should a podcast episode page include?
A clear title, a short summary, the guest's name and links, the main topics covered and ideally a transcript, plus links to listen in each main app.
How do podcasters get new listeners for free?
Guest swaps with similar shows, guests sharing their episodes, short clips on social media and episode pages that can be found through search all bring in new listeners without paid ads.
Is email worth it for a podcast?
Yes. Apps can change how they show your episodes at any time, but your email list is an audience you own and can reach directly with every new episode.
How much does a podcast website cost?
It depends on what is included. Our Hosted for You plans, which include the design, hosting and every change you send, start from $197 a month billed yearly.
