Recording great episodes is only half the job; the other half is helping new listeners find them. With millions of shows on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, podcast promotion needs a plan. Here are the strategies we use to grow podcasts with real listeners who subscribe and stay.

Start with podcast SEO. Podcast apps and Google index your show title, description and episode titles, so include the topics people actually search for. Write descriptive episode titles instead of just numbers, add detailed show notes with links and publish episode pages on your website to rank in Google, too.

“Treat every episode like a content engine. One great conversation can become a week of clips, quotes and posts.” Mia Lopez

Launch strong by releasing two or three episodes on day one, publishing a trailer and asking your existing audience to follow and rate the show. Then promote each episode across social media with short vertical clips and audiograms that lead to the full episode.

• Optimise your show title and description for search
• Launch with a trailer and several episodes
• Cut every episode into clips and audiograms
• Be a guest on podcasts with a similar audience
• Ask listeners to follow, rate and review
• Publish a video version on YouTube

Grow Through Collaboration

Guest appearances and cross-promotion swaps with shows in your niche are among the fastest ways to reach engaged podcast listeners. Combine them with targeted ads on social media and podcast platforms, and track downloads, follows and listener retention in Spotify for Podcasters and Apple Podcasts Connect to see what's working.