These five key lessons for successful podcast promotion come from a six-year veteran and were not learned overnight. They came from launching a show, experimenting with different promotional strategies, forming genuine connections, and discovering that publishing an episode is only the beginning.
The editing process for the first episode of The Interludes Podcast began in late May and continued into early June 2020. Because the show was strictly audio at the time, I was not concerned about how I looked on camera. My producing partner and I focused on finding the right pitch, tone, and sound for the show.
When that first episode was published on June 26, 2020, it felt like we were off to the races.
Then came an important question: How do I get people to listen?
Like many new content creators, I initially thought publishing an episode and posting the link meant I was marketing my podcast. Six years later, I understand that podcast marketing requires much more intention.
Here are five key lessons for successful promotion that helped me move from simply publishing episodes to building a platform and a business.
1. Start With Personal Outreach
My earliest listeners found The Interludes Podcast through word of mouth and direct text messages. That’s right, I went into my phone and located all the text conversations I am having and shared the link and graphics.
During the summer of 2020, many of us were still spending most of our time indoors. I would text people I regularly spoke with and begin with a genuine conversation:
“How are you doing?”
“How are things going over there?”
After we connected, I would mention that I had started a podcast and send them the episode.
My friends and family were genuinely excited for me. They listened, encouraged me, and helped me build the first layer of my audience.
Personal outreach may not feel like a sophisticated marketing strategy, but it is still one of the most effective places to begin. The people who already know and trust you can become your earliest listeners, supporters, and ambassadors.
You can listen to The Interludes Podcast here.
2. Take Your Podcast Into New Rooms
As I began attending virtual events, I made a habit of mentioning my podcast when it fit naturally into the conversation.
When in-person gatherings returned, I created picture postcards featuring my face, the name of the show, and a QR code that led people directly to the podcast. Instead of hoping someone would remember the name later, I gave them something tangible that made the show easy to find.
Today, that same principle applies online and offline. Add your podcast to your email signature. Mention it during networking conversations. Include a QR code on printed materials. Make sure your website and social media profiles clearly identify you as a podcast host.
People cannot listen to a show they do not know exists.
3. Use Social Media as Part of the Strategy
Social media has its ups and downs. A post may receive attention one week and very little engagement the next. That does not mean social media is useless—it means it should not be your entire podcast marketing plan.
Rather than repeatedly posting the same episode link, transform each episode into several pieces of content. Share a short video, an audio gram, a meaningful quote, a behind-the-scenes moment, or one valuable lesson from the conversation.
Email marketing should also be part of that strategy. Your subscribers have already expressed an interest in hearing from you. Give them a clear reason to listen and explain what they will gain from the episode.
4. Create Searchable Episode Titles
When The Interludes Podcast began, artificial intelligence was not widely available to help podcasters develop episode titles, descriptions, and promotional copy.
My former producing partner—a brilliant and talented writer—created short, catchy episode titles. Those titles captured attention, but over time, I also learned the importance of using words and phrases people might actually enter into a search engine.
A clever title can create curiosity. A searchable title helps new listeners discover the episode.
The strongest podcast titles often accomplish both.
Before publishing, ask yourself:
- Does the title clearly communicate the subject?
- Does it include a phrase my ideal listener might search for?
- Would someone unfamiliar with my podcast understand why the episode matters?
- Does the description naturally reinforce the episode’s topic?
Good podcast marketing begins before the episode goes live.
5. Build Relationships Beyond Your Inner Circle
As the podcast grew, I began connecting with other podcasters, business owners, creators, and people with platforms of their own. I appeared on multiple online platforms, including conversations hosted through Clubhouse.
These connections were not only about promoting my show. I wanted to understand what other people were building, what they needed, and how we might support one another.
Some of those conversations eventually led to paid sponsorships.
It was exciting to say, “The Interludes Podcast is sponsored by…” and share a business owner’s advertisement during an episode. When the podcast expanded from audio into visual content, sponsors could also pay to have their branding displayed during the show.
Their investment supported the editing and production of the podcast, while I provided them with purposeful placement in front of an engaged audience.
That experience reinforced an important lesson: Podcasting is creative work, but it can also become a sustainable business.
Publishing Is Only the Beginning
Recording and releasing an episode is an achievement. But if you want your podcast to build authority, attract opportunities, support your business, or generate revenue, every episode needs a visibility plan. And you don’t have to figure out that plan by yourself.
One way to keep building is by joining The Lighthouse Lab, powered by Pure Lighthouse Media—our Skool community created for podcasters, entrepreneurs, business owners, and creators who want to grow their podcasts with greater strategy and intention.
For the next 30 days, you can join The Lighthouse Lab for free and become part of a growing community focused on podcast growth, visibility, and turning great content into greater opportunities.
Beginning in September, we’re also adding regular Podcast Production Lab co-working sessions where you can bring the podcast work you’ve been putting off and get it done alongside other creators. Join us Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Eastern / 5 p.m. Central or Fridays at 12 noon Eastern / 11 a.m. Central.
And if podcast visibility is where you need the most help right now, you can also catch the limited-time replay of my latest training, “Your Podcast Is Live. Now How Do People Find It?” I break down what happens after you hit publish—and how to help more of the right people discover the work you’re already creating.
Because after six years of podcasting, one lesson continues to prove itself:
Great content deserves more than a publish button. It deserves a plan to help people find it.