Audience Growth and Promotion

The Discovery Problem

You have a great podcast. Professional audio. Compelling scripts. Strong brand. One problem: nobody knows it exists.

By the end of this lesson, you will have a multi-channel promotion system that consistently brings new listeners to your podcast.

Quick Recall: In the previous lesson, we built a complete brand identity with cover art, verbal identity, and social templates. Now let us put that brand in front of the right people.

Why Podcasts Are Hard to Discover

Podcast apps are terrible at discovery. Unlike YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram, there is no algorithmic feed pushing new content to interested listeners.

People find new podcasts through:

Your growth strategy needs to address all five channels, not just one.

Channel 1: Discoverability Optimization

Think of this as SEO for podcasts. Make it easy for people to find you when they search.

Episode titles that get found:

Analyze these episode topics and create SEO-optimized titles.
Each title should:
- Include keywords people actually search for
- Be specific enough to promise clear value
- Work both as a podcast title and a search result
- Stay under 60 characters

Topics:
1. [Your topic 1]
2. [Your topic 2]
3. [Your topic 3]

Episode descriptions that convert:

• First sentence is a hook (this shows in search previews)
• Include relevant keywords naturally
• List specific topics covered
• End with a reason to subscribe

Quick Check: What are the five main channels through which people discover new podcasts?

Channel 2: Social Media Repurposing

Every episode contains enough material for a week of social content. Here is the system:

From one 30-minute episode, generate:

AI prompt for batch social content:

From this episode transcript, create a week of social media content:

1. Five compelling quote cards (exact quotes with context)
2. A Twitter/X thread (8-10 tweets summarizing key points)
3. A LinkedIn post (personal reflection on the episode topic)
4. Three engagement questions I can post to start conversations
5. Two audiogram clip suggestions (timestamp + what makes this moment compelling)

Podcast: [NAME]
Episode: [TITLE]
Brand voice: [YOUR TONE]

[PASTE TRANSCRIPT]

Channel 3: Cross-Promotion

Other podcasters are not your competitors. They are your best growth channel.

Guest appearances on other shows:

• Identify 10-20 podcasts your audience already listens to
• Pitch yourself as a guest with a specific, valuable topic
• Use AI to draft personalized pitches:

Write a podcast guest pitch email to [HOST NAME] of [PODCAST NAME].

My podcast: [YOUR PODCAST]
My expertise: [YOUR TOPIC]
Episode idea I could contribute: [SPECIFIC ANGLE]

Keep it under 150 words. Be specific about what value I bring to their audience.

Podcast swaps: Trade promotions with shows of similar size. You mention their show; they mention yours. No money changes hands.

Quick Check: How many pieces of social media content can you generate from a single podcast episode?

Channel 4: Listener Engagement and Retention

New listeners matter. Keeping them matters more.

Build a feedback loop:

• Ask specific questions at the end of episodes: “What is the biggest challenge you face with [topic]? DM me or leave a review.”
• Respond to every review and comment in your first year
• Feature listener questions in episodes (creates investment)

The subscriber journey:

1. Someone discovers an episode
2. They listen to one episode
3. They check your back catalog
4. They subscribe
5. They recommend to someone

Your job: make step 2 to step 3 seamless. A strong back catalog of consistently good episodes is your best sales tool.

AI-generated listener engagement content:

Generate 5 engagement prompts I can use at the end of my podcast episodes.
Each should:
- Ask a specific, easy-to-answer question
- Relate to common episode topics about [YOUR NICHE]
- Encourage DMs, reviews, or social media responses
- Feel conversational, not corporate

Channel 5: Strategic Submissions

Get your podcast in front of curators and media:

• Submit to Apple Podcasts editorial (they feature new shows)
• Apply to podcast directories and “best of” lists in your niche
• Reach out to newsletter curators who recommend podcasts
• Pitch relevant journalists and bloggers

AI can draft your submissions:

Write a podcast submission for [DIRECTORY/PUBLICATION].
Podcast: [NAME]
Description: [CONCEPT]
Why it stands out: [UNIQUE ANGLE]
Key stats: [EPISODES PUBLISHED, NOTABLE GUESTS, LISTENER COUNT IF AVAILABLE]

Keep it professional and concise (under 200 words).

The Weekly Promotion Workflow

Integrate promotion into your weekly process:

Total: about 75 minutes per week on promotion. AI handles the content creation; you handle the posting and engagement.

Try It Yourself

Build your first promotion plan:

1. Use the batch social content prompt with your most recent episode or a practice transcript
2. Identify 5 podcasts where you could be a guest and draft one pitch
3. Create an engagement question for your next episode’s closing
4. Set up a simple weekly promotion schedule

Key Takeaways

• Podcast discovery is hard because apps lack algorithmic recommendation, so you need a multi-channel approach
• Optimize every episode for search with keyword-rich titles and descriptions
• Repurpose each episode into a full week of social media content using AI
• Cross-promote with other podcasters through guest appearances and show swaps
• Engage listeners to build retention and word-of-mouth growth

Up Next

In Lesson 8: Capstone: Launch Your Podcast, we will put everything together into a complete launch plan and produce your first episode from start to finish.