This theory applies to more than just journeys: the Peak-End Theory can help you structure your podcast calls to action so that your audience remembers them. 

Many podcasters don’t know what to do with a CTA, so they imitate the ubiquitous litany of “don’t forget to like and subscribe.” But when you construct a podcast call to action intentionally, situated in the right place in your episodes, they’ll make a lasting impression on your audience.

First, let’s start with the basics.

What is a Podcast Call to Action (CTA)?

Exactly what it says on the tin. A call to action is when you ask your audience to do something. For example:

• share the podcast episode with a friend,
• review the show on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser
• leave a comment on Spotify or YouTube
• Follow a link in the show notes to visit the podcast’s website, crowdfunding page, or social media content
• send you a message or answer a question
• And so much more!

If it feels like your audience isn’t getting in touch or your growth is stagnant, your podcast’s CTA is one area where you can make a change. 

Types of Podcast CTA

Over time, your podcast will need to do different things. Some of your podcast’s goals don’t change, and some do. As a result, you’ll need to have different kinds of podcast calls to action and treat them differently.

Primary Podcast CTA

These are the constants that drive your podcast’s goals. If your podcast were a car, this would be its fuel. These CTAs are straightforward and easily repeated. You want your audience to:

• share your show with a friend
• return for the next episode
• check out your podcast website for more information
• contact you with questions, ideas, or feedback
• review your show on their listening app of choice
• follow or subscribe on their listening app of choice

Primary podcast CTAs are practical actions that prompt audience engagement and growth on any podcast-listening app. Ultimately, you want them to return for more and bring a friend.

Primary podcast CTAs are a constant throughout your podcasting career.  Guy Raz probably says them out loud in his sleep. Seriously, treat these CTAs like water droplets on stone. Over time, they make a big difference. 

Secondary Podcast CTA

As time passes, your podcast goals will evolve. You may want your audience to take a survey, raise money for a charity, or buy some merch. Those goals are finite, and they’ll vary.

The secondary podcast CTA doesn’t benefit from long-term repetition like the primary one. You may only repeat this for three or four episodes. So, you have to dazzle with this one a bit more.

Script the bullet points of your secondary podcast CTA. If you want, you can record it as a separate audio file. Then, insert it in the editing stage, or if your media hosting service allows for dynamic content insertion, you can use it there. Of course, you can read it as you record your episode. Make sure your CTA mentions deadlines or any other relevant dates. If someone shows up to a live event you mentioned in an episode five years ago, that’s not good PR. 

Your secondary podcast CTA needs more repetition in the short term than the primary CTA. Mention your secondary CTA:

• Briefly in the intro
• With more detail at the mid-point or peak
• Briefly in the outro (perhaps with a callback to something memorable in the CTA you used at the peak). 

Bonus Podcast CTA

If there’s something extra, such as bonus content only available via a crowdfunding campaign, this is usually something you share after you’ve given the audience a lot of value. Your most loyal fans will take extra steps to obtain it, such as visiting a separate website via a link in your show notes or paying a fee.

How to Craft an Effective Podcast Call To Action

This isn’t a recipe, but these principles will make it easy to create an effective podcast call to action that your audience can act on quickly.

1. Keep Your Podcast CTA Short.

You’ve already redirected their attention away from the content they came for. Don’t be an obstacle to your episode’s ideas; Instead, craft your CTA to complement the rest of the episode briefly. 

2. Create a Sense of Urgency.

Deadlines and limits provide focus. Don’t just say, “We’re giving away stickers to anyone who takes our survey,” say, “The first ten people to take our survey get a free sticker.” This makes the audience more likely to respond quickly.

3. Describe the Benefits Right Away.

Make the benefit clear immediately, so they don’t even have to ask, “What’s in it for me?” Instead of saying, “Buy our t-shirts and support the show,” start with “I can’t believe how soft and comfortable the new t-shirts in our merch store are! You can find out for yourself by clicking the link in the show notes…”

4. Clarity and Simplicity Are Your Friends.

If you make the request too complex, the audience won’t do it. 

Practice by writing, as briefly as possible, a sentence or two that includes: 

• the benefit to the audience, 
• what you want them to do,
• How to do it, and
• Why they should follow your call to action.

For example: “You can enter to win a $50 gift card when you take our five-question survey. Just click the link in the show notes, answer a few questions, and you can shape the future of this podcast.” 

What if your podcast call to action isn’t quite that simple? Read on, my friend. 

5. Put Additional Information or Resources in the Show Notes.

You can also link the show notes to an external blog post. Particularly if your CTA is a multi-step process, such as a giveaway, contest, or survey, pointing to a blog post saves space in your show notes and time in your episode. Plus, you can use a short link with tracking data to measure the impact of your podcast CTA. Shortlinks can be created using a tool like PrettyLinks, making them much easier and more memorable to read out on air, too!

6. Ask Questions to Engage Listeners.

They’ll instinctively fill in the blank, which makes them invest more fully in your podcast call to action. 

Which of the following statements matters to you more?

• “Here’s your chance to shape the future of this podcast,” or
• “Do you want to decide what happens in the next episode?”

Did you notice I asked you a question right at the beginning of that list? You’re welcome.

Where to Position Your Calls to Action

Again, peak-end theory helps you choose where to place your call to action. Think about CTA positioning in the same way marketers approach ad placement. Typically, you have:

• Pre-Roll: Before the main topic
• Mid-Roll: During the main topic
• Post-Roll: After the main topic

Including a CTA at the beginning of the episode ensures everyone will hear it, but this means you’re asking for something without first offering any value. This might deter new listeners checking out your show for the first time, or they may skip your intro. When you put it after the intro, the audience has more to care about before you ask for a favor. 

If you put it at the very end, then there’s minimal interruption to the episode, and your most engaged listeners will hear it. But the majority may have stopped listening by then. Some podcasters include a short, humorous moment at the very end to encourage people to listen all the way through the credits and a final CTA. 

Putting it in the middle of the episode, during the main topic, is a way to ensure everyone hears it at a time when they are most engaged. However, you’ll need some nuance to weave it in and make it a relevant part of the topic, rather than an interruption. 

Once, I heard a podcast host mention he’d written a book years before and how the audience could buy it, in mid-interview. He mentioned the thinnest possible thread of relevance to connect the guest’s ideas with his call to action. I hit stop and unsubscribed immediately. Don’t be that podcaster.

Sharpen Your Podcast CTAs

Think of your podcast call to action as an invitation, and use the same creativity you’d put into the rest of your episode. Give the audience what’s good about the call right away. Keep it simple so they can take action with minimal effort. When you position your calls to action at the beginning, peak, and end of your episode, you strike a balance between giving value and asking for support. 

Treat your CTAs like you’re giving something of yourself. This way, your audience will be more likely to explore your content instead of being distracted and jumping to something else. Pick one CTA tip I’ve mentioned, and try it in your next episode. Then, reflect on the difference it makes.

Now that you feel more confident and assured about your CTAs, how about giving your podcast intro script a once-over? These two factors can be powerful when combined and can go a long way toward keeping listeners engaged, driving action, and staying tuned.

Or, if you’d like us to review your Calls to Action and give clear, honest feedback, the Four Minute Feedback tool in The Podcraft Academy is made for that.

Think of it as an appetizer sampler platter: It’s a condensed, snack-sized, flavorful version of your work that leaves listeners wanting more. 

You could turn to the latest AI tool, say, “generate my press kit material,” and call it a day. That’s fine; we have a guide to AI podcasting tools to help you evaluate which is best for your purposes.

But when you know how to construct a podcast media kit of your own from scratch, you’ll better understand why and how a good media kit works.

True, it’s added work. But whether your podcast is an income stream or a fun hobby, a media kit is worth your time and energy.

A good podcast media kit does all of the following:

• Helps listeners find and share your podcast
• Enables you to build relationships with sponsors
• Gives journalists key information for articles about your podcast
• Shows your podcast’s unique value proposition
• Persuades guests to participate in your show
• Condenses and sums up your podcast for future pitches

Bookmark this guide. I’ll cover what goes into a media kit, how to make one, and how to use it to engage audiences, sponsors, and guests. 

But first, let’s get some terminology out of the way.

What’s the Difference Between a Media Kit, a Press Kit, and a Press Release?

Media kits are like press kits, for those of us old enough to remember printing presses (hello!). But unlike press kits, which consisted of text and printed photos, media kits are more technologically sophisticated and dynamic.

Free templates in Canva or other design software make a visually stunning podcast media kit that goes far beyond what’s possible in a Word document. But we’ll get to the how-to shortly.

So, What’s a Podcast Press Release?

A press release is one part of your podcast media kit. It typically announces something newsworthy, such as the launch of a new podcast, a milestone reached, or an award.

Press releases can be effective at attracting media attention and may be the first place people learn about your show. They normally announce time-sensitive news, meaning they’re a temporary tool, whereas a media kit is a long-term tool you can use year-round.

How to Plan Your Podcast Media Kit Like a Story

So, how do you create one of these bad boys? First, draft out your thoughts. Ask yourself questions like a journalist:  take a moment to write down the What, Who, Where, Why, When, and How of your podcast. 

Jot down some short answers in your podcast planner or notebook.

What is your podcast?

This is your podcast description. One meaningful descriptive sentence is perfect.

Who is involved in your podcast?

The ‘who’ of your podcast covers two things: hosts and audience.

So yes, this means writing a short bio about you or your business, but it also means writing a short bio about your ideal listener. It may sound strange, but you need to explain who your show is intended for. For example, “Podcraft listeners are early-stage and aspiring podcasters looking to launch a show optimised to grow and monetize”.

Knowing who’s involved and who your podcast is for is, to paraphrase Rick in Casablanca, “the beginning of a beautiful relationship.”

Where is this podcast from?

Did the show grow out of a team-building workshop? Is it uniquely Minnesotan? Does it occur in an unusual environment (such as Hostile Worlds’ starship Tardigrade)? Is it recorded in an unusual place, like your home, a particular recording studio, or a van? Tell your media kit readers.

Why do you produce this podcast?

What do you want your podcast to accomplish? Do you want to teach your audience about something or share a lesser-known perspective on a subject? For example, “Hostile Worlds is designed to teach the audience about the universe in an entertaining and accessible way.” 

When is this podcast’s information relevant?

What dates are relevant in your media kit? For example, is your podcast celebrating an anniversary? If you haven’t launched yet, what’s your launch date? Do you release new episodes on the first and third weeks of the month? Do you have an important milestone, like an upcoming live podcast? Is there a date that’s important in the larger world that your podcast will promote, such as Election Day or the start of fly-fishing season?

How can people listen to your podcast and support you?

How can people listen, get in touch with you, and engage with the show? Include your podcast website URL, social media handles, email address, and RSS feed. Link to your website’s “Listen now” page: here’s an example of the “Listen now” page for Podcraft.

Our free Podcast Planner tool will help you a lot, here. It only takes a few minutes to fill out, and it’ll provide you with numerous suggestions, ideas, and inspiration for creating your podcast media kit.

How to Make Your Podcast Media Kit

Great! Now that you have drafted all these thoughts into condensed statements, let’s move on to making the building blocks of the press kit itself. 

Your media kit should include:

• A fact sheet (as a PDF, with a web page version).
• A Google Drive or Dropbox folder 
• Copies of your podcast’s art and relevant images, optimized for web and print.

Your Podcast Fact Sheet

This is where the magic happens, and you’ve already got your notes to inform this part.

No matter what kind of podcast you have, here are the building blocks of your fact sheet:

• About (your podcast’s description)
• Who’s involved
• Target audience (who is this show for)
• Contact information (you’d be surprised how many people forget this)
• How to listen

You can also add some of these, if you have them:

• Awards and accomplishments
• Measures of engagement, like how many followers you have on which social media platforms, how many downloads, or what countries your podcast has been played in
• Reviews or positive social media messages about your content
• A special episode that you recommend people listen to first.

Type the answers to these bullet points into a Word doc. Then, copy and paste the text you typed in your Word doc into the relevant spaces of your fact sheet template. It’s important to type your answers out in Word first because design software can’t pick up on spelling errors.

Adjust the colors to fit your brand and add the images you want to include.

When the sections are consistent and everything looks neat and legible, save the document as a PDF and put it in your podcast media kit folder (more on that in the next section). 

Essentially, you summarize your show and what it goes well with, then gather the images. Once you put it all together, all you’ve spent is time and patience. 

Your Podcast Media Kit Folder

Some journalists prefer to work offline and would rather have the information about your show in a format they can save to their desktop or print out and read.

Create a folder with a public link, such as a Google Drive or Dropbox zip folder. Set the permissions to view-only and test the link with a friend to make sure it’s accessible.

Bookmark this link or copy and paste it into a note on your desktop – you’ll be using it often!

You’ll also want to create a web page version of your media kit, which you can update quickly and send to interested parties. You can make this on your podcast website or use a platform like Notion.

This version of your media kit helps your SEO because search engines will index the information on the page. 

Your Podcast Art

A journalist might publish an article about your podcast in print media. If they do, they’ll want a high-resolution image to make their article stand out.

Images with a resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch) or higher are suitable for print media. Images that load quickly on screen are typically 72 dpi and may appear unclear in print. So add both a 72 dpi and 300 dpi copy of your podcast cover art or logo. 

Save your podcast art as a .png or .jpeg to your folder, with a clear name(e.g., “podcast-title-media-kit-print-july2024′), so the recipient can find it easily. Put these in your podcast media kit folder. 

Visual Media for Audio Podcasters

Podcasters need to be conscious of the visual elements of their brand. Just like when you’re adding sound effects or music to your podcast, you want to be able to find and use your visual elements quickly too.

As you build your media kit, make an image folder, adding in images you want to use. You’ll also want to type up a note with the following information: 

• Your brand colors and their hex codes, for consistency
• Your brand fonts.

Put this folder on your desktop, along with your logo and podcast art files. Name it “[your podcast title] visual assets.” You can pull from this folder as you work on your fact sheet.

Here’s a deeper dive into creating artwork and logos for your podcast, too!

Should My Podcast Media Kit Have Links? 

Yes. It doesn’t matter if the recipient’s going to print the podcast media kit or not – they can still click on the links to get more information. Always link to your podcast website’s “listen now” page in your media kit, as well as to your podcast’s social media profiles. Just be sure to type out URLs and handles rather than hyperlinking them so they’re clear to anyone reading it away from the screen.

Additional Content

Over time, you’ll gather new assets to add to the folder. When publications write about your podcast, you’ll want that text in your press kit.  Transcripts, press releases, photos, and updates can also be included in your podcasting press kit.

Hubspot has some really cool free business templates to help you populate your folder with things like advertising proposals, event proposal outlines, and mind maps.

Make sure these items have clear dates and file names so that journalists can use the most up-to-date information.

Podcast Media Kit Templates: Know Your Audience & Niche

When I first started exploring media kits in Canva, the variety and panache of the layouts were staggering. But don’t just pick whatever template seems the boldest or attention-grabbing – be sure your template suits the answers to the questions you initially asked.

You want a template that accurately conveys the mood of your podcast. Consider your podcast niche and audience when selecting one. For example, if accessibility is important to your niche, Canva offers dyslexia-friendly fonts.

You also want to think about content. If your media kit focuses on reviews and descriptions, you may want a template with more text boxes. A template with more image spaces would fit a podcast that needs images (such as a fashion or woodworking podcast). 

What To Do With Your Podcast Media Kit

Once you’re happy with your podcast media kit, upload the folder to Google Drive or Dropbox. Make sure it’s publicly accessible but view-only. You can then link to it from other places, like on your website or in your show notes.

Typically, podcast websites have an “About” page, since most users don’t think a media kit applies to them. But the “About” page can repeat all the information from your fact sheet.

Link to your media kit when promoting your podcast to potential audiences, such as newsletter editors, journalists, sponsors, and other relevant contacts. You can even put the link in your email signature to save time.

When you invite guests to your podcast, share the media kit with them. A fact sheet describing past guests goes a long way toward securing that one fantastic star for your show.

Your podcast media kit shows them what to expect, how to prepare, and what your show can do for them.

Keep it short and positive, and they’ll be more likely to show up on time, prepared, and confident. 

Podcast Media Kit Examples

Here are some examples of podcast media kits that have caught my eye over the years.

Girl in Space’s press kit page uses bright colors and a Q&A layout to enlighten new audiences about this sci-fi mystery audio drama. Creator Sarah Rhea Werner includes a link to a Dropbox folder near the top of the page.

Civics 101 de-mystifies how the American government works, and its press kit’s clarity reflects its commitment to transparency. The high-contrast color scheme and straightforward language make the podcast accessible and simple to write about and promote. 

Click on the “About” tab for the Spirits podcast, and you’ll find a comprehensive and detailed podcast media kit, which even includes fan art. 

Make Sharing Your Show Easier

Whilst you spend time building your audience actively, a great podcast media kit helps you build your audience passively.

A media kit makes it easy for your fans, search engines, and writers to better understand and share your show.

Legacy media’s traditional press kit structure made it easy for anyone to write about and share the latest TV show, theatre project, or ice cream brand. When you plan the fact sheet’s content, package the information and images in an accessible way, and share it, it’s like packing a snack for your future audiences.

When they understand your show, they’ll come back for a full meal and bring their friends.

A podcast media kit is just one great way to help your show grow. In The Podcraft Academy, you’ll find many more, from our Growth Mastery course to feedback and accountability tools. We’d love to work with you in there!

And you don’t just get their email. If you ask the right questions, you’ll also learn what they care about and how you can help them further. 

Let’s walk through seven steps to build customer relationships. (With ScoreApp, it takes way less time and effort than you imagine!)

Why ScoreApp Works So Well for Podcasters

Most lead magnets (PDFs, guides, checklists) are static. They sit in a folder and don’t create much engagement.

A Scorecard is different because it’s:

• Interactive: Listeners get involved, instead of just passively downloading something boring.
• Personalised: Every participant walks away with something relevant to them.
• Insightful: You gather rich data about who your audience really is.
• Scalable: Once set up, it runs in the background while you keep producing episodes.

Podcasters can use ScoreApp to finally bridge the gap between audience and leads with minimal upfront time and ongoing stress. Over the next seven steps, we’ll show you how.

1. Frame Your Quiz as a Natural Extension of Your Show

The best podcast-to-lead funnels feel like the next logical step in a conversation.

Think of your Quiz as a companion to your latest episode. 

Start with the listener’s intent. What did people come to your episode to learn? And how can you offer them support after the episode? 

A free Quiz can help clarify their current situation or identify a specific problem in only a few minutes. Your Quiz should promise a clear, tangible outcome that continues the episode’s value.

For example:

• Marketing podcast: Which 90-day growth strategy fits your business?
• Wellness podcast: What’s your stress-management type (and one 3-minute fix)?
• B2B SaaS podcast: Is your onboarding setup costing you customers? Take the 7-point checklist.

Keep the promise short, outcome-focused, and useful. Aim for one clear result that the listener can expect in exchange for their email. Whatever your Quiz is about, its main goal is to offer even more value to the listener, thereby deepening their trust in you and encouraging your conversation to continue. 

Choosing the type of quiz couldn’t be easier. From your main screen, select ‘Templates’.

Above, you’ll see the filtering options in the left-hand menu to select by industry and quiz type.

Pro tip: Your Quiz should answer a burning question your listeners already have in their heads. If it feels useful and relevant in the moment, they’ll be far more likely to jump in.

2. Build a Landing Page That Feels Personal

When someone leaves their podcast app to click your link, you want them to land on a page that feels just like the vibe of your show.

Your ScoreApp landing page is stamped with your podcast’s personality. ScoreApp offers an intuitive drag-and-drop landing page builder and a host of templates for you to adapt. 

All of this makes it easy to drop in your show’s artwork, your own photo, language from your podcast episode to create an irresistible headline, or even a short video message to explain why the Quiz is valuable to them. That’s the kind of personal touch that builds trust. 

For this example, we selected ‘business’ and ‘profile quiz.’ 

Once selected, click on ‘Use this template’ at the top right of the page. 

You’re taken to the setup guide for your Scorecard here:

Click on the blue ‘Go to landing pages’ button to start creating your Quiz landing page. 

Start customizing! 

Pro tip: Make sure your landing page addresses a major pain point or big goal for your listeners, and explains why your Quiz helps them overcome or reach it. 

3. Craft Smart, Snackable Questions

Your listeners are busy people. If they click through, they’re already giving you a small slice of their attention, so respect it. 

For you, using a Quiz to pre-qualify leads and gain actionable data insights starts with asking the right questions.  

Click on the dropdown menu at the top of the page and select ‘Questions’.

From this page, you can start editing your questions. 

There are already suggestions in place to help you avoid blank page-itis, but everything is editable. 

For example, in the left-hand menu in the Questions section, you can choose different types of questions from the dropdown menu.

By using the tools in the Answers section of this menu, you can manipulate how the scoring is weighted and the user’s pathway through the quiz.

A few golden rules for writing your ScoreApp questions:

• Keep it short: 6–8 questions work best. Enough information for you, without it being a time suck for them.
• Mix formats: Use multiple-choice questions for speed, scale/checkbox questions to capture behaviour, and free-form for more detailed responses.
• Make it engaging: Ask questions that feel conversational, not like a test.
• Focus on insight: Every answer should help the participant and teach you something valuable about them.

Pro tip: For example, instead of asking: ‘Do you have a documented marketing strategy?’ try:

‘When it comes to planning content, which best describes you?’

• I plan everything months in advance
• I outline a few weeks ahead
• I mostly improvise

It provides more information than a simple yes/no question, and can be easier for participants to answer. 

4. Deliver an Experience on the Results Page 

Here’s where most quizzes fall flat: the results page. They either give a throwaway score or a vague label, and that’s it.

But with ScoreApp, you deliver instant value. Your listener has just shared their details and invested in the process. And, in exchange, you give them something genuinely useful.

Select ‘Result’ from the drop-down menu at the top.

Most of the ScoreApp Quiz results pages include excellent visuals that present their data in a graph or chart, making it easier to understand and share. 

Using all the editing tools in the left-hand menu, you can completely personalize the results you send to your audience. 

Pro tip: A high-performing ScoreApp results page usually includes:

• A clear outcome. Like, ‘You’re a Strategic Planner,’ or ‘You scored 42/100.’.
• Personalised insights based on their answers.
• Practical next steps they can implement right away.
• An invitation to go deeper: join your community, book a call, download a guide, get a mini video course.

The more value you deliver here, the more likely they are to stay connected.

5. Mention Your Quiz Strategically in All Episodes

Now you have your Quiz, promotion is simple – your Quiz becomes the ‘what next?’ during and at the end of every episode.

Don’t bury it in a list of 10 links at the end of the show notes. Make it the one clear CTA, and repeat the information a few times throughout your episodes. 

Here are a few ways to position your Quiz naturally in podcast episodes:

• Mid-roll: ‘By the way, if you’re wondering how this applies to your business, I’ve built a quick Quiz you can take right now. It shows you exactly where you’re strong and where you can improve. Just head to [link].’
• Outro: ‘If you want to take what we’ve talked about today and see where you stand, take the free assessment at [link]. You’ll get your personalised score instantly.’
• As a guest: ‘If this resonated with you, I’ve actually built an assessment that shows you how ready you are to [desired outcome]. You can take it for free at [link].’
  

One CTA, repeated consistently, will always outperform scattergun promotion.

Pro tip: Don’t forget all the other places you can plug your fact-finding mission…

• Show notes: Include a short link or QR code for video or live events
• Written assets: Link it in the episode transcript and show blog. Great for the algorithm and the humans!
• On the socials: How often have you clicked on one of the ‘What kind of Barbie/Ken are you?’ posts? They’re successful because they’re all about the reader. Get your social media teaser posts out there to promote your Quiz.
  

6. Capture the Lead and Automate Your Follow-up

To know which leads came from your podcast, add a tracking field or use UTM/hidden fields that capture the source and get that data flowing into your systems. These small tags let you filter in your CRM later and run podcast-specific nurture sequences.

Once a lead has completed your ScoreApp Quiz, you can set up an email nurture campaign in your chosen platform to build more trust and credibility. This is a pre-set, automated email sequence that starts straightaway and keeps the conversation going with leads.

ScoreApp offers native integrations with many popular platforms and Zapier/webhook connectivity so you can push new leads, their answers, and their outcomes into your CRM or email platform. 

Automating your follow-up process means the engagement continues long after the podcast episode ends.

Pro Tip: Use the Quiz answers to personalise subject lines. For example: ‘SaaS founders: 3 onboarding wins I’d try this week.’ ScoreApp’s data makes personalization easy, and you can use its lead scoring to prioritise outreach.

7. Track, Tweak, Repeat

Like any kind of market research, you need a testing mentality: Do something, see how it performs, make adjustments, repeat. 

The beauty of ScoreApp is that it shows you exactly how your Quiz is performing on your analytics dashboard. You’ll see how many listeners start, finish, and convert, without having to invest huge amounts of time in data gathering and interpretation. 

Pro tip: If you notice drop-off points, adjust. For example:

• Low starts? Simplify your CTA or reinforce the benefits.
• Low completions? Trim the number of questions or rethink the wording.
• Low conversions? Strengthen your results page CTA and follow-up emails.

Iterating is normal and, over time, your Scorecard becomes a finely tuned conversion machine. 

Let’s Start Turning Your Podcast Fans Into Paying Customers

Turning podcast listeners into leads doesn’t have to be complicated. You can create a seamless listen-to-lead journey by:

• Framing a Quiz as a natural extension of your show
• Building a personalised landing page 
• Crafting engaging questions 
• Delivering actionable results

ScoreApp makes it simple by providing ready-to-use templates, AI-powered Quiz building, and integrations that automatically capture and segment your leads. 

With ScoreApp, your podcast isn’t just a voice in someone’s earbuds; it’s a tool that grows your business while you keep creating great content.

To get started, pick one upcoming episode, design a simple companion Quiz with ScoreApp’s user-friendly software, and make it the main CTA in your show.

The next time someone tunes in, they won’t just be a listener; they’ll be a lead.

Get 50% off for the first month using the discount code ‘Colin’. 

Try ScoreApp today!

Start for free. No credit card required.

But how do you convince a journalist to write about your show?

“Hey, I run a podcast on the same subject you cover.” probably isn’t going to cut it. “Local man runs podcast” might have been newsworthy back in 2007, when readers would ask, “Wait, he runs a what!?” But not now.

Pitching your podcast to journalists? Here’s how to avoid wasting their time and your own, while giving yourself a real shot at coverage.

Let’s start with where you’re thinking of pitching.

What Does The Publication Publish?

Feed the tiger what it wants. If your podcast is about fly fishing, you’d pitch your podcast to American Angler, not Vanity Fair. Start with a publication that’s about your podcast’s topic. That’s where your audience is more likely to be looking for information like yours. When you pitch your podcast to a journalist, you’re both working in service of the audience. Make sure their publication’s ideal audience aligns with yours.

How to Package Your Pitch 

In the past, podcasters have sent a link to their podcast in their favorite directory with a message saying, “My show is good, you should write about it,” and nothing else. Why I should launch an investigation into the relevance of their request is beyond me. It certainly doesn’t show me they have something worth promoting.

Your pitch email must include: 

• Why your story is time-sensitive
• Who benefits from it (hopefully, their readers) and how
• The value in your proposal
• What sets your pitch apart from other pitches?

Be brief, specific, and respectful. We’ll examine specifics of how to write a pitch email later in this article. 

Along with the email, a podcast media kit is essential here. Episode transcriptions will help anyone covering your show to find the information they need with minimal effort. Don’t send attachments: email security systems may block them. Instead, link to your files in Google Drive or Dropbox.

Now, let’s proceed to the time-sensitive part.

Pitch Your Podcast to Journalists When They Can Write About It.

Magazines, newspapers, and radio stations plan their content months, sometimes more, ahead of schedule. Then, they release it in a manner suitable for the season.

For example, arts and culture magazines and newspaper sections publish entertainment guides in September, when new theatre and television seasons begin. Planning and writing that guide starts in mid-summer, if not earlier. You need to pitch your podcast to journalists when the timing is right, and that means early.

Do you have an episode about crafting the perfect Halloween costume? If you plan to release that episode in October, then pitch it in June. You can see where this is going. The tiger isn’t always hungry. Feed it when it is.

How Appropriate Is Your Pitch?

If you’ve been podcasting for more than six months, chances are you’ve already gotten at least one inappropriate request. Sometimes, these pitches reveal that the sender has no idea what your podcast is about or how it’s presented. Other inappropriate pitches come via direct messages on social media. 

Remember how awkward and annoying those inappropriate requests feel? 

Journalists get dozens of these random requests every day. But, avoiding an icky faux pas is simple, with advance work. 

When pitching your podcast to a journalist, read some of their articles. What do they write about? Get a sense of their taste and tone. You can tell if your podcast is a good fit for them after reading at least three of their articles. 

Are they a staff writer, or a contributing writer? You may need to recontextualize your pitch for a journalist who has less flexibility, or who writes for multiple magazines.  

Most importantly, what is their preferred method of contact? Typically, their social media profiles will link to a website or a Linktree page, where they provide contact information.

If you pitch your podcast via a social media direct message, you throw a work request into a social platform. It’s like interrupting a stranger at a picnic, telling them to get to work. Instead, pitch your podcast to a journalist through their preferred contact method. They’ll be in a more receptive frame of mind and more likely to accept. 

Feed the tiger, but don’t mess with their habitat.

So, How Do You Write That Pitch?

Ask yourself, what’s newsworthy about your podcast, and why? This fits in with knowing your podcast niche, and who your ideal audience is. What’s unique, and why now? How does it relate to the publication you’re pitching?

Journalists seek out stories about people who take action and change. When someone in your audience tells you that their show helped them to do something, that’s the kind of story seed that journalists want.

Don’t call. Use email. Writers like to read and write. Craft a short email, and read it out loud before you hit “send.”

Introduce yourself in terms of their work.

Open with what you’ve read by the writer you’re pitching, what it meant to you, and why. Not only does this make them feel good, but it also shows you’ve considered why your podcast and this writer are a good fit for each other. For example;

“ Dear [Name], 

I enjoyed your article about [topic] from the [date or month] issue of [publication] magazine. “

Next, describe what’s most memorable from the article, and what the writer’s style and approach meant for you. How does the way they write solve a problem for you?

Now they know why you’re cold-emailing them. Don’t invent this. That’s a sure-fire way to end up in the spam folder.

What, Who, Why, How?

Be specific, and pitch the story. What is it, who is it for, what’s the challenge, and how does it solve a problem? Why is it time-sensitive? 

For example, you can tell them how your podcast has:

• Helped a listener start and sustain their first small business
• Gave a listener the confidence to start weightlifting and win competitions
• Provided educational materials to 500 public school students to create an oral history project

If you can show how your podcast affects your audience, that’s even better. In the examples above, you can link to the social media or website for the business, weightlifter, or school.

What if you haven’t experienced that kind of audience interaction?

Create a newsworthy event. You could:

• Challenge your podcast audience to donate to a particular charity by a certain date
• Host a live podcast recording event at a local pub or community theatre
• Launch a scavenger hunt for your audience, with a new clue in each episode for a set number of weeks and a prize at the end.

Highlight the dates and benefits for their readers, so they know this is time-sensitive and worth their audience’s time.

What if you can’t include audience stories or upcoming events when pitching your podcast to journalists? Show them how podcasting has changed you for the better. For example, explain how:

• Producing a hiking podcast helped you manage your social anxiety disorder
• Interviewing pro pastry chefs helped you save a thousand dollars on your daughter’s wedding
• Researching local history saved a unique building

The more specific, immediate, and transformational your pitch, the more likely journalists will want to write that story.

Show Them How To Learn More at Their Own Pace.

Now, zoom out a bit. Provide them with a brief paragraph on how to learn more about your podcast. Include a link to the website, to the media kit, and tell them how they can listen. For example: 

“[Title of podcast] helps people [solve a problem, and how]. I’d love to share more with you. Here’s a link to our media kit. You can listen to the show through our website, or wherever you listen to podcasts.” 

Pick out an episode for them that serves as a simple point of entry. 

“By way of introduction, you might enjoy our episode, [title], about [topic].”

Treat it like a collaboration. We’re all content creators here, right?

Provide your contact information, and let them know that you’d be happy to discuss your pitch further.

Above all, thank them for their time. 

Don’t Let Grass Grow Under Your Pitch.

Follow up a few days or so later to remind them about your pitch. If they say, “not interested, thanks,” don’t push it. Wait until you have another episode that’s closer to their interests. In the meantime, try pitching your podcast to a different journalist. 

It’s Not About You.

Don’t take any rejection personally. The publication’s editor may manage what pitches to accept or reject. Or, maybe a full schedule keeps them from saying yes. It’s possible that your podcast might not be in their area of interest. Try again with a different publication. 

Make It Simple for Journalists To Write About Your Podcast.

Journalists, like podcasters, aim to deliver relevant, useful, timely, and engaging ideas to their audiences. When you pitch your podcast to journalists, make sure the information they need is available. This way, it’s simple to use their creativity to share your podcast with their readers. Both your audience and theirs benefit from a new examination of your podcast’s topic because you’ve laid the groundwork.

Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket.

There are numerous ways to grow your podcast. Reviews and press aren’t the only way to let people know about your show. Our Podcast Growth Book has lots of strategies and actionable tasks to help you engage your audience and build a community. Plus, the Podcraft Academy has courses and tools to help you with all aspects of making a good podcast or making a good podcast great. Join us!

On the one hand, conventions can be a great way to promote your show, sell related merchandise, and build relationships.

But, conventions can be expensive, time-consuming, and physically exhausting.

Participation with a podcast booth can give you and your fans a home base, but it’s a responsibility. 

I spoke with some experienced convention-goers who are good at promoting their work through a podcast booth. Overall, they said podcasters need to plan ahead, simplify their booth setup and goals, and avoid taking things too seriously.

But there’s a lot more to it than that. Let’s dig into the details of how to get the most out of your podcast booth experience…

What Kind of Convention?

Are you going to a convention centered around a topic that your podcast covers, or a podcast convention? For example, are you attending a gardening convention to promote your gardening podcast? Or, will you be a podcaster in a sea of podcasters? 

In the case of the former, it’s easy to stand out from the other convention booths. When you’re a podcaster among other podcasters, showing your individuality takes more effort. And, you might want to spend time attending seminars or networking events.

For the purposes of this article, I’ll focus on running your booth for podcast conventions, since it’s more challenging.

Know Your Goals Before You Go. 

Before you leave home, think of one or two things that you want to make sure you do at the podcasting convention. Conventions can be crowded, busy, and overstimulating. Don’t lose sight of your purpose and needs.

At a podcast convention, you can learn some skills, meet other podcasters, and build relationships for cross-marketing. Check the schedule to learn about the speakers and panels at the convention. If you plan to attend multiple sessions, you may not want to run a podcast booth. Or, bring a podcasting friend and take turns running the booth. 

You should also determine whether this is an industry convention (for podcast creators) or a fan convention (catering to audiences). This affects what you can gain from the experience and what contribution is welcome. 

As Sean Howard, co-founder of Fable & Folly and founder of Flightpath, said, “Know the difference between an industry convention and a fan convention. Industry conventions are where you want to walk the floor, go to sessions, and meet other producers, agents, etc. Fan conventions are where you can move a lot of merchandise and reach new audiences.”  

Travis Vengroff of Fool & Scholar Productions, said, “As a podcaster at a business event, the goal of making money or gaining a large number of new listeners is very difficult to achieve, so you should instead see it as a loss ahead of time and try to seek sponsors, brand recognition, new relevant contacts (and/or peers), advertisers, new technologies and services, and incidentally work to gain listeners or sell a few pieces of merchandise. ”

Research the Convention, Venue, and Surroundings.

Particularly when traveling to attend the conference, just getting in the door can be expensive. Much of what helps you decide whether or not to run a podcast booth isn’t readily available on the convention website. Variables such as the conference’s previous experiences, local resources, and security are often passed by word of mouth, found on external sites, or buried in the fine print of a contract.

Here are some questions to answer for yourself before you decide.

What’s the Convention’s History and Reputation?  

Conventions that have been successful for several years in a row may be easier to manage than new events or those that have had issues in the past. As Sean Howard told us, “You might want to attend before you buy in.” Ask some of your podcast peers if they’ve attended and what their experience has been like. Don’t spend money renting space to run a podcast booth if the convention doesn’t have a good history. 

What’s the Convention’s Venue Like? 

Know where you’re going, and what resources are available.  Is it a big convention hall that frequently hosts big corporate events, or something smaller, like a hotel ballroom or banquet hall? Is it in a major city or a small town?

Convention centers, especially in major cities, are used to corporate clients with deep pockets.

“If it’s a major or large convention centre, be aware that these places charge ridiculous fees for everything, as they are used to working with big, multi-national corporations,” said Sean.

You may discover that booth space for your podcast has the same price tag as a booth for a luxury car company. Details matter; check the fine print on your contract to know if you can use an electrical outlet or wi-fi. You’d be surprised what’s not covered. 

Google Maps can show you what parking and mass transit options are like in the area, as well as where to find snacks and essentials nearby. 

“You will need to save money wherever you can,” said Sean. Again, don’t expect that anything you need will be provided for you. “It’s best to just bring everything you need: battery packs for your computers and phones, for example. Bring more water than you think you need,” Sean told us.

There are loads of convention packing lists online, but as long as you have water, a small snack, personal care items, and a way to charge your devices, you should be fine.

Make Your Podcast Booth Meaningfully Minimalist. 

Remember, you’re responsible for loading in, setting up, packing up, and loading out anything and everything in your booth. When you plan to run your podcast booth, don’t bring what you can’t carry.

Jeremy Moskowitz, tech-conference veteran, succinctly stated the challenge for podcasters: “People are pretty visual.” Some companies specialize in pre-made convention booths that eliminate distractions from other booths. They’re tempting to hire, but expensive.

Jeremy said, “You don’t really need a 10×10 professional booth, but you should have a nice printed tablecloth and a pop-up banner succinctly expressing who you are and what you’re doing. Have a one-page (two-sided) handout to give people after your chat,” to help people remember your podcast after they’ve met hundreds of people that day. “Beyond that,” Jeremy said,  “it’s bells and whistles and maybe overkill.” 

Sean Howard echoes this minimalist sentiment. “Invest in a pop-up banner and materials to help your booth look professional and make it clear what you do.” 

The photo above shows you Fool & Scholar’s setup to promote their podcast, Liberty, at a fan event. This may seem overwhelming, but don’t let the vendor wall behind the table intimidate you. The Liberty poster at right, along with the pop-up stand and items on the table, are Fool & Scholar’s.

Typically, conventions don’t provide furniture. In this case, the host provided the furniture and tablecloth with their logo. This setup shows how a podcast booth can be inviting, unique, and professional, while still fitting in the back seat of a small car.

This also demonstrates how conference hosts can support the people who run booths, to make their vendor hall a worthwhile destination.

Gavin Gaddis, of Sounds Profitable, grew up with years of experience helping their family run booths at art and craft fairs. They advocate minimalist creativity. “You might see a $15 clothes drying rack, I see a folding stand you can hang stickers and signs from easily that weighs next to nothing. Check out pictures of artist alley setups at comic conventions, they’ve been at this game a long time and have it down to a science.”  

When planning your podcast booth setup, revisit your podcast’s unique selling proposition and ideal audience. In a nutshell, you want to run a podcast booth that: 

• Invites people to engage with your podcast
• Shows what your podcast does
• Rewards attention

Once you’ve imagined that setup, can you carry it by yourself? 

What Can Your Podcast Booth Offer? 

Conventions are full of people who are tired and distracted in general. Giving them something memorable, like reading material, helps them connect with your podcast later. Avoid large flyers or booklets, as they often end up in the trash. Small cards with QR codes are effective, particularly if the QR code leads them directly to your podcast information with a “listen now!” option. 

Candy goes a long way with folks who are tired from walking and standing. Taping pre-wrapped trick-or-treat candy to a business card will get those cards picked up. 

You might sell merchandise to offset the cost of your booth rental. Travis said, “Most important is your cash box, a healthy amount of $1’s and $5’s, a credit card reader, and something to tally sales.” T-shirts are challenging to sell due to sizing issues.  Sean mentioned that, based on his experience, smaller items with a higher margin, such as logo pins, appeal to a wider audience. 

Stickers with fun designs are popular. People like them because it shows they’ve made a connection. Meanwhile, they’re making their laptop case or water bottle into a billboard for your podcast. 

Sean suggested that you mock up your booth at home in advance. Test-drive the table, and lay out whatever items you’re bringing. You don’t want a broken table leg to get in your way. 

Case Study: Alitu at The Podcast Show London

Although Alitu is a software, not a show, our team had a brilliant time running a booth at The Podcast Show London in 2023.

One novel feature that drew people to (and had them regularly returning to) the booth was a podcaster-themed computer game. Jacob, our Head of Marketing, created this simple but addictive Megadrive-style romp, and we had a steady stream of people arrive at the booth due to word of mouth about the game on the event floor.

Practice Conversation and Connection Skills. 

Podcasters tend to be people who function well in quiet rooms with computers and headphones. It’s not a Renaissance Faire, full of people who want to be seen and heard from a mile away. To convince people to take an interest, often a gentle approach is more effective than a hard sell.

Knowledgeable people who are enthusiastic about your podcast should staff your booth, not those who aren’t involved. If my mom wanted to help me run my podcast booth, that would be nice, unless someone from Sony came around asking questions while I was in line for the restroom.  

When someone stops by your booth to chat, as Sean suggested, don’t start with your pitch; ask a question. Ask what kind of podcasts they listen to. If you can, recommend other podcasts they might enjoy. 

Gavin suggests rehearsing what you want to say to newcomers to avoid pressure and awkwardness. “If you can get that ice broken quickly in a way that leaves the door open, then someone can choose to stay and find out more, or politely smile while walking away.” They also suggest, “Learn what it feels like to have someone’s genuine attention, versus when they’re simply being polite, doing that awkward ‘I’m not technically stopping here’ shuffle. You want to leave a lasting impression.” Use your best ability to read social cues.

Take that elevator pitch as seriously as all the other content you create for your podcast. Travis said, “I wish someone had told me about really perfecting an elevator pitch. I can’t tell you how much time I’ve wasted saying a long and ineffective elevator pitch, when I could have written one down, tweaked it, and memorized something only a third the length.”

Travis further suggests, “As a general good practice, you should have a conversation starter, an elevator pitch, and a call to action. The shorter you can talk about your show, the better, so you can discern the interest of the person on the other side of the table and get them your call to action: Subscribe to my podcast, consider sponsoring my show, be a guest on my show.”

Give people a reason to stay at your booth.  Sean said, “At PodCon, we bought some inflatable chairs to make our booth a gathering space for our fans and fellow creators.”  It was a much-needed little oasis. Fable & Folly offered one-hour podcast consultations, showcasing their expertise, building relationships, and selling something that weighs nothing. Again, highlight what your podcast does best, and use that to make your podcast booth a destination. 

Don’t get sucked into the pace of the convention. Focus on your individual experiences with people that you meet. 

There will be slow times when it seems like everyone has gone somewhere else: lunch, or a celebrity meet n’ greet. “Counterintuitively, it is during these slow times that the BEST conversations happen!” Jeremy said. 

Con Behavior

Overstimulation and fatigue can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunications. And some people use conventions as an excuse to experiment with boundaries. They have a little bit of anonymity, less accountability, and believe that if you’re at your podcast booth, you’re their captive audience.  

Nearly every convention has a horror story, passed among participants, of a person who was banned for grabbing or speaking rudely to another participant. Have a friend at your podcast booth, or a script (i.e., “that’s inappropriate”) to keep in the back of your mind in case someone misbehaves. 

Be careful of taking other people’s behavior personally. Travis said, “It’s very important to consider your emotional state and focus on maintaining a positive attitude. The reality is that not everyone will like your show, your concept, or you. Whatever you can do to accept these odds, accept that the people you’ll be talking to have no obligation to speak with you, and maintain high morale so you can talk about your passion or business to the folks who do want to hear, is different for each person, but it’s something that you need to find.”

Be aware of your limitations. You’re human. Take bathroom breaks, mental-processing breaks, and have someone else present to help or diffuse tension. As Gavin said, “Remembering to eat and drink is vital. Nothing opens you up for being absolutely zapped than getting in the groove and working so long you look up and it’s 4 p.m. The second you look at that clock, your body will catch up, them’s the rules.”

Take care of yourself and don’t take others too seriously, so you can have experiences that make running a podcast booth worthwhile. Quality conversations go a long way to building relationships later.  

Turn Conference Booths into Long-Term Wins for Your Podcast. 

Deciding whether or not to run your podcast booth for an event isn’t difficult, with advance planning and research. Simplify your expectations, and they’ll be easier to meet.

Take time to think about what you want to learn, and what you hope to achieve. Research what you’ll need to invest in the experience, so you can balance what you’ll get out of it. Consider participating in the conference an opportunity to plant seeds for future growth.

Our Handy Guide to Podcast Events is a great resource for ways (and places) to meet other podcasters in person. And, our Indiepod Community is the ideal place to discuss conferences and promotion strategies with other podcasters!

Most people go into podcasting because they’re interested in communicating with others. But, with all the tasks in a podcast workflow, it’s not so easy to connect with a podcast community. On the flip side, promoting a show to your audience is hard without a community. You can end up in a lonely feedback loop.

Not only do you need a community of avid podcast listeners who are interested in your topic, but you also need a community of fellow podcasters to provide support, answer your podcasting questions, and understand your challenges. Get both of these nailed down, and you’ll improve your podcast growth, not to mention your mental health and general well-being.

Let me show you some ways to build your podcast community, avoid social traps, and connect with fellow podcasters and the podcasting industry.

The Audience, or the Reason You Went Into Podcasting in the First Place

Of course, you want to communicate with your audience. Communication is key to building word of mouth and promoting your show. Sometimes, though, it’s intimidating, and it can take you away from your other podcasting tasks. Here are some ways to reach your audience without changing your podcast workflow.

Build Community Inside Your Podcast Content

Thanking your listeners by name doesn’t cost you a thing. When you get feedback, reviews, or questions, thank the sender by name. This makes the audience feel appreciated and come back for more.  

Another way to put your audience in the show meaningfully is to start with a voice feedback survey. Ask questions about your show’s topic, and they can contribute answers. Speakpipe, Tellbee, and other web-based voice recording and transcription services are good ways to let your fans be part of your show.

Live streaming a podcast episode is another great way to get your audience involved in your podcast community. This allows you to create video content and repurpose portions for Instagram or YouTube.

Build Podcast Community Outside Your Episode Content

You can be the producer of a thousand people’s favourite podcasts, but unless you give your audience a straightforward route, they won’t get in touch with you.

Build a Home Base for Your Podcast

Yes, you need a website. Many podcasters roll their eyes because it’s extra work. But, making a website doesn’t have to be hard.

Your podcast website helps new listeners find your show. Search engines index websites, not the contents of podcast directories. If someone wants to give you money, how else should they find you?

Most media hosting services include a simple website as part of the package. Podpage is an easy way to make a site, and so is Wix.

Your podcast website needs an email address or a “contact us” form. At the very least, put an email address in your show notes.

Is Social Media a Good Club for Podcasts?

Social media is a good podcast discovery tool, but it’s not great. Your Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram or Facebook presence can be an avenue for engagement. But, your posts compete with everything else on the platform. Social media sites are meant to hook users and keep them scrolling, not going to another site to listen to your cool podcast. It can help get your show in front of people who might not see it otherwise. However, you should weigh up whether social media negatives outweigh the positives.

Your Podcast’s Community vs Social Media Platforms

You can build a podcast community within social media sites, like a Facebook group or a subreddit discussion group. These are great because they’re meant for discussion. People can easily discover your podcast there, but just as easily scroll on. Again, people will likely spend time on any social media site because they like that specific platform. They’ll enjoy the content you put there, but aren’t likely to follow you off-site without a compelling reason.

Social media marketers use the adage “never build on borrowed land” to caution people about prioritizing their social media presence over buying and making their own websites. If you tried to have a Facebook Live event during a mass outage, you probably didn’t enjoy it much. Besides, different social media platforms come and go. A community built on any third-party social platform is at the mercy of many factors beyond your control.

Spammers and trolls thrive on big social media platforms because they’re easy to join and hard to moderate. If you’ve ever been in a Facebook discussion group where someone suddenly interrupted to try to sell you bitcoin, you know how things can fall apart.

If you create a community group on a platform that anyone can join, consider introducing a friction point before people can access the group. Ask them some relevant questions proving their interest in your podcast’s topic. Make sure they understand your terms and conditions. Otherwise, you can start with lively discussions and end up with spam and fights.

Newsletters for Your Podcast Content

Making a newsletter is one way to avoid the social media doomscroll trap. Who doesn’t love getting emails from their favorite podcast?

Start with a Call to Action in your episodes. Offer your audience something they can only get via email, like a PDF of a favourite recipe, maps, art, or visual assets related to your show. Create something that complements your existing podcast content and gives your audience an incentive to sign up.

Maintaining your email list with an email marketing tool suite keeps it organized with minimal fuss, and protects your audience’s privacy. This way, your relationship with your podcast community can be more direct and personal.

Private Platforms for Your Podcast Community

If you don’t mind more work, you can use a private social media platform.

For example, Discord is an invitation-only, topic-based social media platform with many features. Mostly text-based, it resembles Slack or Internet Relay Chat if you’re old enough to remember it. It’s free, but users can purchase ‘Nitro’ to upload more data and get special features.

Discord has a knowledge base of safety features, training for moderators, and a keyword blocker. The features include text and/or voice chat, as well as a library of app integrations. You can even host live events for your podcast community with ‘Stage Channels’.

Circle resembles Facebook circa 2007, without the ads, games, and pokes that made it infamous. You can create subtopic channels, automate welcome messages, and host live events and on-camera discussions within your community. Pricing starts at $39 a month, with a 14-day free trial. But you can monetize community participation. Let’s say, for example, your podcast is about fly fishing. You can have people join the discussion groups for free, but charge admission for the content about how to tie fishing flies.

Running a private podcast community is obviously more work than a discussion group on a wider social media platform. Include something in your community that adds value at least once a week, separate from your podcast content. It can be an on-camera demonstration, posting your latest episode, behind-the-scenes content, or whatever you and your audience want to share. Otherwise, there’s little reason for people to keep coming back.

Regarding community moderation, check in at least once daily to see how things are going. Someone who seemed genuinely interested in your podcast community when they joined might forget their manners. One rude person can be a huge turn-off for others and make people stop participating.

Podcast Community and Parasocial Relationships

Whatever the platform, be mindful of any aspect of your community that makes you or your audience uncomfortable. You want your community to be friendly and supportive, generate good word of mouth, and help your show grow. Unfortunately, some people can misunderstand or exploit podcasting community support.

In Mikhaela Nadora’s paper, Parasocial Relationships with Podcast Hosts, she discusses social deixis (how podcast hosts address the entire audience as one important person) and spatial deixis (simulating physical co-presence). These factors create the illusion that the podcast host and listener share an experience.

“Podcast listeners report effects of intimacy, which leads to greater authenticity and conversation practices than radio. When hosts share personal topics, as discussed above, it is considered a sign of intimacy.”

It’s great that podcasts make us feel less lonely. When people in your audience make friends with each other, that’s even better. However, parasocial relationships (a connection where one party thinks they have mutual magnetism and the other doesn’t reciprocate) happen quite a bit in podcasting. They can have dangerous results.

Your podcast community should be a safe space where you and your audience can connect. People who are online often (like podcasters) should protect their online activity. Use strong passwords and two-step authentication. Take extra steps to protect your audience’s privacy. When participating in in-person podcast community events, take the necessary precautions to maintain a safe zone around yourself. We can all share ideas and values, but the minute someone makes you or someone else feel uncomfortable, get help.

This might all sound negative and cautionary, but the fact that your listeners feel like they know you can also be a powerful and positive outcome of podcasting, even as it presents unique challenges.

Connecting With the Larger Podcasting Community

There are three ways to connect with your fellow podcasters. One is to go to a park in the morning, find a quiet bench, sit down, and toss handfuls of stale popcorn onto the sidewalk. If you really want to impress the podcast community, bring sunflower seeds.

(Checks notes) I’m sorry. That’s pigeons, not podcasters.

There are two ways to connect with your fellow podcasters: in person or online. The latter is less work but requires more frequent involvement. The former can be more work and investment in terms of time, travel and money. But it can have a greater impact on your podcast growth.

Online Podcast Community: Frequent, Accessible, Low-Impact.

Like the online community you’d create for your audience, there are online communities for podcasters. They’re a good way to get help with obstacles, find shows interested in swapping trailers or interviews, or learn what people think of different products or services based on their experience.

Remember, though, they’re not a great place to promote your show. Text-based interaction can make it hard to read social cues, so read the community’s rules and spend some time reading posts before jumping into discussions.

Facebook Podcasting Communities

These podcast communities are often the easiest to set up and join. Since there are so many, think about what you want to get out of them before you join. Is it specific enough? For example, the Audio Drama Hub is for people interested in making audio drama and fiction podcasts. The Underdog Podcast Community is for independent podcasters.

There are Facebook podcast communities for different hosting services, genders, countries, cities, audience sizes, and pretty much any niche you can think of. Moderation and content vary. Most groups have regulations about self-promotion. Otherwise, the podcast community devolves into a chain of posts shouting, “You should listen to my podcast. Here’s a link. Okay, bye.”

Discord Podcasting Communities

When Patreon first started, Discord servers were a feature of many campaigns. So, more often than not, podcast-related Discord communities tend to focus on an individual show. But, Discord communities seem to proliferate like bunnies.

Some Discord communities for podcasters include:

• The WGA Audio Alliance, for fiction podcast writers.
• The Podcasters’ Community – a general podcasting community with dozens of channels for subtopics, almost anything from editing to food.

Anyone can join Discord, but communities are invitation-only. Invitation links can expire based on how the server owner sets their permissions. That said, finding and joining a Discord podcasting community is not hard. If you sign up for almost any podcasting newsletter and read each issue carefully, you’ll eventually come across a post promoting a Discord community that you’ll find interesting.

Follow a Podcast About Podcasting and Join Their Community

If it’s not already obvious, where there’s a podcast about podcasting, chances are there’s an online community related to it. For example, we have our PodCraft podcast and The Indiepod Community. As our Community Manager, Allegra, says,

“This community exists to provide a safe space for podcasters to make connections and get the help and encouragement they need to grow their podcasts without the icky sales posts, unreliable information, and post-and-ghost behaviours you see in some other groups. There is none of that here, just useful information and community. We want no podcasters left behind!”

In general, approach online communities with an open mind, pay attention to details, and don’t put your self-promo on blast. A quiet, supportive person needs to show up frequently to make an impact, but they’re more likely to gain followers and invitations. Nobody likes a blowhard. Everybody likes a butterfly.

In-Person Podcast Community: Infrequent, Unusual, High-impact

Podcast conferences, meetups, and mastermind sessions are a great way to meet other podcasters and learn more about your craft. These happen less frequently and require more time, money, and effort. Many of these opportunities have virtual attendance options for those who can’t make that investment. Virtual attendance is great if you want to pay attention to lectures or panel discussions, but you miss out on personal interaction. Here are some important in-person meetups that you should know about.

Podcast Movement

This organization is so big that it’s split into two separate conferences for different needs.

Podcast Movement is an annual conference featuring education, networking, a trade show showcasing various products and technologies, and, of course, parties.

Podcast Movement Evolutions is a more affordable event meant for podcasters. This event focuses more on education to “directly benefit anyone currently involved with, or looking to get into, podcasting and the podcast industry.”

Podcast Movement prides itself on being big, and is not only for podcasters but also for those interested in the industry’s fiscal possibilities.

Podcast Brunch Club

Avid podcast listeners who take their consumption choices very seriously will benefit from Podcast Brunch Club. Producers can benefit from knowing what podcast aficionados prize in a good podcast, but otherwise, this group is audience-specific: “like a book club, but for podcasts.” They have virtual and in-person meetings, and club chapters meet from Shanghai to Santa Cruz.

Their website includes articles and interviews with podcast creators, and their membership shares themed playlists of episodes. Again, this group is for audiences more than it’s for podcasters, but podcast producers can learn a lot from this community’s meetups and content.

How Successful Creators Build Loyal Communities 

Read article called: How Successful Creators Build Loyal Communities 

Podcast Growth Mastermind

A mastermind is an opportunity to learn from leaders and peers in a particular field or industry. It’s a small-group discussion where experts and laypersons gather for structured discussion and tasks to accomplish a goal. They can be virtual, in-person, or hybrid.

Accountability, networking, and inspiration are just some of the benefits. Plus, it sounds like a comic book villain or a board game that your older cousins always beat you at playing on rainy days.

Type the phrase “podcast growth mastermind” into any search engine, and you’ll find dozens, all varying in content, format, price, and quality. These usually have paid admission, a set number of seats, and an attendance policy. Since podcasting is so new (20 years might seem like a long time) and depends so much on virtual content, the leader could be someone with decades of experience in podcasting and related fields, or they could be someone who has made one podcast (if any).

How do you know which podcast growth mastermind to choose? Get the one who has the biggest cranium. They must have a lot of smarts in that noggin!

In all seriousness, find one where the goals align with yours, and they’re familiar with and sympathetic to your topic. Strategy varies for different kinds of podcasts. You wouldn’t ask a golf pro how to cook a hamburger. Well, you might, but you wouldn’t get mad if they weren’t good at it.

Afros & Audio

This podcast community supports Black independent podcasters and audio professionals at every stage of their journey and workflow, from starting a podcast to networking and educating others.

Afros and Audio focus outward (representation in the greater podcast industry, shifting the conversation beyond representation) and inward (creating networks to share resources).

Founder Talib Jasir has education and experience in storytelling, wellness and yoga, public policy, and social justice. So, this organization is uniquely poised to make podcasting a tool for people to improve their lives both behind the mic and within the headphones. Their annual conference has almost always been held in a Mid-Atlantic city, which has given me a soft spot in my heart for them.

How to Choose The Right In-Person Podcasting Community?

Price, location, and schedule will obviously affect your choices. If all of these factors are equal, check the organizer’s “about” page. Look for a mission statement, or find out what their values are.

For example, hashtagimpact has an altruistic value statement focused on empowering podcasters. At the very least, the “about” page should have a bio that tells you the organizers’ experience and goals. Ask yourself if the language they use feels right for you.

Whether they say things like, “we strive to build a safe space for emerging creatives of diverse experiences to lift their voice,” or “Hack your growth to extreme measures with pros who have skin in the game to take it to the next level and gain l33t status,” you can read between the lines and find a good fit. It never hurts to search for information about the event or organizers separately, to find what others have said about them.

You might have to spend money, time, and effort, but you’re more likely to feel you’re growing in the right direction. Besides, since these events are less frequent, you can commit to different events at different times.

The in-person events mentioned are just a few of the worldwide menu of podcasting meetups, conferences, and events: for more, check our Podcast Events page.

You Can’t Spell Podcast Community Without You and I. Or Taco, For That Matter

This is a massive amount of information to digest. But community is complicated. It’s a multifaceted prism of expectations and behaviours.

Podcasting sharpens what community refracts.

Hey, that’s pretty good. I should put that on a t-shirt.

Building your podcast’s community doesn’t take too much work, provided you intentionally include it in your workflow.

Social media is useful, especially for promoting your show to new people. But it shouldn’t be the only way you interact with your audience. Private channels can be more work, but they make more meaningful connections.

Podcasting affects its audience differently than other media, so beware of parasocial relationships. Connecting with the podcasting community worldwide requires different kinds of effort and return. Online engagement should be frequent, focused on support and advice, and less on self-promotion.

In-person engagement requires more personal investment, but the rewards exceed your podcast; it can enhance your self-esteem and change you for the better.

What matters most is that you approach your podcast community from a place of gratitude and support. When you thank and help others, over time, you’ll get much more out of your podcasting community than you expected.

We’d love to continue the discussion with you in our very own IndiePod Community – an online space for independent content creators. Sign up today, it’s free

Who has never looked up “how to unclog a sink” on YouTube? That’s how I learned to replace a P-trap. Some podcasters need visual aids to clarify their points. For others, promoting their podcast with clips on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube helps them grow their show.

With all the fuss about video in podcasting, video editing software tools are popping up like fairy rings of mushrooms in springtime. And, like fairy rings, some software makes your dreams come true, while others are nightmares. FlexClip is the latest entrant to the video editing software game. But is FlexClip the right tool to help you edit videos for your podcast? 

What is FlexClip? 

FlexClip is a video editing software that can help you make videos in a batch and save them to post later on YouTube or social media.

FlexClip offers tools and templates to edit video and images, add text or subtitles, and edit audio. Some interesting features include:

• ChromaKey, to replace any solid colored background with another image
• AI image editing tools that can remove objects, swap faces, or change clothes
• Templates with animations that resemble professional news introductions, Hollywood action movie trailers, and more
• An AI Image-to-Image Generator to take your image and re-generate it in your chosen style, such as a cartoon, pencil sketch, or oil painting.

How do FlexClip’s templates and tools work? Let me show you. First, I made a sponsorship pitch video. Using the samples from our article about creating a podcast pitch deck, I chose FlexClip’s template for an investment pitch video for a startup company.

FlexClip’s user interface layout is similar to Descript‘s, with an audio timeline (showing a waveform for each segment) at the bottom. Like the image-editing tool Canva, the user interface has menus of assets (stock photos or video, fonts, and so on) on the left of the screen. FlexClip’s templates give you a fill-in-the-blank option loaded with eye-catching animations. 

Here’s a sample sponsorship pitch reel that I made using FlexClip:

The animations are a little distracting, especially while editing. But, they’re fun for the audience.

FlexClip’s templates are helpful. You can drag and drop elements such as images, videos, or music into the timeline or the layers on screen.

Testing FlexClip’s Image Clarity and Captions

FlexClip is a good tool for podcasters to demonstrate detailed techniques, like repairs or crafts. To me, the video editing features that matter most are transcription and image clarity. So, I made a very simple video that focuses on the intersection of visual detail and captioning.

This knitting demonstration shows the difference between an SSK and a K2tog, why a knitter would choose one technique over the other, and how to knit them. Don’t have any idea what I’m talking about? Well, are you ever in for a treat!

Congratulations! Now, you can impress anyone at knitting circles, yarn stores, and sheep and wool festivals worldwide. Seriously, though, let’s get back to how FlexClip works.

We’ll start with FlexClip’s subtitle features, and then image editing within the video.

Caption Accuracy, Editing, and Price

FlexClip’s transcription accuracy is high, which saves time. The user interface provides a few options to begin, but you can choose any of the fonts and colors in their library. The caption styles include an animation highlighting the words as they’re spoken—an accessibility feature some audiences request. You can also move your captions to whichever part of the frame you want so they’re easy to see without conflicting with platform interface symbols or titles.

Caveat emptor (and I mean that literally): make sure each clip in the timeline is the exact length you want before running the subtitle feature. FlexClip prices captioning at a rate of two or three credits for each project. As the captions generate, the tool examines all the audio in the project to set up the captions, but only for the sections displayed in the timeline. Read on for an example.

As I put these three video clips in order, I thought the first clip was two minutes long, but it was three minutes and 12 seconds long. After generating the subtitles, I stretched the first clip to adjust the length to include all relevant information. The dialogue was captioned only up to the point where the clip ended when I clicked “generate.” I realized I’d have to generate the subtitles again, which could cost me more credits. Fortunately, I hadn’t saved the changes yet. By backing out in the web browser, I could get to a step before generating the captions, adjust the clip length, and re-generate the captions.

Again, like every aspect of podcasting, make sure your recordings are set up correctly before running an automated feature. Other than this teachable moment, Flexclip’s caption features are reliable and flexible. I only had to edit two words, and they were homophones.

Video Editing for Image Clarity

These images may make you think, “Wow, that Lindsay knows nothing about videography. The color of that yarn hides all the detail.” I know. I deliberately set up a situation where I would have to fix it in post. Gotcha!

I deliberately picked a bulky wool yarn, figuring the thickness would make the stitches stand out more clearly. Due to my standard household overhead lighting and the dark color of the yarn, though, the stitches are indistinct. So, I tested the video editing options to determine whether or not FlexClip could help me visually clarify the difference between an ssk and a k2tog technique.

Three Image Clarification Techniques

There are three image clarification techniques you can use on FlexClip. The FlexOne option involves zooming in and moving the focal point around to center the image.

Another option is to add animated image elements that point to the twisted stitches.

Finally, I tried color grading. To grade, click on the video frame (or “canvas”, as they call it) to open the video editing features. Skip the “Effects” menu and click on “Adjust.” This opens a menu of multiple sliders to adjust overall elements of the selected clip, such as Highlights, Exposure, or Contrast.

Then, you can move the sliders back and forth until the image looks how you want. To apply these changes to the entire video, click “Apply to All Scenes.” If you hate it and want to start over, click Reset.

Again, like everything else in podcasting, don’t record with your first impulse and say, “We’ll fix it in post.” Set up good lighting, use a tripod, and pick colors that work together. Software may seem miraculous, but it can only work with the material you give it.

FlexClip’s AI Video Script Generator

Let’s say you have a general idea of the video you want to create and some talking points. But you don’t have a lot of time. FlexClip’s AI Video Script Generator can take your ideas and use AI to write a script. Then, FlexClip can match video clips from their media library to search terms in the generated text, and add a voice and music.

I’ve made a couple of examples using FlexClip’s AI Video Script Generator so you can see how it works:

FlexClip’s AI Text-to-Video Generator: The Quick Version

First, I entered this text as a prompt. This text is from something I wrote for my creative writing podcast.

“Knowing the difference between plot and premise is crucial to writing a dramatic script that’s memorable and meaningful. Think about it this way: When you set sail on a voyage, the route your ship sails is the plot. This is the direction you sail, the obstacles you run into, and how you navigate around or eliminate them. The premise, however, is why you sail, not only at the beginning of the journey, but also as you reflect on your adventure at the end. Whether you sail for treasure, revenge, or the friends you make along the way, the premise is the spirit of the voyage, and the plot is the path.”

FlexClip condensed the above text into a script less than 60 seconds long. Then, FlexClip’s AI divided the text into scenes, matched video to each section, and generated this video in a couple of minutes.

That was quick, though unsatisfying. The images didn’t match the text consistently, and the language was condensed enough that the explanation of “plot vs. premise” lacked clarity. But it was quick and eye-catching, right?

Collaborating Step-by-Step with FlexClip’s AI Text-to-Video Generator

To show you the steps involved in collaborating with FlexClip’s AI video generator, I started over. First, I re-entered the same text prompt from my creative writing podcast. FlexClip generated a new condensed version of the text, and divided the text into scenes.

Above, you’ll see that FlexClip shows you individual scenes and the selected media. At this step, edit the text, if necessary. You can also keep the voice-over or select a different voice. Glide your mouse over a scene, and FlexClip’s user interface displays options to replace or delete that scene.

Let’s say you want to replace the video with a different clip. “Replace Media” takes you to a list of video search results related to the terms in the text. The “Add Scene” option provides a blank scene template to fill with text and select a video. Or, you can click the trash bin button to delete the scene.

FlexClip’s user interface displays the words it uses to search for the video or image selected and the matches found. You can also type in different search terms to find more relevant assets.

Once you’ve made sure you have the video clips or images that you want matched to the text you need, click “Apply.” Then, you can adjust individual elements in the Timeline at the bottom and preview your video.

Here’s the final example:

When FlexClip’s AI condensed the text prompt I included, this time it used words that evoke visual imagery to find clips of sailboats, maps, the ocean, and so on. I searched for images of buried treasure and adventure on the high seas. Still, I was surprised by the lack of live-action video of pirate cosplay in their video library.

To make your process even more straightforward, FlexClip can help you repurpose blog posts. All you have to do is copy and paste a URL into the AI Video Script editor interface. Here’s a screenshot of what happened when I added a URL for an article I wrote.

FlexClip copies and condenses the text into a brief script. Then, FlexClip copies images from that post and adds them to your video. I hope that in the future, FlexClip will include citations for the URL’s text and image sources.

FlexClip Pricing and Features

Here are FlexClips’ price tiers and accompanying features, in a nutshell:

• Free: Sign up, and your Flexclip videos will be downloadable in 720p HD. Each video can be up to 10 minutes long. You can use one video clip and one stock audio clip from their library per project. You can create and export up to 12 projects and use their AI features for a limited time. 
• Plus: For $11.99 a month ($143.88 billed annually), users can export their video at 1080p HD. This tier provides five videos and five audio clips per project from FlexClip’s stock library, and 3,600 AI credits per year. Users can save an unlimited number of projects online, with 30GB cloud space and 100GB video hosting space. Users aren’t limited to a time length when they make videos. You can use custom branding, and dispense with the FlexClip watermark. Not only that, but also FlexClip allows users at this tier to upload custom fonts, and save up to 100 templates. This tier includes reseller rights.
• Business: For $19.99 per month ($239.88 billed annually), users get everything from the aforementioned tiers and can download their videos in 4K Ultra HD. This tier includes unlimited stock video or audio clips from FlexClips’s library. Plus, business users get 9,600 AI credits, 100GB of cloud storage, and 1TB of video hosting space. Flexiclip users in the business tier can save up to 200 templates, and this tier includes reseller rights.

Can FlexClip Help Your Podcast Grow?

If you want to make videos for YouTube and other online platforms but don’t want to learn videography, then FlexClip can help you with the learning curve. FlexClip’s drag-and-drop templates, aspect ratios, and guidance are geared toward the YouTube market, so your channel’s content will match that of tenured YouTube channels. 

And for audio-first podcasters, FlexClip isn’t a bad tool for promoting your podcast. If your audience needs video to discover your show, it’s worth playing with the free trial to determine if it’s right for you and your podcast. 

AI tools don’t do anything better than humans; they seem to, simply because they work faster. You can compare FlexClip with other tools in our guide to video editing software, or our guide to AI Tools for Podcasters. And, you can discuss the latest trends in podcast task automation, video, and more with other podcasters in our IndiePod community.

Your audience can help you raise the bar for discourse about your podcast’s topic. That kind of audience engagement makes your show more popular and can help you make a positive change in the world. In this article, I’ll show you what audience engagement can mean, how to encourage it, and what you can do with your audience’s energy and enthusiasm.

What is Audience Engagement?

Google’s guide for digital content creators says, “Fans can engage with your content in three main ways: they can react, amplify, and/or respond.” This is true. But, likes, reviews, and shares are just a fraction of what audience engagement can be.

Audience engagement can:

• Show how the audience understands your content, and what it means to them.
• Highlight their knowledge gaps or specific needs.
• Inform you of your audience’s opinions.
• Make your podcast memorable and constructive.
• Empower your audience to feel part of a community.

When you ask your audience to share their ideas, opinions, and experiences, you can reward them for listening to your show. When they make and share content inspired by your show, it raises awareness of your podcast and your shared interests.

3 Ways to Encourage Audience Engagement

If you want someone to do something for you, serve dessert first. Find out what the audience needs from your podcast. Make audience engagement simple and rewarding. Then, ask them to do something they want to do anyway. In time, their actions will help your show grow.

1. Make keeping in touch easy and pleasant

Make audience engagement easy for the audience. Your podcast website, social media, and show notes can all have links to get in touch with you. When they email you or contact you on social media, thank them. Saying “thanks for reaching out” costs you nothing and validates them for their interest in your show. Take time to answer their questions.

That said, if you sense they’re having an unhealthy parasocial relationship with you, maintain boundaries. Make it clear that you’re glad they enjoy the show and that you value having an audience of people like them. This rewards them for following your podcast without being too personal.

2. Find out what your audience wants from your podcast

Run an audience survey. Ask them about their experience with your podcast’s topic and what they want to know more about. For example, your fly fishing podcast could ask your audience how long they’ve been fly fishing, where they fish, and their dream fishing trip.

When you know more about your audience and their experience with your podcast’s topic, audience engagement can help you develop your next episode or season.

When you run an audience survey, offer a tangible reward (like a gift card or some of your podcast’s merchandise). Again, serve dessert first.

3. Ask your audience to share their experience

Use your podcast’s Call to Action to ask the audience to share their experiences with your podcast’s topic. As an example, let’s go back to our fictional fly-fishing podcast. Let’s say you asked them to tell you about the first time they went fly fishing. They can:

• Share the story on social media, tagging your podcast in the post. Pictures or a video help show their enthusiasm for your topic.
• Send you the fishing story via email or a voice messaging tool. Then, you can read their story in your podcast or edit their recording into your episode.
• If the audience mentions specifics, like gear or a location, you can explore those nuggets of info in future episodes.

When your audience shares their experience with your podcast’s topic, you can validate their involvement and get ideas from their experience. Plus, their content can attract the attention of new audiences.

What Your Podcast Can Do With Audience Engagement

Whether Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world,” or someone else did, the substance of the quote is true. Your podcast can educate the audience and enable them to come together to take action. For example:

• A history podcast could work with the National Trust for Historic Preservation to save an endangered historic place.
• A food or restaurant podcast could host a charity stream with a food bank.
• A true-crime podcast could work with a domestic violence charity to raise awareness and funds or host a letter-writing campaign to policymakers about a relevant issue.
• Any podcast can invigorate its audience and raise money for charity with Podcasthon‘s annual initiative.

An audience engagement strategy like this is great material for your podcast episodes, your media kit, and your social media posts.

We’re always going to have to promote our podcasts. When you promote your podcasts’ action toward a goal, you give yourself and your audience a purpose and the opportunity to be something bigger than you were before.

Audience Engagement: A More Meaningful Podcasting Success Metric

It feels good when someone says, “I like your podcast.”

If someone says, “Your podcast helped me,” that feels better.

What if someone told you, “Your podcast helped me help someone else?” I know I would plotz.

We often get so caught up in the digital production cycle that we forget the non-digital impact our podcast can have. We can empower our audiences to come together and work toward a mutually beneficial goal. Solid audience engagement strategies can help you make a difference with your audience.

Have you tried any audience engagement methods that filled your inbox full of feedback? Or, filled your ears with the sound of crickets? Tell us more in our IndiePod Community.

Once, the Internet was an information superhighway. Now, it’s an urban center out of Blade Runner. Everywhere you turn, someone wants to sell you something, the pavement is slippery, and you’ll never know who’s a bot.

Fortunately, this means people appreciate sustained individual attention more than ever.

To sustain your podcast audience relationship, a sound email marketing system can help you cut through the clutter and engage with your audience. Specifically, Beehiiv helps you use email to engage your podcast audience meaningfully and monetize your content at an affordable price.

A quick heads up before diving in. Our link to Beehiiv is an affiliate, which means we’d earn a commission should you choose to sign up through it. Rest assured, this doesn’t cost you an extra cent, and doesn’t cloud our judgment when writing fair and honest reviews!

What is Beehiiv? 

Is it a website? Is it an email platform? It’s both. Though Substack grabs a lot of attention, Beehiiv provides greater value for money. 

Podcasters need to engage their audience in a meaningful, trackable way, without exhausting their resources. Though email newsletters may seem old, they avoid what promoters call “interruption marketing.”

Social media feeds want you to keep paying attention to their platform, though they interrupt your scroll with ads. Email newsletters use a promotional approach that’s more respectful to your audience. They’ve chosen to get emails from you. You can track which messages they open or links they click on. This consensual flow of information is worth building on, and that’s what Beehiiv is doing.

Beehiiv’s founders came from the Morning Brew newsletter and launched Beehiiv soon after the pandemic skyrocketed demand for trustworthy news sources. Tyler Denk’s growth plans circumvented algorithms by incentivizing sharing and improving SEO. He and his co-founders brought everything they learned at Morning Brew to Beehiiv. Now, those growth philosophies can work for you. 

Beehiiv Review: Features

Beehiiv helps you create an email that includes almost any element you can put in a blog post. Then, you send it to your audience. In return, you get data you can use to learn what the audience wants more of or doesn’t. 

Plus, your newsletter recipients can communicate with you via replies or comments. Each email is a blog post; the URL is your newsletter issue’s title. These fit into a simple website. And, you’re not married to one newsletter. Even the free tier allows you to make up to three separate publications. 

Your subscribers can read your content in their email or on your website, or you can link to outside content. It’s as easy as social media. I’ve been using Beehiiv to edit and publish The Fiction Podcast Weekly for a few months now, and I’ve enjoyed learning more about newsletters and experiencing Beehiiv’s growth. Here’s a screenshot of the newsletter’s web page on Beehiiv.

Let’s look at how you can use Beehiiv to cross-promote with other creators, share audio, track your audience’s response, and monetize your messages.  

Recommendations and Cross-Promotion

Do you know other podcasters who use Beehiiv? You can recommend each other’s newsletters. Know any experts in your podcast’s niche who publish via Beehiiv? Why not work with them, too? When someone signs up for your newsletter, Beehiiv can show them your choices of newsletters that they may enjoy. Beehiiv guides you through setting up a Signup Flow, so new followers can check off whether they’d like to subscribe to the newsletters you recommend, too.

Embed Audio in your Newsletter

Not all email marketing platforms can make your newsletter readable and audible. With Beehiiv, you can embed audio files in your newsletter issues, or turn each issue into a podcast episode with a few clicks. These options are only available for certain paid plans (Max and Enterprise) but may fit your needs.  

You can embed audio files in the body of your newsletter just like images. First, add an audio block from the embeds menu.

Then, upload the audio file or drag and drop it into the audio block. You can customize the look using Beehiiv’s block menu. You can also choose to make this block visible only to paid subscribers. 

To listen, recipients click the link in their email, which takes them to the website version of your email message. 

Beehiiv can also turn your newsletter into a podcast. Once you’ve set up an audio RSS feed for your publication, you can choose whether to enable audio when you publish each episode. Pick out a voice to read the newsletter. Then, choose whether or not you want the episode’s dialogue to read: 

• A direct transcript of your text
• An AI-generated summary of your text
• A custom prompt, such as “read a summary of this newsletter issue in the style of Marvin the Paranoid Android.”

An important consideration: Beehiv’s knowledge base advises, “Unfortunately, audio previews aren’t available in draft links or post previews. If you want full control over what is read aloud, we recommend choosing the Transcript audio content type.” 

The RSS feed will publish the episodes to whichever podcast directories you choose. 

Tracking your Audience Data

Tracking audience behavior is simpler with email than with a podcast. Instead of counting downloads to IP addresses, you can track how many open your message and what they click on.

Beehiiv’s analytics help you see how many recipients opened the email and what they clicked on. And, with Beehiiv, you can segment your audience to send different email messages to different segments. 

This might not seem like such a big deal, but most email marketing software only offers Beehiiv’s features at higher prices, or if you’re bringing in thousands of email addresses. 

Monetize Your Content with Beehiiv

Monetization is simple, too. Pick out Beehiiv’s Ad Marketplace ads and include them in your posts. Or, use Boosts to recommend other Beehiiv newsletters to your followers. When recipients click through and subscribe, you get paid. 

You can also sell premium subscriptions and/or set up a gate in your newsletter to remind recipients to subscribe for premium content. To participate in the Ad Marketplace or Boosts, you’ll need to purchase a paid tier. Which brings us to…

Beehiiv’s Pricing

Beehiiv offers a free tier with loads of features and flexibility for folks just starting out. You’ll get the community and learning needed to grow your following. However, Beehiiv’s monetization programs are available in paid tiers. These prices are effective when you pay annually. Unlike other email newsletter platforms, Beehiiv doesn’t charge a percentage, but a flat rate. 

• Launch. Beehiiv’s free tier allows you to maintain up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, campaign analytics, and access to its recommendation network. Optimized deliverability, audience segmentation, and custom domains are included in the free tier. You can also publish three different newsletters. 
• Scale. For $49/month, you get everything from the Launch tier, and you can send your newsletter to up to 1000 paid subscribers. This tier includes the Ad Network and Boost Network, plus Beehiiv’s Referral Program, where you can reward your current subscribers for sharing an affiliate link to your newsletter. The Scale tier includes Beehiiv’s AI, survey forms and polls, access to Beehiiv’s user community on Slack, and a team of up to three users for your account. 
• Max. For $109 a month, you get everything from the Launch tier and unlimited seats for your team, as well as the ability to create up to ten publications. The Max tier includes Audio Newsletter features, Beehiiv’s NewsletterXP Course, and the ability to use direct sponsorships to advertise storefronts. 
• Enterprise. You get everything from the previous tiers, custom subscriber limits, subscribers and publications, a designated account manager, dedicated IP addresses, invitation-only webinars, and an expedited customer support queue. Beehiiv’s sales department negotiates the price for this tier. 

In addition, when you sign up at the Scale or Max levels, you get a 30-day free trial. However, the free trials don’t include monetization features or extra logins. In the first month, you can build your Beehiiv skills without the paid features that affect other users (such as Ads and Boosts). 

Is Beehiiv Good for Podcasters? 

Did you skip to the end without reading the rest? Beehiiv is less expensive than other email marketing platforms for the features you get. For podcasters growing their email list from the ground up, the ability to make a newsletter that’s as feature-rich as Beehiiv’s, for free, is unusual.  

Once you’ve gotten the hang of the basic features and built a relationship with your audience, you can expand to include your audio in the newsletter, monetize, and grow. 

Tracking listens, however, is another story. I scoured the knowledge base: though you can tell how many recipients clicked on the link to your audio, I couldn’t find whether or not you can tell how long people listened. You’d have to check your dashboard within each directory to track listens. 

Beehiiv is good for podcasters because it offers more features and flexibility at affordable prices than other email marketing software. However,  your podcast, your audience, and your needs are a unique mix. Maybe your audience enjoys a brief reminder to listen to the latest episode, but doesn’t need the audio served directly to them with a silver spoon. Maybe your newsletter provides bonus content for your podcast listeners, rather than replacing the feed. Think about what your audience needs and whether or not Beehiiv makes audience engagement easier for you. 

Beehiiv: You Structure the Hive, They’ll Share the Pollen

In 1973, Karl Von Frisch won the Nobel Prize for deciphering how bees dance to communicate. By moving in patterns of ellipses and carefully counted wiggles, a honeybee can tell thousands of her sisters which direction to fly, how far, and what the reward will be. 

Wiggling your spiracle at a crowd can be tiring, but maintaining a relationship with your audience doesn’t have to be. Beehiiv can make sharing your latest episodes and supplementary information with your fans much easier. You don’t have to do any complicated dance moves unless you want to. 

Beehiiv isn’t the only way to reach your fans, by the by. Our guide to keeping in touch with your followers can show you how to simplify audience engagement. On top of that, our Indiepod community is a great place to discuss audience engagement, promotion, the finer points of recording, and so much more.

It’s true that the best way to grow an audience is to create great content. But it’s rarely as simple as that. If you never do any podcast promotion, then it’s unlikely your show will fulfil its true potential.

Building a bit of marketing into your workflow from day one is advisable. There are loads of different ways to promote a podcast – some may appeal to you, others might not.

The aim here is that you can pick and choose the ones that feel like the best fit. With podcast promotion, there’s no silver bullet and no shortage of trial and error. But, armed with these tips, you’ll be ready to go out there and double, treble, or even quadruple your downloads – if you’re willing to put the work in.

Our ultimate guide to podcast promotion is a list of the various routes, strategies, and options gathered together in one place. You can pick a few and try them over time to see what works for you and what doesn’t.

And, because we love a framework, we’ve packaged our podcast promotion guide into one. It’s called SCALE

The SCALE Podcast Promotion & Audience Growth Framework

Each podcast promotion tactic in this guide falls into the following categories:

• S – Syndication
• C – Communities & Collaboration
• A – Advertising (Paid Promotion)
• L – Live & In-Person
• E – Email & Engagement

Are you ready to SCALE your podcast growth? Then let’s get into it…

Syndication

Be everywhere your audience listens and searches.

Submit Your Show Everywhere You Can

The beauty of running a podcast is that people can consume it on platforms you’ve never even heard of.

Once you submit your show to Apple Podcasts, it will appear in the vast majority of directories and apps out there. Then, Submit to Spotify, and you’re catering to the large chunk of users over there. The final place to consider is YouTube. You can put a podcast on YouTube even if you don’t record video, too, so this is definitely worth doing!

Optimise Your Website for Podcast Growth

A great podcast can still suffer from having a poor website associated with it.

Many podcasters limit their show’s growth by overlooking some low-hanging website-based fruit. You want to enable your audience and traffic to help you grow.

If you don’t have a home for your show yet, check out our ultimate podcast website guide, which covers the whys, hows, and wheres.

But here are some important things to consider right off the bat;

• Do you have an About page where you sell the benefits of why people should listen? What’s in it for them?
• Do you have a Subscribe page where you link to podcast directories like Apple, YouTube, & Spotify? You could even explain here why and how to subscribe to the show.
• Do you have a Contact page listing how folks can get in touch? Stick your email address and social media links here.
• Do you have a media kit page?
• Do you have social sharing buttons on your posts? You want to make it easy for your listeners to promote your episodes.
• Is your domain name descriptive or memorable and easy to spell?
• And does your site display properly on mobile and tablet?

Be sure to create a short promo trailer for your podcast and embed it on your homepage, too. That way, potential listeners on your site can get a taster of the show immediately!

SEO & Google Search for Podcast Promotion

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation.

No matter how or where you set up your website, you now have a base to create searchable content that can rank and be found on Google, Bing, and the ever-evolving AI search and LLMs, where an increasing number of folks are finding their info.

If you’re using WordPress, the Yoast SEO plugin is a great tool for optimising your shownotes. It’s worth checking out this full guide on how to make your podcast SEO-friendly, too.

Of course, a huge part of this is your episodes’ actual names and titles, so how do we make the most of those?

Create Clear & Compelling Episode Titles

The way you title your episodes has a significant impact on your overall download numbers.

The worst thing you can do is to use a naming system like “Episode 6” or “The Whatever Podcast – Episode 6”. You don’t need your show title in there at all. And simply labelling content with numbers does nothing to tempt anyone to listen. It gives no hint of what’s on offer, so there’s no incentive to hit play.

Be as descriptive about the ‘hook’ of each episode as you can. It all depends on the content, but there are certain formats you can use to make clicking the play button irresistible. We go in-depth in our WHISPER TITLES Framework, and the following video will show you how to utilise them in your own topic or niche.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you should try to shoehorn these episodes if they’re not a good fit for your show. Just be as descriptive as possible. Let your target audience know at a glance this is the show they’ve been looking for.

For examples of ultra-descriptive episode titles, check out our show Pocket-Sized Podcasting.

Build Great Blog Podcasts Around Your Episodes

The blog post you write around each episode is also called your podcast show notes. The more detailed and helpful these are, the more they can work as stand-alone content to get your show in front of new people.

Add links to any tools or resources mentioned in your episodes, and Google will appreciate that, too. Some folks recommend copying full episode transcriptions into your show notes, but this content is often badly written – we talk very differently to how we speak, after all. Instead, it’s better to make your transcripts available elsewhere and clearly link to them in your shownotes.

Here’s our full guide to writing great podcast show notes for a deeper dive on that topic.

Communities & Collaboration

Grow through people, shared audiences, and strong fan culture.

Run Regular Audience Surveys

This isn’t a strategy for brand-new podcasters who don’t yet have an audience. But if you’ve been running a show for six months or more, you can get some invaluable growth insights from an audience survey.

Your existing fans can tell you a lot about your show. For example, how or where did they discover it? If many listeners find you in the same place or way, you can do more of it.

Likewise, if you’ve just spent $100 on an ad campaign and literally not one person discovered you that way, you can save yourself the money in future.

You can ask your listeners what things they like about the show. What topics do they like you to cover? What would they like to hear in future episodes? Give them a place to tell you all their likes and dislikes, and then tailor your content around that data going forward. It’s a lot better than trying to guess what your listeners want!

Sell Podcast Merch

Many podcasters see merch predominantly as a monetisation strategy rather than a podcast promotion tactic. And, whilst it’s true that it can be both, it’s usually more effective as the latter.

The vast majority of podcasters use third-party print-on-demand stores to create and sell their merch. This means that prices can be high and profit margins low.

If you run a merch store in this way, it’s worth selling stuff as cheaply as possible to maximise the amount of it out there in the wild. After all, every t-shirt, sticker, or mug with your logo is like a little billboard for your show.

Here’s our full guide to running a podcast merch store, as well as our podcast monetization roundup for more effective ways to earn some pennies from your show.

Collaborate & Cross-Promote

If other podcasters cover similar topics, you don’t need to see these shows as your competition.

It’s not like old-style TV, where folks had to watch one or the other. Podcast listeners subscribe to lots of different shows, and they’ll usually be based on similar subjects.

So, what active podcasts are putting out content for the same target audience as you? Why not draw up a list and reach out to the people behind them?

Here’s our full guide on podcast collaboration and cross-promotion, with 14 actionable tips.

Working together can help share your collective audiences, which will benefit everyone. Here are some top-level suggestions:

Swap Trailers

You might initially consider doing a ‘promo swap’, where you each play the other show’s promo trailer on an episode or two.

Create Content Together

You could look at collaborating on some podcast content. A common way of doing this is to co-host an episode together, which is then published to both of your feeds.

Build a Montage Episode

If you’re in touch with a handful of podcasters in your niche, you could also create a montage episode. This is where you reach out to them with a question and have them answer it in an audio form. Then, you piece these together into a single episode.

For example, a writing podcast might ask, “What’s your best tip for overcoming writer’s block?”. Or a health podcast might ask, “What does your morning routine look like?”.

Montage episodes are well shared amongst everyone involved. In turn, everyone’s audience gets a boost as a result!

Create Content for (Or About) Others

This follows from the collaboration angle and is also based on creating shareable content.

Guest Posting

A popular way to promote your podcast is to post a guest blog on a site with a similar target audience. With a guest post, you’re creating insightful and helpful content for their readers and, in turn, can link back to your own content.

Reviews

You can also create content that’ll be well-shared by reviewing a product or service you like. For example, if you do a cooking podcast and use a specific type of whisk, you could review it on an episode, then get in touch with the company that makes it and let them know. The chances are, they’ll share it with their own audience, many of whom will be interested in your show.

Guesting on Another Podcast

Another way of creating content for others is to be a podcast guest on their interview show. However, it’s not as easy as approaching someone and saying, “Hey, bring me on, please!”.

If you’d like to be interviewed on a specific podcast, give them a thorough proposal on what you can offer their listeners. What unique insights can you bring to the table? Personalise this to the show’s format and previous episodes. Only reach out to podcasts you’ve actually listened to.

You might even want to make your proposal in video rather than in written form. This will be much more likely to resonate with the podcaster. It’ll also set you apart from the many other requests they might get in.

Here are some useful tips on how to get booked as a guest on a podcast.

Advertising (Paid Promotion)

Use strategic spend to boost visibility and reach new listeners.

Pay to Advertise Your Show

If you’re a traditionalist, you might see podcast promotion as simply paying to get it in front of some new eyeballs (or ears!).

And advertising your podcast can be a great way to kickstart your growth if you have some budget behind you.

You can pay for podcast ads to promote your show in many places. It’ll always depend on your topic and audience, but these range from Google and social media ads to newsletters and print magazines.

One of the most effective ways we’ve found so far is on the podcast listening app Overcast. Here’s the lowdown (and our data) on Overcast advertising.

Other podcast apps offering ads include Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, and Podbay. You can find full details in our podcast advertising guide.

However, a creative “Guerrilla Marketing” campaign might be the best option for those with little or no budget!

Gain Visibility Through Financial Support

Just like the traditional advertising route of podcast promotion, you might be able to dedicate a small budget towards gaining extra visibility.

You could literally sponsor another podcast in your niche or wider topic. If done well, this could be a very effective way of gaining new listeners.

Some shows run Patreon accounts (other crowdfunding platforms are available), and rewards often include being mentioned on their episodes or websites. If you find a popular show with such a reward tier in your niche, you could chuck some money their way.

This route doesn’t only apply to other podcasts, either. Perhaps there’s a charity in your niche you could support? An example of this could be a tabletop wargaming podcast supporting a veterans’ charity. Or a writers’ show supporting an organisation that helps fund books for kids in socially deprived neighbourhoods.

Obviously, with charities, it’ll be more of a reciprocity thing than a direct transaction of money for promotion. You’ll need to be respectful here and keep in mind that this is an ongoing relationship rather than a service.

Live & In-Person

Create real-world connections that deepen loyalty and word of mouth.

Real World Podcast Promotion

Believe it or not, promoting your podcast away from the screen is possible!

For starters, are there in-person events in your area based on your topic? If you join a local club or society, you’ll naturally meet folks interested in what you do.

Are there any conferences or conventions happening in the next year? Why not inquire about running a booth or organising a session, panel, or workshop?

Finally, you can use the montage episode idea to promote your show in person with Vox pops. Vox pops are basically just clips of numerous folk answering the same question. You can record vox pops anywhere, from a dedicated event to out in the street.

If you go down this route, give each person you speak to a business card promoting your podcast. Let them know that this is where they’ll hear the finished piece. Most of them will be keen to check it out!

Email & Engagement

Build lasting direct relationships and drive listener action.

Embrace Email Marketing

When we ran our podcaster cares survey, 40% of respondents agreed that “any serious podcaster must run an email list”.

If you’re a “serious podcaster” and don’t, though, there’s no need to go on the defensive about this. If you’ve no time or enthusiasm for email marketing, then it’s better not to do it.

However, if you can muster the time and motivation, email is a great way to keep in touch with your listeners.

“But I already do that with my podcast episodes” is a valid answer. The thing about audio, though, is that CTAs are tricky. Often, our listeners are busy doing other things whilst we chat to them in their earbuds. Very few are looking at their screen or in a position to immediately click any link.

So, an email list can act as the perfect complement to your show. You can use it to mail out your show notes or any other offers, competitions, or sales you’re currently running.

If you’re interested in setting up or improving your email marketing strategy, our full guide has you covered!

Optimise Your Calls to Action (CTAs)

Finding new listeners is a huge part of this podcast promotion guide. But one place you certainly will find your target audience is at the end of each of your episodes. Those loyal folks who listen right to the end are your biggest fans, and they’ll be willing to help you out if you ask in the right way. That means honing in on your Calls to Action.

Two of the most common podcast promotion mistakes are;

1. to overlook those who are already listening
2. to waste your Calls to Action

Even if you’ve ‘only’ 20 regular listeners, those 20 people can help you reach a much bigger audience.

You can give your Call to Action (CTA) at the end of each episode. You’ve served the listener with great content, and they’ve really enjoyed and benefited from it. Now, you can ask them for a small favour.

Many podcasters ask for reviews because they think that’ll help the podcast grow. Sure, they can be great social proof, and we’ll talk more about that shortly. But don’t focus exclusively on reviews in your CTAs.

Instead of constantly urging your audience to review your podcast, try some other CTAs that could make more of an impact. A great place to start is by asking your audience to recommend the show to one friend they think would enjoy it.

You could even make an engagement-forward game out of it: ask your fans to recommend your podcast to a friend directly on social media and tag your show in the post. Then, thank that listener in your next episode!

Podcast Promotion on Social Media

Social media may seem like the most obvious place to promote your podcast. But if all you do is post, “Hey everyone, check out my podcast!” then you’ll be another meaningless voice amongst a very loud noise.

If you want to use social media for your podcast (and, by the way, you don’t have to!), then pick a few where you think your audience is most likely to hang out. In What’s the Best Social Media Platform for Podcasters, Kristina gives the lowdown on each app, from Twitter/X and TikTok to Pinterest and Reddit.

Facebook isn’t the goliath it once was, but its ‘groups’ feature can still be an excellent place to find or create communities around your topic or niche. If you can contribute to these in a way that’s positive and helpful to others, your podcast can find new listeners as a result.

You can also use micro-content to run effective Facebook ads. Or, you might opt for a platform like Instagram to pay for some potential traffic. But I’d recommend starting with a very small budget and only investing more if you see promising results.

Promoting a podcast on WhatsApp is also a thing, and joining or running a Discord community offers all the benefits of social media without algorithm-led issues and distractions.

In terms of the content you create for social media, most of these platforms now lean heavily into video, so let’s take a look at that…

Create Shareable Videos

Audio is notoriously hard to “go viral” because it’s long-form and non-visual. A good way to make your audio more shareable on platforms that cultivate short attention spans is to turn it into short video clips. Traditionally, the most popular way of doing this was with Audiograms, but creating video (especially ‘Shorts’) has become simpler and more accessible in recent years,

Perhaps the most innovative and fun approach here, though, is to have a clip from your show turned into a cartoon. We tried that with our show Hostile Worlds a while back, and got a really nice response.

Text-Message Marketing

Text-message marketing is similar to email marketing, though arguably a lot more personalised. You’ve probably had a marketing text from your local gym, hairdresser, or takeaway shop before, and you can use that same technology to grow and engage your podcast audience with regular updates and unique offers. Check out our full guide to text-message marketing to learn more.

Use Podcast Reviews As Marketing Material

As mentioned earlier, podcast reviews can be great social proof for your shows. Here are some tips and tactics for getting more podcast reviews. Once you actually have a few, you can start sharing them, too.

This is much better than telling people how great your show is – now, you have others to do it for you.

There are still some tactful and elegant ways to share your reviews on any platforms you’re active on. Even bad podcast reviews can be used humorously as part of your podcast promotion toolkit.

You can use podcast reviews on your website or on your podcast merch. You can even grow your podcast by writing podcast reviews for other shows!

Ready to SCALE Your Podcast Growth?

Hopefully, that’s given you plenty of ideas and tips for drawing up your own promotional strategy. Combine these approaches with creating great, unique content, and you’ll be well on your way to running a successful podcast.

Remember, if you haven’t done so already, check out our article on what’s a good number of downloads for a podcast. Setting realistic goals and expectations is important to avoid disillusionment with your show.

And, if you’d like some real-world examples and case studies of indie podcasters promoting and growing their shows, check out the following Podcraft episode…

Top Promo & Growth Lessons From Successful Indie Podcasters

Read article called: Top Promo & Growth Lessons From Successful Indie Podcasters

Finally, be sure to join us in the IndiePod Community, where you can discuss your latest growth plans and strategies with an enthusiastic group of like-minded podcasters. We’d love to see you in there!