Podcasting
The Ultimate Guide To Podcast Distribution & Promotion 2023
In this podcast distribution guide, we’ll go over the best ways to distribute and promote your podcast to ensure that it reaches its target audience.
Jan 4, 2022
Did you know that there are over 550,000 active podcasts and over 18.5 million podcast downloads per day? Out of those, how do you think your podcast can stand out? In this guide, we’ll go over the best ways to distribute and promote your podcast to ensure that it reaches its target audience.
What Is Podcast Distribution?
Once you’ve got your podcast recorded, edited, and ready to share with the listeners, it’s time to get your podcast listed in all of the top podcast directories.
Podcast distribution means getting your podcast listed in all top podcast directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, etc.
What is a podcast directory?
Podcast directories or podcast apps are where your target audience can subscribe and listen to your show.
Top Podcast Directories And Listing Apps
Apple podcasts, previously called iTunes, debuted in 2005 and have been raising the bar ever since. It has grown to be among the most popular podcast directories in the world. It started as a segment within iTunes, but as it grew in popularity, it became Apple Podcasts on its own. It’s among the podcast platforms that, for many people, represent the pinnacle of podcast distribution.
After Google Play Music was discontinued, Google Podcasts became the sole means for consumers to access audio programs on the Google platform. Because it crawls through the internet continuously to gather podcast material, Google Podcasts makes podcasters’ tasks easier. Podcast episodes now feature in Google search engine results, increasing the likelihood of your show getting noticed.
Stitcher provides a tool that tells you just how well your podcast is doing. The Stitcher app is available in almost fifty different automobile brands. It’s also compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay-equipped automobiles. You’ll want to get your program on Stitcher if it’s the kind that people listen to while travelling or driving.
Spotify is rapidly expanding, and its reputation is increasing day by day. It has above 381 million monthly active users and is a great platform for all types of audio material. Spotify also purchased Anchor and Gimlet Media, broadening its scope. If you put your podcast on this site, it will reach a huge audience.
Podchaser is massive in terms of the podcast collection it includes. Prospective audiences will have a better shot at getting your material if your program listeners review your program sessions. Each customer can see data about the podcast, from the episodes to the analytics and feedback, by setting up an account on it. There is also room to include information about the podcast’s producer.
iHeartRadio is a well-known podcast and radio listening platform popular amongst an older crowd. They publish a weekly podcast list and suggest audio programs to users.
How To Distribute The Podcast?
Now you know about podcast distribution and why it is essential to list your show on the podcast apps. It is time to learn how to do it.
The Role Of RSS In Podcast Distribution
RSS feed is the backbone of podcast distribution.RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It refers to files easily read by a computer called XML files that automatically update information. - RSS.COM
The RSS feed has all the data and metadata related to your show and episodes which allows podcast directories and other third-party platforms to fetch the details about your podcast.
A listener can only receive a podcast’s material via an RSS feed. Your podcast will not show on your homepage or in any podcasting listings if you don’t have an RSS feed, making it hard for others to access it.
It may sound intimidating and too technical but, the good thing is, you do not have to do it all yourself.
Hosting Platforms Are Here To Rescue
You will need a hosting service to host your final audio files. Almost all hosting services provide the basic infrastructure to distribute your podcast. In addition to organizing your audio files, these providers will generate an RSS feed that you can publish to podcast directories so that people may find and access your podcast. These services also offer to create a website. A website will give you more visibility, and your audience can learn more about your podcast, listen to episodes online, and subscribe to the most popular podcast apps.
A few popular podcast hosting platforms
How To Promote Your Podcast?
Distributing your podcast on various platforms is an essential step. However, it is equally important to promote the podcast.
No matter where you have hosted the podcast, it will have plenty of competition around it. In such a scenario, you need to publicize your show and make sure that your target audience is hearing about it. There are many methods to promote a podcast, ranging from free techniques to paid promotions. By finding the right tactics that work for your podcast, you can slowly increase your audience base and grow your podcast.
Create Podcast Audiogram To Share On Social Media
Convert your podcast audio into video snippets with animated waveform and share it on social handles. Create multiple clips from a single episode and use them as teasers.
A few points to consider while creating an audiogram
Keep it under 30 seconds.
Try to use existing artwork in audiograms for brand consistency.
Use images of people(host, guest) to increase engagement.
Add subtitles for better aesthetics and engagement.
Create multiple clips from a single episode.
Try to keep it simple. Do not use too many elements and animations.
Choose the correct format(square, vertical, landscape) for the target social media platform.
Transcribe Podcast Audio
Offering a complete transcription of your show, or at least the important parts of it can help people read them if they missed something. It also helps get SEO benefits and generate leads for your podcast.
Invite Popular Guests
Leverage the influence of your guest to promote your podcast show.
If you have someone, who has a large following on social media or who is somewhat famous, they can share those episodes.
Your guest should be able to share the promotional content easily. To make sure this happens effectively, you can create images with quotes, links, and audiogram snippets, as well as tweets or small segments of your show that they can share on their social media.
Host & Organize Contests
One of the best ways to increase interaction for your program is to conduct a small contest. The challenge or task that you assign can be related to some trend or pop culture reference that also ties into the topic of your show.
You can ask your audience to get involved in a story series as well, like a podcast bingo, and ask them to tag you in their stories and posts
You can also host simple giveaways, where you send your followers some merchandise if they do some simple tasks like leave you a review, share your posts, or tag their friends in the comments.
If you don’t have the funds for merch, you can mention the winners of your contest or giveaway at the end of your show, give them shoutouts, or tag them in a winner post.
Final Thoughts
Understanding the distribution and promotion of your podcast is a vital part of making sure that it reaches a wide audience. If your podcast is one among many of the topmost platforms, it will have better chances to grow and develop. This is the best way to scale up your business and get your podcast to reach better heights.
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