005: Tips For Promoting Your Podcast on Instagram in 2022
Subscribe for more →
If you have a podcast in the ready-to take-it-to-the-next-level stage, then this episode is for you! Today, I’m going to share how to beat the notorious podcast discoverability problem and grow your audience by promoting your show on Instagram. This is more an overview - we’re talking about current IG strategies with recent changes to the algorithm in mind. You don’t want to miss this.
In order to grow your podcast listenership, you need to continue to attract new audiences, right? Now you could take to the streets with your sign spinner or your megaphone, but you’re too busy running your podcast empire for that. Besides, that’s not where all the people are! Do you know where there are millions of people ALL OF THE TIME? Social media. And not just millions of people, but millions of people hungry for entertainment. INSERT YOU AND YOUR AWESOME PODCAST!
Instead of outdated promotional practices, why not use simple, free, and effective ways to leverage Instagram (you know, the app you’re already spending a huge chunk of your time on anyway?) to get you more listeners, for FREE!
This isn’t my first rodeo - I know there is stiff competition ready to buck you off the podcast horse. But never fear! I’ve done the research for you and broken it down so your podcast will stand out in the herd. Make sure to stay until the end of this episode, where I reveal the easiest way to reach hundreds or even thousands of new listeners in minutes!
Okay, ready to add “social media marketing expert” to your podcast resume? Here are my tips for using Instagram to promote your podcast and stand out from the crowd!
Tip 1: Befriend the algorithm!
The Instagram algorithm goddesses favor carousels and reels and show this content to people more than anything else. Basically, it’s the hot ticket item that takes the prime spot in your newsfeed. Instead of resisting, embrace the trend!
You have a better chance of reaching new audiences when you work WITH the algorithm as opposed to against it. Think about what it is your target audience wants to see. Chances are you’re making your podcast because it’s something you would listen to, right? So what would catch your eye on Instagram that relates to your topic? Is it ten inspirational quotes to start the week? Is it behind the scenes with your latest guest? Is it using trending audio to make your own take on a reel? Is it photo documentation of your journey or things that inspire you, aka the photo dump? Think about what you’re enjoying when it comes to making your podcast, and let it inspire your content!
Tip 2: Get bold with your posts.
On Instagram, Image is everything! So you have to have a strong visual identity. Yes, podcasts are an audio medium, but they’re so much more than that, and Instagram prioritizes the visual. Fortune favors the bold. So get bold! Use bold graphics. Use clear and legible fonts that make sense for your brand. Post stories – and find ways to give viewers a call to action or a fun prompt to engage them. Use lots of pictures. Use lots of icons because - you? You’re iconic.
Tip 3: Know your brand.
Will people know it is you posting when the image is wedged between a cute cat video and a food pic? Girl, you have to make sure they will. So go ahead and create your visual brand! Take your already existing, super fun logo and cover art and use it to your advantage. It is there ripe for the picking with your identifying colors, fonts, and imagery. Break it down. Stick to your color palette. Use those brand components across all of your content. Tie all of your content together with a cute little bow that is your visual brand.
Tip 4: Get camera ready.
Ready to get personal? SHOW YOUR FACE! People love to identify the real-life human behind their favorite soundtrack to work out to, grocery shop with, or cook dinner alongside. You are in their lives, intimately, so stop hiding. Get in front of the camera and let the good people get to know you. They already love you, so give them more to love!
Tip 5: Use your links and bio to your best advantage.
Make the most of your precious real estate on Instagram! Use your bio, your links, and your hashtags to clearly tell people what your show is about. Pretend they have no idea when they found your profile, how are you gonna tell ‘em who you are?
Be clear, be precise and make sure the tone matches your brand. Do emojis feel right? Is there a question you want to put to new followers when they land in your space? Are there story highlights you should have? You only get one first impression; make it the right one.
✦ Bonus Tip!
Since we are talking about how to use Instagram to grow your podcast audience, this is a next-level tip for podcasters who have guests on their shows. Before you record with your guest, look up if your guest also has an Instagram account. If they do, request that instead of posting about the episode after it comes out that they join you on a quick 20-30 Instagram live session to promote the episode.
This quickly and organically grows your audience because *DING!* not only are your followers notified the second you go live, but so are theirs. Now you have access to a whole new audience of people who might not know about your show. Use your time on IG live to convince these new audience members why they should become listeners and make it easy for them to do so by being explicit about where they listen and subscribe. Pretty exciting stuff, right?
✦ Let’s recap!
So let’s recap! These tips are not only super effective, but they’re also incredibly fun. Don’t forget to have fun! Lots of it!
Tip 1: Befriend the algorithm!
Tip 2: Get bold with your posts.
Tip 3: Know your brand.
Tip 4: Get camera ready.
Tip 5: Use your links and bio to your best advantage.
Bonus: Go live on Instagram to grab the attention of your guest’s followers.
And that’s it! You’ve got this! Use these tips and watch your Instagram reach, and therefore your podcast listeners, grow right before your very eyes. All for free. All with the platform you are already using. Go forth and be positively confident in your brand, your posts, your bio and of course, your babin’ self!
Because we can’t resist bringing you even more value, here is one more thing! If you want to discover the many other ways to grow your podcast audience, download our free growth guide.
This highly detailed mini-guide includes the best strategies for growing your listenership through organic marketing and choosing the right monetization strategy based on your podcast size and niche.
Computer-Generated Transcript with Time Stamps
[00:00:00] If you have a podcast in the ready to take it to the next level stage, then this episode is for you today. I'm going to share how to beat the notorious podcast, discoverability problem, and grow your audience by promoting your show on Instagram. This is more than an overview. We're talking about current Instagram strategies with recent changes to the algorithm in mind, you don't wanna miss this stay tune.
[00:00:29] Hey, my name is Lauren Popish and I'm obsessed with podcasting. A little meta, right. I started podcasting after a public speaking event gone wrong sparked a phobia of public speaking that almost ended my corporate career. Now, I help women use podcasting to share their ideas, [00:01:00] grow their businesses, start movements, and leave their unique marks on the world.
[00:01:05] My company, the wave produces shows for some of the most influential women in health, business, spirituality, beauty, and more. And in this show, I'm taking all of the strategies I've used to help my clients top the podcast charts, and I'm bringing them to you. If you're hoping to start grow. Or monetize a podcast you're in the right place. This is Podcast Like a Girl
[00:01:36] In order to grow your podcast listenership, you need to continue to attract new audiences. Right now, you could take to the streets with your sign spinner or your megaphone, but you're too busy building your podcast empire for that. And honestly, that's not where all the people are, but do you know where there are millions of people?
[00:01:56] Literally all of the time. Social media [00:02:00] and not just millions of people, but millions of people, hungry for entertainment, insert you and your awesome podcast instead of outdated promotional practices. Why not use simple, free and effective ways to leverage Instagram? You know, the app you're already spending a huge chunk of your time on anyway.
[00:02:20] To get more listeners for free. This isn't my first rodeo. I know there is stiff competition ready to buck you off the podcast horse, but never fear. I've done the research for you and broken it down. So your podcast will stand out from the herd. Make sure you stick around till the end of this episode, where I reveal the easiest way to reach hundreds or even thousands of new listeners in minutes.
[00:02:45] So are you ready to add social media marketing expert to your podcast? Resume. Here are my tips for using Instagram to promote your podcast and stand out from the crowd. Tip number one, befriend the algorithm, the [00:03:00] Instagram algorithm, goddesses favor, carousel and reels, and show this kind of content to more people than anything else.
[00:03:07] Basically, it's the hot ticket item that takes the prime spot in your newsfeed. Instead of resisting embrace this trend, you have a better chance of reaching new audiences when you. With the algorithm, as opposed to it, think about what it is your target audience wants to see. Chances are you're making your podcast because it's something you would listen to.
[00:03:29] Right. So what would catch your eye as you're scrolling on Instagram that relates to your topic? Is it 10 inspirational quotes to start the week? Is it a behind the scenes with your latest guest? Is it using trending audio to make your own take on a reel? Is it a photo documentation of your journey or things that inspire you?
[00:03:51] AKA a photo dump. Think about what you're enjoying when it comes to making your podcast and let it inspire your Instagram content. [00:04:00] Tip number two, get bold with your posts on Instagram images, everything. So you have to have a strong visual identity. Yes. Podcasts are in audio medium, but there's so much more than that.
[00:04:13] And Instagram prioritizes visual. Fortune favors the bold. So get bold, use bold graphics, use clear and legible fonts that make sense for your brand post stories and find ways to give viewers a call to action or a fun prompt to engage them. Use lots of photos. Use lots of icons because you. You're iconic tip number three, know your brand will people know it's you posting when the image is wedged between a cute cat video and a food pick girl, you gotta make sure that they will.
[00:04:49] So go ahead and create your visual brand. Take your already existing, super fun logo and podcast. Cover art and use it to your advantage. It's there [00:05:00] ripe for the picking with your identifying colors and fonts and imagery. So break it down, stick to your color palette and use those brand components across all of your content tie all of your content together with a cute little bow. That is your visual brand.
[00:05:16] Hey, I hope you're enjoying this episode. I'm taking a quick break to remind you to subscribe, to podcasts like a girl. I know, I know when will podcasters stop asking that subscribing means that you get the latest episode delivered directly to the top of your apple podcast app, but more importantly, it actually just helps me prove that I'm legitimate and reach more listeners.
[00:05:43] If you. Any value in this episode so far, please consider picking up your phone, opening, apple podcasts, going to the podcast, like a girl main page and clicking the plus sign in the upper, right to follow our show. Thank you very much in [00:06:00] advance. And now back to the episode.
[00:06:04] Tip number four, get camera ready, ready to get personal. You gotta show your face. People love to identify with the real life human behind their favorite soundtrack to working out to grocery shopping with or cooking dinner alongside you are in their lives intimately. So stop hiding.
[00:06:25] Get in front of the camera and let the good people get to know you. They already love you. So give them even more to love. Tip number five, use your links and bio to your advantage. Make the most of your precious real estate on Instagram. Use your bio, your links, and your hashtags to clearly tell people what your show is about.
[00:06:46] Pretend they have no idea how they found your profile. How are you gonna tell 'em who you are? Be clear, be precise and make sure the tone matches your brand. Do emojis feel right? Is there [00:07:00] a question that you want to put to new followers when they land in your space? Are there story highlights that you should have?
[00:07:06] You only get one first impression? Make it the right one. Now for my pretty darn powerful bonus tip. Since we're talking about how to use Instagram, to grow your podcast audience, this is a next level tip for podcasters who have guests on their show. Before you record with your guest, look up to see if your guest already has an Instagram account.
[00:07:32] If they do request that instead of posting about the episode after it comes out that they join you on a. 20 to 30 minute Instagram live session to promote the episode this quickly and organically grows your audience because ding not only are your followers notified, the second you go live, but so are theirs.
[00:07:54] So now you have access to a whole new audience of people who might not know about your show. [00:08:00] Use your time on Instagram live to convince these new audience members, why they should become listeners and make it easy for them to do so by being explicit about where they listen and how to subscribe.
[00:08:12] Pretty exciting stuff. Right? So let's recap. These tips are not only super effective, but they're incredibly fun. So don't forget to have fun and lots of it. Tip number one, befriend the algorithm. Tip number two, get bold with your posts. Tip number three, know your brand. Tip number four, get camera ready and show your face.
[00:08:35] Tip number five, use links and bio. To your best advantage and for a bonus, go live on Instagram to grab the attention of your guests followers. And that's it. You've got this, use these tips and watch your Instagram reach and therefore your podcast listeners grow right before your very eyes, all for free, all in a platform that you're already [00:09:00] using go forth and be positively confident in your brand, your posts, your bio, and of course ya babin' self.
[00:09:13] That's all for today, pod broads. Thanks for listening, keep podcasting, and enjoy the ride.
[00:09:23] I know just how many podcasts you could have been listening to, which is why I'm so grateful you decided to spend the last 20 minutes with me. Speaking of time. If you're a podcaster and you've ever wondered what else you could be doing with your week if you didn't have to edit, write show notes and create marketing materials for every podcast episode, then let the lady pros at the wave treat you to some me time.
[00:09:48] Get 15% off your first month of a production package by going to thewavepodcasting.com/podcast-editing-services and enter podcastlikeagirl all one word lower case at checkout. Now the only question is which podcast you're gonna spend all your new found time binging. See you back next week.
