There are always going to be ways in which you can improve your podcast marketing. Podcasting as such is also a relatively new thing. So, it’s going to take some time to see the direction that the general audience is going to take.
Some like to listen to podcasts on their way to work, some during a long day after work, and there are those that combine fitness activities with learning new things. Yet, one thing that’s common amongst all these use cases is podcast promotion.
How do listeners find your podcast? Are they using a specific platform? Do they use a mobile app that curates a category-based feed?
For this post, we’ll explore what are the top platforms where you can promote your podcast.
This, of course, is besides having a podcast website of your own. If you haven’t yet started a podcast site, look into the reasons as to why you should. And whenever you’re ready, look into our professional podcast themes to help you get started quickly.
That said, this guide is going to assume two things:
- You already have an established podcast.
- You have a fully operational website.
This means that you can focus entirely on either listing your podcasts at the following platforms or adding links to those platforms on your website.
Let’s not waste any time: what are the most popular platforms to promote a podcast?
#1: Apple Podcasts
In their latest report, Apple says that there are more than 700,000 active podcasts listed in their Apple Podcasts program. Further, that report also includes information that there are more than 160M to 200M active podcast listeners on any given month.
Formerly known as iTunes Podcast (they have rebranded last year), the thing that makes Apple Podcasts so appealing is the native audience. Every single Apple-product user has iTunes installed on their device. It is also the most used music listening app besides Spotify. As such, getting your podcast published in iTunes is a quintessential task.
Once your podcast is approved and listed, any uploaded episodes will immediately show up on your iTunes page.
Listeners can then pick and choose their favorite episodes, including the most popular ones amongst everyone. Likewise, users can subscribe to be notified of new episodes through push notifications.
#2: SoundCloud
SoundCloud isn’t just a haven for indie artists to make it big. In recent years, the platform has invested heavily in making it easy for creators to record and share podcasts. This is now an official program under the name SoundCloud Podcasting. Anyone and everyone can sign-up!
On any given month, SoundCloud reaches between 150M to 170M users. That’s large enough of coverage to be considered vital to your podcast promotion efforts. Uploading new episodes to SoundCloud is simple. And you get the benefit of free sitewide promotion for your keywords.
Further, it’s extremely simple to embed SoundCloud links in your website, in particular, if you’re working with WordPress. Last but not least, SoundCloud provides extensive statistics on who has watched your podcast episodes. You can use this data to create custom episodes for specific audience segments.
#3: YouTube
YouTube is easily the most popular video platform in the world. And, as such, it makes it extremely appealing for hosting podcasts. Not only because of a wide audience reach but also because it’s extremely easy to embed YouTube videos elsewhere on the web.
Popular podcasts like the Joe Rogan Experience, H3H3, and TigerBelly are great examples of how video-based podcasts can attract hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Besides, you also get extra promotion whenever people cut up entire episodes to upload only specific clips.
You don’t need to record a video either. Many podcast shows upload only audio of an episode and use an overlay instead of a video.
#4: Stitcher
Stitcher is home to more than 70,000+ podcasts. Listeners can listen directly from the website, or by using an app on their mobile phone. Apps for iOS and Android are made readily available. This is a platform you’ll want to have your episodes listed purely for the exposure factor alone.
The platform is well-known for doing weekly promotions on the most popular podcasts and shows. This lets you gain some extra exposure if you’re really hitting off with your guests, etc.
All shows/episodes that you add to Stitcher are accompanied with individual stats and relevant viewing information. Use this data to either reinvite guests or to create similar episodes in the future.
#5: Spotify
Spotify serves just about 220M monthly active users, out of which more than 100M are premium subscribers. The immense popularity has not been lost on those who host podcast shows. In fact, Spotify is developing an official Spotify for Podcasters platform. Albeit, it’s in beta right now, you can still upload your episodes and have them found by existing users.
The biggest draw for Spotify is that it’s such an easy platform to use. It works across all computer systems, but also smartphones through apps. As such, anyone can listen to Spotify whether they are driving their car home, or out on a long run or at the gym.
Further, the category-based search means that you can tag your episodes with specific tags and gain more exposure. Similar to other podcast platforms, Spotify also provides critical viewing and listening statistics.
#6: TuneIn
TuneIn is most known for being home to more than 120,000+ radio stations. But the brand has expanded exponentially to also includes live music shows, news, and also podcasts. To date, TuneIn hosts tens of thousands of active podcast shows.
With 80M+ monthly active users, TuneIn is yet another great platform to share your podcast on. The podcast directory boasts a great UI which makes it easy to find relevant and interesting podcasts.
TuneIn is a reliable directory to gain some extra exposure from. Of course, you’re going to get much better results if you commit to one platform alone, but having the ability to spread your shows is always nice.
#7: Libsyn
Libsyn dates back many years and is well-known among the original podcasters as a superb platform for hosting podcast episodes. More than 50,000 podcasters have chosen Libsyn as their home. Maybe it’s because Libsyn is extremely affordable at only $5 per month.
Chances are, it’s also because of the custom-built Libsyn mobile app. This app connects your shows to hundreds of thousands of listeners whenever you upload a new episode. Further, you are able to provide “extras” such as transcripts, tips, even blog posts to your most loyal listeners.
The Libsyn’s Destinations feature is what’s making this podcasting platforms so popular as well. Destinations lets you republish your podcast episode on almost every podcast / social media website imaginable.
When you think about having to do this manually, of course, it makes sense to invest in a service like Libsyn to do all the hard work for you.
#8: Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout offers excellent podcasting services, which are used by more than 100,000 podcasters. The platform is famous among people such as Pat Flynn and other famous online personalities.
What makes Buzzsprout so different and unique is that it’s an all-in-one podcast management platforms.
This means, whenever you upload a new episode — Buzzsprout will also help you optimize that episode, but also send it out to platforms such as iTunes and many other directories already listed in this roundup.
Also, Buzzsprout creates a mobile version of your podcast so that your audience can tune in from their mobile devices. All this is done automatically, and you need not lift a finger. The same goes for importing episodes from other platforms. All it takes is a single click of a button.
Conclusion
There’s never been a better time to start a podcast. And with so many amazing platforms to promote your podcast on — success is just around the corner. We would love to hear how you are promoting your own podcasts.
Which specific platforms have proven to be most beneficial to you? And has operating your own website helped to boost your viewer numbers? Once again, Sonaar provides exceptional WordPress podcast themes.
Not only that, you can also get support for getting your website installed and configured in a way that suits you best. And the mentioned promotion platforms in this post will further help you gain new viewership.
