Bonjour!

If you’re doing it right, podcast marketing takes a lot of time. It can feel overwhelming, I get it. 100 tips is a lot. (I see the hate for me in your eyes when I tell you that you need to spend 50% of your time on podcast marketing.)

Let’s make a deal—I’ve thought of three things you should do every week—stuff that’s not too time-consuming but can make a difference. I think that if you have 3 quick hits you’ll remember to do it and it won’t feel like you’re reinventing the wheel every time. You don’t even have to do all three—make a check list and every week ask yourself: is this a step I can take right now? It might not be!

Let’s go!

1. Submit your podcast to be featured in apps

I just had an issue about applying to apps for feature, where I explain exactly what the apps want and how you can make your best pitch. Read about that here, and here are the links to the forms.

Apple
Stitcher
Spotify

TLDR:

Remember that the apps want to feel like a homepage where the sexiest, most relevant stuff is on display. So when you’re applying, explain why your show should be featured NOW.
If you have listeners in other countries, apply to be featured in those countries. The US is by far the most congested region and you have a better chance somewhere else. Look at your analytics and see where your listeners live.
When you’re filling out the form, you need to indicate how you will return the favor of being featured—this might be the most important part of the form. If you’re filling out the Apple Podcasts form, mention that you will link to Apple Podcasts on social, and drive people to the app on your show and in your description, or even in your newsletter.
Being featured will not change your life. It will give you a chance to win listeners over, it’s up to you to make a good enough show to get them to stick around.
Submit often. I have a reminder set in my calendar to apply every 2 weeks. I don’t always apply, but I check in with myself.
Read (way) more.

2. Reach out to 10 podcast friends

Find your podcast friends.

Use Rephonic to search your podcast neighborhood.
Search shows in the Podcast Partnership Database. (Make sure you’ve entered your own show using the form!)
Look your show up on apps and scroll to “You might also like.” (That is Apple data that shows you shows with audience overlap.)
Google “food shows Player FM” (or whatever) to get a good list of similar shows (if you have a food podcast.) Click to the right where you see “Recommendations.” More shows for you there.
Search your show in Chartable and click on your genres. Chartable will show you the top 100 shows in your category for free.
Play around in PodChaser. The free version will let you browse lists.

Separate them into three lists:

Dream partners that are maybe a little bigger than you, that would be huge gets. (You might want to consider pitching a feed swap and hoping the bigger show will do you a huge solid by running an episode of your show on to their feed, in exchange for the same for them, even though they have a bigger audience.)
Perfect matches.
Low-hanging fruit. Shows that are smaller than you.

Send them a nice note and ask them to set up a promo swap with you.

It’d be ideal if you could set up a promo swap for every episode of your show.

Read more about finding your friends here and what to do with them here.

3. Read up on your podcast newsletters and submit.

You should be subscribed to the following newsletters.

Podcast the Newsletter (mine:) Recommendations, takes pitches.
EarBuds: Curated by a different person each week (could be you!)
Podcast Gumbo: A short list of Paul Kondo’s favorite things.
Hurt Your Brain: A collection of thinkey podcast episodes from Erik Jones.
Inside Podcasting: Industry news and spotlighted shows.
Podyssey: Recommendations (helps if you are Podyssey community member)
Podcast Bestie: Interviews, recommendations
Podnews: Industry news
Find that Pod: Recommendations
Podcast Review: Recommendations
PodMov Daily: Interview, news, recommendations
HotPod: Industry news
Great Pods: Critical reviews

Read up on what they’re covering and consider if there’a a reason you should pitch them.
Don’t cold pitch them. After you’ve read one of them, if the moment is right, respond to the issue with your pitch. That shows the newsletter writer that a) you are a subscriber b) you’ve read their latest issue c) you’re part of their community.
Be specific in your pitch. Tell the what you want them to do.
You don’t have to pitch the newsletter—sit back and read. You might learn about a new show you should connect with, or news that you can use to make your content better.
More about pitching newsletters here.

To review:

Submit your podcast to be featured in apps.
Connect with 10 new podcast friends.
Read up on your newsletters.
Do it all again next week.
That wasn’t so bad, was it?

From the Desk of Tink

ICYMI, Tink Media is a podcast growth and ideas company that helps shows with pitching to apps and media, setting up promo and feed swaps, advertising, wild out-of-the-box thinking, and more.

This week I’m highlighting one of our clients, Unpacked by AFAR! Let me know if you’re interested in a swap!

Have you ever been traveling and encountered a situation where you felt a little . . . uncomfortable? Yeah, us too. Each week on Unpacked by AFAR, we'll unpack a single, ethically complex question. Say, “How can I travel with a lighter footprint?” or “How can I engage with animals in an ethical way while on the road?” Through a mix of first-person stories and interviews with experts in the field, Unpacked will explore not just answers to those questions, but new ways to engage with the places we visit and the people we meet. Because the world is complicated. Being an ethical traveler doesn't have to be.

xoxo lauren

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