Ciao, bimbi!
I had something else planned for you today but I’m moving it to next week—this is a tiny bonus.
I am constantly talking about how Twitter is good for the podcast community you have but does not promise growth, blah blah blah. But I love Twitter and think it’s a great way to make podcast friends. Tweeting about your show is not marketing, but being an active participant on Twitter can elevate you and your show, teach you things about the industry, and introduce you to people you never would have met otherwise. So in a way, being on Twitter is marketing. Because marketing is about people, and so is Twitter. Twitter is how I met Arielle and I basically hired Devin (a Tink STAR) after seeing her tweet, as a joke “I wish someone would hire me to listen to podcasts.”
Tweeting might not grow your show, but meeting these people will make your marketing journey easier, and can position you as a valuable member in the podcasting community. I’ve rounded up a few people you should be following. (If you don’t see yourself don’t be offended—I had to cut out a lot.)
Thanks to the Tink team and especially ANNE and DEVIN for the help!
Oh and: I asked podcast Twitter who to follow on Twitter and this is what they said. (It’s a love-filled thread filled that made me ridiculously happy.)
Meet these people. Follow them. Here’s who and why:
Arielle Nissenblatt (duh)
Why: The threads! The passion! The optimism! Her feed is a platform that will teach you things and connect you with others.
Why: Maribel has production skills that go beyond just podcasting but is always tying it back to helping podcasters.
Why: Devin spends her time deep in podcast marketing research and is helping to build Tink Media. She shares gems she’s learning along the way, plus plenty of love for podcasts and podcasters! She’s also very funny.
Why: If there’s one guarantee about Tal it’s that they’re going to find someone being Foolish On Main and go on a rant about them, and it’s always entertaining and educational. Tal is making podcasting (and the internet) better.
Why: Twila shares stuff podcasters need to know but might miss. I always go straight to her profile to see what she’s shared. She is constantly speaking up for marginalized people and supporting the most vulnerable in the biz. She also hosts a helpful Twitter Space the second Sunday of the month, so look for it there.
Why: Ely is a podcast critic and creator, and frequently discusses the issues with the audio space, particularly around accessibility and inclusion for marginalized communities. They also run the Simplecast account where they share great articles about marketing and podcast production!
Why: Bryan’s always pushing for the industry to do better and be better. You’ll learn about ad tech and what it means to move podcasting towards a point where it isn’t as rare for someone to make it their full-time job.
Why: Rebecca does so much for the audio industry I don’t have time to list it all here. She’s the Digital Director at New Hampshire Public Radio, lead audio editor for the hit podcast Undisclosed, the host of the Netflix podcast You Can’t Make This Up, and co-host of Crime Writers On… Rebecca is able to step back and tell us what’s going on in the audio industry as a whole. She is the number one podcast tastemaker and if she told me to jump off a bridge (or even listen to Joe Rogan) I’d do it. She also posts beautiful photos of her dogs, which is icing on the cake.
Why: With her new newsletter, The Squeeze and writing in general, Skye is doing the rigorous work needed to help us make sense of the wild audio world.
Why: Newt does it all—producing, writing, directing, voice acting—and speaks up for the community of disabled podcasters.
Why: Shreya of Inside Podcasting understands the industry better than almost anyone. With her knowledge (and good writing skills) she pulls together all the news, drama, and tech stuff that’s good to know. She has great taste, too. You’ll want to keep up with what she’s listening to and writing about.
Why: He’s taking podcast thoughts and making them into perfectly clever visuals.
Why: Jeremy offers helpful tips and threads that truly break things down and make complicated marketing tactics (seem) simple.
Why: You get scoops.
Who did I miss? Sound off in the comments.
Thanks for the shoutout Lauren! You rock!
Thanks for this, Lauren!