🟡 The Podcast Marketing Year-End List 2023

The Tink team shares their top podcast marketing tips of the year

It’s that time of the year - listicles and wrapped are cool again, especially in podcasting. And we love a good trend. So, I asked the 11 members of the Tink team (or as I call them in my head - Tinkerers) to share their one ultimate podcast marketing tip from 2023.

They obliged.

But, before that…

🍰 Have you sampled our Audio Delicacies yet?

🍴 Peruse the genre-spanning list here.

We're highlighting the BEST podcasts and episodes that showcase the uniqueness and diversity of the podcast industry. From comedy to narrative non-fiction, there’s a course for everyone.

🎧 Bite into it on: Spotify | Podchaser

Now that we’re done with the food puns, onto the main event.

Top Tips from Tink’s Podcast Marketing Team

🎧 If you’re in a rush you can listen to some of these tips on this episode of One Minute Podcast Tips. Thanks, Danny!

To start us off, Anne centers us in our creation process.

🎙️Anne Baird (they/them):

Make a podcast that you would want to listen to! If you are just making a podcast for the sake of making one, and aren’t interested in the topic or the audio-only medium, that will come across in your episodes and take the heart out of your show. Pick a subject and genre you enjoy and a format that makes sense for your workflow and resources. Your podcast will benefit from your genuine interest in the art you’re creating, and your audience will love it even more because of that.

Podcasting is FUN—so make sure you’re having fun every step of the way!

Ilana brings in an important reminder.

🎙️ Ilana Nevins (she/her):

Listen to podcasts yourself! It's important to not only create exceptional podcasts but to ALSO listen to others. This helps you not only to get inspired, but also to stumble upon other shows that could become your podcast friends.

In turn, it will make it so much easier if you do cold outreach for collaboration opportunities since you'll have something meaningful to say to them - you can reference a past episode, a segment you particularly like, or a guest you were drawn to. It also makes this work more enjoyable and more authentic by being able to reach out to folks you truly admire!

Lauren’s here to tell us how to find the podcasts you can collaborate with.

🎙️ Lauren Passell (she/her):

Go to rephonic.com/graph right now, do not pass go. It’s a free website that shows you the galaxy of podcasts you exist within. Simply type in your podcast name and it will give you a map of podcasts with similar audience types. 

In addition to learning what else your audience listens to, you can also find great shows to collaborate with for promo swaps or feed drops. Partnering with the right people is the best way to grow your podcast.

Devin and Arielle break it down on how to build that network up.

🎙️ Arielle Nissenblatt (she/her):

Your podcast does not exist in a vacuum. Doesn’t sound like a tip right off the bat, does it? But it comes with a little bit of instruction. 

Commit to regularly checking the Spotify charts, the Apple charts, the home page on Pocket Casts, on Castbox, the homepage on Goodpods. Check out what other shows are trending in your podcast category. 

There are other people who are making shows similar to yours, and those people could be your potential collaborators. Be aware of what they’re making, what topics they’re focused on, and think about how you can collaborate with those shows.

🎙️ Devin Andrade (she/her):

Your audience contains multitudes. When researching what podcasts to collaborate with, for cross-promos or feed drops, you need to think both inside the box and outside the box. 

There’s likely a variety of reasons people like your show so think about these reasons. Think of each of these reasons as a bucket. Different podcasts belong in different buckets. Don’t limit your collaborations to just one bucket! Reach out to podcasts across different buckets. 

If you’re feeling a little lost about what those buckets might be, you can always ask your audience with a quick survey.

Holly and I recommend how to get the most out of your collaborations.

🎙️ Holly Brown (she/her):

Let’s talk about the gold mine for podcast promotion: the promo swap. It’s a great way for podcasters at any level to expand their audience without breaking the bank. Quick refresher on what it is: a 30-second shoutout of a podcast during your show, and in return you ask them to do the same. 

How do you find the shows to best align with? Pick podcasts that are similar in size and vibe, like finding your podcast twin. When pitching to these shows, reach out to let them know that you’re a fan and you want to collaborate to grow both your shows. The key is to show them that this is a partnership where everyone wins: their podcast, your podcast, and the listeners.

🎙️Shreya Sharma (she/her):

When it comes to crafting a pitch, tell them a story you’d like to read. I recognize that we’re always running short on time but writing with intention can help slow time down. So, when writing a pitch, write with intention. You got started on this podcasting journey for a reason. It’s only fair that you honour that reason by sharing your story uniquely and intentionally. 

In non-woo woo terms: make your pitch memorable by keeping it personal and personalized. Here’s an example I love.

Aakshi and Andreea take it one step further by sharing how to customize those pitches and who to send them to.

🎙️ Andreea Coscai (she/her):

Pay attention to podcast newsletters. If you’re placing a lot of focus on social media and not seeing traction, it might be because not everyone there is a listener. Let your podcast be found by podcast fans. 

How do you best go about this? Subscribe to the newsletter and take time to understand the writers and editors. Don’t be afraid to ask them how they want to be pitched. Once you’ve got a feel for it, ditch the formalities and write them a personalized pitch. Try this out and soon you’ll have more people tuning into your show!

(Might be biased but I couldn’t agree more, Andreea!)

🎙️ Aakshi Sinha(she/her):

Getting your podcast placed on a listening app can feel like a big win! When it comes to pitching to these apps, if you’re just starting out and feeling a little overwhelmed, observe what these apps recommend and how they curate their recommendations. Spending some time engaging with them will help you customize your pitch. 

Also, think about how you can align your pitches with upcoming events and holidays to increase your chances of getting placed. You got this!

➡️ Lauren previously shared a bunch of tips on how to get placed on apps.

Fay asks us to leave no stone unturned when it comes to repurposing.

🎙️Faybeo’n Mickens(she/her):

Repurpose your back catalog. Imagine your content library is an actual library – every episode is a book and every book has an endless supply of chapters that are worth sharing and resharing. The key is to drive listeners to those books throughout the year, with an intentional thematic hook. 

If you’re able to do that, you can drive listeners even in a production lull or between seasons. This is called warming up your feed and it helps listeners anticipate the release of new episodes. Repurpose that back catalog and leave no episode behind!

Wil leaves us with the core of podcast marketing’s spirit.

🎙️Wil Williams (they/them):

Be nice and make friends. It's really that simple. Reach out to a podcast you love and tell them you love it. Ask questions. Be real. Don't go in expecting to make some big business moves with them; go in with a genuine interest and enthusiasm, and be grateful for the moves that may follow.

Did these tips spark your 2024 marketing resolutions? Indulge this shameless plug-in and book a Podcast Therapy session with us to kick-start your marketing.

✨ More Magic:

• December’s All Hear issue by Talia Ransom shares 90+ opportunities in the world of audio. Much needed after some of this month’s news, eh?

• Arielle and Ned share why saying “you’re welcome” might be better than “no worries.”

• Warning: this episode might make you yearn for (and seek out) meaningful human connection.

👀 Before you go

We’re working on something to make podcast marketing even more budget-friendly and accessible to podcasters at different stages of their journey. More in the next issue of PMM!

Thank you for reading!