How To Use Paid Podcast Advertising To Exponentially Increase Listenership - EP 32

As an Indie Podcaster, I regularly take a risk on paid advertising to grow this podcast, triggering a race-against-the-clock to beat the podcasting giants, uncover hidden opportunities and discover the best way to get in front of my ideal listeners. I think you should do the same. I’ve been experimenting with paid podcast advertising for the last 4 months, and my podcast downloads have grown by 65%. That’s actually why I recorded this episode. I want to see you implement advertising for your podcast.

My goal with this is to show you how to increase the return on all the hard work you put into your podcast by showing you how to implement a paid podcast advertising strategy. Implementing a paid ad strategy is an essential addition to your podcast’s overall marketing plan. At least in my opinion.

It’s Called Marketing, Bro

I get it, not everyone has the financial resources to invest in their podcast. I also understand that using a paid marketing strategy might be frowned upon in the industry. Fortunately, there are some inexpensive advertising options that I’m confident will grow your listenership. I cover these in this episode. Oh, and don’t worry about being labeled a “sellout” for putting some money into advertising your podcast. It’s called marketing! If you want to grow your listenership then why not be open to seeing fast returns?

Complementing Organic Growth With Paid Podcast Advertising

Don’t get me wrong, organic growth is best and it will reap dividends for you in the long run. I’m not against that. You definitely need to be pushing your podcast hard on social media, in your newsletter, blogs, and in all other ancillary content related to your podcast. But if you drop a few dollars into paid podcast advertising to pump up those efforts, you’ll have a better chance of cutting through the noise and getting your show in front of your ideal listener.

As my buddy, Adam Schaeuble of Podcasting Business School says, “You’ve got to love your podcast like a hobby, but treat it like a business”. But hey, if you’re just having fun, I get that too! Just know this episode probably isn’t for you.

In this episode, you will learn the following

How to use podcast advertising to grow your podcast and get in front of an ideal audience.
The pros and cons of Buzzsprout Ads, Overcast FM, Podcast Addict, Pocket Cast and PodNews for paid podcast advertising.
The impact of paid podcast advertising on downloads and subscribers.