4 Tips to Improve your Podcast Part 2: Discoverability using Social Media
Have you recently started a business podcast? Not sure how to gain the exposure needed? As podcast production specialists, we understand the challenges faced when optimising discoverability. Even the most compelling content can remain invisible without the proper exposure. This is where social media becomes the most effective tool in your marketing arsenal. With billions of users scrolling, sharing and engaging daily, social media offers podcasters the ability to grow loyal audiences and spark conversations.
In this article, we explore how you can optimise different social media platforms to become valuable additions to your marketing strategy, thereby improving your discoverability using social media.
Learn more: about how you can enhance your podcasts’ discoverability by check out part one where we cover Discoverability Within the Algorithm
1. Knowing your Platforms
Each social media platform has features unique to its respective site and user. By understanding these, you can maximise your content’s full potential.
Images and videos are at the heart of Instagram’s content. With features like reels, stories, and carousels, you can repurpose moments from your podcast episodes into short, engaging clips. This not only generates interest but also encourages potential followers to listen to the full episodes.
When used strategically, Instagram becomes more than a promotional tool– but an easily accessible central hub for your podcast. Some users will consume entire episodes of podcasts via reels and never click off to watch the full episode elsewhere, so putting plenty of clips from one episode on Instagram can be a great way to increase engagement.
TikTok
With over one billion active users, TikTok is the place to be for brands and creators. One of the positives of TikTok is that people don’t have to follow you to come across your content, due to the ‘For You’ page. This is the focal point of the platform, personalised for each user: allowing podcasters, no matter how many followers, to reach the right audience and grow short, fast-paced content.
Videos can be as long as 10 minutes; however, most content tends to be shorter, as a creator’s aim is to gain the viewer’s attention from the get-go. Much like Instagram’s reels, TikTok is the ideal platform to share the most compelling parts of your show, which hopefully influences users to check out your full profile and, eventually, your full episodes.
TikTok is a platform made for discovery. Its recommendation system presents content to each user based on their preferences and interests. This expands the potential reach to a new audience of podcast listeners, not to mention possible brand attention and sponsorship opportunities.
Short, Fast Paced Content
Gen Z is discovering new podcasts at more than twice the rate of any other age group, and Gen Z podcast listeners on Spotify grew by 62% from 2021 to 2022. With this demographic being the most engaged on TikTok, there is a great opportunity for creators to target them with podcast content.
BookTok is rapidly becoming a key promotional tool for authors and publishers, so with the Cyber Made Human bookshelf, we tap into this trend by clipping up the Cyber Made Human bookshelf recommendations from each episode. BookTok boosts a creator’s reach on social media by tapping into a perfect mix of algorithm-friendly content, community-driven discovery, and emotional connection. It’s not just about books, but about what you talk about; and this format can be applied to any niche.
TikTok is known for creating a culture of connection and open communication, encouraging deep connections among users, both with brands and with each other. As a brand, responding to comments and actively engaging with your community is key.
Tip: Turn topics submitted by followers into content. This is a way to engage with listeners, giving them the chance to be featured in the content. Not only does this forge a connection, but it also creates a constant stream of fresh content ideas.
If your podcast leans towards business, tech, entrepreneurship, or even personal development, LinkedIn can become an incredibly powerful marketing tool. The platform rewards value-driven content, encouraging users to have genuine conversations.
While platforms like Instagram and TikTok promote entertainment-driven content, LinkedIn has created a unique space for meaningful, knowledge-based connections. To truly take advantage of this platform, thoughtful discussions and valuable insights need to be the pillars of your content.
LinkedIn has more than 1 billion members, and there has been a huge increase in public conversations happening on the platform. This offers podcasters the opportunity to bring their trusted knowledge and opinions to the conversation and build a community of listeners.
LinkedIn is the ideal platform to share the main takeaways of your episodes, extended interviews, and downloadable content related to your niche. You can also publish long-form articles or even create a newsletter, allowing your audience to dive deeper into the topics you discuss and providing a space for listeners to have valuable discussions.
YouTube
YouTube isn’t just a video platform– it’s a search engine, a content hub and a discovery tool. In fact, 33% of weekly podcast users in the US use YouTube to listen to/watch podcasts, more than any other platform. For independent creators, that’s an opportunity to get in front of people who might not use traditional podcast apps.
One of the most helpful features of YouTube is the ability for your audience to give immediate feedback via likes/dislikes and comments. Unlike other podcast platforms, which only offer star ratings, YouTube offers visible engagement that proves what content is resonating. When you pair that with comments, watch time, and audience retention stats, you start to get a very clear picture of how to improve and grow.
Design Your Thumbnails
The podcast thumbnail is often the first impression viewers will have of your episode on YouTube, so it’s essential for it to stand out. A well-designed thumbnail will set the tone for the episode; therefore, it can increase your click-through rate. YouTube analyses thumbnails, determining their relevance and possible appeal to viewers. On a crowded platform where thousands of videos compete for attention, it is critical to create an eye-catching and relevant thumbnail.
When designing your podcast thumbnails, here are some things to consider:
- Keep your design consistent: consistency helps build recognition and familiarity with your audience. By using the same fonts, colours and graphic elements, you create a cohesive visual brand that makes your podcast easy to identify.
- Use attention-grabbing visuals. Use high-quality visuals that are relevant to the content– this signals professionalism and can help boost your brand identity.
- Make sure you can scale down your thumbnails: thumbnails show up in a variety of places on YouTube, from search results to mobile screens. Therefore, it needs to be readable at every size, on different devices and platforms.
YouTube Shorts
If you want to make the most of YouTube Podcasts, don’t forget about YouTube Shorts. Unlike what some people think, they are not just another platform trend, but a heavily prioritised feature in YouTube’s algorithm. They are another answer to hooking viewers quickly, highlighting a moment or teasing an episode, to increase engagement.
2. Optimise Your Metadata with Relevant Keywords
Podcast keywords are terms or phrases that describe your podcast or specific episodes. The idea is that they’re the words your audience is likely to type when looking for similar content to your podcast; therefore, they must be used as a tool for discovery. Whether your target audience is searching on YouTube or through other search engines, the right keywords increase discoverability.
Guest Features
Guests don’t just create great content, but it’s strategic as well. They can bring fresh perspectives and expertise, so featuring them on your social media adds variety to your content, broadening the reach of your podcast.
Create buzz around the episode in the days leading up to its release by posting headshots, bios, videos, or other materials the guest shared with you. Sometimes the best moments happen before or after the interview; social media can be a great place to share bloopers or funny and authentic moments.
3. Capitalise on Trending Topics and Viral Content
Trends and virality are the heart of social media. You don’t have to get involved with every trend, but participating in a few here and there helps increase your visibility and engagement. By aligning yourself with content that is capturing your audience’s attention, you can immerse yourself in a larger conversation and draw new listeners to your podcast.
Stay informed on the topics and trends, as they change on a weekly basis. When considering which trends to join in with, remember to stay authentic – craft posts that relate your podcast to a trending topic. To maximise the impact of this type of content, find and use relevant hashtags associated with the trend.
Hashtags
Hashtags on social media significantly boost podcast reach. They categorise content, making it easier for users to find podcasts based on their interests. This expanded reach can lead to higher engagement and a wider audience for the podcast.
Creating a unique hashtag for your podcast can foster community and make it easier for listeners to find related content. However, ensure it is memorable and not already in use. Be sure to use podcast, genre, and topic-specific hashtags to capture users searching for them.
4. Review your Analytics
There’s only one way to know whether your social media strategy is succeeding– tracking your content performance. This will display overall engagement metrics, including follower growth, likes, comments, and average watch time, among others. Understanding your audience and the content that resonates with them will inform what content to focus on.
Analytics also offers insights into which platforms are most effective for your content, and how you can optimise your social media presence for maximum engagement and growth.
To Summarise
Each platform offers unique opportunities to extend your podcast’s reach, but the key is consistency, creativity, and a clear understanding of your audience. Optimising your social media strategy enables your podcast not only to be heard but also to be shared, remembered, and recommended.
Are you ready to launch a successful business podcast?
JACK
SPECIALISMS
+. Writing
+. Video editing
+. Photography
+. Social Media Management