Lauren Passell: The Slow Art of Podcast Growth
Every time I attend a podcast conference, there's another shiny object we're all supposed to be chasing. Video, YouTube Shorts, AI, Netflix, whatever the algorithm is rewarding this week. There's always something new that promises to grow your podcast audience.
And I'm as guilty as anyone of trying these things. I've spent plenty of time experimenting with platforms and technology, only to discover six months later that I've been sailing in the wrong direction and that I don't need every toy in the box.
With that said, I love to have every toy in the box.
Lauren is the founder of Tink Media and their approach to podcast growth strategies hasn't changed much over the years. Find the right audience, build relationships, promote your show on other podcasts, and keep doing it.
Sounds simple. Apparently, it's not simple enough for an industry obsessed with finding shortcuts.
Podcast Growth Is a Long Game
I've been telling prospective podcast clients for years that building an audience is a three-year commitment. That's not a particularly attractive sales pitch, but I'd rather have that conversation before someone spends thousands of dollars producing a show they abandon after six months.
Lauren has reached a similar conclusion.
At Tink Media, they've gradually increased the length of their marketing engagements because clients weren't giving their podcast promotion enough time to work. Two months became three, then four. And even four months might not be enough.
We've found something similar across the Sound Off Podcast Network. When we run promotional campaigns between shows, six months is a much more reasonable window to evaluate whether they're working.
Podcast audiences don't suddenly appear because you published a trailer, posted a few clips, or bought some advertising.People need to encounter your show repeatedly. And eventually, some of them will listen.
Stop Worrying About the Size of Someone Else's Podcast
One of my favourite podcast growth strategies is also one of the oldest: promo swaps.
Lauren calls it borrowing an audience. We use Tink Media's free service for swaps and guesting... you should too.
Find another podcast that reaches people who might enjoy your show and work together. That could mean exchanging promos, appearing as guests, or having another host recommend a specific episode.
Here's where people get hung up. They want to exchange promotions with podcasts that have roughly the same number of downloads. I said as much in the episode but I couldn't care less.
I've seen podcasts with hundreds of thousands of downloads deliver virtually no response to a promotion. I've also seen shows with 150 downloads move the needle.
The difference is the audience.
A recommendation from a trusted host to 150 engaged listeners can be worth considerably more than an advertisement dropped into a show with an enormous but indifferent audience.
And here's another thing. A promo swap isn't necessarily a 30-second commercial. Sometimes the best promotion is a host explaining why they enjoyed a particular episode and encouraging their audience to listen.
That's a recommendation. And recommendations still work.
We Keep Confusing Views With Listeners
Podcast discovery has become a complicated conversation because we keep changing what we're measuring.
Someone watches a 45-second clip on Instagram. Great. Did they listen to the podcast?
Someone encounters your show on YouTube Shorts. Wonderful. Did they subscribe? Did they watch the full episode?
There's nothing wrong with short-form video. But we need to stop assuming that every view represents progress toward building a podcast audience.
Lauren makes an interesting point about newsletters. She's found that newsletters generate actual podcast listening in ways that social media often doesn't.
Someone who subscribes to a newsletter about podcasts is already interested in finding something to listen to. They're considerably closer to becoming a listener than someone scrolling through videos while waiting for the bus.
And unlike a social media follower, a newsletter subscriber is someone you can reach directly without hoping an algorithm decides to show them your content.
Downloads Are Not the Finish Line
I used to wake up every morning and check my podcast downloads.
Now I'm far more interested in consumption. If someone downloads an hour-long podcast and listens for 15 minutes, what have I accomplished?
I've been making changes to my own show based on listening behaviour. Shorter introductions, fewer unnecessary credits, and editing out those moments when a host announces that the interview is about to end.
Why tell listeners they can leave before the conversation is finished?
I look at podcast consumption the same way a chef looks at a plate coming back to the kitchen. Shouldn't you too?
If you'd like to watch the episode - you can do so here.
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