2024 was a busy year in podcasting.
There were many shifts in the industry when it came to advertising, video podcasting, and AI in audio, but even with these innovations or changes, one key challenge has stayed the same: podcast growth.
Understanding how to effectively and efficiently grow your podcast audience continues to be one of the top challenges faced by podcasters. In fact, in the 2024 Podcast Marketing Trends study, 42.5% of respondents cited “understanding which specific strategies are effective” as the number one challenge.
And listen, we’d love to wave a magic wand and have the answers to how you’re podcast will take off, but it just doesn’t work that way. There isn’t and will never be a one-size-fits-all strategy (and if you’re being sold this… run).
So what do we do instead? It’s trial and error, experimentation, getting to know your audience really (really) well, and being a little creative.
Even though that one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t exist, there are still common tactics you can adapt to ensure you have a well-rounded podcast marketing strategy. In this article, we’re diving into proven podcast marketing tactics to trial when it comes to growing your audience in 2025.
1. Collaborate on Cross-Promotions with Niche-Aligned Podcasts
First up we have collaborations and cross-promotions. Truly, we’ve seen this be among the highest-performing podcast marketing tactics.
What is it: This tactic involves going into a temporary partnership with another creator, typically a podcaster, that has a similar audience to yours and promoting each other’s shows. Many of these cross-promotions will happen on each of your podcasts, almost like a podcast ad, but others opt to promote on their social media, newsletters, or podcast communities instead.
Why it works: It works because you’re leveraging not only a niche audience that you know is already made up of podcast listeners but also an audience that trusts the opinions and recommendations of the host. This is why podcast ads work so well, we’re using a similar benefit with this tactic.
How to implement (simplified):
- Find podcasts: Make a list of podcasts that have similar audiences but wouldn’t be considered competitive. You’re looking for shows adjacent to your own. For example, say you’re a podcast that talks about personal training, Maybe your list consists of shows about nutrition, yoga, running, or other sports. Platforms like Podchaser Pro and Rephonic will be helpful here.
- Reach out to podcasts: Connect with the hosts of the show to propose the collaboration. Make sure to outline what’s in it for them, i.e. the size of your audience, where you’ll promote the show, what the collaboration duration might look like, etc. Make it hard to say no. This also means being realistic with the shows you reach out to. Again, for example, I don’t think you should be reaching out to Andrew Huberman to cross-promote.
- Finalize agreement: You don’t necessarily need to make a formal agreement unless both parties want it, but once the other creator has agreed to a partnership, outline exactly what the collaboration requires of both of you and when you’ll fulfill it.
- Keep the door open: Once the collaboration is done, keep the door open for future partnerships!
2. Turn Your Episodes into Short-Form Content
Video podcasting was a hot topic in 2024 and for good reason. Both new and established audiences are also turning to video with 64% of podcast listeners finding YouTube to be a better podcast experience compared to audio-only formats and 65% of listeners consuming podcasts on YouTube are consuming them for the first time. Plus, we’ve seen some predictions about the rise of short-form content in podcasting for 2025 as well.
What is it: This tactic is repurposing your full podcast episodes into smaller, digestible pieces of content. The goal is to make them able to stand alone while also grabbing the attention and interest of new listeners through a medium that’s less commitment than a full episode. Typically, this looks like short video snippets but it can also be shorter audio bites.
Why it works: Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are dominating content consumption. Repurposing your episodes into engaging, short snippets can hook potential listeners and drive them to your show. We even know podcast listeners who only consume podcasts through shorter snippets on TikTok or Reels.
How to implement (simplified):
- Select snippets: Identify the most compelling moments from your episodes.
- Edit content: Use tools like Descript, Headliner, or Canva to create professional, attention-grabbing visuals with captions.
- Share: Promote and engage with your audience.
3. Leverage Email Marketing
In a study by Litmus, they found that for every $1 spent on email marketing, $36 is made in return - which would equate to a 3600% ROI. Pretty great, right?
Of course, that’s not guaranteeing a 3600% ROI for your campaigns but it still speaks to the impact of email marketing. And taking it one step further and adding personalization to your emails increases the benefits with 76% of consumers stating they get frustrated by brand interactions when they aren’t personalized.
What is it: This tactic is pretty straightforward. It’s setting up an ongoing newsletter at your desired cadence (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.). This is a tool to not only engage existing listeners but drive new listeners to your show.
Why it works: Email is still one of the highest-converting channels for creators. By segmenting your email list and personalizing content, you can turn casual listeners into superfans.
How to implement (simplified):
- Select your platform: Use platforms like Substack, Kit (previously ConvertKit), or Mailchimp to send weekly recaps, exclusive content, or polls.
- Craft the content: Decide the format and also the style of content you’ll offer in the newsletter. How will you stand out amongst other newsletters? What value do you offer?
- Newsletter growth: Next is of course promotion. How will you share the newsletter and gather subscribers? Maybe it’s a CTA in your show, maybe you promote it across social media channels, etc.
4. Listen for Trends and Act Fast
Listeners love being in the know about popular news or trending topics. Listening to trends and being timely with your conversations around them can be a great way to lead the pack and drive new listeners.
What is it: Typically referred to as “newsjacking”, this tactic involves listening for relevant news stories or trends to add to your podcast content.
Why it works: It’s no surprise when popular stories or trends are occurring it draws a crowd. When creators act fast and are at the forefront of covering these topics, they typically see a spike in audience growth and engagement as people flock to them to learn.
How to implement (simplified):
- Stay on top of trends: Research trending topics using tools like Google Trends or BuzzSumo.
- Gather information: Collect the necessary information, line up relevant guests, or outline personal takes on topics for the episode.
- Shift release schedules: Since it’s so timely, update release schedules to ensure episodes covering relevant trends go out immediately.
- Publish & promote: Publish your episode and ensure you promote it to start gaining recognition as a source for the trend or news.
5. Utilize Podcast Discovery Apps & Platforms
If your podcast isn’t easily discoverable then you’re hindering its organic growth. That’s what this podcast marketing tactic is supporting.
What is it: Podcast discovery platforms help users explore, research, and connect with podcasts by offering detailed insights into shows, episodes, and topics. These platforms are designed for listeners, creators, and advertisers to find relevant content in the podcasting ecosystem.
Why it works: Podcast discovery apps like Rephonic and Podchaser are gaining popularity as go-to platforms for listeners searching for new shows, typically similar to ones they know they already enjoy.
How to implement (simplified):
- Sign up for relevant platforms: Research the podcast discovery apps out there and if not already, ensure your podcast is active on them by creating accounts.
- Engage: Actively engage on these platforms by reviewing other podcasts and participating in discussions.
- Optimize & grow: Optimize your podcast profile with strong descriptions, keywords, and compelling imagery.
6. Pitch to Podcast Roundups
And last but not least, podcast roundups. This tactic is closely tied to discovery and SEO, let’s explore:
What is it: If you search for anything podcast-related, like “best marketing podcasts” or maybe “best podcasts about nutrition”, you’re going to be met with listicles from brands or creators of the best shows. This tactic involves pitching to these blogs to include your show.
Why it works: Number one, who doesn’t love a good list? These curated lists provide trusted recommendations from the author, and having your show on it is almost a form of word-of-mouth marketing.
How to implement (simplified):
- Identify articles: Google search for terms relevant to your podcast and see what articles come up. Make a note of these.
- Reach out: Reach out to the authors of these articles, sometimes you can find emails on the website or you can go through LinkedIn.
- Offer value: What will the author get out of this exchange? Maybe you’ll promote the blog on your own marketing channels or give it a shout-out in an episode.
Podcast marketing tactic menu
As we’ve mentioned earlier, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to podcast marketing. Each podcast and audience niche will perform differently across marketing tactics.
But with that being said, we still wanted to break down some more common audience growth tactics that we’ve seen work for podcasters. Below, you can explore our podcast marketing tactic menu:
Podcast marketing tactics to grow in 2025
As podcasting continues to evolve, so do the opportunities to connect with audiences in creative and impactful ways.
While there’s no magic formula for instant success, a thoughtful marketing approach—one that balances experimentation with data-driven insights—will position your podcast for growth in 2025 and beyond.
If you’re interested in learning more about leveling up your podcast marketing this coming year, reach out to our team.
