I’ll just come right out and say it: most podcast marketing sucks.

The goal is to attract new listeners and build relationships. Most podcast marketing only teaches you how to nurture an existing audience. While it works if you already have a massive audience, we know that most podcasters don’t have tens of thousands of followers to begin with.

Let’s discuss some alternative marketing you can use to get results.

Promotion Swaps

Promoting your show on other active shows will get you attention. I always ask new podcasters, “how will you attract new listeners?” The usual answer is posting on social media or emailing their subscribers. Promotion swaps take getting attention to a different level.

For starters, you’ll be getting new listeners. That’s what everyone wants! But what makes the swaps so good is the likelihood of you actually acquiring that audience. The best swaps are done by with podcasts that fit your market. Your don’t have to convince this audience to like your show. They’ve already proven to be interested and active listeners. We just have to get them interested in our show.

Step 1: The Podcasts

Choose the right shows! It’ll be a waste of time to promote your podcast on shows that don’t fit your market. You can find these shows through simple research on the podcast listening apps or by using social media. I’d suggest focusing on the podcasters that are actively promoting their show. This means they want to grow and are probably more willing to promote your podcast if you promote theirs.

When I do outreach, I prefer to build a connection. Before there is any ask, I always ask who they are and what they’re up to. People love to talk about what they’ve done and what they’re actively doing. Only after you’ve built some sort of connection should you make the ask for an even podcast swap.