How to promote a podcast in 2025

9 proven tactics to grow your audience

Many podcasters wonder how to grow their audience, and that’s completely normal. You’ve put a lot of time and effort into your show, and now you want more people to hear it. To make that happen, you need to learn some basic ways to improve and market your podcast.

Marketing might sound scary, like it needs a big budget or complicated plans. But you don’t need expensive ads to reach more listeners. With the right strategies and a bit of creativity, you can promote your podcast effectively on your own.

So, these 9 proven tactics are designed to help you grow, turn leads, and keep your audience coming back. Let’s see what they are!

1. Use podcast clips to turn into reels and shorts

Short videos have quickly become a powerful way to market online. Apps like TikTok, Instagram reels, and YouTube shorts are taking over social media. They are changing how brands reach people and creating great chances to get more engagement.

Why do short videos matter so much in marketing?

i) Grab attention fast: People scroll quickly, and short videos get the message across right away.

ii) Loved by algorithms: Social media platforms push video content, helping more people see your posts.

iii) More engagement: Short videos get more likes, comments, and shares than plain images or text.

iv) Simple and affordable to make: You just need your phone and a little bit of effort.

v) Use them everywhere: One video can be posted on Instagram, YouTube, and more.

Tools like Descript, CapCut, Submagic, and Veed.io can help you easily make reels and shorts.

2. Give a preview of the next episode

Building excitement for your next episode can really help grow your audience. When people are looking forward to what’s coming, they’re more likely to watch, share, and keep following your show.

This helps you bring people together, start real conversations, and make them feel more connected to what you share.

Share a short clip that gives a hint of what's coming next by including behind-the-scenes or bold moments. For instance, “You won’t want to miss...” or “Coming this Friday…”

An episode title or quote can be a good attention-grabbing point, but keep it raw and honest.

3. Surprise them with a gift that matches the vibe

One effective way to increase brand awareness is by hosting giveaways. When you give away free items or fun experiences, more people can learn about what you sell, even if they haven’t heard of you before.

People are more likely to share your posts with friends if there’s something they can win. This helps more people see your brand. When people feel excited and connected to your podcast, they are more likely to stay interested and come back.

Why Giveaways Matter in Marketing

• Giveaways help you to reach a bigger audience and increase your brand awareness.

• They help you get involved with and build a friendly community, building strong and long-term relationships with your audience.

• They help you collect useful information like names and emails, which you can use later to tell people about your new episodes.

4. Always tell people what to do next

A call to action, or CTA, is when you ask your listeners to do something. This could be asking them to subscribe to your podcast or leave a review. Many people enjoy content but won’t take action unless they are asked to.

A strong CTA helps turn passive listeners into active supporters, increasing engagement, visibility, and audience growth. It also builds a connection with your audience by making them feel involved and valued.

Your CTA should be clear and simple, so people know exactly what to do.

Here are the steps to creating CTAs that work

• Ask listeners to do just one thing in each episode so they don’t feel confused or overwhelmed.

• Use clear action words like "subscribe," "download," or "visit" to tell listeners exactly what to do.

• Drop your CTAs at the beginning, middle, or end of your episode to make sure they don’t miss it.

• Your call-to-action should clearly explain what’s in it for your audience. Explain what they will gain by taking the desired action.

5. Begin with a relatable story that connects emotionally

People don’t just want information, they want to feel something. When you share your own experiences, your good times and tough moments, you let others connect with you.

It’s like saying, “This is why this matters to me, and why it should matter to you too.” Instead of trying to sell something, you’re creating a real connection.

• You don’t need to be fancy, you just need to be real.

• You don’t need a 10-minute story. Even a 30-second real moment can engage your audience.

• Always try to describe visually what you felt and experienced. Show it in visuals to keep the audience engaged.

6. Tell your episode story in slides

Social media moves fast. It’s hard to keep people’s attention. Carousel posts help with that. You can share a story or more information. People can swipe through and see everything. It’s better than just one photo that people might skip.

With multiple slides, you can share a bigger story or explain an idea better than with just one post. Using pictures, words, and design together makes your post more interesting and fun to follow.

You can easily understand with this example.

Slide 1: Hook (grab attention)

“Are you posting daily but still not growing?”

Slide 2: Problem (create relatability)

“Most people post, but without a strategy.”

Slide 3: Value (give a tip or insight)

Start with 1 strong hook, 1 clear message, and 1 CTA per post.

• Keep your design simple, clear, and readable.

• Don’t overload with too much text. Keep it proportionate and spacious.

• Share something your audience can learn, feel, or think about.

• Make sure your slides flow like a story that leads to one clear takeaway at the end.

Written by Reman Nandal

7. Talk about what’s trending

To keep your podcast interesting, talk about things that are happening now. Sharing your thoughts on trends or news can help more people pay attention.

But don’t jump on every trend. Pick the ones that match what your podcast is about.

Be careful with serious news. Don’t use sad or sensitive stories just to get noticed. It can feel fake.

Stick to topics that feel right for you and your audience. And don’t just repeat what others say. Share what you think and how you feel. That’s what people remember.

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

8. Be searchable so new listeners can find you

Imagine you have an amazing podcast, but no one can find it. Here, SEO helps you. It allows people to discover your show when they search for topics you talk about.

SEO for podcast marketing means making your podcast easier to find on search engines like Google. The goal is to attract people who are already looking for the topics you talk about.

You can do this by using the right keywords in your episode titles, descriptions, and show notes. Search engines like Google use special rules (called algorithms) to decide which websites should appear first.

The more your website matches what these search engines see as helpful and high-quality, the higher you’ll rank and the more people will find your podcast.

9. Ask for ratings & reviews the right way

When you hear about something new, you probably check reviews first, right? That’s why it’s important to know how to ask for reviews smartly without being pushy.

The best time to ask your listeners for a review is right after they’ve enjoyed an episode. Maybe they loved the story you told or found your tips helpful.

When they’re feeling excited or inspired, they’re more likely to leave a kind review. This helps more people find your podcast and join the conversation.

Avoid sending boring or automatic messages asking for reviews. Try to be polite and personal instead. People like to feel noticed and important. They’re more likely to respond when a message feels genuine and made just for them.

So, instead of sending the same message to everyone, try to mention things like the listener’s name or a recent episode they enjoyed. This small touch shows you care about your audience.

Make it easy and fast for your listeners to leave reviews. Many people don’t leave reviews because the process feels too hard or takes too long. To help, give them direct links to your review pages, like Google or other sites.

3 easy ways to turn old podcast episodes into warm leads

A lot of people stop promoting their episodes once they’re out. But you don’t have to repeat the same mistake. Your old episodes can actually help you bring in more clients, without doing anything extra.

Here’s how:

1. Drop an episode link in your DMs or emails

If someone asks a question you’ve already answered, send them the episode.

“Hey, I talked about this in my podcast. Do you want the link?”

2. Send an episode after a discovery call

Pick one that backs up what you talked about or shows your process in action. It keeps the conversation going and builds trust, without chasing.

3. Use your podcast to handle common questions

If people always ask about pricing, process, or results, make an episode about it. Then just send the link whenever it comes up.

You don’t need to start from scratch each time. Use the episodes you’ve already made to answer questions, build trust, and help the right people see why they should work with you.

Photo by Kate Oseen on Unsplash

Final words

Publishing episodes is only half the job. The real work starts after that. And remember, your podcast can bring the right people to you, make them trust you faster, and even help you get more clients.

If you want help getting it in front of more of the right people, that’s what we do at Trimmerly.

Book a client breakthrough call with Trimmerly, let us manage your podcast and grow it.