6 strategies podcasters really use to grow their audience, without a budget

Most podcasts stagnate for one simple reason: they try to convince people who don’t listen to podcasts. The most honest advice comes from the podcasters themselves, the ones who test, fail and try again. On r/podcasting, they give practical, no-budget, space-buying advice on what has worked for them. Here are the ones that work best for developing a podcast audience today.

1. Be a guest on other podcasts

Of course, having a huge star on your podcast will bring in listeners. But convincing the star to come along isn’t easy at first. A much simpler way of growing your podcast is to stay within the ecosystem of podcast listeners and invite yourself onto their favourite podcast.

When you appear on another podcast, you’re talking to an audience that’s already used to listening, already engaged and familiar with the podcast concept. The transfer of audience is then more direct and much stronger than a post on the networks.

You need to identify podcasts that are close to your theme, ideally slightly bigger than yours. You write to them pitching a specific angle that is useful for their audience.

In the English-speaking world, platforms like r/PodcastGuestExchange exist to do just that.

2. Publish short clips on YouTube, TikTok and Shorts

Podcasts are first discovered through short videos. YouTube has become a major growth driver, sometimes the primary one, both for long episodes and for clips. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook… everyone wants their share of podcasts.

Progressive podcasters don’t just publish one clip. They publish four or five per episode. Not all of them are successful. But one can be enough to bring in dozens or hundreds of qualified listeners.

3. Cross-promote similar podcasts

The principle is simple. As in the days of blogs with the exchange of comments, you broadcast the trailer or recommendation of another podcast in your feed. They do the same for you. Everyone is talking to their own audience. The audience is already listening. The conversion rate is much higher than a promotion on the networks.

This works particularly well when the audiences are close, but not direct competitors.

4. Creating a newsletter, even a small one

Unlike social networks, emails very often reach those who have subscribed to a newsletter (after which they have to click to read it). Subscribing to a newsletter is a guarantee of audience loyalty. One mailing per episode is enough, with a clear summary of why you should listen and a link. The must is

5. Optimising episodes for search

Many podcasts sabotage themselves with their titles. A good episode title should be understandable and should correspond to what people type into Google, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.

SEO-minded podcasters choose their topics based on real research. They test the wording. When their community is small, they avoid internal headlines or private jokes. These titles allow for more organic discovery and less dependence on social platforms.

6. Be referenced by industry professionals

Podnews, Podbam, Podcast Magazine, Apple Podcasts, Spotify Podcasts… you absolutely must write to them so that they share and promote your work. Your target audience is podcast listeners. To be shared, your podcast needs to be easy to pitch, in one sentence, and stand out from other podcasts.