60. Social media isn’t growing your podcast and here’s why

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Laura: Hello and welcome back to Podcast Strategy that Brings In Clients. Today, we’re talking about something I see all the time, and maybe you’ve noticed it too. Just because someone has a massive following on social media doesn’t mean that their podcast is getting the same kind of attention. And if you’ve got a decent sized audience but your podcast listens aren’t, um, what you expected, this episode is for you. Welcome to Podcast Strategy that Brings In Clients. I’m Your host, Laura McRae, podcast producer and content strategist. If you want your podcast to bring in leads, build trust and support your business, you’re in the right place. Because smart content starts with your podcast, but it doesn’t stop there. It’s easy to assume that your social media followers will automatically become podcast listeners, but podcasting doesn’t work like that. Social media and podcasting are completely different. Um, on socials, people are scrolling, skimming and tapping. It’s quick and it’s passive. But when someone hits play on your podcast, they’re choosing to spend 20, 30 or even 40 minutes with you. That’s a much bigger level of commitment than double tapping a reel or replying to your storey. I’ve seen podcast clips rack up thousands of views and still barely make a difference in downloads. That kind of reach feels exciting, but it doesn’t usually lead to more listeners unless there’s a clear strategy behind it. Radio went through a really similar challenge years ago. Take BBC Radio 1, for example. Like most of the industry, their weekly listener numbers have dropped over the last decade, but their brand is still incredibly well known, especially with younger audiences. This is because they didn’t just rely on radio, they built a strong presence off air, too. On social media, YouTube and through content that met their audience where they already were. In fact, they were the first UK radio station to hit 1 million YouTube subscribers back in 2014. That didn’t just happen by chance. It worked because they were smart about how they showed up.

Social media followers don’t equal podcast listeners, Harry says

And, um, podcasters are facing the same thing now. Posting entertaining content isn’t enough on its own. You need to think about the platform you’re on and what someone’s doing when they see it. Social media followers don’t equal podcast listeners. I had to learn this the hard way. Just because someone follows you, likes every post and hypes you up in the comments, it doesn’t mean they’ll go and listen to your podcast. And it’s not because they don’t care. It’s because they’re in scroll mode. That’s how they’re consuming content in that moment. It’s light, it’s fast, and it’s forgettable. Think about it. When was the last time you saw a clip from a podcast on Instagram, Left the app, uh, opened Spotify, searched for the show and listened to the full episode. I can count on one hand how many times I’ve done that. And when I do think, oh, I’d love to listen to that later, I save it and sometimes never go back. So if you’re wondering why people aren’t converting from your social media, it’s not because your content is bad. It’s because you need a bridge between where they are and where you want them to go. So what you need to do is grab their attention with something worth watching. Your posts say a new episode out now isn’t going to cut it anymore. You’ve got to make someone care. That means pulling out a hook, a juicy moment, or a bold opinion from your podcast episode. There’s a few things you can try. You can try a behind the scenes moment, a client storey with a twist. Hey, uh, you won’t believe this type of intro. Or a strong opinion your audience will either love or argue with your content. Should make someone stop scrolling. That’s the goal. Then make sure you tell them what to do next. If you’re not telling people where to go and why, don’t expect them to figure it out. Be really clear. Here’s some examples. You could say something like want to hear how I handled this situation? Then listen to and then put your podcast name in there. Available on all podcast players. The link’s in the bio. Or you could say something like love this clip. The full episode just dropped. Search and then put your podcast name in there. Wherever you get your podcasts, your social media profile matters just as much as your post. This is something that most people miss. And this is where you can convert your social media followers into listeners. So do you have a direct link to your podcast in your bio? Is your podcast name visible? Maybe you want to have a post about your podcast in one of the pinned posts at the top of your Instagram feed. Do you explain

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what your podcast is about and who it’s for? And is it obvious what the next step is? It should take less than three steps for someone to land on your latest episode. If they have to tap around or guess where to go, then they won’t. And you need a different strategy for each social media platform. You can’t treat all socials the same. Instagram and TikTok have no clickable links in their captions. So this is where you use Link in Bio as a call to action. In LinkedIn and Facebook, you can post clickable links. So do it. Make it easy. And with Pinterest, yes, people are still using Pinterest. Pin your episodes and link back to your site. Each platform needs a tailored approach. The content is the same, but in a different format and um, with different instructions. Then track what’s working. Every audience is different, so instead of guessing, look at the data. What type, uh, of posts are getting the most saves? What clips are people sharing or commenting on? What formats perform best? Is it text, video, or carousels? Save those wins and then build on them. And lastly, fame doesn’t equal success. Let’s talk about the whole Big name equals big podcast myth. Spotify spent over a billion dollars on exclusive shows with the Obamas, Harry and Meghan and Kim Kardashian, and most of those flopped. Meghan’s show was canned after one season and Kim’s disappeared. Even with massive marketing and global fame, these shows didn’t perform because a name doesn’t make people stay. Podcasting is about connection. Listeners come back because they trust you, because you deliver value, and, um, because your content fits their life. It’s not about being famous. So Whether you’ve got 400 followers or 40,000 followers, you can still build a podcast that brings in loads of listeners. It’s not about the size of your audience, it’s about how you’re connecting with them, um, and meeting them where they’re at. If all this feels like a lot, you don’t have to figure it out alone. I offer podcast audits where we go through your content, your social media, your links, your strategy, and, um, put together a clear action plan to help you grow your podcast. I’ll put a link in the episode description. Thanks so much for being here and if this episode made you think differently about how to promote your podcast, I’d love to hear from you. Send me a DM on Instagram @ Podcast Support Services. Or if you’re on Spotify, just comment on this podcast episode.

This episode is brought to you by Podcast Support Services

Until next time, Happy Podcasting. This episode is brought to you by Podcast Support Services Podcast strategy that attracts leads, clients, and credibility. Are you looking for a podcast producer? We may have availability. Head to podcastsupportservices.com.

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