Chapter 7: Podcast Hosting And Distribution
You will need to host your podcast files so that your listeners can access them. They will either stream your podcast or download it. If you have web hosting with unlimited disk space then you may think that you can just upload your files there. But you can run into trouble if you do this.
Unlimited disk space is usually for web files only. Audio or MP3 files are not classed as web files. So the best thing to do is to use a podcast hosting service. These services are optimized for the storage and serving of audio files of different file sizes.
One of the benefits of using a podcast hosting service is that they have built in and validated RSS feeds. These RSS feeds are compliant with the podcasting directories which makes the submission process easy for you and access to your podcasts easy for your listeners.
You can use your RSS feed link when you make submissions to the podcast directories (more on this later). Each time you upload a new podcast file to your podcasting host then the directories where you have submitted your RSS feed will all automatically receive the update. Your listeners will also automatically receive your new podcasts on the device of their choice.
Another good reason for using a podcast hosting company is that you will be able to access statistics about your podcasts. Depending on the podcast company that you use you will be able to see some useful data about your listeners such as:
Number of downloads
Apps used to listen to the podcast
Traffic sources
Listener locations
You will also be able to create a podcast page with your podcasting host. Here you can provide information about your podcasts and include banners, your social media channels, notes about your podcasts and more. You can link to your website or blog from this page too.
This podcast page will also include a media player where people can stream your podcasts using their web browser. They will also be able to download your podcasts, share them and subscribe to them from this page.
While there are free accounts available with a number of podcast hosts we would always recommend that you go for the paid option as the costs are usually low. Two popular podcast hosting services are PodBean and LibSyn which have plans starting from $3 a month.
Distributing Your Podcasts and Getting the Word Out
We recommend that you record a few podcasts first before you start to distribute them. It looks a lot better if you have a few different podcasts available rather than just one. Once you have done this you are ready to get the word out and tell the world about your awesome podcasts.
Podcasting Directories
You will want to submit your podcasts to a number of podcasting directories. The major ones are going to have the most traffic (iTunes gets the most by far) so we suggest that you submit your podcasts to the following:
iTunes
Google Play
Spotify
Stitcher
TuneIn
SoundCloud
There is no reason why you shouldn’t look for more podcasting directories to make submissions to. The more directories that you use the more people you can reach. Remember that when you use a podcast RSS feed link you will only have to make a single submission.
What about YouTube.com? You absolutely must add your podcasts to YouTube. You will have to convert the MP3 files to MP4 format but this is easy to do with a free online convertor. YouTube will not accept a podcast RSS feed so you will need to upload one at a time. Be sure to optimize properly so your podcasts will be found.
Use your Personal Network
Don’t just leave it to podcast directory submissions to get the word out about your podcasts. Take a look at your personal network including your family members, friends, colleagues and acquaintances.
Don’t be shy about your podcasts, be proud! You have put a lot of effort into creating really valuable podcasts so ask your personal network to help you out in promoting them. Even if they are not interested in your podcast niche they will know people that you don’t that may be interested.
Ask the people that you know to listen to the podcasts and then leave a positive review for you on iTunes or the other podcasting directories. Reviews are essential for your success so do everything that you can to get them. When others see your reviews they will be a lot more likely to listen to your podcasts.
Promote using your Website and Social Channels
If you have your own website or blog then promote your podcasts there. If you have an email list then send out a broadcast email to everyone telling them where they can find your podcasts and requesting that they leave you a review.
Write a post specifically about your new podcasts and publish this on your site. You can add banners to your site as well promoting your podcasts. When you upload your podcasts to YouTube you can embed these into your blog as individual posts.
If you have existing social media channels then be sure to make posts about your podcasts here. You can use your personal Facebook account to make a post and then direct people to your Facebook page to find out more for example.
Use Influencer Marketing
These days it is a good idea to use influencer marketing. The idea here is that you will leverage individuals or brands that have large followings on their social media channels, blogs, podcasts and so on.
Whenever these people endorse something their followers will usually go and check it out. So try and find influencers where you can work together for mutual benefit. Do your homework here to find influencers that really do have a high level of engagement and not a load of fake followers. Contact them and negotiate a deal.
Interview some Experts
We touched on this in earlier chapters. People love to be seen as experts in their niche so find people that you believe can add value to your podcasts and reach out to them and request an interview.
It is best to interview experts that have a large following initially. You want these experts to promote your show to their fan base. Once you have built up a good following of your own you can interview experts that don’t have a large following too.
When an expert agrees to be interviewed for a podcast make sure that you send them a link so that they can access the final recording. You can create a customized swipe file to help your expert promote your podcasts for you including emails, social media posts and other ways that they can tell their following about your joint podcast.
Always thank any experts that you interview for their time and sharing their insight with your listeners. Also thank them for promoting the podcast with their following. If they want to interview you then always accept this. This is a great opportunity for you to distinguish yourself as an expert too and promote your podcasts as well of course.
Paid Ads
There is no reason why you shouldn’t use paid ads to get the word out about your podcasts. We would recommend that you use Facebook Ads to do this as you can identify your target audience precisely.
At the time of writing it is still pretty inexpensive to use Facebook Ads to reach your target audience.
Of course Facebook isn’t the only game in town and there are other platforms that will happily take your money in exchange for promoting your podcasts. Do your homework here so that you get the best bang for your buck and set yourself a budget so that you do not overspend on advertising.
You will get the most out of paid advertising when you really know your audience!