12 Ways to Promote your Podcast on Instagram with Real examples

When you decide to promote a product or a service, you are naturally inclined toward social media. That’s where your audience hangouts, after all.

And same goes with podcasts too.

For example, let’s talk about Instagram.

The latest data shows that 1.22 billion people use Instagram. The chances that your audience is active on Instagram are really high. At the same time, the competition is ever-growing. Too many podcasters are vying for their attention.

So promoting your podcast the right way on Instagram can seem tricky at first.

In this blog, we’ve simplified that process for you. But, before we dive into that, be sure to consider these points before you begin creating content.

Pick a username that best describes your podcast.

A good idea is to keep the original name as the username, rather than opting for quirky or abstract names.

Here are 12 ways to grow your listener base by leveraging Instagram.

1. Ramp up your bio to attract the right audience

First impressions matter. Make sure your Instagram bio is optimized and condenses your brand value succinctly. Think of it as an elevator pitch with 150 characters.

Use the name field to insert your targeted keywords

Fine-tune your bio with one line that sums up your podcast (the more you niche down the better)

Build credibility by showing off any accolades you’ve won, or have been featured by a reputed publication

Add a bit of personality, like introduce yourself

2. Link your latest episode

That little space below your bio section to insert a link is your holy grail. That’s how you can attract visitors, and turn them into loyal followers of your podcast.

But there’s a caveat. You can only add one link.

Opt for a comprehensive tool like Linktree if you want your visitors to have access to multiple links.

Or, link your latest episode so that people can directly click on it, and listen to it. Track it easily by converting it into a Bitly link.

3. Use Instagram’s ‘Collab’ feature

Use the 'Collab' feature to cross-promote your podcast.

Requiring your guests to share content every time on social media can be tricky and time-consuming, to put it mildly. That’s where Instagram’s collab feature comes in handy.

If you add them as collaborators, they can reshare the content you post automatically.

Wondering how to do that? Here’s how:

Make sure the app has been updated to the latest version.

Tap on the ‘+’ icon to upload a new post

Tap on ‘Tag people’

Now you can see two options i.e. ‘Add tag’, and ‘Invite Collaborator’.

4. Tap on Invite Collaborator

And you’re good to go. Just ask the guest to accept the collaboration. Once done, the post will show up on their respective feeds too.

4. Upload teasers 24 hours before launching the next episode

Even before your new episode goes live, you can get your listeners excited.

Oftentimes, it can take a couple of nudges before someone takes action. Ideally, don’t stretch the teaser beyond 2 minutes. Pick snippets that are stirring and create suspense.

Be sure to mention the day, date, and time your podcast will go live!

5. Create a hashtag strategy

Hashtags are an indispensable part of an Instagram promotion strategy. Not only can your audience find you easily, your chances of showing up on the ‘Explore Page’ increase too. You can use Top 10 hashtags to promote your podcast on Instagram.

#podcast- 100.00%

#podcastersofinstagram- 9.41%

#spotify- 9.06%

#podcasting- 8.00%

#podcaster- 6.64%

#podcastlife- 6.55%

#music- 5.84%

#podcasts- 5.70%

#love- 4.04%

#youtube- 4.29%

To gain initial traction, you can use 20-30 hashtags. However, as you grow you can tone it down to 5-10 hashtags. Make sure to add hashtags related to your niche too. Say if you run a fitness podcast, you can sprinkle around hashtags like #fitness #workout #motivation. You can also create a unique hashtag for your podcast to stand out.

6. Create short-form videos with the Headliner app

Headliner App

If you have recorded audio-only podcasts, the Headliner App is a great addendum.It lets you add animations, gifs, captions, videos, images, and more. You can seamlessly create audiograms/waveform videos, and explore a great variety of templates to create eye-catchy videos. What’s more? It’s free forever!

Pro tip: Podcast hosting tools like a Listnr let your record studio-quality video podcasts. Try it today.

7. Show snippets of behind-the-scenes

Give a sneak peek into what’s happening behind the scenes. These add an element of authenticity, and people actually love this type of content.

8. Make use of ‘Stories’

Leverage stories for better engagement. Here’s how:

Do listener outreach by taking polls, quizzes, asking your followers to guess who’s the next guest on your podcast, what type of content your audience wants, or any questions they want to be addressed and much more

Announce when your episodes will go live and at what time

Display some catchy quotes from your previous podcasts

Give an overview of what you’ll talk about in the next episode

Show your set-up, or introduce any new types of equipment you got

Introduce your guests, and don't forget to take some selfies (they make for good content too)

9. Spotify’s plug feature

The Stories feature on Instagram needs no introduction. You might not be aware that it's a great way to share your podcast as well, if your podcast is live on Spotify.

Medium: Sonic Podcast

10. Post engaging content and reels

Goes without saying, you need to consistently post content that is engaging for your audience. Follow the 80/20 rule, where 80% of the content is engaging, and valuable, and the rest is promotional.

Create a content calendar one month before. You can do competitor research to understand what kind of content other podcasters are pushing out.

Finally, don’t forget to follow up with trends, as they can bring in a good amount of traction. Tools like Canva have ready-made templates that you can edit according to your brand’s visual identity.

11. Create highlights on Instagram

Stories last only for 24 hours. That’s where Instagram highlights enter. You can cherry-pick stories that you want your followers and visitors to have access to indefinitely. Highlights create a good first impression, promote brand awareness, and eliminate clutter.

Plannthat

12. Engage with other podcast accounts

Lastly, follow and engage with other podcasters. Comment, like, and appreciate their work. You never know when a comment turns out to be a profitable collab.

BONUS:

Map out your ICP (ideal customer profile) with tools like SparkToro

It helps you understand your audience, and the type of content they like to engage with. For example, if you have a fitness podcast, Spark Toro gives you valuable insights into what your audience talks about, follows, and engages with. You get an opportunity to collaborate with websites and accounts where your audience can be found in droves.

Establish a visual brand identity with tools like Canva

Decide your ToV (tone of voice), brand colors, fonts, imagery, cover art, and logo to distinguish yourself.

Closing thoughts

There is no cookie-cutter way to promote your podcast on Instagram. It’s always good to experiment and generate out-of-the-box ideas. However, the above-mentioned ways will definitely help you find the right direction. New to the world of podcasting?

Record your first episode today on Listnr for free.

12 Ways to Promote your Podcast on Instagram with Real examples

Pick a username that best describes your podcast.