Pocket-Sized Podcasting With Alitu

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about compiling an ebook. A lot of podcasters do this once they’ve hit a critical mass with their episodes. You end up with a lot of wisdom and knowledge in that big bank of content. So, what threads or narratives could you pull out and build an ebook around? An example of this might be a recurring question you ask every guest, and now you have 50 different answers. Or, maybe you’ve noticed a pattern in how each guest battled through adversity to become successful in their field. If you do themed and structured seasons, then your book chapters are pretty much laid out for you. Use your scripts, transcripts, and shownotes to build a first draft, polish it up, then you can use it whatever way you like. Some choose to give it away for visibility or as a lead magnet. Others prefer to stick it up for sale on Amazon or their own e-commerce store. Either way, ebooks are one of the best ways to repurpose your content and create extra value for your audience. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And, if you’re enjoying the show, please do leave us a rating and review on your listening app of choice. We really would appreciate it.

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about social media stories. Most social media platforms have their own version of a “stories” or “shorts” feature, where you post short clips from throughout your day. And whilst *actually* posting short clips to social media throughout your day sounds like a terrible idea, you can still use these tools to create extra content and engagement around your podcast. For example, during a pre-chat or set up, or as a sort of post-show conversation. You could even use them to document you decking out your new podcast studio, unboxing your latest bit of kit, or just talking through your note-taking strategy that lays the foundations for your episode prep. Always treat this stuff as icing, though, and never let it get in the way of working on your actual podcast. If you’re finding life a bit busy and hectic, then dedicating time to social media should be the first thing to go. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And, if you’re enjoying the show, please do leave us a rating and review on your listening app of choice. We really would appreciate it.

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about posting video versions of your episodes. Post-pandemic, people are a lot more familiar with talking on video these days. In the past, it was almost assumed that a podcast recording would be audio-only. But now, you’ll find that a lot of guests turn up almost expecting the video to be recorded, too. If you and your guest are comfortable with it, then it makes total sense to record video as well as audio. You can upload these videos to YouTube, which is the second biggest search engine in the world. You don’t even have to post the full episodes as videos, either. You can pick out one of two short clips to publish as micro-content, which makes them more searchable, and act as great teaser samples for the full show. Having a video component to your podcast can go a long way towards expanding your reach and growing your audience. For a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/videopods](http://thepodcasthost.com/videopods)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about written content and blogging. As podcasters, we’re missing a trick when we think of our “show notes” as an afterthought. If you’ve planned and scripted your episode, you might only tweak this slightly then just slap it in there when you hit publish. But an extra 20mins spent turning your outline or show notes into something we might more accurately describe as a “blog post” can be well worth your while. Can you write 500-700 words around your episode topic in a structured and cohesive manner? Good blog posts are extremely shareable. And, you might end up with some decent search traffic via Google. Ultimately, this is all going to help you in the quest to grow your audience. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a “good” writer, a free tool like Grammarly can help you a lot, here. And you don’t need to become the next Stephen King to make written content work well for you. The big work is in the structure and message, and you’re already doing that each time you outline a new episode. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And, for a deeper dive on this subject, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/stacking](http://thepodcasthost.com/stacking)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about live broadcasting or streaming. If you’ve got a phone or an internet connection, then you have the ability to “go live” at any time. Typically, this would be on one of the big social media platforms, a dedicated streaming platform like twitch, or, an app like Podbean. Some podcasters like to record their episodes live for the audience interaction and instant feedback, or, just that feeling of “being live”. Others might choose to do their episode prep live, where they’ll take questions and queries in advance. Live broadcasting isn’t for everyone, and the reach is definitely far more limited than your on-demand content. But this might be something you can easily fit into your workflow that creates a bit of extra engagement and visibility. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And, for a deeper dive on this subject, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/livepod](http://thepodcasthost.com/livepod)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about podcast growth through repurposing. If you’re spending time creating great content in one medium - in our case, audio - then you can multiply its impact by repurposing or ‘stacking’ it. For example, with this podcast, I script the episodes, then record them. I could also film the recording, for YouTube, record it live, for streaming or social media, and then use the scripts as a blog post or even an email sequence. That’s a lot of different outputs for almost no extra work. So over the next few episodes, we’re going to take a deeper dive into repurposing. The aim is to maximise the impact and reach of your content and ensure that nothing ever gets wasted. If you’ve taken the time to put something good together, why not have it out there working for you in as many different formats as possible? Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And, if you’re enjoying the show, please follow or subscribe on your listening app or choice so you never miss an episode.

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about event sponsorship. We’ve already talked about going to conferences and conventions in your niche. So how about sponsoring one to promote your podcast? Event organisers will tend to offer different sponsorship tiers. There’s usually a main event sponsor, though depending on the industry, this could be pretty expensive. Sponsorship of things like lanyards and canvas bags can be a lot cheaper, though, and pretty effective at the same time. With the lanyards, there are eyes going to them the whole day as people meet, and look at each other’s name. With bags, these are carried around the whole day and are constantly on display as attendees fill them full of swag. Both the lanyards and the bags are generally kept by attendees too, so there’s a good chance your branding will make it back home with them afterwards. The beauty of event sponsorship is that you don’t even physically need to be there. You can sponsor an event on the other side of the world, or multiple events at the same time! Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And, if you’re enjoying the show, please do leave us a rating and review on your listening app of choice. We really would appreciate it.

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about flyers and leaflets. Paper or card flyers are one of the oldest marketing tools out there. And even in this age of social media and digital communication, we still see them everywhere. You’ll no doubt regularly get them through your door, find them scattered on tables, or pinned to community noticeboards. Using flyers to advertise your podcast can be an effective marketing strategy, if done correctly. They can get your show in front of potential listeners in an eye-catching and tangible way. They can tempt these potential listeners into finding out more, by offering a clear problem-solution relevant to your content. So have a think about how or where you might be able to use flyers in a way that’ll fit with your topic or target audience. Is this something that might help you reach more potential podcast listeners? Thanks very much for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And, for a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/advertising](http://thepodcasthost.com/advertising)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about sponsoring another podcast. This is potentially the ultimate way to spend any advertising budget. Find a successful show with a similar target audience to your own, then, sponsor it for a few episodes. This way, not only do you reach your target audience, but they’re all active podcast listeners, too. An ad for another podcast could sound like a breath of fresh air if listeners are used to hearing about how great the latest all-in-one sock mattress razor is. An obvious caveat is that the show in question runs ads. But even if they don’t, the host will probably be interested in your proposal. As a very rough ballpark, podcast ads can cost around $25 per 1000 listeners. But, more niche and targeted shows often charge a bit more. If you can afford to try it out though, this is a fantastic way to reach more podcast listeners in your target audience. Thanks very much for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And, for a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/advertising](http://thepodcasthost.com/advertising)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about email newsletter sponsorship. Email is still the often-overlooked king of online communication. Websites and social media platforms may come and go, but every single person who uses the internet has an email address. Email newsletters are still arguably the most effective way for brands and businesses to keep their fans up-to-date. And many of these brands and businesses will offer sponsorship opportunities for their newsletters, too. This can be an excellent way to get in front of your target audience. A good starting point here is to consider the email newsletters in your show’s niche that you’re already signed up to. Do any of these have ongoing ad or sponsorship slots? If so, it’ll be possible to get details on pricing and availability, either on their main website, or by contacting the folks behind it. Marketing emails often have solid analytics, too. So you should get enough data to warrant whether you’ve got a good ROI on this. If it’s working well for you and you have the budget, it might be worth sticking with for a while. Thanks very much for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And, for a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/advertising](http://thepodcasthost.com/advertising)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about advertising your podcast via Google Ads. Google ads is another behemoth of online advertising, and there's a good chance you see dozens of these every single day. Most search terms will turn up a handful of ads at the very top of the page. You can spot these because they have the “Ad” text beside them. If you have a show which answers a question, in any way, then Google ads could work really well for you. For example, you're a coach that teaches people how to be more confident on your show, or you're a running influencer who tells people what the best running products to buy are. If you know what people are searching for in your niche, and your show has an answer for that search, then you can use Google ads. They may not be *quite* as effective as organic content. But getting anything to the very top of a Google search result can be challenging, and takes a bit of time. So by all means, work on optimising your organic content for search. But in the meantime, putting some money behind a Google Ad or two can give you a nice boost in traffic to your site - and downloads to your podcast! Thanks very much for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And, for a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/advertising](http://thepodcasthost.com/advertising)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about advertising your podcast on Reddit. Reddit is described as a “social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website.” That’s some elevator pitch eh? You can’t argue, though. It is one of the most visited websites in the world – and it's yet another place you can run paid ads to promote your content. To advertise your podcast on Reddit, you first need to sign up with Reddit Ads, where you can create your first campaign. Here, Reddit will ask you for your campaign objective. The options they give include “Brand Awareness and Reach”, “Traffic”, “Conversions”, and “Video Views”. You can tailor your ad targeting, going as wide or as narrow as you like, selecting from a range of interests and niche Reddit communities. You can also run location targeting. If you're based in the US, you can even do this on a per-state basis. On top of that, you can choose which devices your ads will run on – for example, a podcast about iOS/Apple products wouldn't want to waste its money advertising to Android users. Thanks very much for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And, for a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/advertising](http://thepodcasthost.com/advertising)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about advertising your podcast on Spotify. At time of recording, Spotify boasts well over 250 million “ad supported” listeners. You can create and run a 30-second audio ad for your show by signing up at https://adstudio.spotify.com Spotify ads are predominantly audio, though there’s a visual element too. They display your logo on screen with a “Learn More” button, whilst the ad is playing. The ads are played in-between songs or podcast episodes, to listeners who use Spotify on their free tier. Spotify ads are similar to social media ads in the sense that you set a budget and date range, before being offered an estimated number of ads to be served. For example, $500 might get you around 25,000 ads. They also let you really hone in on the targeting, selecting things like age, gender, location, and even the styles of music your ads will appear alongside. Thanks very much for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And, for a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/advertising](http://thepodcasthost.com/advertising)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about social media advertising. I know I’m never very positive or complimentary about social media. But, there are a lot of people looking at it every minute of every day. And, you can pay to advertise your podcast at them. Facebook is traditionally the mecca for social media ads because they have so much data on their users. You can really hone in on the audience you’d like to reach, from location, to interests, and even, the device they're using. For some, this is ethically questionable, but you’ll have your own opinions. The fact is, it’s out there as an option. Facebook isn’t the only platform you can run ads on either. There’s Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, and probably ten more new apps by the time you hear this. Prolific social media users are some of the most distracted and angry people out there. So be prepared for the odd person who notices it to express outrage that they’re being advertised at on a platform they use for free. Anyway, that’s enough cynicism for one day eh? Thanks very much for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And, for a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/facebookads](http://thepodcasthost.com/facebookads) Seriously, that’s a great guide by Gavin, so if social is your thing, then it’s well worth a wee look.

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about advertising on Podnews. Podnews is an essential daily email newsletter, predominantly aimed at keeping podcasters up-to-date with the latest industry news. But, most podcasters are podcast listeners too, and you can advertise your podcast to them here for as little as $29 a day. With Podnews advertising, you can promote your show to - at time of recording - over 25,000 subscribers every weekday. Recipients include folks from the likes of the BBC, NPR, Gimlet, and Apple Podcasts – you never know who might take an interest. The ads appear right in the middle of the main content, as a seperate box, under the heading ‘Classifieds’. Each ad is a hyperlinked headline and a 30-40 word description. All ads run in Podnews will also appear permanently on their website and within their daily companion podcast episode shownotes. By the way, it’s a good wee daily show to subscribe too. Thanks very much for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And, for a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/advertising](http://thepodcasthost.com/advertising)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about community sponsorship. Depending on where you live, you might see a lot of sponsorship opportunities in your local community. These are typically things like flower beds, roundabouts, and parks. This is a more altruistic advertising approach because you’re giving something back to your community, as well as potentially pulling in some new listeners. So is there a park bench, woodland trail, or even, public toilet that would benefit from having your podcast’s name on it? If nothing else, it’ll make for a good story to tell your listeners. Thanks very much for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And remember, you can leave feedback for us quickly and easily over at [thepodcasthost.com/psp](http://thepodcasthost.com/psp)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about advertising your podcast *on* public transport. Or, on HGVs. Now that everyone *inside* the bus is listening to your podcast, let’s get some car-based listeners too. Ads on the backs of buses and lorries are common ways transport companies monetise otherwise dead space on their vehicles. They’re incredibly effective because there’s almost always someone looking right at it. Again, if the ad agency knows its business well, then it’ll also make it clear who to contact if you’re looking to enquire about one. Remember, you can do this on a much smaller and cheaper scale using car bumper stickers. Or, you might consider befriending a lorry driver and asking to put your sticker on their vehicle. However you go about it though, I hope this strategy brings you some decent traffic. Traffic. See what I did there? Thanks very much for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And remember, you can leave feedback for us quickly and easily over at [thepodcasthost.com/psp](http://thepodcasthost.com/psp)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about advertising your podcast inside public transport. You know when you’re sitting on the bus, train, or tube, trying your best to avoid eye contact with anyone. You always find yourself looking at those wee ads above the windows for weird hair tonics and haemorrhoid cream. Or is that just me? In any case, people do see these ads every single day. *A lot* of people, usually. So imagine an ad for your podcast up there beside them? As an aside, this would be the perfect place to use a QR Code, too. So next time you’re on public transport, just take a closer look at the existing ads to see which agency is running them. Then, get in touch to ask about pricing options. The only downside here is that your fellow travellers will think you’re making a note of that haemorrhoid cream for your shopping list. But, you win some, you lose some. Thanks very much for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And remember, you can leave feedback for us quickly and easily over at [thepodcasthost.com/psp](http://thepodcasthost.com/psp)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about running ads in print magazines. Print magazines have experienced a bit of a renaissance in recent years. In fact, it seems to be the ultra-niche ones that have best weathered the digital storm, and continue to grow from strength to strength. This is perfect for doing some targeted advertising for your show. Whether you’re podcasting about fly fishing, gardening, or model railways, you’ll likely find a magazine serving up the same topic to a dedicated fanbase. You’ll be surprised at how affordable this can be, with a lot of mags just looking to fill up ad spaces before their next print deadline. However, if it’s still out of your budget, you can always offer to write a guest article for them in exchange for the opportunity to mention your podcast. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And, for a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/advertising](http://thepodcasthost.com/advertising)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about advertising on Overcast and other podcast listening apps. This type of advertising is hugely effective, because 100% of the folks you reach are podcast listeners who’re actively browsing their app. There’s no education needed here whatsoever, it’s just down to your show’s title, topic, and snippet. Overcast ads appear as unobtrusive little banners, which the app’s users see at the bottom of their screen. This means they're literally one click away from browsing your podcast inside their chosen listening app. And one more click away from hitting Play or Subscribe. Costs here vary on category and demand. Overcast also estimates the number of clicks and subscribers you’ll get via your ad, so you can weigh up the potential ROI. Overcast isn’t the only listening app you can run ads on, either. Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, Podbay, and Player FM are other options you might want to consider, too. For a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/advertising](http://thepodcasthost.com/advertising)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about advertising your podcast. The concept of advertising really needs no introduction. This is an ancient and traditional way of promoting a product or service. You pay some money, and you get your ad in front of a particular audience. Podcast growth can be a slow burn. But the one way you can fast-track it, is to spend some money on an ad campaign. So if you’re able to set some money aside for this purpose, what are your options when it comes to spending it? And which one’s going to be the best fit for you and your podcast? Over the next few episodes, we’re going to run through some popular and effective places to run ads for your podcast, so be sure to subscribe to or follow Pocket-Sized Podcasting on your listening app of choice, that way, you’ll never miss an episode.

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about other types of podcast merch. Now that we’re looking at this from a “just get as much branded merch out there as possible” approach, what can we add to our store alongside our t-shirts, stickers, and magnets? A quick look over at popular print-on-demand service TeePublic gives us some good ideas, including laptop and phone cases, pin badges, tote bags, tapestries, wall art, mugs, pillows, kids onesies, hoodies, and even… tank tops. What about that, eh? A tank top. I went on there and they look more like vests to me, but never mind. If you want to check out this service for yourself, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/teepublic](http://thepodcasthost.com/teepublic) And, for a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/podcastmerch](http://thepodcasthost.com/podcastmerch)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about t-shirts. The big misconception about selling podcast-branded t-shirts is that this is a monetization strategy, rather than a promotion one. But, any listener wearing your show’s t-shirt becomes like a walking billboard for your show. For most podcasters, using a print-on-demand service for t-shirts will make more sense than buying a bulk order, and then storing and shipping them yourself. But print-on-demand can push the price of your merch up, so it’s worth selling t-shirts at their minimum cost price. This means you’ll make no profit on them, but, it increases the chances of you selling more. As I say, look at this as more guerrilla marketing, rather than the opportunity to make money. There are much better ways to do that, as we’ll cover later on in the series.

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about QR Codes. The humble “Quick Response” code rose to prominence during the pandemic. Very few people don’t know what they are, now. If you don’t, though, a QR Code is a unique symbol that your smartphone's camera can read and translate into a web address. They look like wee black and white chequered squares. You can add QR codes to business cards, stickers and other merch, and they’ll take people directly to your podcast website. You see bands or musicians using this a lot on their stickers, or buskers on their signage. I’ve even heard of people getting QR Code tattoos. That’s possibly the most extreme example of this strategy though, and for most folks, a wee card, sticker, or magnet will do. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And, for a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/qrcodes](http://thepodcasthost.com/qrcodes)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about roadside promotion. This might be anything from a banner draped on a flyover, to a big sign in a field. Basically, a message that promotes your podcast which will be seen by thousands of people each day. It should go without saying, but please don’t do anything stupid, dangerous, or illegal here. Roads are deadly places, so never put yours or anyone else’s life at risk with a strategy like this. Of course, you could go the official route here, and hire a billboard. But I don’t imagine that comes cheaply, no matter where you are in the world. I see a lot of roadside marketing here in Scotland, usually by some mad farmer. It’d be nice to drive past a few innovative podcast ads, slogans, or messages in the future. In the meantime, for a deeper dive on this, check out [thepodcasthost.com/guerrilla](http://thepodcasthost.com/guerrilla)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about beer mats and coasters. This is one of my favourite podcast promotion strategies, because it’s a great excuse to go to the pub. If you get a bunch of eye-catching cardboard coasters made, you can stick them on your table under your glasses. Then, when you leave, the next people who sit there are going to immediately see them. They might even take one away. Depending on the establishment, some coasters can end up there for days or weeks, too. And a lot of people will end up seeing them up close. With this approach, nights out, hen doos, and birthday drinks become “podcast marketing sessions”. Of course, it doesn’t need to revolve around alcohol, either. You can do this just as well in cafes or restaurants. Basically, any public lounge where people sit down at a table with a drink. Bonus tip: Why not approach a local bar or cafe to become their official supplier of coasters in exchange for some free promotion on your podcast? It’s worth a shot… In the meantime, for a deeper dive on this, check out [thepodcasthost.com/guerrilla](http://thepodcasthost.com/guerrilla)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about magnets. Magnets - like stickers - can be wee adverts for your podcast. They’re more tolerated than stickers, too, because they can be easily removed. This means that curious listeners sometimes take them home. We know where all magnets end up in the home, too. Don’t underestimate the power of getting your logo onto someone’s fridge. They’ll see it every single day for years. So will their family, housemates, or anyone who comes to visit. Magnets also make for great freebies at events or conferences, or as rewards for reviews or crowdfunding support. As they’re usually small, light, and flat, they don’t cost too much to post out anywhere around the world. These are quite literally “fan magnets”, and no podcaster should be without them. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And, for a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/podcastmerch](http://thepodcasthost.com/podcastmerch)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about bumper stickers. A bumper sticker on the back of your car might not seem like it’s doing much. But imagine how many different people end up seeing it over the weeks, months, and years. Sure, a lot of them won’t be your target audience. But some will. And, aside from creating your sticker and slapping it on, this is a completely effortless way of promoting your podcast. Your sticker’s design will depend a lot on your show’s name. If it’s an obvious name, like “The Organic Gardener Podcast”, then it speaks for itself. If you’ve got a more obscure name, though, then you might need to get innovative with your design in order to temp anyone to check it out. The downside of this, of course, is when you cut someone off, they know exactly who you are. So drive safely out there. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And remember, you can leave feedback for us quickly and easily over at [thepodcasthost.com/psp](http://thepodcasthost.com/psp)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about stickers. Stickers are the ultimate guerrilla marketing tool. They’re like little ads for your podcast that can pop up anywhere, and they can last for a long time. You don’t even need to risk accusations of vandalism by actually sticking your stickers in places. You could just give them away at conferences or events. You can even use the business card strategy and leave them in books. Just don’t stick anything to the book, obviously. Most people like stickers - even if they’ve never heard of the brand behind them. Give someone a sticker, and they’re unlikely to chuck it away. They’re also quite likely to stick it somewhere. This could be anything from the back of a laptop, to a dedicated “sticker wall” in their house or office. Bottom line: No podcaster should be without a set of stickers for their show. And, for a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/podcastmerch](http://thepodcasthost.com/podcastmerch)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about leaving a card in a book. Books might be very old, and podcasts very new, but both have a lot in common. They’re created with a target audience in mind. So why not promote your podcast in books that share your overarching theme or topic? The starting point here is to order a batch of business cards that promote your podcast. Then, visit any local bookshops and libraries to find books you think your target audience might be interested in. Obviously, it’s unlikely the owners of any establishment would be happy with this. So, you do so entirely at your own discretion. You know, deep down, that you’re helping their customers to find more great content. But they probably won’t share your enthusiasm. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And remember, you can leave feedback for us quickly and easily over at [thepodcasthost.com/psp](http://thepodcasthost.com/psp)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about guerrilla marketing. No, this isn’t about promoting your podcast at the zoo - although it could be. Guerrilla marketing is a low or no-cost unconventional advertising strategy. It allows you to engage with the public on a more personal and memorable level. The cool thing about this too, is that it’s offline, and happens out there in the real world. Examples of guerrilla marketing range from making creative and artistic changes to pre-existing environments, or, leveraging the crowd at some sort of gathering or event. This is all usually without any official permission. On the next few episodes we’re going to give you some examples of podcast promotion tactics that could fall under the guerrilla marketing category. In the meantime, for a deeper dive on this, check out [thepodcasthost.com/guerrilla](http://thepodcasthost.com/guerrilla)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about scheduling tools for social media. Let’s face it. Nobody *really* wants to spend time on social media. These platforms are designed to capture your attention, and they’re very good at it. At best, you’ll lose entire hours of your day. At worst, you’ll feel utterly dejected at the world and its inhabitants. But, you can still give your podcast a presence there by using scheduling tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, or Meet Edgar. These tools let you post questions, updates, and other content, without having any of these apps on your phone. Then, you can set time aside to log in on your computer each day to reply to any engagement. This is a great way to win back control of your time, and put it to much better use. Like working on your podcast. Or, spending time with your friends and family. For a full review of social media scheduling tool Meet Edgar, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/edgar](http://thepodcasthost.com/edgar)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about posting out regular questions. As a podcaster, you want to keep your finger on the pulse when it comes to the needs and wants of your audience. You might want to post out regular questions to them, asking specific things. You can do this on social, or, via your email list. You can even create a wee ongoing poll or survey on your website to collect this data indefinitely This is all fuel for highly searchable and helpful future content. The questions you ask will be specific to your topic, but they’ll typically revolve around struggles or pain points that you’re uniquely positioned to solve. There’s no need to try and second-guess what people want to hear about. They’ll usually be happy to tell you themselves. All you need to do is ask. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And remember, you can leave feedback for us quickly and easily over at [thepodcasthost.com/psp](http://thepodcasthost.com/psp)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about audiogram highlights. An audiogram is a piece of media that combines visual art, a sound wave, an audio track, and even a transcription of the dialogue. These are great wee shareable files that you can use on social media to promote your latest episode. To make one, you just need to pick out a memorable or powerful segment from the show, say, between one to three minutes long. Then, use a tool like Headliner to quickly and easily create it. If you host your show on Buzzsprout, they have an audiogram maker built-in. You’ll also find a free one in popular listening app Overcast. Audiograms are a step up from quote images, because they let potential listeners actually hear your content, too. And, because you’re a listener to this show, it’s obviously going to sound good. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And remember, you can leave feedback for us quickly and easily over at [thepodcasthost.com/psp](http://thepodcasthost.com/psp)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about sharing reviews on social media. If you go around telling everyone how great your podcast is, they’ll probably take it with a grain of salt. However, if other people do it, then it carries a lot more weight. Podcast reviews aren’t just hot chocolate for the ego. They’re great marketing materials, too. They can pop up in a lot of different listening apps. But you can use a tool like Podrover, Rephonic, or Podpage to collect them all in one place. Podrover will create optimised social media graphics from your reviews, but you can easily use Canva to do this too, with a couple of extra steps. Remember, it doesn’t always have to be glowing five-star reviews you share, either. Sometimes an entirely unreasonable one-star review is good for a laugh and some extra engagement, too. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And remember, you can leave feedback for us quickly and easily over at [thepodcasthost.com/psp](http://thepodcasthost.com/psp)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about behind-the-scenes content. This is a great way to further engage your long-time fans. Whilst brand new listeners couldn’t care less about your cat, your weekend plans, or, your flatmate’s questionable hygiene, the folks who’ve been with you a while will start to. Recording some extra audio or video before or after your main episode can create some nice bonus content here. It’s a peek behind the curtain of what goes into making the show, and a chance to go off-topic without that angry new guy shouting “Just get to the point!” at you. You can put this behind a paywall on a crowdfunding platform, or, you can just release it on a different feed or YouTube channel. The good thing about this content is that it can really drive engagement with almost no extra work. So why not give it a shot and see how it goes for you? Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And remember, you can leave feedback for us quickly and easily over at [thepodcasthost.com/psp](http://thepodcasthost.com/psp)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about advanced twitter search. Twitter is where thousands of people who haven’t learned to use Google yet spend their days, shouting endless questions into the void. The good news, though, is that you can mine this data to create episodes that answer those specific questions. In an ideal world, these folks would then learn how to use Google and subsequently find your episodes. But you could just directly reply to them with your content once it goes out. They did ask, after all! With this approach, it’s worth typing in your topic, along with a question like “does anyone know”, or, “can anyone recommend”. Here, you know for sure you’re creating content people are actively searching for. It’s just a pity they’re so bad at searching for it. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And be sure to check out our ultimate content promotion manual over at [thepodcasthost.com/podcastgrowthbook](http://thepodcasthost.com/podcastgrowthbook)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about social media quote images. From memes, to pseudo-inspirational wisdom, the internet just loves the sight of an image with text on it. If you’re a social media user, you can get in on the act here by pulling a compelling wee quote or two from your latest episode, and creating a shareable graphic around it. Here, you’ll want to add the name of your show, and maybe even your cover art and your domain name onto the graphic, too. This is a balancing act as you don’t want it to get too cluttered. You might have to edit the quote down a bit so that it’s an appropriate length. You can make these graphics quickly, easily, and for free, by using canva.com. They come in especially handy if you’re quoting an interview guest because it makes them more likely to share it with their own audience, too. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And be sure to check out our ultimate content promotion manual over at [thepodcasthost.com/podcastgrowthbook](http://thepodcasthost.com/podcastgrowthbook)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about key questions to ask in your listener survey. Many of your questions will be determined by your topic. But here are some that you might want to consider adding in. 1. How did you discover the show 2. What made you hit play? 3. What keeps you listening? 4. Is there a particular episode that stands out to you? 5. Is there anything about the show that irks or frustrates you? 6. What are you struggling with right now? 7. If I could create a product, service, or course just for you, what would it be? 8. In one sentence, how would you describe this podcast to a friend who you think would like it? You could also add in some multiple-choice questions about things like episode length, format, and frequency. But I’d only recommend doing this if these are things you’d be willing to change. Remember, you don’t NEED to act on all or, even, any of this. What you do with the data is up to you. And be aware that you can’t please everyone, all of the time. Ultimately, it’s YOUR podcast. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. For a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/howtosurvey](http://thepodcasthost.com/howtosurvey)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about how to start your listener survey. Lots of people might click on and start your survey, but not all of them will finish it. So how do we get the maximum amount of people through to the end? Open with some easy low-hanging fruit multiple-choice questions. Obviously, you still want these to be useful to you; otherwise, you’re wasting their time and yours. But get them ticking those wee boxes, and they’ll be more likely to fill out any text boxes and personal details that follow. Text boxes and personal details are the exact things you don’t want to open with. Most people feel busy, and when they see a big empty box, they’ll just assume your entire survey is going to take a lot of time, and a lot of typing. People are wary of giving away personal info, too. If you need to ask for things like names or email addresses, then leave this til the end. At least they’re going to feel like they’ve bought into it by then. And you can always allow them to skip these options if they’d like to. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. For a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/howtosurvey](http://thepodcasthost.com/howtosurvey)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about listener voice surveys. Not all surveys need to be text-based, you can collect audio answers, too. A voice survey would be less in-depth than its text counterpart. But, the answers can have a bit more impact and meaning. They can even be used as part of future content, so long as you’re clear about that with your listeners beforehand. A tool like Telbee is ideal for setting something like this up. It transcribes the answers for you, so they’re easy to sift through and organise, without actually having to listen through them. Again, this isn’t going to give you the big data of a text-based survey, but it’s something to keep in your arsenal when you want candid feedback from your listeners. Or, when you’re planning your next montage episode. For a deeper dive on this, and for a full review of Telbee, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/voicefeedback](http://thepodcasthost.com/voicefeedback)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about tools for running a listener survey. Survey software can actually be quite expensive. As we’re only looking to run something like this at most every six months, it doesn’t make much sense to spend a fortune on it. So if you’re looking to run a survey for free, then Google Forms is the best option I’ve come across. Yes, it looks a bit basic, but it more than does the trick. SurveyMonkey is a famous survey tool, whilst Typeform is really sophisticated. But, for the majority of podcasters, they’ll just be a bit too pricey for what we need. Be wary of WordPress plugin survey tools, too. They might be free to set up, but can sneakily end up holding your data hostage for a subscription fee. Once you’ve set your survey up, remember to use a tool like PrettyLinks to create an easy link for it, too. That’s what we’ve done for our own survey, which you can find at [thepodcasthost.com/psp](http://thepodcasthost.com/psp)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And this week, we’re going to focus on running a listener survey. When we’re trying to grow our podcast audience, it’s easy to go chasing after new listeners. But one of the best approaches is simply to look after the folks who’re already listening. If you do that, your numbers will grow by default. Think about it. You’re already creating content that people like. They choose to listen to you already. So asking them for some info and opinions can be like mining gold. Your existing fans are your biggest marketers. So make them feel valued, and heard. You’ll get some great new content ideas, opportunities to tighten up your content, and a clearer idea of how people find you and what keeps them listening. On tomorrow’s episode of Pocket-Sized Podcasting, we’ll look at some tools for hosting your survey. In the meantime, for a deeper dive, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/howtosurvey](http://thepodcasthost.com/howtosurvey)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about milestones. Setting goals for your show, meeting them, and then celebrating them, is a good way to get in front of new listeners. Your existing audience will follow along as you aim to hit that 50th episode, or get that 1000th download. Putting out some special content when you do, means that they’re likely to share it. This content could be as simple as a graphic knocked up on Canva, or a full montage episode, like we talked about earlier in the series. So what fun, impressive, but realistic goals could you set for your show? And are there any unique and eye-catching ideas you can think of to celebrate them once you get there? Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And be sure to check out our ultimate content promotion manual over at [thepodcasthost.com/podcastgrowthbook](http://thepodcasthost.com/podcastgrowthbook)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about newsjacking. This sounds a bit sleazy, but, think of newsjacking as connecting with topics that are on people’s minds right now. You want to do this with some sensitivity. It’s good to make the most of current events, but you don’t want to exploit someone else’s pain. Start with something that is likely to be in the news for a while, so your episode is still relevant by the time you finish editing and release it into the world. Looking on Twitter and Google for trending topics is a good idea, though these tend to have a short shelf life in the cultural memory. Sometimes trending topics are a flash in the pan. People may have forgotten about it by the time you get your episode edited, polished and uploaded. So what big ongoing stories in your topic, niche, or industry can you contribute to? This won’t just help with finding new listeners, either. Your existing audience will appreciate it a lot, too. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And be sure to check out our ultimate content promotion manual over at [thepodcasthost.com/podcastgrowthbook](http://thepodcasthost.com/podcastgrowthbook)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about entering awards and competitions. “It’s not the winning, it’s the taking part” might be an old cliche, but there’s some truth to it. Awards and competitions aren’t just a chance to win something. They’re an opportunity for visibility too. Participating in a couple of awards or competitions each year can be useful. They can help you to spread the word about your show, expand your reach and network, and grow your audience. These awards might be regional, or online. They might be podcast-specific, or, built around your industry or topic. Some ask you to make or do something, whilst others request a fee. You’ll just need to weigh all of this up to decide which ones are really going to be worth it. And, you never know, you might even win something. But, to be honest, we all know a few new listeners are worth more than some wee trophy. And all you have to do for that… is take part. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And be sure to check out our ultimate content promotion manual over at [thepodcasthost.com/podcastgrowthbook](http://thepodcasthost.com/podcastgrowthbook)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about being featured in Apple Podcasts. Apple Podcasts, aka, iTunes, is a huge listening platform, so getting an episode featured there can send a lot of new ears your way. Of course, there’s no way to guarantee this, but here’s how to have a good crack at it. Firstly, the episode in question shouldn’t be published yet. They’re looking for at least two weeks’ lead time to feature you. You’ll find the promotion request form at [thepodcasthost.com/appleform](http://thepodcasthost.com/appleform) Fill that out and convince them why it's worth featuring. For example, interviewing a film star ahead of a big premiere, or, covering a major event or news story. Apple also wants to know how you’ll promote the feature on their platform, so, the more you can offer them, the more likely you are to catch their eye. For an example of us featuring one of our podcasts there, along with download data, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/itunesfrontpage](http://thepodcasthost.com/itunesfrontpage)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about pitching to traditional media outlets like newspapers and radio. With a compelling story, you can draw new eyes or ears to your podcast. Some of the folks reading or listening might be in your target audience, and those are the ones you’re hoping will check out your show. Of course, it isn’t enough to go and tell your local paper you run a podcast. They’ll just think “okay, so what?”. Instead, there needs to be a compelling human story there. Some examples could be - Podcaster helps listener launch their own business after they were made redundant - Podcaster helps listener to learn Spanish and land dream tourism job - Podcaster helps budding young author to win short story competition The story doesn’t need to be about a listener, either, it could be about you - Podcaster was given a month to live. Now she’s helping others battle back from cancer - Podcaster had a childhood speech impediment. Now they talk to hundreds - Podcaster was rejected from art school. Now, show has helped them to sell first painting Notice that these focus on a transformation. Journalists love that stuff, and it’s the very basis of any story ever told. So what’s your story? For a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/journalists](http://thepodcasthost.com/journalists)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about how to become a podcast guest. First thing’s first - ditch that generic copy and paste email. Focus on fewer shows and reach out to them with a personalised video instead. Tell them what you love about their show, and how you’re uniquely positioned to bring value to their audience. Make it all about them, their content, and their listeners. This won’t guarantee results, but they’ll almost certainly watch it, as opposed to skimming and deleting a lengthy text-based pitch. You can also pay booking services such as podcastguests.com, matchmaker.fm, or Podchaser Connect to set you up with interview gigs. Deciding on the best route here might come down to whether you’d rather spend time, or money. Whichever investment you make, though, the results can be worth it. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcast. For a deeper dive on this topic, head on over to [thepodcasthost.com/getbookedasguest](http://thepodcasthost.com/getbookedasguest)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about being interviewed on other podcasts. There are few better ways to grow your audience than this. After all, 100% of the people who hear it are active podcast listeners. If you do a good job and provide a lot of value, those people will naturally want to subscribe to your own show. This is definitely an “easier said than done” tactic, though. It’s not like you can just invite yourself on to someone else’s podcast. Popular shows in your topic will also get hundreds of requests for guest appearances. Ultimately, you’ll need to play the long game, creating good content consistently over a period of time, and interview requests will start to come. But, there are a few tactics for jumping the queue here, and we’re going to cover them on the next episode. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And be sure to check out our ultimate content promotion manual over at [thepodcasthost.com/podcastgrowthbook](http://thepodcasthost.com/podcastgrowthbook)

Welcome to Pocket-Sized Podcasting, brought to you by Alitu: The Podcast Maker. And on this episode, we’re talking about creating a local podcaster group. There are enough podcasts out there these days that you’ll have other podcasters in your area. Sure, they might podcast about something completely different, and, have no direct interest in your topic, but there’s a lot of benefits to getting together regularly. Support, community, and friendship are always good things to have in your life. But you also become the go-to person in your topic. Each time one of your fellow podcasters meets someone interested in it, they’re naturally going to mention you. They’ll know the name of your show, and where to find it. And you’ll be able to do the same for others in the group, too. You might even meet another podcaster who’s topic or audience overlaps with yours, and there’ll be scope to try out some of the cross-promotion tactics we covered on an earlier episode. Thanks for listening to Pocket-Sized Podcasting. And be sure to check out our ultimate content promotion manual over at [thepodcasthost.com/podcastgrowthbook](http://thepodcasthost.com/podcastgrowthbook)