5 Levers for Podcast Growth in 2025
Podcasting can feel like shouting into the void sometimes.
You’re putting out content week after week, but it’s like no one’s listening.
I’ve been there.
But here’s what I’ve learned: Growth isn’t about working harder—it’s about focusing on finding the right levers you can pull on.
This is different for everyone based on their starting point.
So in this article, I’m going to share the five levers that will change everything for your podcast this year even if it feels like a mess right now.
Lever 1: Associations
Guests are growth accelerators.
That's because of the associations that can form from them.
This is what allowed my first podcast in 2016 to take off.
But if you're not careful, this can backfire big time.
Which is why you don't want to just chase the biggest follower counts.
It's tempting when you're trying to grow.
So the shift is focusing on the CONTENT associations more than the guest.
Pick people that will bring the type of topics and talking points that would enhance the positioning of your show.
This is more reliable to get to your dream guests anyway.
Every big guest knows that they are bringing value to your show by being there.
So by focusing on what you want to talk to them about is your best chance at getting their attention.
The third type of association is status symbols.
I had a consulting client that came to me from a major global TV network.
And I was like we have to leverage this to the extent you're allowed to.
If you did all the work to go to Harvard, you want to let people know about it.
This one is worth highlighting so you can see it at play with the biggest podcasters.
Lever 2: Production Quality
People judge your podcast in the first 10 seconds. But here’s the good news: Small upgrades can make a big impact.
You'll see a huge rise in professional studios that were built out with tens of thousands of dollars.
Which does make filming podcasts in person more accessible.
Especially if you're traveling to major cities.
You can see how filming in a pixel perfect studio can give off the right signals.
Even if you're a small show, you're signaling you take this seriously enough to be in a studio.
And a whole bunch of other assumptions.
But I want to warn you that this can wear off.
It's amazing for discovering new people.
The visuals are likely so compelling it gets someone to stop for a few seconds longer if they're scrolling by a clip.
Yet you still have to deliver.
If the content is crappy, the 8k cameras and production quality can feel dumb.
So that's why I recommend building out a home studio of some sort to start.
Because even if people judge your podcast, you don't want to fake being something you're not.
Just like you wouldn't rent a Lambo because you drive a Toyota.
It's preferable to lean into the Toyota if that's really you.
And there's a ton of people who's brand is NOT that high end studio style.
There's actually a YouTuber who is known for filming in his cars that are always under $2-4k with an iPhone 4.
So yeah the production quality might be considered crappy, but it's on brand.
Instead of these drastic measures, try upgrading in iterations.
The camera, the mic, the editing, the desk, the background, etc.
Make your set feel like you.
Lever 3: Pre-production
This is the lever that most shows can always rely on pulling no matter how big they get.
The more time you invest into pre-production, you save 10x that time in post production.
We all want to just show up, riff, and talk about what comes up in the moment.
But that doesn't yield the best clips, stories, or pull quotes.
A lot of the biggest shows engineer those viral clips into their process ahead of time.
The guest already has a heads up that they might be asked about this story or problem.
Just like how traditional YouTube videos rely on SCRIPTING to be the biggest part of pre-production, it's similar with podcasts.
Except you're focus is on titles, questions, and topics rather than word for word styled scripting.
This can be boring but once you feel the effects of it working, you'll see what I mean.
All it takes is for ONE episode to take off because of the time you put into pre-pro.
I remember one of the first times I took this seriously for YouTube, I was able to get someone who has a Netflix show to comment on my video and share it.
I harp so hard on this lever because our genre is similar to stand up comedy.
The words matter more because there's no other props on stage.
You can't just rely on Mr. Beast styled editing for your podcasts to hold attention.
The words on their own need to carry someone through the episode.
And you can increase your chances of nailing this by strategizing in pre-production.
Start by brainstorming 3-5 potential titles before you record.
Pick the one that’s the most intriguing or directly addresses your listener’s pain point.
Remember: Your title drives clicks, and clicks drive listeners.
So treat it as your most important pre-production step.
Lever 4: Personas
All the best podcasts have figured out one thing really well.
The exact persona they are speaking to.
And a lot of times these personas are born out of existing market segments.
So in the fitness industry, let's consider the endurance market.
Within that we can think of runners or swimmers for example.
There's always something where 50-60% of them are adopting a new thing, while the rest don't want to.
So let's say the new thing is that Keto is the best diet for runners.
You'll have podcasts around that persona.
But there's usually an opportunity for the persona that's being ignored.
All the other runners that don't want to do Keto will be looking out for someone who GETS IT.
Start with your past self as your first persona.
Ask: What were my biggest struggles, frustrations, or goals when I was in this position?
Use those insights to guide your messaging.
As your audience grows, pay attention to the common themes in their feedback—this will reveal 1-2 additional personas to refine your focus.
This helps podcast growth because every decision can be filtered through the persona's POV.
Once you can really describe the kind of person that your podcast is perfect for, you can now find them everywhere.
A lot of podcasts wait too long to do this exercise, losing out on growth for years.
Understanding this better pays huge dividends when you're choosing guests, picking titles, and every other high leverage area of your show.
Lever 5: Distribution Strategy
The low leverage version of this would be if you just did an audio version of the episode and no other promo at all.
It works for some brands depending on how they're using their podcast.
But for most of us, we want clips, tweets, and the maximum amount of media extracted from the full episode.
You'll find that at the top levels in podcasting, this is one of the levers they are most creatively maximizing.
They have 3 YouTube shorts a day, 6 tweets/text posts, and a wild rate of publishing on most platforms they are on.
This output requires a team of 2-8 on average, or at least it used to.
I think the advance in technology has allowed the everyday podcaster to scale their distribution as one person if you really wanted.
There's a connectedness that people will feel when engaging with your brand on multiple platforms.
It will be similar stuff but will feel new and fresh because it's packaged up a little differently.
Levers Look Like Luck
Without understanding the variables that go into podcast growth, it can feel hopeless.
So take comfort in the fact that your favorite podcasts are pulling on these same levers.
They just have more resources available to deploy now.
Whenever these strategies fail for people, it's almost always because they prioritized the wrong lever.
The production quality got all the time and resources when pre-production was really the lever people needed.
This is why growing a podcast isn't a copy and paste strategy.
It requires looking inward and being honest about what we could work on.
Test of Time
None of these levers matter if you are working on an idea you wouldn't be willing to for over 3 years.
I say that because you'll turn these levers into tactics if it's not an idea you really care about.
This often is the hidden lever that allowed shows to become bigger.
They were able to stay in the game for years even when they get 15 downloads an episode.
So which lever are you pulling first?
Don’t just think about it—start pulling these levers now and set your podcast up for success.
Recap
Focus on guests who elevate your show’s topics and positioning.
Upgrade your setup in small, authentic ways that feel like you.
Invest time in pre-production to nail titles, questions, and topics.
Speak directly to one specific persona to create deep connections.
Commit to an idea you’ll stick with for 3+ years for long-term growth.
Book a free strategy call here if you want some hands on help with starting or growing your podcast.
In your corner,
Misbah Haque
P.S. Get instant access to 30+ Notion templates for every aspect of your podcasting workflow here.
