How to use writing to promote and grow podcasts

The Power of Writing and Underpriced Attention

Pretty soon after you start your podcast, you want to grow your audience.

One of the first things you’ll realize is that promotion and distribution are king.

You can't just wait and expect Spotify and Apple to do all the distributing for you.

This typically brings up another problem: what if you're an audio-only show, you don't have a video editor to help make clips, or you don't know video editing skills yourself?

This drives up complexity, more time, and more money to achieve those outcomes.

The Value of Writing for Promotion

One thing that's been very popular recently, and will continue to be, is writing.

Writing is a way to distribute your stuff with speed.

The reason it's going to stay around forever, even long after people are tired of reading and want more visual stimuli, is because it’s the fastest way to consume something.

Aside from a picture that's the equivalent of a thousand words, when you look at a two-line text or tweet, you've already consumed it just by looking at it.

It's already processed and has penetrated the brain.

When you look at a video clip from a podcast, even if it's 15 seconds, you have to spend that time watching it to get everything out of it.

Many people won't watch after the first three seconds, so you lose out on getting your message out there.

I'm not saying stop doing that because it's important too.

But if you look at writing, the reason I love it is because it's so easy.

It's a lower time investment for the person on the other end to actually consume.

We're not asking them to consume a 2,000-word blog post; we're asking them to consume a few sentences or a few slides in a carousel.

The Rise of Threads

The reason I think Threads is the platform to double down on right now is that there aren't any advertisers there yet.

It's owned by Meta, so eventually, they'll plug it into their advertising network with Facebook and Instagram.

But at the moment, they are still in that era we've seen every social platform go through before it becomes extremely hard to get reach.

Threads is like the early days of Instagram and Facebook, where reach was absolutely insane because there were no advertisers yet.

They were still trying to gather people and users and get more content onto their platform.

If you're looking to find underpriced attention, Threads is the platform right now.

Instagram and Facebook don't give you the reach they did back in 2012.

It's different.

Threads is relatively new, and there's less volatility because it's owned by Meta.

Unlike Clubhouse, which gave people significant reach but didn’t sustain its user base, Threads is more stable.

Leveraging New Platforms

Threads, or any new platform you believe in, is where you should invest your time and energy now.

Build a body of work there, even if you're not getting a ton of reach right now.

Your account is more likely set up for success once advertisers roll in and the platform says they don't need to give you much reach because they've got people paying for it.

Waiting for that validation from advertisers leaves you in the dust because it's too late to take advantage of the reach you’re thinking of.

Everyone flocks to validated platforms, making it harder to get reach.

Take Advantage of the Golden Era

Take advantage of the golden era right now.

It could happen tomorrow, in the next few months, or the next couple of years.

But it will happen.

Every platform goes through this evolution.

And nowadays, it's not like there's a new social platform every day that everybody uses.

TikTok was the last big one that took off after several years of stagnation.

Early adopters of TikTok got the advantage, and now everyone’s waiting for the next platform.

Skepticism and Investment

When a new platform comes out, people are skeptical.

They wonder if it's worth it or a waste of time.

That's the time to invest as much as possible.

This cycle is typical for all platforms.

Advertisers and the ability to schedule posts are signals of platform maturation.

For instance, Buffer and HootSuite allow you to connect to almost every platform.

If they don't have Threads available yet, it means the platform is still fresh.

Once Meta released an API for third party developers , it shows maturation, similar to advertisers coming to the platform.

These signals indicate when to maximize your efforts on new platforms.

Using Writing to Promote Your Podcast

Now that we’ve established Threads is worth your time, let’s talk about using writing to promote your podcast.

Writing is effective because your podcast contains your raw, fleshed-out thoughts that sound most like yourself.

You’ll sound the most like you on the pod compared to a 30-second viral video.

Start with the podcast you recorded and use transcription tools to get a text version.

Skim through the transcript to find standout moments and core ideas.

These can be repurposed into Threads, X posts, or social media graphics.

Longer-form content has become popular on platforms like Threads and Twitter.

Dive deep into concepts and use threads to provide comprehensive takes on specific topics.

This format allows for faster consumption than watching or listening to an entire podcast episode.

New Platforms and Skepticism

New platforms often present skepticism about their value.

However, this is the time to invest heavily.

When platforms like Clubhouse emerged, they offered significant reach but later lost momentum.

Threads is currently in its early stage, making it the perfect time to build your presence.

Once advertisers arrive and scheduling tools become available, the platform will mature, and organic reach will diminish.

The Power and Versatility of Writing

Writing is powerful and versatile.

It allows for multiple uses: generating ideas, testing concepts, and promoting content.

Whether you start with writing or end with it, incorporating more writing into your promotion strategy is crucial.

Use your podcast to generate ideas, then expand and distribute them through writing.

This approach not only helps in creating consistent content but also in maintaining momentum in your promotional efforts.

Promotion and distribution are essential for podcast growth.

While video and podcast clips are important, writing offers a quick and efficient way to distribute your content.

Platforms like Threads provide underpriced attention, making them ideal for building your presence.

Understanding the cycle of platform evolution helps in strategically investing your efforts.

By leveraging writing, you can create a sustainable and effective promotion strategy for your podcast.