Great Podcasts Still Need Promotion

Should you spend less time promoting your podcast and more time making better episodes?

Alex Sanfilippo from PodMatch shared a Facebook post recently that caught my attention.

His concern was how podcasters spend their time. If creating posts and short videos is keeping you from giving your episodes the attention they deserve, Alex recommends stopping those repurposing efforts and putting that time into recording better episodes.

I understand that concern. If you're rushing through interview prep so you can crank out five more clips, I'd scale those efforts back, too.

But this part of his post prompted me to comment:

"What actually moves the needle more than anything else is just one thing… This:

Make your podcast episodes so good that anyone who hears them feels compelled to share with friends."

I agree that's a goal worth pursuing. Where I'd push back is the "just one thing" part.

Making something worth sharing and helping people discover it work together. Before recommending that a podcaster spend less time promoting and more time recording, we need to understand what's actually holding their show back.

📣 Give People a Reason

Imagine a guest shares a useful answer to a problem your audience faces.

You turn that moment into a short clip. Someone sees it, recognizes their own situation, and sends it to a friend.

That clip gives both people a chance to discover a conversation they might never have found otherwise. It also gives them something easy to share.

That promotion can help create the word of mouth Alex is talking about.

Of course, posting a clip doesn't guarantee someone will listen to the full episode. The clip still needs to give them a reason to care, and finding the episode should be easy.

But I'd be careful about dismissing that opportunity when we're deciding where our time is best spent.

🤝 Stay Connected Between Episodes

Those posts and clips also give us opportunities to connect with people who already follow us.

We can't assume they'll remember to come back just because they've enjoyed the show before.

A post can start a conversation. A clip can remind someone why they connected with us in the first place. Either can show them why this particular episode deserves their time.

Without those touchpoints, we risk being forgotten.

Think about Disney and LEGO, for example. People love what they make, and both still put effort into reaching new audiences and giving existing fans reasons to come back.

Our budgets are clearly very different than theirs, but we can apply the same thinking to our podcasts.

Someone can love your show and still need a reminder that there's something new worth hearing.

🎯 What Actually Needs Work?

What does making a "better episode" actually mean?

Before we recommend that someone spend more time on their episodes, we need to get specific about what needs to improve.

An interview that stays on the surface may need stronger follow-up questions. An opening that takes too long to reach the topic may need tightening. An episode that promises one thing and delivers something else may need a clearer focus.

Those are concrete improvements we can work on.

But a useful, engaging show that few of the right people encounter has a discovery problem worth addressing, too. Another hour of recording or editing may do less for that show than a thoughtful post that gives its intended audience a reason to listen.

Before you change where you spend your time, name the problem you're trying to solve.

Take one recent episode. Listen to the opening, then look at the post or clip you used to promote it.

Does the opening give someone a reason to keep listening? Does the promotion explain what they'll get from the conversation? Can they easily find the full episode?

You might find an introduction worth tightening. You might realize your promotion says little more than "new episode out now."

Choose one specific improvement and put your next hour toward it.

Making a great podcast gives people something worth sharing. Promoting it gives more people a chance to discover why it's worth sharing.

🎙️ Get a Fresh Perspective

When you're close to your own show, it can be tough to see where to focus.

Through iRonick Media, I help podcasters develop their ideas, improve their episodes, and manage production. We can look at what you're creating, what you're trying to accomplish, and where support would make the biggest difference.

Schedule a free discovery call with me.

🎙️ From the Podcasting Morning Show Archive

Two episodes to help you put this week's ideas into practice:

Episode 556: How to Improve Your Podcast Intro, Interviews & Pacing

The crew gets specific about stronger openings, pacing, and interview questions. A useful companion to the question of what making a "better episode" actually involves. The Podcasting Morning Show

Episode 555: Smarter Podcast Marketing with AI and Social Media

Eddie Garrison joins us to discuss content between episodes, stronger hooks, and ways to use AI while keeping your own voice in your marketing. The Podcasting Morning Show

I'd love to hear from you:

Where does your show need more attention right now: the episodes, the promotion, or both?

Hit reply and tell me what you're working on.

📱 UPDATE (October 27, 2026): Instagram Is Connecting the Dots

Well, here's some interesting timing.

Instagram just announced that it's testing long-form videos of up to 90 minutes. But what caught my attention even more is a new feature that lets creators connect up to eight Reels directly to a longer video.

Think about what that means for podcasters.

Someone discovers a short clip from your interview. Something in that conversation catches their attention. Now they can jump directly into the full episode without leaving Instagram.

And Instagram isn't alone here. YouTube already allows creators to connect their Shorts to longer videos through its Related Video feature.

Both platforms are making it easier for short-form content to introduce people to longer conversations.

Of course, these features don't guarantee that someone will watch your full episode. Your clip still needs to give them a reason to care, and the episode needs to deliver on that promise.

Instagram's new features are also still being tested with select creators, so they're not available to everyone yet.

But I think these developments reinforce the point I've been making throughout this article.

A great episode gives people something worth discovering and sharing. A thoughtful clip can help them discover it. And now, these platforms are making the connection between the two even easier.

That's a pretty compelling reason to think carefully before abandoning your promotional efforts.