How to Use Public Relations to Boost Your Podcast

In today’s podcasting world, there are many things you can’t ignore. Podcast editors can’t overlook the presence of artificial intelligence, for example. Nor can anyone’s podcast production efforts overlook trends like short-form content, video, and evolving monetization strategies.

Then, there’s podcast SEO efforts and how they make it easier for potential audiences to find or discover new shows. A lot can be said about the specific tactics of search engine optimization, but the topic of interest in the present is the use of a well-rounded public relations strategy.

Whether you’re in charge of marketing the podcast, a podcast engineer, or someone who is deeply involved with podcast editing, this is one aspect of podcast SEO efforts that no one can afford to look past. PR is what drives word-of-mouth marketing, which leads to increased awareness, and ultimately backlinks for your show.

To think that that’s just a few named benefits of PR. With the numerous ways you can go about using public relations to your advantage, it always comes down to two specific types in the end: organic and paid PR.

Option 1: Organic PR

First up, we have organic public relations. This one often involves extensive research and the exploration of various blogs, magazines, and even other podcasts that your own show can be featured in or serve as a potential contributor to.

This will depend greatly on your specific area of expertise, preferably whatever it is that you feature on your show. You can create a list of platforms relevant to your podcast which you can be a contributor to from there.

Take note, however, that you must be as realistic with your list as possible. Don’t go listing down companies, publications, or shows that are not likely to have you as a contributor. As soon as you are done making your list, the next step would be to research on how you can best connect with them.

One way can be through social media. LinkedIn, in particular, is a great way to build up working relationships with those in other companies. You can also go through your own personal network to see if you have any mutual connections who would be happy to serve as the middle person between you.

Whether it is through that method, cold outreach through email, or any other way, your best bet is to do what you can to come off as authentic and genuine as possible. It is also a good idea to offer something to them in return, preferably something that you know they are likely to value.

Such a thing can be a feature on your own podcast, or maybe an article backlink.

Option 2: Paid PR

Moving on to paid public relations, let’s get the obvious thing out of the way: this won’t come cheap, especially if you are trying to get a foothold into a high profile company. There are PR agencies you can work with to help you determine the best publications to reach out to.

With this option, it is also worth noting that you may come out with less authority when it comes to the links that are likely to get added. You also won’t get to determine things like what anchor text they will use or whether there will be any follow links. These are common trade-offs for getting in touch with publications possessing higher domain authorities than your own.

The choice between organic and paid public relations isn’t always going to be so clear cut. This will depend on several variables, and even then, you may not get the exact results you were expecting when all is said and done.

Regardless of what you pick, be sure to take full advantage of the content that it produces. Share it across your channels, including your social media platforms, your website, and your newsletters. You can even promote it on-air during your show or provide a link to the content on your shownotes.

If this was an insightful read for you, then it may be a good idea to book your call with the good folks at Podcast Engineers. With the help of their expertise and experience, you’re bound to stay steps ahead of the competition! Take advantage of this and get your free discovery call now!