Podcasts build authority, make selling your coaching program easier, and build your network in a way most other platforms can’t. (All reasons why coaches should have a podcast.)
But they’re also one of the hardest mediums to grow.
Does that mean growth is impossible?
NO!
But you’ll do well to take 3 minutes out of your day to set yourself up for success by reading this article, because I’m going to cover a variety of ways of actually growing your show, AND why it’s so hard to grow your podcast in the first place (most people miss this, but it’s vital to understand if you want to get more listeners).
Before we dive into the 5 ways successful coaches grow their podcast, let’s define the problem we’re actually facing here…the REAL reason it’s so hard to grow.
Why It’s So Hard To Grow Your Podcast
Too many podcasters quit early because they’re used to fast growth on IG, FB, buying ads, etc.
If you understand WHY podcast growth is so hard, it’ll give you a more realistic view, which will give you the patience and discipline to stick with it long enough to see results.
There are two main reasons why getting more listeners for your podcast are so hard.
Number one is fairly obvious, and that is that there’s very little in the way of social sharing, virality, etc., when you’re talking about long form content that is mostly consumed on closed ecosystems without social dynamics (i.e., Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.).
In other words, you’re not getting an algorithmic boost for a great episode, you’re not having it go viral in people’s Stories, you’re not having a thousand comments to blow up the post, etc.
Nobody is scrolling through the Apple Podcast charts and being fed the most popular, viral episodes.
The second reason why growing a podcast is so hard and slow has more to do with human nature, and honestly it’s something I’ve heard VERY few people talk about.
Podcast growth is so hard because you are literally competing against THE BEST on the planet.
It’s like asking someone to watch your kids’ football game instead of the Super Bowl. Why on EARTH would they flip channels to see that, unless they were EXTREMELY compelled that your kids’ football game had some special value for them that the best game on earth did not. (More on this later.)
When you listen to a podcast, you’re typically spending 30-60 minutes listening to one thing at the expense of literally everything else.
That means that asking someone to listen to your podcast is not just listening to your podcast versus listening to silence…
It actually means getting them to listen to your podcast instead of Joe Rogan, or the #1 rated true crime podcast, or the top comedy show, or the news, or their favourite music.
Because most people only have (VERY generally) 1 out of 16 waking hours available to listen to a podcast, it’s a HUGE ask to get them to consume yours, when they could literally choose from amongst the most well-produced, professionally-hosted shows on the planet.
When they choose your podcast, they are saying no to what they already know and love, and are putting themselves in a “deficit” of whatever they normally listen to.
You’re not asking someone to spend 15 seconds swiping through a carousel post on Instagram, hitting like, and maybe hitting Follow.
The ask for a podcast is WAY higher, which is why growth is slower and harder.
13 Ways To Actually Grow Your Podcast As A Christian Coach
The second reason it’s so hard to grow a podcast gives rise to the first way to actually grow your podcast…
In fact, it’s less a method of growth than it is the cost of entry.
1. Your Podcast Has To Be GOOD
Yes production quality has to be good, yes you as a host have to be good, but more importantly, you have to give your target audience VALUE.
They’ll settle for average production and host quality (for awhile) if they are getting an insane amount of value.
That said, the best way for them to stick around is to make it an enjoyable listening experience with quality audio and constantly improving hosting skills.
Before you can go any further, ask yourself after each episode…could I genuinely ask a friend of mine to share this with one of THEIR friends, because I actually believe it’s really valuable?
If not…not matter how many of the other tactics on this list you use, you’ll never grow your show.
2. Consistency Is Key
Cost of entry number two is consistency.
If people like what you put out, but you have an inconsistent publishing schedule, they will unsubscribe before long, and you’ll lose much of your hard work.
If someone is actually bought into your show and wants to hear from you every week, you usually become part of their weekly rhythm.
You are therefore interrupting your listener’s weekly habits and flow if you miss publishing an episode, or you publish on a different day or time.
You may not think that level of discomfort matters much, but to a podcast listener, it can.
So be consistent on the publishing schedule, but also…
Be consistent over the long haul!
You will NOT launch a top podcast within a month. Almost certainly not within a year, either (unless you’ve got an insanely viral social media page, but there are VERY few shows where this social to podcast listenership actually works).
Assume this is a slow burn, minimal results, long-term labour for the good of your business over the coming YEARS.
You’ll miss out on all the compound interest you generate over the first few years if you give up too soon. This is one of the biggest reasons (other than quality) that podcasts fail. Don’t quit before you build up enough speed to have hockey stick growth.
It can take years for someone to find your show, listen to it enough to know, like, and trust you, and then feel confident enough to share it with a friend or two. Expect slow growth, don’t pull the plug.
3. Referrals…Literally THE Most Impactul Growth Strategy
And THE hardest strategy to track and grow!
Sorry, wish it was different.
I will give you a few specific ways to do this below, but to continue with the broad themes first to make sure you’re “getting it” without jumping the gun and wasting time on the following strategies…
Referrals is hands down the best way to get new listeners.
How do you do it?
Make sure you have a good consistent podcast that delivers value! (See points 1 and 2!)
Make it good enough that someone wouldn’t feel dumb sharing. Like, “oh excuse the quality, I know it sucks but trust me, listen to this”. Very few people share like that.
Make it a no brainer to have regular listeners send a group text with a link to your podcast to their friends, because it’s insanely good.
4. Be A Guest On Other Podcasts (Referral Source 1)
OK, we finally get tactical.
Be a guest on as many other topically related podcasts as possible, especially where your target audience is already listening.
Why does this work?
You’re introducing yourself to people who already listen to podcasts, AND, you get some of the trust factor that the podcast host interviewing you has with their audience.
I will say…even going on large shows is not likely going to lead to the massive growth explosion you’re looking for.
Do the rounds on shows that are very much in your niche. Develop friendships with the hosts. Try and go back regularly by being the guest who adds the most value.
5. Ask people to share it with a friend (Referral Source 2)
The tactical part of point 3, simply ask people to share your show with a friend.
Everyone asks listeners to leave a review, which is fine, but why not use the time to ask them to share with one person who could get some real value out of it.
Sure, few will take you up on it, but even if you get one or two per episode that do it who wouldn’t have shared it otherwise, you’re building slowly but surely – the only way to grow a podcast.
6. Make Friends With Podcasters And Invite Them To Listen (Referral Source 3)
Other than personal referrals and hearing someone as a guest, this has impacted me personally the most – podcast hosts I listen to randomly mentioning that they listen to another podcast.
There’s something about it that lends a huge amount of credibility to many listeners.
“Oh, my favourite podcaster listens to another podcast? It must be amazing since I love this show so much and I’m therefore very likely to like what the hosts like!”
So, make something good…don’t be afraid to share it with other top podcasters in your space. If they like it and mention it, it’s a HUGE endorsement for people listening to their podcast.
7. Mention It In Your Newsletter
As a coach, chances are you have a newsletter.
Mention the title, or a couple relevant points in your recently released podcasts every time you send a newsletter.
Not many are on your email list in order to hear about your podcast (they’d just sub to your Apple or Spotify page if they really wanted to know when you dropped new episodes), BUT it is a good opportunity to potentially grab a few people every time who are new to your list and your work.
It’s low friction enough that you likely won’t annoy your newsletter subscribers who are looking for valuable, actionable content or updates, while also giving you a couple more listeners every week.
8. Reels/Shorts/TikTok
Chances are, you’re doing this already. If not, get on it.
Personally, for DadWork, Reels of my podcast rarely popped off. However, assuming it doesn’t HURT your social media presence (why would it?), then I think it’s useful to post short videos of your content. Maybe one person learns about your podcast and listens. Win.
Or, maybe it does pop off and a lot of people find you.
Like most things, this is one of those ways to continually build up your trust factor amidst the absolutely deafening sea of noise on the internet today.
You’ve got to cover all the bases, and these have high upside potential with very low downside.
Just make sure you’re pulling clips that play to the cultural narrative or style prevalent on the social platform you’re choosing.
Usually shocking claims, us vs. them, hot takes, etc.
Tag the guest you interviewed on the social platform (try to collab with them on IG), pull a good clip, mention in the description where to find the rest of the episode, and end the video with a couple second clip of where to find the rest of the episode.
9. Carousel posts
Same as above, but find 5-9 quotes from the episode that were bangers and put them into a Twitter-style carousel reel.
These usually got more reach for me than podcast Reels…though they didn’t get as much reach as my “normal” posts. Your mileage may vary. BUT…great way to introduce someone to the podcast when you hit them with a bunch of fire from your guest.
Again, tag/collab with the guest, mention where to find the pod in the description.
10. SEO – Show notes
In terms of growth, SEO and show notes are not a HUGE deal, BUT you’ll get people searching for random phrases or more usually guest names, who come across your stuff because you bothered to add show notes and a transcript.
It’s another cost of entry thing with minor growth results, but people definitely notice if you DON’T have these. Minor growth upside, but potential for downside because missing show notes can be an annoyance to listeners.
11. Invite Bigger Guests
I heard Chris Williamson (host of a massive podcast) say, “Clickbait is the price you pay to create the content you really enjoy.”
Whether you agree with that or not, you’ll have to decide.
BUT…inviting larger, more famous guests can give you a boost.
It’s not a slam dunk like I know you’re hoping it’ll be, but it can drive extra traffic. Points 1 and 2 above will dictate whether you get any real growth, though.
If you invite someone with a decent following onto your show and your quality sucks, you may see a bump in downloads for that episode, but it’ll quickly die away.
But, if it’s good, relevant, smart, etc., you may keep some of those people.
But like I said, it’s not a slam dunk…just one part of the long-term gameplan for podcast growth.
12. Ads
Because of how podcasts are consumed (as I mentioned above), it’s significantly less likely that someone being interrupted with an ad will go, “you know what, I DO want to listen to an hour long podcast now instead of scrolling Facebook mindlessly”.
However, here are some things to try.
Podcast-specific ads: Overcast.fm, Spotify, sponsor other podcasts.
Non-podcast-specific ads: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.
I have not tested advertising extensively, so do further research if you’d like to test this, but I did regularly run Overcast ads and got a reasonable return.
I think being early on podcast sponsorships for newer and growing podcasts can likely be a good move if you find the opportunity.
But again, test FB/IG ads at your own risk…then report back to me, please. I’ve wanted to test it out!
13. Don’t Scare People Away Before They Listen
Don’t overlook this one just because it’s not a specific action!
The VAST majority of podcasts are unsuccessful.
And, the VAST majority of podcasts look like what they are – amateur.
Take some time to clear away all the potential roadblocks that would stop someone from hitting play on one of your episodes!
That means taking some time to get ratings and reviews so people feel more comfortable going into something that already has some social proof. Especially important on Apple and Spotify, of course.
The other main turn off for someone considering whether to hit play is your cover art.
If you are not a designer, DO NOT try to put something together on Canva.
I have been in Photoshop for almost 20 years, and am a very mediocre designer. My stuff is barely good enough (and even THAT is debateable). Yes, don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good, but chances are you are NOT in the minority of people who have an innate sense of design.
I see SO many podcasts, epsecially Christian podcasts, that may have great content, but have really bad cover art that makes me cringe and thats literally enough for me not to listen to something.
I am a “discerning listener” because this is my business and I’ve been podcasting for a few years…so imagine what a totally random person is going to think when they come across your cover art that looks like it was done in Microsoft Paint!
Take this as an opportunity to do good work, not to be offended.
Couple options to test cover art:
- The Tim Ferriss Method…run ads to 3-4 different variations. See what one has higher click throughs (from his book The 4-Hour Workweek)
- Do a poll and send it to all your friends to see what they think anonymously (where they feel safe to tell the truth!)
- Hire a handful of people off of fiverr or upwork to tell you their honest truth, or provide updated designs…you can usually get someone to at least make it slightly more professional on Fiverr for a few bucks.
Wrapping It Up
Overall…make it good.
Share it everywhere.
Be consistent week over week for years.
People will naturally share it if it’s good.
Be patient.
AND…coaches, specifically: you don’t need a huge podcast to make a lot of money from it.
I’ve had people become clients and then stop listening to the pod because they thought it was unfair they knew me so well and I didn’t know them yet. People REALLY get to know like and trust you through the podcast, and it’s much easier to convert them to coaching clients.
The value of your podcast is not therefore how big it is, but how valuable it is to your target market and how much you can serve them so that they inevitably buy your program when they’re ready to dive deeper.