- How I Finally Got My Podcast Noticed (After Months of No Listeners)
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For a while, it was just me talking to an empty room. My friends were supportive at first, but after episode five, even they stopped replying to the links I sent. I almost quit, but something told me to keep tweaking, to figure out what I was doing wrong.
1. Stop Hiding Your Voice — Be Yourself
At first, I sounded way too serious. Like, I’d rehearse my lines, pause perfectly, and edit out every “uh” and “hmm.” It was stiff. The turning point came when I recorded an episode while feeling down. I just talked, no script. I shared how I felt about burnout, and it became my most-played episode. People want real, not radio hosts.
That’s when I realized: your story is your hook. Forget trying to sound “professional.” Just be human.
Has anyone else noticed that the more “imperfect” your episodes are, the better people connect?
2. The Secret Sauce: Short Clips
If you want to grow a podcast in 2025, start thinking in clips. I began cutting 30–60 second parts of my episodes and posting them on TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts. I didn’t expect much, but one clip of me talking about “how small creators burn out too early” got 45K views in two days.
That one clip brought 200+ new listeners. It’s wild how the same content can perform so differently across platforms. So if you’re not clipping your episodes, start today.
Do you share clips from your podcast or just post full episodes? Curious what works best for others here.
3. Collaboration Changed Everything
Another mistake I made early on was doing everything solo. Once I started inviting guests, even small creators, the show felt more alive. One guy I invited had only 300 followers but was super engaging. He promoted the episode like crazy, and we both gained followers.
If you’re shy about asking people to come on your show, don’t be. Most small creators are happy to talk and they’ll likely share the link when it’s live.
Who here has had good results from guest episodes?
4. Consistency is the Hardest Part
I won’t lie, there were weeks I didn’t want to record at all. Some episodes got barely 10 plays. But the moment I started scheduling my recordings like actual appointments, things changed. I’d sit down every Sunday, record no matter what, and release on the same day every week.
After three consistent months, Spotify started recommending my show more. It wasn’t a massive jump, but I noticed steady growth.
So yeah, consistency isn’t sexy, but it works.
5. How I Market My Podcast Now
Here’s my current system:
- Post short clips twice a week on TikTok and Reels.
- Share a “behind the scenes” story on Instagram Stories.
- Turn key points into short threads on X (Twitter).
- Create a carousel for LinkedIn once a month.
- Drop each new episode in 2–3 Reddit communities (in a helpful way, not spam).
6. A Little SEO Magic
Podcast SEO sounds boring, but it’s a hidden gem. I started using searchable titles like “Best podcasting tips for small creators” instead of random titles like “Episode 12: My Thoughts on Growth.” That alone helped my show pop up in search results.
I also added full transcripts to my website and it helps with both accessibility and Google ranking. If you don’t have a site yet, use a free blog to post summaries. It’s worth it.
Anyone else here doing SEO for their podcast pages?
Final Thoughts
The truth is, podcasting isn’t easy. It’s slow, and sometimes lonely. But if you stick with it, the results compound. I’m not famous, but I’ve built a small, loyal audience and that means more to me than viral spikes.
If you’re struggling to grow right now, don’t give up. Just tweak, experiment, and most importantly, stay yourself. The right listeners will find you, they always do.
