How to Promote Your Podcast on Social Media Crash Course | Instagram

Step 2: Craft engaging square posts

To create a buzz around your podcast, it's essential to develop engaging and eye-catching content for your Instagram posts. Here are a few ideas to get started:

• Create a post for each new episode you release and use the post’s caption to your advantage. Include details from the episode that intrigue your followers so they’re more inclined to tune in. Use pictures based on the content covered in the episode that’s eye-catching and follows along with your aesthetic. 

• Post behind-the-scenes snippets like shots of you and your guests recording, editing sessions, or insights into your research process. 

• Extrapolate powerful quotes, highlights from interviews, and memorable moments from your content and turn them into visually appealing images. This can be done with free online tools like:
• Adobe Express
• Canva
• Pablo by Buffer

PRO TIP: When creating quote-on-image posts, it’s best to choose the most impactful quote you can from the episode and place it thoughtfully on an interesting image. Going with a true crime example, an eye-catching post could be something like a photo of the outside of a house where the crime occurred with a shocking quote over the top. Imagine a tranquil cottage home with the words “This was my house of horrors” slapped on top of the picture. That would be enough to make any true crime fan tune in.

• Episode teasers are a great way to hint at future content and pull listeners in each week. This works by constantly keeping them interested and engaged with what will be posted next. A solid teaser trailer post can include a captivating quote, an intriguing question, or a thoughtfully created graphic related to the topic of the episode. 

• Add hashtags to your captions that are associated with your podcast content. Try to really hone in on your niche with these hashtags. For example, using a hashtag like #podcast is super broad and more than likely, your post will get lost in the shuffle of hundreds to thousands of posts created daily with this hashtag. Instead try something closely related to your content that has fewer posts associated with it like #truecrimestorypodcast or #horrorpodcast.

Step 3: Leverage Instagram stories

Stories are a feature on Instagram that you should absolutely be leveraging to promote your podcast episodes because they provide a dynamic way to interact with your audience. Consider these strategies:

• Create a story. Stories remain on Instagram for 24 hours unless you delete them manually. This feature allows you to post content in a noncommittal way because it will eventually disappear and not be cemented on your profile as a square post. 

• Each Instagram profile has a section dedicated to Story Highlights. This is an opportunity to showcase your best moments from past episodes, including guest interviews, BTS shots, and other details new followers might need to catch up on when they find your page. To create these, simply tap to add a new Highlight and Instagram will then display your previous story posts. You can choose a story and add it to a new Highlight category. It’s a super simple way to store your content and recycle hard work. 

• Explore Instagram story features like Q&A sessions or polls. This is a great way to engage your audience by actually asking them to tap on an answer or type a question. 

• Collaborate with other podcasters through Instagram stories. Tag them in these short-form posts and ask them to repost your content on their stories as well. This is a great way to boost your visibility and perhaps gain a larger following.

Step 4: You reely need Reels

Reels are video format posts on Instagram. The great thing about Reels is how easily they pull in the viewer’s attention. You’ve probably been victim to doom scrolling Reels, as many of us have - now consider how you can use this addictive tool to your advantage:

• Reels can be longer than story posts so you can include much more information in this kind of content. 

• You can collaborate and cross-promote with other podcasters on Instagram with Reels! This is an exciting feature that features the Reel on both collaborator’s profiles. 

• Use trending sounds and hashtags in your Reels to pop up on trending feeds. You can even use eye-grabbing filters and green screen effects to further display your aesthetic. Some podcasters choose to use the pictures associated with each episode as the green screen background of their Reels.

Conclusion

You don’t have to be a genius to post on Instagram. All it takes is a well thought-out posting strategy, creativity, and most of all, consistency. This means sticking to your brand image and staying consistent in your aesthetic and content. By leveraging the tools above, you can make your podcast more discoverable to potential listeners on Instagram and build a sense of community among your loyal listeners. Happy podcasting!