Easy Podcast Promotion for Writers

You’ve started a podcast, great! But once you’ve recorded your episodes and hit “publish,” a different question appears: How do you help listeners find it?

(Captivating Your Podcast Audience.)

Promotion can feel awkward and overwhelming, but growing a podcast doesn’t have to mean endless hours spent chasing algorithms. While social media is an important tool, it doesn’t work well for everyone and isn’t the only way to promote. These suggestions focus on methods of podcast promotion outside of social media that are more of an extension of your existing craft.

Your writing spaces are likely the easiest place to begin. Whether you publish through Substack, Medium, or your own author website, you already have readers who are invested in your voice. These readers are more likely to become listeners if you give them a reason beyond a simple link. Instead of saying “New episode out now,” draw them in with a story. Maybe share a short transcript excerpt, a guest quote that resonated, or a reflection on what inspired the episode. Treat it like a behind-the-scenes post rather than an announcement.

Engaging with the greater literary world outside of your own working spaces is important too. Literary magazines, writing websites, and newsletters are often eager for essays about the creative process. Write about what podcasting has taught you about storytelling, dialogue, or creative discipline and include a link to your show at the end. If you occasionally align your content with events like National Novel Writing Month or National Poetry Month, your podcast can become part of a larger literary conversation rather than an isolated project.

Your podcast ‘lives’ online, but it can be promoted in the physical world. One of my favorite promotional ideas is distributing free bookmarks that feature your podcast name, a catchy descriptor or quote and most importantly, a QR code that links directly to your podcast feed. You can give these to local bookstores, hand them out at writing events, or leave a stack at your public library or a coffee shop. Postcards, coasters, magnets, or any other hand held item that can be printed on will work, but free bookmarks are low cost, easy to distribute and likely to be kept for longer than a business card or flyer.

This one may require help from a producer, but creating an audio trailer is one of the most helpful things you can do to market your podcast. Unlike social media content, you don’t need to be creating new trailers every week or for individual episodes. A good podcast trailer can be used for years. This is a simple 30-45 second audio piece that gives potential listeners a preview of your podcast. Use your strongest clips, a brief introduction, and maybe a touch of music that reflects your tone.

Share the trailer everywhere, online and off. Post it at the top of your podcast feed, on your website, and across social media. Some local radio stations feature home town podcasts ontheir websites or on air, and an audio trailer is the best thing to submit when looking to be featured. A trailer can also double as a trade ad: independent podcasters often swap trailers, running each other’s short promos at the beginning or end of an episode.

Online writing spaces like Reddit’s r/writing, Discord servers, or genre-specific forums remain some of the richest places for genuine connection online. Like most creative spaces, they value conversation over promotion.

If you share your podcast in these communities, do it in the same spirit you’d join a craft discussion. Ask a question or participate in a thread before mentioning your podcast. When you do mention it, be sure it connects well to the discussion taking place. Approaching the conversation as a participator rather than a promoter subtly directs people toward your show without it feeling like callous marketing.

Over time, these spaces can provide both audience growth and inspiration for future content. Questions from other writers and artists, shared struggles, and recurring topics can evolve into full episodes. Community discussion becomes a loop of creative exchange.

Taking community exchange further, featuring listener submissions accelerates discoverability and development of listener loyalty. Inviting your listeners to share questions, short stories, or writing prompts gives them a voice within your show. Reading submissions aloud creates intimacy and signals that your podcast is a shared space rather than a one-way broadcast. Listeners are more inclined to share episodes with friends or post a link on their own social media if their submission was featured.

An additional bonus for some podcasters is that segments featuring listener submissions often take less time to prepare than interview or storytelling segments.

Collaboration drives discoverability. Partnering with fellow authors, editors, or podcasters who share your audience is an effective and enjoyable way to grow. Consider recording a crossover episode, guest-hosting a discussion, or partnering with other podcasting writers for book talks and in person events.

When done well, the exchange feels organic, not transactional, and builds credibility within your field. Even micro collaborations like trading shoutouts can strengthen your network and bring new readers into your orbit. These exchanges expand your reach and model the kind of literary community listeners love to see.

Podcast promotion doesn’t have to sit apart from your writing life, or rely solely on social media content. By weaving your show into the writing, publishing, and community work you’re already doing, you’ll attract listeners who connect with both your voice and your process. Listeners who find you that way are ones who’ll stay.