You know that sinking feeling when you post your carefully crafted podcast clip on Instagram and get...nothing? Maybe a few pity likes from your mom and that one friend who always supports your stuff, but zero real engagement. Zero new listeners. Zero movement toward the growth you're desperately chasing.

You're probably approaching podcast marketing all wrong.

I just had this mind-blowing conversation with Marnie Joseph from Skutch Media, and she completely flipped my understanding of how podcast promotion actually works in 2025. If you've been following the "post a clip and pray" method, you're about to discover why it's keeping you stuck—and what to do instead.

The Fatal Flaw in Most Podcast Marketing

Let's start with the biggest mistake nearly every podcaster makes: trying to get people to leave the platform they're on to go listen to your show.

"You're not going to get someone to leave one platform and go to another," Marnie explained. "These platforms are specifically designed to keep you in the platform."

Think about it. When you're scrolling Instagram, how often do you actually click a link to leave and go listen to a podcast? Almost never, right? You might save it for later (and then forget), but in the moment, you're staying put.

So what's the solution? Stop trying to drive traffic off-platform and start building engagement where people already are.

The Engagement-First Approach That Actually Works

Instead of begging people to go listen to your podcast, use your content to start conversations on the platform itself. Marnie calls these "engagement prompts" versus traditional calls to action.

Here's how it works:

Traditional approach: "Check out this week's episode where we talk about XYZ. Link in bio!"

Engagement-first approach: "We talked about XYZ in this week's episode—what's your experience with this? Have you dealt with something similar?"

The difference? You're inviting people into a conversation rather than asking them to leave. And here's the beautiful part: when people engage with your content, the algorithm notices and shows it to more people.

The Secret Sauce: Seeding Your Own Comments

One tactical tip that blew my mind: be the first to comment on your own posts. Marnie explained that when people see a post with no comments, they're less likely to engage. But if there's already some conversation happening, they'll dive in.

"If you can at least start that conversation, post your own comment, you're going to have some P1s, some listeners that tune in," she said. Your core audience will follow your lead and add their own thoughts, creating the social proof that draws others in.

How to Create 8+ Pieces of Content from One Episode

One of the biggest pain points I hear from podcasters is the exhaustion of creating content. You're already putting so much energy into the actual episode—how the hell are you supposed to create all this promotional content too?

This is where AI tools become your best friend. Marnie recommends tools like Descript and Cast Magic for creating custom prompts that pull different elements from your episodes.

Instead of asking for "7 things we talked about," try something like: "Pull out the top seven key takeaways in this episode. They should be engaging and resonate with my core audience, which is [describe your audience]. I want these to spark curiosity about [main topic]."

From one episode, you can create:

• Multiple 10-minute YouTube videos

• 6-7 vertical shorts for TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts

• An SEO-optimized blog post

• Newsletter content

• Quote graphics

• Story content with takeaways

The key is being strategic about what you pull and how you repurpose it for each platform's unique audience.

Why Every Podcaster Needs a Video Strategy

"The answer is every podcaster needs a video strategy. That's the answer," Marnie said without hesitation.

Before you panic about lighting and cameras, hear this: it doesn't have to be a full cinematic production. Your video strategy could be:

• Simple talking head videos for clips

• B-roll and animation for story-based content

• Behind-the-scenes content

• Quote graphics with audio overlay

The reason video is non-negotiable? Discoverability. YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, and having your content there dramatically increases your chances of being found by new audiences.

The SEO Game-Changer Most Podcasters Ignore

Here's something that'll make you want to go back and update all your old episodes: turning your podcast episodes into blog posts is "top tier pro podcasting," according to Marnie.

Why? Because blog posts live forever and continue to drive traffic long after your episode publishes. Someone can discover your podcast six months from now through a Google search if you've optimized your content properly.

Pro tip: Use all 500 characters in your YouTube tags section. The algorithm can't watch your video—it reads structured data to understand what your content is about. Those tags are how you tell YouTube (and Google) what your video covers.

The Bottom Line

Stop trying to force people to leave their favorite platforms to listen to your podcast. Instead, meet them where they are and give them reasons to engage with you right there in the moment.

The goal isn't immediate podcast plays—it's building relationships that lead to loyal listeners over time.

When you focus on creating genuine value and starting real conversations, the downloads follow naturally. Your audience starts to see you as someone worth paying attention to, someone whose content they actively look for.

Ready to ditch the "post and pray" method? Start with one engagement prompt this week. Ask your audience a question related to your latest episode and see what happens. I bet you'll be surprised by the response.

And if you want to dive deeper into podcast strategy that actually works, grab a free clarity call with me. Let's figure out how to turn your show into the growth engine it's meant to be.

Listen Now: The Reinvention Room Podcast

Watch Now: Reinvention Room on YouTube

If you’ve got a podcast or an idea that won’t leave you alone, here's your sign to take it seriously. Not just because it's fun (it is), but because it can change how people see you, connect with you, and trust you. That's the magic.

And if you're wondering how to make it actually work? Book a free clarity call with me at allisonhare.com/freecall. I'll help you turn that idea into a tight, bingeable, client-attracting machine.