Podcasts are primarily an audio-first medium but the importance of video in podcasting is rising. So much so that YouTube published a 67-page guide on podcasting on YouTube. While this is a great place to start, it can also be daunting for new audio creators on the video-first platform. So here, we’re covering why you should give YouTube a special place in your podcast marketing plan and five ideas to use YouTube to grow your podcast.
⏪ A quick rewind: to lay the groundwork for what’s to come, we suggest starting with our blog on How to customize your podcast to YouTube.
In a survey conducted in 2022, more than six in 10 weekly podcast listeners in the U.S. said they prefer podcasts with video. Additionally, YouTube being the content mammoth it is, is rising as a discoverability engine in podcasting. A study done by Edison Research and NPR shared that listeners who say they primarily listen to podcasts on YouTube state that it’s their “findability point.”
Essentially, listeners are using YouTube to discover podcasts. Which is why when creating an intentional podcast growth strategy, you have to give YouTube the special place it deserves.
Below, we dive into how to use YouTube to scale your podcast followed by the essentials to remember when creating audio with a video component.
Let’s start with four ways to use YouTube to grow your podcast audience.
Use YouTube to grow your podcast
1. Invest time in YouTube SEO
If potential listeners are using YouTube as a findability point, ensure that your podcast is easily findable. To do this, invest some time in setting up YouTube SEO.
Here are the essential steps and tools to help you get started:
- Do your keyword research.
- Use Wordstream’s free keyword research tool for this.
- Create a spreadsheet recording the relevant keywords to your content and organize them by the monthly search volume.
- Use a target keyword in the video name.
- From the spreadsheet, pick the keyword most relevant to your content with the highest search volume. Try working that into your title.
- Keep your video and channel descriptions clear.
- For video descriptions: hear from the Channel Makers on how to write good video descriptions.
- For channel descriptions: read Wave’s guide on writing successful YouTube channel descriptions.
- Use hashtags in the video description.
- Read Sprout Social’s complete guide on hashtags for YouTube to learn more about how to use them and how they differ from other social media channels.
- Use chapter markers and timestamps.
- Peruse Tubics’ comprehensive guide on all things YouTube chapter markers and timestamps.
- Categorize your video.
- Go through this Entre Source list of YouTube categories, which to use, and how to set them.
- Add an SRT file for subtitles and closed captions.
- Read Google’s support article on how to add a subtitles file to your YouTube video.
- Use a custom thumbnail image for your link.
- Follow this Invideo guide on how to create a clickable thumbnail and add it to your video.
2. Host live content
While no medium exists in a silo, it’s essential to recognize what a medium is best for and then use it for that. YouTube’s functionality to easily host live content is one of the most useful things about the platform.
For those with access to Recordical Studios: the space is perfect for going live because our setup and custom wire-free table mean you’re camera ready easily.
Here are some ideas to get you going:
- Entertain listener questions and comments: Host a live stream on a regular basis where you welcome listener questions and comments around or adjacent to your podcast’s topic. These can also be repurposed into podcast episodes.
- Conduct forums or panel discussions: Invite other podcasters, streamers and/or listeners for panel discussions on relevant topics. This helps open your podcast’s content to a more YouTube-exclusive audience.
Host guests only on YouTube: If your original podcast does not have guests on it, you can have guests on your YouTube channel. You can also monetize this by pay-walling it or offering it exclusively to your Patreon (or other) subscribers.
3. Create community on YouTube
Growing an audience on a platform means dedicating intention and time to building community on that platform.
Here are some ways in which you can use YouTube for creating community:
- Connect your Discord or Slack to YouTube: If you have a platform like Discord or Slack on which you host conversations with audience members, integrate YouTube into that. You can host live events centered around specific channels from these platforms.
- Expand your collaboration horizons: Collaborate with non-podcasting audio creators that are big on YouTube – like streamers, musicians, and video influencers. By jumping on their YouTube channels, you can draw new audiences to your own.
- Engage with comments and chat: When you go live, be sure to spend some time communicating with the folks in chat. These might be potential listeners of your podcast and engaging with them increases your chances of converting them to a listener. Engage with relevant comments on videos for the same reason.
- Make use of Recordical Digital: Share your YouTube channel and its content with fellow Recordheads on Recordical Digital. You can use your content as a conversation starter or even garner hype around it.
- Share paywalled content: Integrate YouTube into your community-building plan by hosting paywalled content for your Apple Podcasts or Patreon subscribers there.
4. Use YouTube exclusively for short video content
We understand that for many podcasters, podcasting is a side hustle or even a passion project. So if you’re limited on time when it comes to promoting your show, consider what your target listener is actually using YouTube for: discoverability. Short video content is easy to create and is perfect for a gateway to your complete podcast.
Sound advice: Always record both video and audio when recording your podcast. This way you can use the video part of your recording for promotion. We recommend using a platform like Riverside.fm or Squadcast.fm to do this.
Here are some ways to create short video content for YouTube:
- Create bloopers and behind-the-scenes content: You can create outtakes, bloopers, or BTS content to post exclusively on YouTube. Be sure to include the link to the complete episode in the video description to direct listeners there. This can be monetized by pay-walling it and only sharing it with your subscribers.
- Post shorter clips of relevant content: Take about 60-90 seconds of video footage from your podcast and share it on YouTube. This could be the most engaging, thought-provoking, or funniest part of your episode. Essentially, this would be the bit that resonates most with your target audience.
Before we send you off to create audio (and video) magic, let’s ground ourselves a bit. It can be a little daunting for some audio-first creators when entering the video world.
Five things to remember
- You’re not competing with everyone. Thinking about how to stand out across the gazillions of videos on YouTube can get real overwhelming real quick, especially for audio-first creators. Perhaps instead of competing, think of it as reaching your target audience. Get your blinders on and focus on offering them content tailored to them. You’re not competing with everyone; you’re only competing with content that hits the same spot as yours does.
- A thumbnail is not where it’s at. You’ve probably already thought about this if you’re reading this blog. A simple screenshot as a thumbnail will not cut it on YouTube. This doesn’t mean you’ve got to make professional-level art; our blog on how to customize your content offers quick and simple tips.
- No medium exists in a silo. An integrated marketing plan includes and impacts all customer touchpoints. So any efforts you put into growing your content on YouTube will likely positively enhance growth across other platforms.
- Mention video separately. If your podcast has a video component, make it known to the listener. You can do this by clearly mentioning it on your website and/or social media channels.
- Repurposing is the name of the game. When it comes to YouTube, most promotional content need not be created from scratch. Instead, repurposing smartly can minimize work and maximize results.
While these tips and techniques give you a good start, it’s important to experiment and pivot. If you’re new to using YouTube for audio promotion, treat it with patience and curiosity for minimum stress and maximum results.
Excited to try out these new techniques? Start by booking a Recordical Studio session. Or if you’re looking for more guidance or ideas, head to Recordical Digital to ask what’s been working for other Recordheads.
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