Grow Your Podcast Through Collaboration: Tips and Strategies.

Podcast listeners almost always listen to more than one show, and studies show that the main way listeners find new shows is through listening to podcasts! Meta, I know. That’s why collaborating with other podcasters is such a powerful strategy to rocket your podcast to success.

Not only does it help with the growth of your own show, but it can also lead to successful partnerships and a stronger network within the industry. By working together and promoting each other's content, both parties can benefit from increased visibility and engagement.

So, if you want to see your podcast reach new heights, consider incorporating these cross-promotion and collaboration tips into your growth strategy.

7 Ways to Find and Approach Potential Collaborators.

1. Join podcasting forums and communities online. These can be great places to find and connect with other podcasters who may be interested in collaborating.

2. Use social media to your advantage. Follow hashtags related to podcasting and engage with other podcasters on platforms like Twitter and Instagram.

3. Attend podcasting events and conferences. These can be great opportunities to meet and network with other podcasters in person.

4. Utilize your existing network. Do you know anyone who knows a podcaster? Ask for an introduction or referral.

5. Search for podcasts in your niche on popular directories like Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Reach out to the host or producer with a pitch for collaboration.

6. Consider reaching out to podcasters who have interviewed guests or covered topics that align with your own show. They may be interested in continuing the conversation with you on their own show.

7. Don't be afraid to cold pitch. If you find a podcast that you admire and think would be a good fit for collaboration, reach out to the host with a pitch and some ideas for how you could work together.

Don’t be afraid to reach out to podcasts with bigger audiences, but they will also want some sort of benefit. That’s why I recommend reaching out to podcasts with a similar-sized audience as yours, only slightly bigger. That way you’re both getting benefited and as you start to level up your audience size, you can start to level up your collaborations.

3 Tips for Successful Collaboration and Cross-Promotion.

1. Find complimentary or compatible podcasts with audiences that are similar to yours. You want to be sure that if you do go on someone else’s show or have a guest on for cross-promotional purposes your audiences are looking for the same or similar things.

2. Set clear expectations and goals with the people or team you are collaborating with. Before going into the episode(s), ensure everyone knows the goals and how everything will be executed. You all want to be on the same page.

3. Develop a mutually beneficial promotional plan. Work with the other team members to create a detailed plan on how you are both going to promote each other’s content and get the most listeners to each show.

6 Examples of Successful Cross-Promotions in Podcasting.

1. "StartUp" and "This American Life": In 2014, "StartUp," a podcast about starting a business, teamed up with "This American Life," a popular radio show and podcast, for a crossover episode. "This American Life" promoted the episode on their show, which helped bring a significant number of new listeners to "StartUp."

2. "Radiolab" and "More Perfect": In 2017, "Radiolab," a science and technology podcast, collaborated with "More Perfect," a podcast about the Supreme Court, on an episode that explored the intersection of science and the law. The crossover helped both shows gain new listeners.

3. "The Daily" and "Up First": In 2018, "The Daily," a daily news podcast from The New York Times, teamed up with "Up First," a morning news podcast from NPR, for a special crossover episode. Both shows promoted the episode, which helped drive new listeners to both podcasts.

4. "The Moth" and "Snap Judgment": In 2016, "The Moth," a storytelling podcast, collaborated with "Snap Judgment," a storytelling and music podcast, for a crossover episode featuring stories about music. Both shows promoted the episode, which helped bring new listeners to both podcasts.

5. "How I Built This" and "Planet Money": In 2018, "How I Built This," a podcast about entrepreneurship, teamed up with "Planet Money," a podcast about economics, for a crossover episode about the economics of starting a business. Both shows promoted the episode, which helped bring new listeners to both podcasts.

6. "The Joe Rogan Experience" and "The Tim Ferriss Show": In 2017, "The Joe Rogan Experience" collaborated with "The Tim Ferriss Show," a business and self-improvement podcast, for a crossover episode. Both shows promoted the episode, which helped bring new listeners to both podcasts.

Conclusion.

Using this strategy to grow your audience size will absolutely work and can be an incredibly successful avenue for promotion, but just as important, you’re creating relationships with people in your industry, which will benefit you in many ways that you might not see now.

It’s an ongoing process, running a podcast, but continuing to look for new opportunities to grow personally, professionally, and as a show will take you to new heights that you didn’t think were possible!