PWH 29. Back to the Basics: Marketing Your Podcast Without Social Media

If you're feeling overwhelmed, consider this your permission slip to simplify. Lexi shares six powerful, back-to-basics marketing strategies that go beyond Instagram and TikTok — perfect for heart-driven entrepreneurs who want to stay aligned, consistent, and impactful.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why email is still your most powerful connection tool
• How to turn podcast guests into built-in marketers
• Word-of-mouth tactics that actually work
• Creative, value-based ways to collaborate
• Simple SEO tips to help listeners find your show
• How real-life networking can become your secret weapon

Resources Mentioned:

• Mailchimp – for building your email list
• Amy Porterfield's podcast: Online Marketing Made Easy
• Gary V’s challenge for service-based business launches
• AI SEO support via ChatGPT prompts

Have a favorite takeaway? Share this episode with a friend or send it to someone who’s been thinking about starting their podcast journey.
 ✨ Want more support? Explore resources at PodcastWithHer.com

CONTACT & MORE RESOURCES

Project Start Your Podcast Workbook

Let’s Connect!
Tag me on your latest podcast episode on Instagram or LinkedIn – I’d love to cheer you on!

Podcast Inspo:

Financial Feminist by Tori Dunlap

All In with Allie

Always Supporting:

Planned Parenthood

© 2025 Whistler Media LLC. All rights reserved. No content may be reused without written consent.

Transcript

Alexandra Susann  0:00  
I we tend to forget that social media is not the end all be all. And someone very wise always reminds me, whenever I'm overwhelmed, to go back to the basics, and that is what this episode is all about. Welcome to podcast with her, where we publish value driven podcast episodes every week together, and we have fun and learn so much while we do it. Hi, I'm Lexi, and my mission is to teach women how to create an impactful podcast and establish authority in their professional fields. That is what podcast with her is here to help you do, speak confidently, publish consistently, and create value with your voice. So consider this your accountability. Check. Where are you on this podcast journey? If you're right in the beginning, that's great. The first three episodes are here to help you get started already making episodes perfect. The rest is to keep you motivated to keep going.

Alexandra Susann  1:16  
So I've been having a conversation with a client of mine who also happens to be a relative about starting her podcast, and she has an amazing topic. She knows exactly who this podcast is for and what she wants to put out in the world, and she doesn't use social media, which, to be honest, I am a little jealous of, because how many hours have we all wasted on social media, and nothing really fruitful comes of it. Now, don't get me wrong, it can be a great way to organically market your podcast, by putting the clips out there and engaging with the people who could connect with your podcast. But it's not the only way to market your episodes, so let's talk about strategies. Specifically, I have six to tell you about going back to the basics. These are not groundbreaking, but it's just your reminder of ways to market without being on socials. So starting off number one is to start with your people, and email is everything. Here I am just getting started on building my own list and also working to build her email platform out on MailChimp. So once you've have started a place to actually have people land and subscribe to your emails, then you can start to send them a direct link to your latest episode, or maybe a Flashback Friday or a throwback Thursday. You know you could send two emails a week, one with your latest episode and one with an episode from the past and keep your audience engaged via email, which has been around forever. Email has been a way to communicate across all ages, across all demographics, across countries, and it's not controversial, like some social media platforms are. I mean, it's even a little bit wholesome. So when you think about email, I think it's a super solid place to start. And even Amy Porterfield, who is an online marketer. She has the podcast online marketing make Made Easy. She said that not starting her email list as the first thing she did was her number one regret. So take it from her. Start your email list early. Start building it and nurturing your audience and sending them your wisdom and your tips and tricks. Number two, using your guests as a network, when you start trading episodes and having guests on your podcast or having yourself guest on other podcasts. This is a great way to cross pollinate communities, and every guest has their own community that you can lean into. So make it easy for them to share by giving them some promotional materials. Make sure you have a headshot of yourself for. That looks, you know, along the lines of your podcast, that you would feel professional or like it's it shares your vibe of what you're saying behind the show. Do you know what I mean if you're having a fun like, kind of a drama podcast you probably want, would not want one that was like LinkedIn profile picturesque, but if you had a professional podcast that's connecting with a professional audience, you wouldn't want one of you sitting on a boat, beer in hand, sunglasses on you know, you want the picture to fit your podcast. So find that picture of yourself, or take one, and make sure that your guests, when you guest on their show, they have a way to promote you. They help have all the links to your podcast and your website and whatever you're sharing with them, so just make it easy. And then, when you have guests on your podcast, ask them to promote it, ask them to share it with their network, so you can do some cross pollinating magic. Speaking of magic, number three, word of mouth still works like magic. Ask your listeners, ask your friends, ask your family members. If you're brave, ask your network of people who you are talking to already, who know you, like you, trust you to send their favorite episode to a friend or to subscribe and rate your podcast is also a great way to get them involved. Write you podcast review something like that. Gary V challenged, I watched a video by him that said, when you start a business, if it's a service based business, he challenged the viewer, and this is so like scary to even think of doing, but he said to take out your phone, go into your contact list and send every single person, he said a video message or just a message, but he suggested a 32nd video of you, saying, hey, just started my new business. In this case, just started my new podcast. If you're getting this message, is because you're in my contact, even if we haven't talked forever, I just want to say thank you for any support you could give. If you could pass this along to a friend, it would mean the world to me and that kind of ballsy word of mouth networking, it's scary, but you know that it would probably work, and somebody would send it to their friend. So if you're bold like that, you could definitely get down and dirty, but just talking about your episode, talking about your podcast in the context of So, what do you do when that conversation comes up? Make sure that you are your best marketing asset number four is to collaborate creatively. You might know someone who has a business, but maybe not a podcast, and you could trade mentions, or maybe they have a newsletter, and you could ask them to share your podcast, and you know trade, if they have a business like maybe you know someone who has a hair salon and you want to mention their services on your podcast. In trade, they mention your podcast in their latest newsletter, something like that. So just get creative, even outside the sphere of podcasting, to collaborate with other people who are building their networks you know, other coaches, other course, creators, local business owners, the people who already might have your dream audience in their network. Number five is to optimize where you already exist, so make sure that your podcasts description and keywords has those rich, searchable words that people who are searching for you and for what you're sharing can actually search, especially in the world of chatgpt and AI being used as a search engine, if someone happens to search podcasts. For blank and they were looking for you, what would they be punching into that search? Think about that and make sure that your description and your keywords are rich. And another hint is you can do this with chat, GPT punch in the topic of your podcast, tell it who you're trying to connect with, and then ask it to make your podcast description very SEO friendly and searchable. Number six is to go offline and into real life. There is a networking group that I go to. It's on the first Friday of every month. It's called caffeinated mornings. And I love talking with these people, because they are other designers. And every time I am asked what I do, I mention the podcast, and this is something that piques people's interest, because a lot of people have an opinion one way or another of podcasting. Either

Alexandra Susann  11:11  
they're really excited about the idea or their podcast listener themselves, or they're like, oh, that sounds so hard. How do you do that? So having that as a topic of conversation is really fun to have in your back pocket. And then some other ways you could present it. Is having your podcast on your business card. Maybe you have a QR code that links to your your podcast. It could be a part of your email signature, or maybe you have the opportunity to present at some networking groups. And it could be at the end of your presentation as a wild card about you, something that not everyone knows. You know, you could also ask event hosts in the similar space as you if, if you could share it as a resource, or if they could share it as a resource. And this goes back to making sure that you're intentional about exactly who you're talking to, exactly the audience that you want to be connecting with, and exactly what you want them to get out of it, so that it's a no brainer when you pitch this as a resource. In summary, you do not have to know social media to have a successful podcast. It is not the make it or break it for your marketing. There are so many other ways that I didn't talk about here that you could do organic marketing for your podcast. There are brilliant ways to grow and if you're not on social media, props to you. I am envious. I would love to take some time off social media. I think that is definitely something I'll plan for the near future. One more time, I will give you the list. Number one, email is everything. Number two, your guest networks are a gold mine. Number three, word of mouth still works like magic. Number four, collaborate creatively. Number five, optimize where you already exist. And number six, go offline and into real life, and with that happy marketing, happy podcasting, and I can't wait for our next episode until then, go and value your voice. Cheers. 

Transcribed by https://otter.ai