Podcasting is booming, but most podcasters are flying blind when it comes to growth. Unlike platforms such as those from Meta, TikTok, where creators have rich analytics at their fingertips, podcasting is still in the dark ages of data. It’s like trying to navigate a city with a hand-drawn map.
So how do you actually grow a podcast in a world where most analytics are either nonexistent, scattered, or too vague to act on? That’s exactly what we tackled with Christian Sørensen, CEO of Podder, on The Runway Podcast. His team is bringing podcast analytics into the modern age, helping podcasters make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Here’s what we learned about growing a podcast the right way.
Know Your Audience (For Real, Not Just in Your Head)
Many podcasters assume they know their audience, but most are making content decisions based on gut feeling rather than real data. Downloads and listens are useful, but they don’t tell you who your listeners actually are, where they’re based, or what they care about.
Having access to audience demographics – things like age, location, and listening habits – can make a huge difference in shaping content, attracting the right sponsors, and growing more effectively. Advertisers, for example, don’t just care about how many listeners a podcast has; they care about who those listeners are. If you can present real audience insights instead of just download numbers, you have a much stronger case for monetisation and growth.
Without this data, podcasters are left guessing. And in any competitive space, guessing is not a winning strategy.
Experiment, Track, and Tweak
Many podcasters publish episodes without much thought about what works and what doesn’t. They assume good content will find an audience naturally, but the truth is, growth requires iteration (just like in startups).
Testing different episode formats, lengths, and release schedules can reveal what actually resonates with listeners. Are your intros too long? Are certain topics performing better than others? Are people dropping off at a certain point in the episode? Looking at listener behaviour can help answer these questions.
The key is to stop treating each episode as an independent effort and start seeing it as part of an evolving strategy. If something works, double down. If something flops, figure out why and adjust. The best podcasters aren’t just content creators. They’re data-driven experimenters.
Be Everywhere: Podcasts Aren’t Just RSS Feeds Anymore
For years, podcasting was simple. You uploaded an episode, and listeners found it through platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Now, the landscape is much messier. And much more full of opportunity.
YouTube has quietly become one of the biggest platforms for podcast consumption, even though it wasn’t built for audio-first content. Many podcasters now upload video versions or even just static images with audio to tap into YouTube’s massive audience. At the same time, different regions have their own dominant platforms. If you’re targeting markets like India, for example, focusing solely on Apple and Spotify might mean missing out on millions of potential listeners.
The takeaway? Podcasting is no longer just an audio game. The smartest podcasters repurpose content across multiple platforms. Posting clips on LinkedIn, sharing soundbites on Twitter, and creating video-friendly versions for YouTube. The more places you are, the more chances you have to reach new listeners.
Podcast Growth Hack: Guesting > Ads
One of the most effective ways to grow a podcast isn’t running ads or spending on social media promotions. It’s guesting on other people’s podcasts.
Being a guest gives podcasters direct access to engaged audiences who are already in the habit of listening to long-form content. Unlike social media, where attention spans are short and people scroll past most content, podcasts create a deeper level of engagement. Listeners trust the hosts they follow, which means guest appearances come with a built-in layer of credibility.
For podcasters looking to grow, the best approach is to match their guest appearances with their release schedule. If you put out an episode every week, try to appear as a guest on another podcast just as often. This ensures you’re not just reminding the same audience about your show. You’re constantly reaching new listeners who might already be primed to subscribe.
Most Podcasts Fail Because They Quit Too Early
Starting a podcast is easy. Sticking with it is another story. The majority of podcasts don’t make it past their seventh episode, and even those that do often struggle to maintain consistency.
The biggest shows today weren’t overnight successes. They followed a slow, steady, and compounding growth curve—building trust with their audience over time. The reality is, unless you’re already famous or backed by a media company, a new podcast won’t explode overnight. Growth takes time, consistency, and a willingness to keep showing up even when it feels like no one is listening.
Success in podcasting is less about quick wins and more about committing to the long game. Those who understand this and stick with it are the ones who eventually break through.
Final Thoughts: Stop Guessing, Start Scaling
Most podcasters don’t fail because they lack good content. They fail because they don’t have a growth strategy.
Understanding your audience, experimenting with formats, distributing your content across multiple platforms, and leveraging guest appearances are all proven ways to build a sustainable podcast. But the most important factor? Sticking with it long enough to see the results.
Want to hear Christian Sørensen break it all down? Listen to the full episode here, or just click play below.
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