How To Get The Most Out of Your Podcast Episodes
Some strategies are great for building credibility and driving traffic to your website, others help more people casually encounter your message, and others are built purely to grow follower and listener numbers.
There are a lot of ways to promote a podcast, but each one drives a very different result. Some strategies are great for building credibility and driving traffic to your website, others help more people casually encounter your message, and others are built purely to grow follower and listener numbers. To make the right decision, you first need to get clear on the objective.
The podcast itself is the asset; the promotion strategy is what determines whether it gets seen, heard, and acted on.
Here’s a quick breakdown of how DRAFT, AudienceLift, and mowPod differ, and when each type of promotion actually works. (Scroll to the right to see all columns on the chart)
Podcast Promotion Model Comparison Chart
| Dimension | DRAFT (Hosted Episode + Multi-Channel Promotion) | AudienceLift (Embedded Audio Placements) | mowPod (Audience Growth Products) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Objective | Thought leadership + content library + direct traffic to client site/CTA. | Contextual brand lift through passive listening. | Grow podcast audience metrics (downloads, listeners, followers, plays). |
| What You Get | A full branded episode (audio + 4K video) + 9 short clips + blog article + testimonial. Includes paid promotion to drive targeted traffic. | Your content (or episode mention/audio) embedded into publisher pages as listeners browse. | Follower growth on Apple, long-play listens on Spotify, YouTube views. Metrics-based performance growth. |
| Where Audiences Engage | Spotify, Apple, YouTube, LinkedIn, Website + targeted ads (LinkedIn/Spotify/YouTube). | Within publisher article pages while consuming written content. | Podcast platforms directly: Apple Podcasts, Spotify + YouTube. |
| Targeting Method | Granular professional targeting (job title, industry, seniority, region). | Contextual targeting based on article category/topic. | Varies by channel: geography, device, interest targeting; retargeting layered for repeat listening. |
| Engagement Behavior | Designed to click through to a landing page. Clear CTA path. | Users typically listen first, and must leave the player to reach a CTA. | Designed to increase followers and long-play listeners (habit-building). CTA to website is secondary. |
| Campaign Duration & Lifespan | Evergreen assets live permanently and can be reused. Paid ads run 14–21 days. | Visibility lasts only as long as placement is purchased. No reusable creative. | Long-term increase in show ranking and playback activity; results accumulate and compound across episodes. |
| Cost Structure (Typical) | $5,000 fixed package (content + paid promotion). | CPM-based; varies based on publisher inventory. | Apple Followers: $5/follower (min $5k). Spotify Plays: $1/play (min $5k). YouTube Views: ~$0.10/view (min $5k). |
| Ideal Use Case | When the goal is positioning, credibility, and driving qualified traffic/leads. | When the goal is brand familiarity in content environments, but CTA is not primary. | When the goal is growing a podcast audience and chart rankings to secure future guest/sponsor leverage. |
Creating the podcast segment is only the first step. Once the content exists, the real work is deciding what you want it to do. If the goal is traffic and lead generation, the promotion strategy needs to be built around click-through paths. If the goal is brand lift, the content should show up natively where your audience is already consuming information. And if the goal is to grow your audience long-term, you’ll need repeated exposure and platforms that build habitual listening.
Recommendation Summary
If your goal for your podcast is:
| Goal | Best Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Drive traffic to their website / product page with a clear CTA | DRAFT | Only model engineered for click-through acquisition, not just listens. |
| Increase broad awareness through passive, contextual presence | AudienceLift | Good for ambient brand lift, but weak for conversions or traffic. |
| Grow podcast followers, plays, ranking, and long-term listenership | mowPod | Best for building audience size and credibility in podcast ecosystems. |
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