Paid podcast growth - scam, or smart marketing?
04/04/25 • 12 min
Picture this: You're determined to grow your podcast to get the best possible results, but find yourself smothered by the temptation of paying some guy to hoist it onto the so-called podcast charts. Your ego takes hold, and even though you know you shouldn't pay to 'cheat', the idea of finally getting noticed and regarded as a great podcaster becomes too much to bear.
But wait - do you really know what you're getting yourself into?
This episode of Podcasting Insights with The Podmaster is inspired by a frankly wrong piece of advice offered by another podcast - Podcast Marketing Trends, hosted by Jeremy Enns and Justin Jackson. They claimed paid podcasting promotion is a money pit.
Well, I'm hoping to help you understand the different kinds of paid podcast promotion.
So, is it a cunning growth hack or just a money pit disguised with sweet promises?
Stick with me—Neal Veglio—for a reality check.
Here's what you'll learn:
The murky truth behind those promises of instant chart success and 10,000 downloads by Tuesday, and why these schemes aren't worth the faux glitz they offer.
What are click farms?
Why a real, authentic audience isn't just science fiction but a tangible outcome when approached with the right mix of strategy and sincerity.
As promised, here are the names of our clients who have used Podknows Podcasting's marketing help in the past.
Colin True (The Rock Fight, Open Container)
Michelle J Raymond (Social Media for B2B Marketing)
Mahmood Reza (From Creative Passion to Profit)
Holly Christie (Websites Made Simple)
Mentioned in this episode:
A Podknows Production
Podknows helps brands and creators to build their podcasts into virtual sales and marketing teams which get them results even when they're sleeping. Find out more at https://podknows.co.uk/
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Book your Podmaster audit
Wanna get unstuck from the sub 100 downloads per month doldrums. Fancy getting closer to top 2% podcaster glory? Sounds like you need one of my Podmaster audits. Go to podmastery.co/lite and within 5 business days you’ll get a full video and written report on my findings. That's podmastery.co/lite
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podder - https://www.podderapp.com/privacy-policy
Picture this: You're determined to grow your podcast to get the best possible results, but find yourself smothered by the temptation of paying some guy to hoist it onto the so-called podcast charts. Your ego takes hold, and even though you know you shouldn't pay to 'cheat', the idea of finally getting noticed and regarded as a great podcaster becomes too much to bear.
But wait - do you really know what you're getting yourself into?
This episode of Podcasting Insights with The Podmaster is inspired by a frankly wrong piece of advice offered by another podcast - Podcast Marketing Trends, hosted by Jeremy Enns and Justin Jackson. They claimed paid podcasting promotion is a money pit.
Well, I'm hoping to help you understand the different kinds of paid podcast promotion.
So, is it a cunning growth hack or just a money pit disguised with sweet promises?
Stick with me—Neal Veglio—for a reality check.
Here's what you'll learn:
The murky truth behind those promises of instant chart success and 10,000 downloads by Tuesday, and why these schemes aren't worth the faux glitz they offer.
What are click farms?
Why a real, authentic audience isn't just science fiction but a tangible outcome when approached with the right mix of strategy and sincerity.
As promised, here are the names of our clients who have used Podknows Podcasting's marketing help in the past.
Colin True (The Rock Fight, Open Container)
Michelle J Raymond (Social Media for B2B Marketing)
Mahmood Reza (From Creative Passion to Profit)
Holly Christie (Websites Made Simple)
Mentioned in this episode:
A Podknows Production
Podknows helps brands and creators to build their podcasts into virtual sales and marketing teams which get them results even when they're sleeping. Find out more at https://podknows.co.uk/
7 Days Podmastery course
Sign up for the Podmastery 7 Day Makeover
Book your Podmaster audit
Wanna get unstuck from the sub 100 downloads per month doldrums. Fancy getting closer to top 2% podcaster glory? Sounds like you need one of my Podmaster audits. Go to podmastery.co/lite and within 5 business days you’ll get a full video and written report on my findings. That's podmastery.co/lite
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podder - https://www.podderapp.com/privacy-policy
Previous Episode
Podcasters, Dynamic Ads on YouTube? Yes please, amirite?
YouTube is working on a new feature that could change the game for podcasters everywhere.
Imagine this - dynamic mid-roll ads that we can control!
I mean, come on, who wouldn’t want the power to swap out ads in our podcast episodes with the ease of changing our socks?
YouTube’s working on an ad tech solution that lets us do just that, making it possible to update ads without the hassle of re-uploading our content.
Find out why this is such a big deal for podcasters as Amelia Knight talks us through the latest developments from the video hosting platform.
Mentioned in this episode:
A Podknows Production
Podknows helps brands and creators to build their podcasts into virtual sales and marketing teams which get them results even when they're sleeping. Find out more at https://podknows.co.uk/
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podder - https://www.podderapp.com/privacy-policy
Next Episode
3 Reasons To Avoid Using Spotify For Creators
Being exposed to free podcasting tools can feel like stepping into a candy store. It sounds like a dream come true: no upfront costs, no wallet sweating, just pure, unadulterated creativity!
But hold your horses, Sebastian!
As we peel back the shiny wrapper of these free services, we uncover the not-so-sweet reality lurking underneath.
We're talking about the sneaky little catches that can turn your podcasting dream into a bit of a nightmare.
You might think you're saving a couple of quid or bucks, but in the long run, it could cost you way more than you bargained for.
What’s the catch, you ask?
Click play, and find out.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Spotify for Creators
Mentioned in this episode:
A Podknows Production
Podknows helps brands and creators to build their podcasts into virtual sales and marketing teams which get them results even when they're sleeping. Find out more at https://podknows.co.uk/
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This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podder - https://www.podderapp.com/privacy-policy
Podcasting Insights with The Podmaster: growth advice for people and brands - Paid podcast growth - scam, or smart marketing?
Transcript
Today we're talking about the big fat elephant in the podcasting room, paid podcast promotion. Is it a growth hack or is it, as Jeremy ends and Justin Jackson called it, a massive, gaping money pit?
Let's find out.
Hey, it's Neil Velio, the podmaster here, helping brands and individuals like you to get the most out of their podcast. I want to talk today about an episode of another podcast I heard called P
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