You’ve started your podcast, have a few episodes live, and received positive feedback about the content. But you’re not getting as many listeners as you had hoped for. That’s because you haven’t done the difficult part yet. Promoting your podcast is essential to expanding your listener base. You might be limited by your budget and don’t know where to start. Instagram is the perfect platform to start promoting your podcast. In this article, we’ll cover how to promote a podcast on Instagram so you can leverage the platform with over a billion active users to promote your podcast, build a community, and grow your audience.
Why Instagram?
Instagram started as a platform on which people shared pictures, but it quickly evolved to become much more than that. Nowadays, it’s a marketing juggernaut for creators and businesses. That’s because it has:
- A highly engaged audience
- Powerful storytelling tools (Reels, Stories, Carousels)
- Interactive tools (like polls, DMs, and Q&As)
- A platform to help brands and creators build visual and emotional connections with users.
With a strong strategy, your podcast can go from unknown to famous overnight. Although it usually takes longer than that for a podcast to grow
How to promote a podcast on Instagram?
1. Optimize your Instagram profile
This is the first step to promoting your podcast on Instagram. You need to have an attractive profile. Make it clear and attractive.
Profile name and bio
Use your podcast name and a short, engaging description of what your podcast is about. If your podcast name is unavailable as a username on Instagram, find something similar that is short and easy to find. Add a call-to-action (CTA). For example, “New episodes every Thursday” with a link to your latest episode or Linktree account.
Profile Picture
Use the logo of your podcast or a high-quality image that represents your brand.
Link in Bio
Use tools like Linktree or Link.bio to direct people who follow you and visitors to your latest episode, platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts), newsletter, or site.
2. Create and share high-quality content.
It’s important to create high-quality content to get users’ attention and create engagement. The good news is that you’re already generating content. Leverage it to create more engagement and grow your presence on Instagram.
Audiograms
These short audio snippets with subtitles and animations are perfect for increasing people’s interest. You can use tools like Headliner or Wavve to make audiograms easily. Choose a funny, shocking, punchy moment to make your audiogram to get them interested in listening to your podcast.
Video Teasers
Record 15/30-second clips of your podcasts and turn them into reels and stories. Make sure you record the highlights and big moments to create intrigue and excitement around your podcast. Add captions and use bold, readable fonts. Add the episode title and guest name. End the video with a CTA like “Full episode in bio!”.
3. Grow your reach with reels
Instagram reels appeared after the rise of TikTok and have become a huge part of Instagram. They are one of the best ways to get discovered. Make your reels fun, engaging, and relatable. Here are a few examples:
- Behind-the-scenes videos.
- Episode takeaways, teases, and recaps.
- Guest introductions.
- Trending audio and music to match a podcast theme.
Instagram’s algorithm favors consistent content. So try to post reels consistently to increase your engagement and reach.
4. Tell stories with carousels
Instagram carousels are another great medium to leverage to increase your engagement and reach more people. Here are a few examples of what you can do with reels:
- Episode summaries or recaps in slide format.
- Create slides with guest quotes or stats.
- Topic breakdowns like “10 things we learned in episode 4.
You need to make engaging slides that always capture the viewer’s attention to ensure you generate real interest and engagement, like post saves or shares.
5. Leverage stories
Stories are a huge part of Instagram. They expire after 24 hours, so people usually interact with them more. It’s a great way to build a community. Here are some of the key features you can use:
- Polls (“What topic do you want to hear about?”)
- Q&A stickers (“Do you have any questions?”)
- Countdowns for new episodes
- Behind-the-scenes moments
Add links to your episodes directly in stories because they often get more engagement.
6. Collaborate with guests and other users
Social media can be a powerful tool to reach new people if used correctly. Leverage the audience of your podcast’s guests by tagging them in related content. Then you should ask them to repost episode teasers, share their clips, and participate in live Q&As.
Collaboration posts (co-published content) are also a great way to share visibility and extend your own.
7. Create a strong hashtag strategy
You might be tempted to use a simple #podcast. But that’s how your post gets lost in the masses. Remember that social media is a powerful tool. Carefully research a few niche hashtags and try to be specific instead. For example, if your podcast is about mental health, use a hashtag like #mentalhealthpodcast. Use your audience’s interests to reach more people with similar interests. Use format hashtags to reach even more people (like #dailypodcast or #podcastclips). Blend broader and more targeted hashtags. In total, you should have between 10 and 20 hashtags per post.
8. Stay consistent
To successfully leverage Instagram, you need to be as consistent as possible. Post 3 to 5 times a week, stay consistent in your aesthetic (colors, branding, tone, and fonts), and interact actively with your audience using comments and DMs.
Don’t be afraid to recycle your content. One of your podcasts can create multiple posts in different formats.
How to promote a podcast on Instagram with freelancers?
As you’ve realized by reading this article, promoting your podcast on Instagram can take time and effort on your part. If you don’t have time to allocate to this, you can hire a freelance social media expert or a community manager to manage your Instagram account. They will help you save time and achieve better results thanks to their expertise.
You can find freelancers to take over entirely and manage your account for you. Creating a strategy, generating content, posting, and engaging with your audience. They can do it all. However, you can also use a freelancer for more specific things. Like creating podcast thumbnails or cool videos for your social media using your content. The possibilities are endless.
Where to find freelancers to promote a podcast on Instagram?
There are different ways to find freelancers online to complete your projects. You can use freelance platforms like ComeUp, Fiverr, or Upwork. You can use LinkedIn to reach out to freelancers. Or you can ask your close ones if they know anyone they can recommend.
Find freelance experts to complete all your projects on ComeUp
ComeUp is a freelance marketplace platform with many professional freelancers offering their services. It’s the perfect place to find the freelancer you need. There are experts available in many different categories. Including social media, video editing, design, and many more categories.
There are many reasons why ComeUp is a great freelance marketplace platform to leverage to grow your business. The platform is rated 4.2 out of 5 on Trustpilot (as of May 2025) because it’s a superb solution for companies, and they have some of the best customer service in the industry.
When you order a service on ComeUp, you pay for it in advance. But the money goes into an escrow account. The freelancer only gets paid when they complete the work and you approve it. You’re sure to get precisely what you order that way.
Conclusion
Instagram is a powerful tool that can help you get discovered by many more people. Share engaging content that provides added value regularly to grow your podcast audience. Follow the advice above to get the most out of your Instagram marketing efforts and grow your account. Leverage freelance professionals to get better results and save time to focus on what you’re best at. Find a freelancer to manage your Instagram account today!
