How to Set a Marketing Budget for Your Podcast (Even If It’s Small) – PCI 451

You don’t need a big team or a huge ad budget to market your show—you just need the right plan. So today’s episode is divided into two paths: one for podcasters who are already publishing, and another for those who are still in the planning or pre-launch phase. Today’s Hosts: Todd Cochrane and MacKenzie Bennett ✅ If You’ve Already Launched Your Podcast These strategies help you understand where to invest, even if your budget is modest—and how to use Blubrry tools to amplify your results. 1. Start With a Monthly Budget That Works What can you realistically commit to spending each month? $10–25: Social posts, audiograms, promo swaps $25–100: Boosted content, Overcast ads, email tools $100+: Contractors, social media managers, ad campaigns 💡 Blubrry helps: Your free podcast website, publishing tools, and included support already cover key basics—so more of your budget can go toward outreach. 2. Set Specific Goals for Each Quarter Your spending should support a measurable goal. Examples: Grow your newsletter, boost downloads, increase social reach 💡 Blubrry helps: IAB-certified podcast stats let you track downloads by episode, geography, and listening platform—so you’ll know what’s working. 3. Use Free Marketing First Before paying for exposure, focus on consistency and visibility. Swap promos with other podcasters Share your show in relevant communities Repackage past content as teasers or clips 💡 Blubrry helps: Custom episode URLs and your podcast website make sharing your content super easy and trackable. 4. Stick With One or Two Platforms Don’t spread yourself thin—put your time (and money) where your audience is. Pick one social platform and one podcast discovery tool 💡 Blubrry helps: You can monitor where listeners are coming from using your dashboard analytics. 5. Track ROI With Simple Tools You don’t need fancy reporting—just a way to check if your spend is helping. Create a basic spreadsheet: cost, goal, outcome 💡 Blubrry helps: Your hosting dashboard makes it easy to see what content is gaining traction after promotion with the event tracker. 🚀 If You Haven’t Launched Your Podcast Yet These strategies help you lay a strong foundation before you publish—and use your pre-launch time to build interest. 1. Create a Pre-Launch Budget Even if your show isn’t live, a small monthly budget can go toward: Graphics or teaser trailers A basic email platform Building a landing page 💡 Blubrry helps: Your Blubrry website is ready from day one—no extra web hosting costs. 2. Define a Simple Goal Before Launch What’s your #1 objective before episode one drops? Build an email list Attract early social followers Collect feedback from a trailer 💡 Blubrry helps: You can publish a trailer episode across directories using Blubrry, even if your show isn’t fully launched. 3. Engage Where Your Future Audience Is Join online communities, follow hashtags, and interact with potential listeners. Reddit threads, Facebook groups, LinkedIn, TikTok 💡 Blubrry helps: Your teaser content and podcast website can be shared directly into conversations to start building hype. 4. Start Growing Your Email List Use your pre-launch period to collect emails. Create a basic opt-in form: “Be the first to hear my new podcast!” 💡 Blubrry helps: Embed a signup form right on your included podcast website. 5. Use a Trailer to Test and Promote You don’t need a full episode to start building momentum. Record a 2–5 minute preview Ask for feedback in communities or on social 💡 Blubrry helps: Blubrry lets you distribute your trailer to Apple, Spotify, and other platforms—all from your dashboard. Thanks for listening to Podcast Insider, you can subscribe to new episodes out every Monday. The best place for support with any Blubrry product or service is our ticket system. Tickets give the whole team access vs. direct emails or calls. General podcasting discussions and more can be shared on the Blubrry Podcasting Facebook group. Fill out our listener survey at surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider Hosting customers can schedule a one-on-one call with Todd or a tech checkup with Mike at [email protected] and [email protected] Stay tuned for more episodes and visit our website for the latest updates and resources.