If you've ever wondered whether you have to be on Instagram to grow your podcast, this episode is for you! I'm sharing five things I've learned from taking Pinterest seriously as my main podcast marketing strategy over the past year, and the results have blown me away. We're talking about a 74% increase in downloads and 200+ new email subscribers, all without stressing over Instagram trends. If you're looking for sustainable podcasting strategies that actually work, keep listening!

Hey, I'm Andi Smiley, podcast coach for women and host of the Friendly Podcast Guide. I'm obsessed with helping you grow your podcast without letting it rule your life. I share strategies that actually work, the stuff I wish someone had told me sooner. This episode is straight from my own experience using Pinterest as my go-to podcast marketing strategy for the past year.

Topics Discussed in This Episode

• Why finding the right platform is more important than being on every platform

• How Pinterest helped me grow my podcast 74% in one year without Instagram

• Why Pinterest SEO keywords are the foundation of a successful strategy

• How I figured out that Pinterest-specific keyword research is a game changer

• Why pins don't have to be pretty to perform well

• What sustainable consistency actually looks like (hint: it's NOT 15 pins a day!)

• Why Pinterest is a long game, and why that's actually great news for podcasters

Key Takeaways

• Find your platform. Not every marketing platform is right for every podcast. Instagram wasn't working for me, Pinterest was. Give yourself permission to go where your people actually are.

• SEO is everything on Pinterest. Using Pinterest-specific keywords (not just Google keywords) made a huge difference in how my pins performed.

• Pretty pins are a bonus, not a requirement. Some of my best-performing pins are just text. Focus on clear, keyword-rich descriptions over beautiful graphics.

• Consistency is personal. I started with one pin a week and slowly worked up to one per day. Find what you can sustain — and stick with it.

• Pinterest is a long game. Expect to start seeing results around the 2–4 month mark. But unlike social media posts, pins keep working for months or even years.

Timestamps

(00:00) Welcome

(01:47) Lesson 1: Finding the right platform for you

(03:23) Lesson 2: Pinterest SEO is king

(05:01) Lesson 3: Pins don't have to be pretty

(06:23) Lesson 4: Consistency looks different for everyone

(08:58) Lesson 5: Nothing happens overnight

Links & Resources

• Free checklist: Is Pinterest Right for Your Podcast?

• Connect with Andi on Threads

• Friendly Podcast Guide on Pinterest

• Last month's episode with Allea Grummert on email marketing for podcasters