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

If marketing jargon makes your eyes glaze over, this episode is for you! I'm breaking down the two types of marketing I use to grow my podcast and make money, no funnels, no KPIs, no marketing bro speak. Just real, simple strategies that actually work.

Hey, I'm Andi Smiley, podcast coach for women and host of the Friendly Podcast Guide. I've spent the past year using Pinterest as my main growth strategy, and my podcast has grown by 74% and gained over 200 email subscribers…all without Instagram. I'm here to share what's actually working so you can grow your podcast sustainably too.

Topics Discussed in This Episode

• The two types of marketing every podcaster needs to know about

• Why I deleted Instagram and didn't see a drop in downloads

• How Pinterest fits into my podcast marketing strategy

• My favorite "get people in the door" marketing tools (Pinterest, Threads, podcast guesting, and SEO)

• Why my email list is where almost all of my business income comes from

• How my podcast serves my audience without being a hard sales tool

• How to grow a podcast without social media in 2026

• Why you don't need to be everywhere, just strategic

Key Takeaways

• You need at least two types of marketing: one to get people in the door and one to help them buy from you

• Pinterest is one of the most sustainable, low-effort ways to grow a podcast without showing up daily

• Your email list is your most powerful tool for actually making money

• You don't have to use every platform, pick what works for your audience and your life

• Sustainable podcasting strategies beat burnout-inducing ones every single time

Timestamps

(00:00) Welcome

(00:49) How Pinterest fits into my growth strategy

(02:14) My favorite "get people in the door" marketing tools

(03:02) Why my email list is where the money comes from

(03:44) How my podcast fits into the bigger picture

Links & Resources

• Free checklist, Is Pinterest Right for Your Podcast?

• How I Grow My Podcast Without Instagram episode

• Follow Andi on Threads

If you've been avoiding your email list because you're not sure what to say, afraid to send too many emails, or convinced your subscribers don't want to hear from you… this episode is your sign to just start.

Allea Grummert is an email marketing strategist who works with small business owners and content creators, and she has a refreshingly no-pressure approach to building an email strategy that actually works. She also hosts the Happy Subscribers podcast, which is exactly what it sounds like.

Time Stamps

(00:00) Welcome

(00:49) The fears podcasters have about email and why they're mostly unfounded

(04:04) Why email gives you more control than podcast apps or social media

(05:51) Should you grow your list first or start emailing first?

(07:15) Leading vs. lagging metrics — and why the distinction changes everything

(09:33) How many emails should you actually be sending per week?

(12:18) Brainstorming your second email (it doesn't have to be a sales pitch)

(17:50) What a welcome sequence is and what to put in it

(20:33) Allea's top tip for making email feel less overwhelming every single week

Links mentioned:

• Allea's welcome sequence freebie

• Andi's episode on the Happy Subscribers podcast

• Happy Subscribers podcast

Connect with Allea:

• Instagram

• Allea’s website

Connect with Andi:

• Threads

• Pinterest