Episode 327 | Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast | Courtney Elmer

Podcast Growth Myths Debunked by Buzzsprout’s Head of Marketing

Most podcasters think growth is just a numbers game: more episodes, more marketing, more guest spots. But you can do all of that and still see zero results. Because if your show isn’t built to attract (and keep) the right listeners, none of it matters.

In this episode, Alban Brooke, Head of Marketing at Buzzsprout, rips apart the most common (and costly) podcast growth myths—like why simply “putting out great content” isn’t enough and why most marketing tactics are a waste of time. Because after working with hundreds of thousands of podcasters, he’s seen exactly why some shows explode while others never gain traction. And it has nothing to do with what most people think.

So if you’re ready to quit the endless cycle of more content, more promotion, more whatever—and finally get your podcast in front of the right listeners, read on.

Why ‘More Listeners = More Growth’ Is a Lie

Every few years, podcasters panic that the industry is "too crowded" and that they’ve missed their chance. But that’s never been true. Even in 2005, when Apple first added podcasts to iTunes, two million people subscribed to a podcast in the first 48 hours. And yet, even then, some people looked at that and thought, Well, I guess I missed my shot.

The real problem isn’t how many podcasts are out there—it’s whether your show is built to attract and keep the right listeners.

More listeners doesn’t automatically mean more podcast growth. If people find your show but aren’t binging episodes, hitting 'follow,' or sharing it, your podcast isn’t actually growing—it’s just getting sampled and abandoned. And if that’s happening, you’re not just losing listeners, you’re also losing revenue. Every podcaster wants more listeners. But downloads don’t pay the bills—listeners who stay, engage, and take action do.

Alban has seen podcasters with thousands of downloads per episode struggle to monetize, while others with a few hundred deeply engaged listeners turn their podcast into a revenue-generating machine. 

Why? Because growth isn’t just about exposure—it’s about retention.

And retention is what drives revenue—because the longer someone listens, the more likely they are to:

• Join your email list
• Buy your offers
• Share your show with others

And retention starts with your podcast’s hook. Like Alban explains, “Most people assume that growth is just about getting in front of more listeners. But if the show isn’t built to hook them in and keep them engaged, those listeners won’t stick around.”

So before you focus on getting more exposure, make sure your show is built to attract the right listeners and keep them engaged. Otherwise, your marketing efforts will just be bringing people to the door, only for them to walk right back out.

Why Some Podcasts Explode Overnight (and Yours Hasn’t Yet)

If you’ve been putting in the work but your podcast still isn’t growing the way you expected, it’s tempting to think the big shows just got lucky. That they had the right connections, the perfect timing, a big marketing budget, or some secret strategy that made them blow up overnight.

But as Alban points out, that’s not how it works. Podcast growth isn’t linear—it compounds. Take Stephen Bartlett’s podcast, Diary of a CEO. He recently hit a billion downloads, but over half of that growth came in its seventh year—after six years of “sticking it out.”

Now, before you roll your eyes and think, Great, another “just stay consistent” speech, let’s be clear: it’s not just about keeping at it—it’s about making sure you’re continually improving the right things.

The Two Types of Growth: Internal vs. External

Most podcasters assume that growth is purely external—more downloads, more followers, more reach. But before external growth can happen, internal growth needs to happen first.

In the early days, most of your growth is invisible. You’re figuring out:

• Where do I plug this mic in?

• How do I publish an episode?
• Woah, let me work on removing some of these ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ in my vocabulary.

And even as you get deeper into podcasting, a lot of the growth is still invisible—but this time, the stakes are higher. You’re working on:

• Does my hook grab the right listeners?

• Are people binging episodes or dropping off?
• Does my show have a clear reason for people to keep coming back?

If these things aren’t dialed in, no amount of consistency will fix it.

But when they are? That’s when compounding growth kicks in—your content resonates more deeply, your existing audience shares your show more frequently, and suddenly, your visible podcast growth spikes.

The biggest podcasts often appear to blow up overnight, but that “overnight success” is usually years in the making. Improving your skills as a host, figuring out what keeps listeners coming back—none of that shows up in your analytics right away.

As Alban puts it: "The growth isn’t in the numbers at first. The numbers growth comes later—but only when you’ve put in the work to get there."

The Podcast Marketing Advice That’s Wasting Your Time

Most marketing advice will tell you to “get your show in front of more people.” But that only works if your show is positioned to convert new listeners into return listeners. That’s why most podcast marketing advice is wasting your time—not because the strategies themselves are bad, but because they only work if your podcast is positioned correctly.

Like Alban explains, “I have had some really big time budgets and really big money budgets for marketing a podcast, and I've completely blown them because I didn't have the show hook or positioning right. Podcast marketing doesn’t create growth—it amplifies what’s already working. If your show isn’t built to attract and retain listeners, no amount of promotion will fix that.”

So if you’ve made it this far, you’re already ahead of most podcasters—because most people would rather blame the algorithm, their niche, or the podcast industry being "too crowded" than take a hard look at whether their show is truly built to grow.

And if that stings a little, good. Because it means you actually care about making your podcast work. The good news? You don’t need to overhaul your entire podcast. You just need to focus on the few key things that actually drive listener retention and long-term growth. Let’s break down what that actually looks like.

What Actually Makes Listeners Binge Your Podcast

As Alban puts it: "The best podcasters aren’t just sharing information—they’re creating an experience listeners don’t want to leave."

The shows that get listeners to binge do three things exceptionally well:

1. They hook listeners from the moment they find the podcast. Within seconds, your audience should know why your show matters and why they should hit play. (This episode will help you do it).
   
2. They create narrative momentum. Good podcasters make their episodes easy to follow. Great podcasters structure their content in a way that keeps listeners engaged, curious, and eager to hear what’s next.
   
3. They sound like a real person you’d love to know. Listeners don’t connect with information, they connect with people. The best hosts make listeners feel like they’re sitting in on an actual conversation, not a lecture.

And if your show isn’t inherently bingeable, no amount of marketing will fix it.

The Difference Between Podcasters Who Grow and Those Who Plateau

At this point, you already know: more exposure doesn’t guarantee growth. So how do you actually get your podcast in front of the right listeners without wasting time on marketing that doesn’t work?

Take Barnabas, a 12-year-old who hosts The Kids Code Podcast, a show about encryption, ciphers, and puzzles designed to get other kids excited about coding. Alban shares, “At first, Barnabas struggled to get listeners, assuming the best way to market his show was to guest on other podcasts. But the problem? The audiences of those shows weren’t the right fit. 

So instead of wasting time on broad marketing, he taught Barnabas to ask a better question: "Where are the kids who are already interested in what I’m talking about?"

Together they came up with a creative strategy: a cipher puzzle that doubled as a marketing tool. Alban told Barnabus to design a puzzle where kids had to crack a code—then, on the back, included a message and a QR Code: "Enjoyed this puzzle? Listen to The Kids Code Podcast!"

Barnabus distributed these puzzles at STEM programs, after-school groups, and libraries—places where kids his age who love coding and puzzles already hang out. By focusing his marketing where his target audience was already active, Barnabas was able to make sure the right people discovered his podcast.

This is what Alban means when he says a podcast with the right foundation should “market itself.”

Just like Barnabas’ puzzle made it effortless for the right kids to discover his show, your podcast can work the same way. When your podcast has clear messaging, a specific audience, and a compelling reason to listen, getting it in front of the right people becomes obvious. Barnabas didn’t need to chase listeners—he created a system where the right people found him.

Your podcast should do the same. By clarifying your hook, defining your target audience, and creating content that speaks directly to them, you’ll know exactly where to reach them, just like Barnabas knew how to get his puzzle in front of the kids who loved coding.

The Bottom Line—What to Do Next

Right now, you have two choices:

You can keep grinding—pushing out more content, promoting harder, hoping that if you just get in front of enough people, your show will take off.

Or, you can do what the most successful podcasters do: Stop chasing more exposure and focus on resonance.

Your podcast doesn’t grow because of how many people see it. It grows because of how many people see it—and stay. 

So if you want a podcast that naturally attracts the right listeners, gets shared without you begging for it, and actually converts into real audience growth and revenue, then here’s what to do next:

• Audit your hook. If a new listener found your podcast today, would they immediately know why it’s worth their time? If not, fix that first.
  
• Track engagement, not just downloads. If people listen once and never return, that’s a red flag.  Fix your retention before chasing more reach.
  
• Identify where your audience is—and meet them there. Marketing is easy when you already know where your listeners are hanging out.

Want expert help refining your podcast messaging? Book a free strategy call with our team to find out if you’re a fit for PodLaunch®—so you can turn your show into the go-to resource in your niche and position yourself as the expert listeners trust, follow, and buy from. 

And for even more insider strategies for creating a bingeworthy top show listeners can’t ignore, hit ‘Follow’ on Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast so you never miss a new episode.

Up Next:

In the next episode, Alban Brooke (Buzzsprout’s Head of Marketing) is back to talk about the dark side of video podcasting. Everyone says you need video to grow your podcast—but is that really the case? In the next episode, Alban shares why many of today’s top podcasters are skipping video altogether and how focusing on audio might actually be the smartest move you could make for your show this year. Check it out why here.