Creating a landing page-style trailer profile for your podcast on various social media platforms can boost your visibility and shareability. Follow this step-by-step checklist to create a simple profile with timeless information for fans ready to engage.
📅 First published in Podcast Hacks newsletter (2024/04/09) – updated version
You have made your show available wherever people consume podcasts.
Why not apply the same principle to social media, where people discover and share podcasts?
Follow my blueprint, and you’ll be implementing shareability in no time (without having to post regularly at first).
Your potential audience is scattered all over the Internet. And sooner rather than later, all social media platforms will open up to a wide variety of audiences.
Remember when TikTok was only known for lipsyncs and dance videos? That’s no longer the case.
Over time, more people will connect, and spaces will open up to showcase all kinds of interests. That’s a given.
And it got me thinking: why not install landing page-style trailer profiles for our podcasts in the social world?
I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to share a favorite content discovery, only to find out there was no profile at all to tag or send people to for more information.
Yet it’s so easy to provide a timeless teaser that directs potential listeners to your feed. Without having to showcase every new episode, but with enough context to feel welcome.
This issue is all about what to put on such a free placeholder profile.
Consider your trailer profile on (in alphabetical order):
- Bluesky
- Mastodon
- Medium
- Threads
- YouTube
- X
What to Include on Your Trailer Profile (a.k.a. Mini Website)
Social media is constantly evolving. But there is always the option to create a personal profile, write a short description, and install a link. In most cases, you can even add text, image, or video posts to your profile.
This is what you should include:
- A profile picture that shows your podcast cover
- A description that tells your one-sentence pitch or mission (first two lines), your release schedule (line three), and a call to action for your link in bio (line four)
- A link to your website (with direct access to your show and/or newsletter) or lead magnet
- If you want to start lean, install one of the many link list style sites from Linktree, Stan, Canva, Linkin.bio, or The Leap (some can also display your latest episode or limited-time offers)
- You can also use your show’s landing page from your hosting provider or a service that specializes in podcast websites like Podpage, Podcastpage, or Podsite
- Strategically follow 20 to 50 profiles that you want to be associated with–such as relevant voices in your niche and those you want the algorithm to connect you with
- Install at least three (pinned) posts:
- tell your story and show personality (= build trust)
- share fun facts about your show (= trigger curiosity)
- choose the next step you want people to take (= inspire action)
- If there is room for an additional header graphic, show the host’s faces or your team during the recording
- If the platform allows for highlights, collect listener testimonials and mentions
- Optionally, you can always add a few highlight clips as well for a first listen
What to Optimize For
Don’t chase vanity metrics such as followers or likes at this stage. Do everything you can to guide people in the right direction. Introduce yourself properly and increase your chances of being shared.
You’ll want to:
- Have only one call to action (preferably have guests click on the link and be funneled into your podcast feed or newsletter list so you can target them repeatedly)
- Make sure you get a notification when someone mentions you in a story or sends a DM
And Now?
With a grain of salt, I’ll admit that having spread profiles all over the web won’t help you find your audience if you’re not posting content regularly and feeding the algorithms.
And I don’t want you to post everything everywhere all at once.
In fact, the opposite is much more effective: focus first on a platform that feels most natural to you in terms of content creation.
You might even open up an additional personal profile alongside your show, leaving room for experimentation (because you’re more than your podcast, and it might take a while to take off).
Plus, you can make use of collab postings to share one post on both accounts.
Stack the rest. Build your audience one at a time.
Remember, this hack isn’t about you or me, it’s about the people. And if they’re engaging on a platform but we’re not, that’s more than okay.
With this one-time implementation, we can help them help us.
Be ready when people want to share your show.
Turn up the VOLUME,
David “The trailer profile guy” Streit
