Content Repurposing is Not Podcast Marketing (& It’s Probably Killing Your Growth)

I’ll just come out and say it.

I hate content repurposing.

*gasp*

*faint*

*clutch your pearls*

Yep, I said it.

It might be surprising given that I’m a podcast marketing nerd who spends literally 80% of my waking hours thinking about the topic in one form or another.

Or maybe that’s exactly the reason I hate content repurposing.

Because content repurposing is not marketing.

If this comes as a shock, I understand.

Over the past couple of years, the word “marketing” has achieved verified buzzword status as awareness of the need to market our shows has spread throughout the industry.

It’s no surprise then, that everyone from podcast hosting platforms to software tools to service providers have seen an opportunity to differentiate themselves by offering “podcast marketing”… almost always in the form of (very) basic content repurposing.

I don’t begrudge them for doing it.

From a business perspective, it makes sense.

And content repurposing can certainly play a small role (maybe 3%) in an effective marketing strategy.

The problem is that with everyone and their grandma professing to offer “podcast marketing” when they really mean “content repurposing”, the average podcast creator has a wildly distorted and inaccurate view of what an effective podcast marketing strategy actually looks like.

As a result, they end up spending all their time on a narrow sliver of marketing activities, which, on their own are incapable of producing real growth.

And then they wonder why their show isn’t growing.

So let’s set the record straight.

Here’s a list of activities that actually make up an effective marketing strategy:

• Audience research
• Competitor research
• Choosing a topic/angle that aligns with existing demand
• Creating a unique show concept that hooks your ideal listeners the second they hear about it
• Developing a unique and compelling point of view about your topic
• Identifying and amplifying your differentiators
• Positioning your show in a way that presents it as the best option available for a specific segment of people
• Crafting & tweaking compelling messaging that explains who your show is for, how it will help them, how it’s different from similar shows, and why it all matters in as few words as possible
• Designing show packaging that conveys legitimacy, quality, and trust
• Creating a listener experience that hooks listeners within the first minute and keeps them engaged throughout
• Identifying potential listener acquisition channels and experimenting until you find one that works
  • One channel (of many) is social media
    • One (of many) ways to use social media is content repurposing (though it’s probably the least effective and is totally skippable)

Phew.

If this list feels a little intimidating, I get it.

It is.

Which is why so many creators, founders, and brands would rather spend their time on the simple process of repurposing content.

The rest of marketing is rarely so straightforward, with no absolute right or wrong answers and no one-size-fits-all solutions.

So no, unless you’re paying a marketing agency $10k+/mo, it’s unlikely any of the podcast tools or service providers advertising “marketing” are actually providing anything remotely close to an effective marketing solution for your podcast.

Which isn’t a bad thing.

Because no one will ever be able to market your show better than you.

Better to accept that, lean into it, and learn how to create a marketing practice for yourself that is fulfilling, energizing, and maybe even fun.

It’s possible.

But the first step is to see marketing for what it really is.

Then focus on the things that will actually move the needle, rather than the ones that won’t.