Leverage the Power of YouTube Without Reinventing Your Podcast
Lately, one word has dominated conversations in the podcasting world: video.
Spotify has fully integrated video into its platform, allowing users to watch podcast episodes as easily as they can listen. Netflix may soon follow. But one platform in particular is really shaping the future of podcasts: YouTube.
YouTube’s Impact
YouTube has emerged as a powerhouse in the podcasting space, now boasting more than 1 billion monthly viewers of podcast content. And critically, YouTube isn’t just where people listen—it’s where they discover new shows.
This much is clear: if you’re committed to growing your podcast audience, YouTube needs to be part of your strategy.
But creating a video podcast can be costly and time-consuming. At Voxtopica, we work with many nonprofit organizations to produce their mission-driven podcasts on a limited budget.
But we’ve got good news. You can tap into the benefits of YouTube without fully pivoting to a video podcast. What you do need is a strategic approach that is optimized for YouTube’s unique algorithm.
Here’s a few tips to make YouTube work for your podcast:
1. Podcast Playlists
First things first: good housekeeping is essential, not only for a positive user experience, but also for ensuring that you maximize the benefits of uploading to YouTube.
Create a playlist for your show, and make sure it’s designated as a podcast. This makes it eligible to appear in YouTube Music’s dedicated “podcasts” tab and gives it potential to be featured on YouTube’s podcast landing page, helping you reach a wider audience.
2. Use Visually Appealing Clips to Tease Full Episodes
Short-form content is one of YouTube’s fastest-growing formats. YouTube Shorts (videos under 60 seconds) are a great way to capture attention and drive listeners to engage further.
Consider repurposing your best quotes and insights from your episode into short clips for YouTube—moments that leave the listener wanting more. Think of these clips as breadcrumbs leading potential listeners to the full episode.
Add captions, a catchy title, and a clear call to action. Always be sure to link to the full episode in the description or pin it in the comments section so it’s easy to find.
3. Upload Audio-Only Episodes
You don’t have to record video for your podcast episodes to upload them to YouTube. Plus, most podcast hosting platforms make uploading to YouTube a breeze. But it’s important to make sure your episodes are optimized for YouTube.
Including visually appealing thumbnails, episode-specific cover art, and strategic titles (hint: keywords!) will boost discoverability and engagement. Including even simple animations or visuals, like the ones in this episode, really go a long way in promoting engagement, and ultimately, audience growth.
Make sure you also take advantage of YouTube’s built-in tools like cards and end screens to promote your website, newsletter, or other episodes.
4. Consider Simple Video Recording for Interviews
At the end of the day, YouTube is a video-first platform. While it’s not mandatory, producing a video podcast is your best bet to fully maximize its benefits. Though video production does require additional equipment and effort, consider whether it’s an investment that’s worth it for your show.
Even simple video production (no studio or multi-camera set-up needed!) can go a long way in growing your podcast’s audience. Just make sure you have good lighting, a well-positioned camera, and solid audio. Platforms like Riverside simplify the process and can produce great results, with significant payoff.
The Bottom Line
YouTube is where people are discovering podcasts, sharing them, and engaging with creators. If your show isn’t there, or isn’t optimized for the platform, you’re missing a major growth opportunity.
And while a video podcast is the right choice for some, benefiting from the rise of YouTube in podcasting doesn’t have to mean pivoting to video. It does, however, require intentionality and strategy.
At Voxtopica, we know the ins and outs of the evolving podcast industry and specialize in developing sustainable, growth-focused podcasts for our clients. Curious about how to best incorporate YouTube into your podcast strategy? Reach out to us at hello@voxtopica.com to get the conversation started. We’d love to help.