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How to Optimize Your Podcast for Growth

March 24, 2026 • Diana Varma • Season 1 • Episode 292

0:00 | 40:16

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Lights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 4

Are you optimizing your podcast for the right platforms? Jordan Blair, Podcast Producer at Buzzsprout, breaks down the current reality of podcast growth. Jordan explains why you must stop treating platforms like TikTok or Instagram and start treating them like libraries. You will learn the single most important rule for discoverability: use keyword-rich show and episode titles for SEO, or risk not being found at all.

This episode is packed with practical tips, including how to use the Episode Consumption graph to pinpoint audience drop-off and fix consistency issues. Jordan confirms that listener support (donations and subscriptions) is the only monetization strategy that provides reliable, constant revenue, unlike volatile ad income. He also debunks the myth that asking for ratings and reviews helps your show grow. Learn the true mechanics of growth and how to avoid the "burnout" and "insecurity wall" that stops most podcasts before episode ten.

Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.

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