Why Your Podcast Isn’t Growing (and how to fix it!) - Episode 52
Welcome back to SMM - Episode 52!
Today’s topic is slightly more niche, but it could have a massive impact for the right creator or business.
How to grow your podcast in 2026
And our main focus today is:
Short-Form Content.
Content has changed dramatically.
Ten years ago, creators could upload a 30-minute YouTube video and simply leave it there, hoping people would find it.
Today, that approach rarely works.
If you publish long-form content, especially something like a podcast, it is now critical to create short-form content around it.
This can be done through clips from the podcast itself or through dedicated short-form content designed specifically for social platforms.
The reason for this is simple.
We now live in an extremely saturated content market. Long-form content is harder to discover than ever, particularly for podcasts where the title and thumbnail can only do so much to attract new viewers.
This is why you should start viewing short-form content as marketing for your main product - your podcast.
How to create impactful Short Form:
Clips
When recording your podcast, always pay attention to the key moments in the conversation.
These moments can be turned into short clips, usually around 20 to 60 seconds, which can then be shared across platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn, and X.
The goal is to make these clips engaging, shareable, and interesting enough to attract new viewers who have never heard of your show before.
It often takes dozens, sometimes even hundreds, of clips before someone who discovers your content through shorts decides to watch a full episode.
However, every clip contributes to the growth and discoverability of your podcast.
This process can be done by:
Editing the clips yourself
Using AI software
Working with a content team or agency
At the moment, most AI tools still struggle to identify the best moments in a conversation and edit them in a way that truly holds attention. Human editing still tends to produce much stronger results.
Dedicated Shorts
The second approach is to create short-form content specifically designed for short-form platforms.
This content isn’t necessarily taken directly from the podcast episode.
Instead, it could include:
Short skits
Games or quick challenges
Audience questions
Quick debates or opinions
Teasers that promote upcoming episodes
These types of posts can generate a huge amount of engagement and act as entry points to your podcast.
The important thing to remember is that these shorts should still feel connected to your show.
If the content is too different from the podcast itself, viewers may enjoy the clips but never convert into long-form listeners.
Conclusion
If you want your podcast to grow in 2026, short-form content is no longer optional - it’s essential.
Shorts act as the discovery engine for your podcast, helping new audiences find your content in an increasingly crowded digital landscape.
Think of your long-form podcast as the product, and your short-form clips as the marketing.
The more engaging shorts you produce, the more opportunities your podcast has to be discovered.
And in today’s content ecosystem, volume and consistency are often what separate growing podcasts from those that remain invisible.
Make sure to subscribe, and remember - “Consistency builds trust, but volume accelerates growth.”
- Jacob
If you’re interested in growing your social media presence in 2026 - press here
