Optimizing My Podcast for Youtube vs Spotify

I started Paranormal Club to be our test show and jump into video within Spotify. It was supposed to be a simple talking head style format, where I talk about stories, folklore, dark mysteries, and haunted places.

In the beginning, the show was taking off within Spotify due to some editorials we received, but even better than that was the community I was building. People were commenting, they were checking out my other videos, and started joining my livestreams.

As an audio-only podcaster, this was completely new to me.

So, I started crossposting my videos to Youtube, seeing less than 200 views per video. At the time, it didn't matter much because Paranormal Club was monetized on Spotify and was doing well.

But then a video took off on Youtube and everything changed.

Suddenly I had new subscribers, the monetization notification came, and it was off to the races. The algorithm had found an audience for my show. So, I started optimizing for Youtube, with more clickbait-y titles and such, thumbnails that complimented the wording, expressive images on the covers, and bright colors.

The mistake here was uploading the same thing to Spotify.

You see, I got started with podcasts. Most people go from shortform, to Youtube, and then try to get into podcasting. Not me.

I learned how to optimize podcasts, how to title, and how to make a single episode look like part of a book collection in the same bookshelf. All of my full time work was within Spotify and Apple Podcasts distribution. I made it so that you knew what you were getting before committing to listening a long story.

Seeing the success and potential of video, I decided to email my Spotify partnerships manager to see what my options were and what I got was eye-opening.

All this stuff about optimizing for podcasts started coming up. I messed up. I was using the Youtube optimization techniques on podcasts and it wasn't working. I even edited the format of the show to fit within Youtube.

I stopped saying "hi" and just jumping into the content. I stopped reading the comments, or saying thank you to those who suggested their own ideas. In short, the community aspect was slowly fading as I yelled for my own community to come and listen to my podcast, when all I had to do was invite them into a world they were already familiar with.

So, what's going to change on how I show up on podcast platforms?

1. The thumbnails: clear, no sensationalism, simple, and more direct.
2. The titles: let the listener know what they're about to experience, directly. No more trying to reel people in with extreme curiosity or "the TRUTH about blah blah"
3. Say hello at the start! It's how most podcasts start, especially when they're personality-driven. People want to know a little bit about you before jumping in.
4. Read comments, or have another segment that highlights the community.
5. Optimize the description to be more specific and remove a ton of links.

I am confident that this is one of those missing pieces within podcast platforms that most Youtubers or other marketers that try to optimize podcast platforms in the same ways that they optimize YouTube are doing wrong.

I'll come back with some of the results to see how we do with Paranormal Club.