As a podcaster, your main medium is audio. Still, there are a lot of options for you to use Instagram beyond just “audiogram” videos.
1. Current Projects
As podcasters, the content we create takes time. It takes time to plan, to book guests, to interview guests, to record intros and outros, and to edit raw tape. And while this is happening, you can keep people informed...
I love this layout by audiobook narrator, Jeffrey Kafer. It shows that he’s keeping busy, gives a plug to material that’s already available, and gets people excited about what’s coming up, in a single slide.
Here’s a podcast version of this, showing the current episode, the previous episode, and the next episode of RED Podcast.
2. Inside Jokes
In my book, Big Podcast, I talk about using “inside jokes” to establish a feeling of “insider status” among regular listeners. You can fortify this by also posting related content via Instagram.
3. Guest Image
Who are you talking to? What are you talking about? Show your guests and what they do.
Does this image make you interested in this episode? If so, you can listen here.
4. Celebrity Endorsement
It’s one thing to talk about a celebrity, but another to show a photo.
Photos = 1000 words and back up what you talk about on your podcast.
5. Lifestyle Flex
Show, don’t just tell. If you’re doing something cool (and keep in mind that “cool” is relative), snap a photo and post it.
6. Holiday Promo
Every day is a holiday...somewhere. If you need an excuse to post something, you have one.
7. Event Promo
Instagram is the perfect place to promote a live event that would be of interest to your listeners.
8. Behind-The-Scenes Video
It’s easy to forget that, as a podcaster, you are “living the dream” that lots of people wish they could be part of. Instagram is the perfect place to share quick “moments” of you or your guests in action.
9. Helpful Info
What would be helpful for your listeners to know? Post it...
10. Bloopers
You edit your podcast. Because of this, many listeners will think that you’re a lot smoother on the mic than you are.
Showing that you make mistakes lets listeners know you’re human and will build trust and rapport with them. This is easy to do via a blooper video.
Don't have video? Here’s a non-video variation:
11. Episode Trailer
Instagram is the perfect place for short video teasers of upcoming or current podcast episodes. These can easily be made using software like Offeo or InVideo.
12. QOTW
Instagram is a great place to be interactive with your audience. A great way to do this is via a “Question Of The Week” related to the topic of your podcast.
You can easily make images like the one below using Stencil.
Final Thoughts
Social media, including Instagram, isn’t a replacement for email. Every podcaster should have a newsletter (I recommend SendFox for this) as well as something a bit more robust, with tagging and automation, if you have a business attached to your podcast (try ConvertKit for this).
Still, your listeners are scrolling through Instagram all the time and even an image that doesn’t get a lot of interaction is still a reminder that you exist. Plus, a service like Publer, which allows you to schedule up to 500 posts at a time, makes it quick and easy for you to establish a strong presence without a lot of time invested.
