57% of Listeners Find Podcasts on Social—So Why Aren’t They Finding Yours?

I recently spoke at, and attended, Podcast Movement Evolutions in Chicago. I sat in on a session with Jay Nachlis from Coleman Insights and Steve Goldstein of Amplifi Media—and they shared a stat that’s still echoing in my brain:

👉 57% of people discover new podcasts on social media.

That’s right. More than half of your potential listeners are discovering shows while scrolling Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok—not searching Apple Podcasts or digging through directories.

And yet…

In my work with podcasters, coaches, and course creators, I can tell you: almost none of them are running ads to show up in those places.

They’re posting, sure. Showing up on Stories. Sharing new episode graphics. Writing long captions. But their content? It’s not getting discovered.

And it’s not their fault.

Here’s what’s really going on:

• The algorithm is showing your content to a fraction of your audience

• Organic reach continues to drop across all major platforms

• You’re fighting for attention in a crowded feed—and most of your posts aren’t even seen by your current followers, let alone new ones

So yes, you’re on social. But the people who would actually love your podcast? They aren’t seeing you.

Want to Change That? You Need to Start Running Ads.

If 57% of podcast discovery is happening on social… why wouldn’t you want to make sure you’re front and center?

This is where Facebook and Instagram ads come in—and no, I’m not talking about boosted posts.

I’m talking about running a real ad strategy that meets your ideal listener where they already are, and makes it effortless for them to click through, binge an episode, and hit “follow.”

Inside my agency, we call this the Tri-Fecta Ad Strategy—and it’s how we help podcasters build a consistent stream of:

• New listeners

• Engaged followers

• Email subscribers

Without relying on the algorithm or manually promoting every single episode.

Let’s Be Real: The Algorithm Isn’t Going to Do the Heavy Lifting For You

If you’re serious about growing your podcast—and using it to grow your business-- posting alone isn’t going to cut it anymore.

Paid ads aren’t just for launches or big promos. They’re how you stay visible. How you turn attention into traffic. And how you make sure the right people discover your show.

Ready to get your podcast in front of the people who are actually looking for it?
Let’s build a Facebook and Instagram ads strategy to make your show discoverable on autopilot.

👉 Book a call with me here