When should you publish your podcast? Did you know that the times that you post can affect the visibility of your posts? Or that by even adjusting the time you post your podcast can change how your listeners interact with it? There are many minute tweaks that you can do to increase visibility on your content. One of the main things we recommend is using your various analytic tools in order to discover the best posting times for your audience.
When should you publish your podcast?
Pay attention to your analytics page. Scrolling to the bottom of your statistics page on the left of Podbean’s analytics. The Downloads By Time Of Day (GMT) chart reflects your downloads by time of day, week day. The squares highlighted in the darkest shades of green are the days and times that you see the most interaction. You can adjust the scope of this chart by using the date selector at the top left of your analytics page.
By reviewing this activity, you can take advantage of interaction peak times and days. So if you see that you tend to get the most plays on Friday nights, but not so much on the weekends, you should adjust your schedule to post more on Fridays and generally avoid uploading new episodes on Saturdays and Sundays. The times listed on this chart are in GMT (which is also stated on the chart) so just be sure to make adjustments for your own time zone.
Every podcasting audience is unique, so it’s absolutely essential to use your The Downloads By Time Of Day (GMT) to discover the posting times that most benefit your podcast. That being said, here is an excerpt pulled from our Podbean’s Big, Fat 2019 Podcast Statistics and Trends Roundup article:
“The top five time slots that have the most downloads/streams on the Podbean app are:
- Wed 7 pm EST
- Mon 8 am EST
- Mon 9 am EST
- Tue 9 am EST
- Mon 10 am EST
Overall, the most important time period for podcasts is Monday to Wednesday in the morning (Eastern time). Consider this when scheduling episode releases, to make sure you take advantage of having fresh podcast content available during these prime listening times. If you’re hosted with Podbean, you can check your podcast’s peak listening time slots. Your podcast might have different peak listening periods than the averages.”
We’ve also put together a variety of resources to help you get your podcast in front of as many ears as possible. Check out the following links for more resources and to register for our upcoming Promote Your Podcast webinar:
• Promote Your Podcast Webinar
• How To Promote Your Podcast Walkthrough Guide
• Promote Your Podcast – 11 More Tips And Tricks
• The Best Way To Promote Your Podcast
But since podcasts can be downloaded at anytime from anywhere, why does the exact date of release matter? For example I’ve shown a lot of downloads on Sunday evening, yet in the history of my podcast I’ve only ever released on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays. Yet some people seem to like downloading on Sundays. Publishing on a certain day doesn’t mean that it’s all of a sudden seen everywhere. Only subscribers actually see it the moment it comes out. The point is to get more subscribers. And that’s what marketing is for, not simply publishing.
Hi Patrick! That’s a great question. Considering your publish time can be really powerful in engaging and activating your listenership. While your subscribers do have access to your content at any time and may get notified of new episodes, publishing at times of stronger interaction can ensure that you’re raising the opportunity that your podcast will be listened to. Again, your listeners are people who also have different life obligations, different podcasts they listen to, etc. By taking inventory of the strongest engaged times of your audience, you can try to publish at a time where they’re more likely to engage in the moment with your content. Remember: part of building an audience is retaining that audience and by using this tool/strategy, you can raise that retention.
Actually, when everyone zigs I prefer to zag. When most people get the new episode notifications for the 25 podcasts they are subscribed to and download them all on Wednesday night, I don’t compete with the crowd and release my episode once the overwhelm is over so that I can stand out 😉
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Valuable insights on podcast publishing times. Checking analytics for peak interaction can enhance visibility. Consider audience uniqueness for optimal scheduling.
Valuable insights on podcast publishing times. Checking analytics for peak interaction can enhance visibility. Consider audience uniqueness for optimal scheduling.