In partnership with
Hey honeys and hustlers,
In January, I launched the Melanin MVP podcast. A women’s sports podcast in an increasingly crowded field with major players. Everyone from women’s sports journalists and former professional athletes to The Athletic and iHeart Media has started a podcast on this topic. So how was I supposed to stand out? I couldn’t outspend them, and I don’t have anywhere near the audience size that many hosts do. Organic growth can be slow and take a minute to compound. I must confess that while my patience has gotten better, it is nowhere near perfect. So I moved with a bit of urgency after reaching the 1-year milestone for Melanin MVP and tried a few unconventional marketing tactics to grow the show and newsletter.
P.S. I’m co-hosting a live virtual event in less than 2 weeks! Stay until the end to learn more and RSVP for free!
P.P.S. DiBK is hosting an event tonight for podcasters looking to market their shows. You can RSVP here.
Hang on a sec - here’s a message from the folks that help keep the lights on.
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Here are the 7 unconventional things I did to grow Melanin MVP:
giving stickers to watch parties and some sports media friends
spoke at a virtual meet-up for watch party hosts
created a fan-centered YouTube video at an NC Courage game
producing a mini zine with year 1 podcast guests
vibe coded a cross-training quiz for everyday athletes
reached out to be a podcast guest for other women's sports podcasters
created a short documentary on a cycling event
None of these has anything to do with social media. They are centered on deeper relationship building and long-form media. They simply required my time and a little effort in following up and researching who else in the women’s sports space was at a similar level as me and who had an audience of people I wanted to get in front of.
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If those marketing tactics aren’t up your alley, here are 10 half-baked ideas you can try today (use at your own risk):
Create playful street marketing, such as painted crosswalks or branded posters with QR codes.
Launch a design contest asking community members and your audience to co-create new products.
Set up a giveaway and partner with others in your area of focus who have similar audiences
Design an interactive community mural that your customers can contribute to
Use branded puzzles or games distributed in a newsletter or in person
Set up a "reverse advertisement" that highlights what your brand isn’t or doesn’t do through negative comments or reviews
Create a public creative challenge with quick, actionable prompts. (i.e. Tweet100, daily podcast challenge, etc.)
host a joint pop-up exhibit or workshop with other creatives in your niche
Publish short, humorous e-guides or zines about your project
Create a visual “idea wall” on your website showcasing half-formed projects
Which of these are you trying before the end of the year? Which of these are you adding to your marketing strategy in 2026?
👩🏾⚖️ First Order of Community
Join Matt Gilhooly and me live on Riverside for a chat about our lived experience hosting 300+ podcast interviews combined. We want to help you gain the skills to craft meaningful, engaging interviews and answer any questions you have. We did a co-hosted episode a few months ago, and it’s one of our highest downloaded episodes on the show this year. This event is totally free and happening in 2 weeks on Thursday, December 18th, at 6PM. You can RSVP here. When you RSVP, even if you’re unable to attend, you’ll receive a copy of the recording. Can’t wait to see you there!
