The New Way To Grow a Podcast in 2026 | 112

What It Covers

Chris Hutchins, host of All the Hacks podcast with millions of listeners, reveals his systematic approach to podcast growth through paid advertising, strategic guest appearances, and networking optimization. He shares specific tactics including post-roll ad arbitrage, Spotify impression-based buying, and how to pitch yourself onto other shows by delivering extreme value upfront.

Key Questions Answered

• •Post-Roll Ad Arbitrage: Purchase post-roll ads at fraction of mid-roll costs because most podcasts leave them empty. Target Spotify specifically since you pay per impression rather than download, meaning if 50% of listeners drop off before the end, the Spotify ad costs half what Apple charges. Catch listeners at the exact moment they finish content and need something new.
• •Podcast Guest Pitching Strategy: Research 2-5 episodes before pitching, analyze last 100 episode topics, and create custom interview guides with 20 bullet points. Instead of asking to be interviewed, offer to host an episode where you interview their team, demonstrating expertise while making their job easier. This approach converted BiggerPockets appearance into recurring invitations.
• •Networking Through Inner Circles: Connect with the right-hand person of your target contact rather than the celebrity directly. Spend 20 minutes getting them excited about your idea instead of 90 seconds with the busy person. They can advocate for you more effectively than you can pitch yourself, and you build genuine relationships rather than transactional asks.
• •Subsidized Growth Through Programmatic Ads: When running feed drops through platforms like Podroll, turn off host-read ads and enable Spotify programmatic ads on those episodes. Each download generates $30-40 CPM from five ads, subsidizing the $20-100 CPM cost of the feed drop. Calculate lifetime value per listener to determine if acquisition costs make sense for sustainable growth.
• •World-Class Knowledge Accumulation: Go deeper than anyone else on one specific topic, then share 10 tactics with each person you meet while learning 1 back. This compounds to 11, then 12 tactics rapidly. Becoming the recognized expert in podcast growth or any niche creates networking opportunities where people seek you out and reciprocate with their own specialized knowledge.
• •Strategic Business Pruning: Cut revenue sources that require disproportionate mental overhead even if profitable. Hutchins eliminated group travel trips despite generating revenue because planning consumed time better spent on high-leverage activities like newsletter optimization, welcome sequences, and sponsor relationships. Invest by choosing what not to do rather than always adding more revenue streams.