Ep16: The Biggest Paid Media Mistakes Health Podcasters Make — and What to Do Instead

What's the difference between a paid media strategy that wastes your budget and one that actually builds a loyal audience? Chase Hattie and Safa Shahkhalili from mowPod — the largest driver of engaged listeners to top podcasts across the US, Canada, and the UK — break down the most common mistakes healthcare podcasters make with paid media, and what the smartest ones do differently.

From confusing awareness with engagement, to underestimating how much marketing investment a podcast actually needs, Chase and Safa cut through the noise with practical guidance that applies whether your show is three episodes old or three seasons in. They also explain why running Facebook and Instagram ads rarely converts listeners, why a multi-touchpoint strategy is essential, and how retargeting can turn a casual sample into a habitual listener.

Key Takeaways

Awareness and engagement are not the same thing. Getting someone to scroll past your ad is not the same as getting them to press play.

Social media ads (Meta, LinkedIn) ask a lot — they want a cold audience to immediately dedicate 20–30 minutes to your show. That's a big ask from a single impression.

Multiple touchpoints matter. People need to encounter your podcast in several places, over time, before they commit to becoming regular listeners.

Retargeting is central to building habitual listenership — don't stop once someone has sampled the show.

Podcasting is a marathon. Plan for where you want the show to be in a year, then work backwards.

Budget reality check: plan to spend at minimum 50% of your production budget on marketing — and in some industries, that ratio is closer to 2:1.

Connect with Our Guests

Chase Hattie, Chief Revenue Officer, mowPod: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chasehattie/

Safa Shahkhalili, Business Development Manager, mowPod: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suddenlysafa/

Learn more at: https://www.mowpod.com

Download the Resource Guide

Key takeaways from this episode are available as a free PDF here: https://canva.link/tiy0ngdu6wymcuf

Connect with Dan Kendall

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dankendall

Instagram: https://instagram.com/healthtechdan

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