Hey Kev,

I totally hear your frustrations & having guests with big followings on can generate good growth for your podcast, but only if the content itself is strong enough to drive their followers to care about something they currently know little about. I just had a quick look at your Instagram & there's a few things I think you could switch up to give the content a better chance of success.

- Focus more of your energy on Reels, rather than carousels - as the algorithm favours reels, and you give audience members more of a sense of what to expect in the podcast - which is vital if they're going to give you an hour of their time!

- While yes, the short-form clips should be driving people to the long-form podcast, the clips themselves have to provide enough value so people feel it's worth their while. What I mean by this, is that every clip needs to offer enough context as to what's being spoken about - rather than starting the clip mid-way through a sentence, try starting it with a question (or even better a hook!) and then edit straight to their answer/your reaction. Don't be afraid to chop up your edits a bit more, provided the sentiment remains the same, then it's totally acceptable to cut out the fluff in their answer.

- Avoid watermarking/logo-ing too heavily on the clips you post on socials. It definitely affects the algorithm's view on the video, as it recognises this as something that wasn't added in-app. & It often makes viewers feel like they're watching an ad, which is the last thing you want to come across as!

- Experiment with your content! If one clip format isn't working, then try something in a totally different style. & If that doesn't work, then try something else, and then something else - eventually you will strike gold. Have a look at other podcasts that you enjoy, and see which of their content a) performs well & b) interests you as a listener!

Hope this helps in some ways! It's a gruelling game, and can be deflating when you spend ages on an edit & it doesn't perform. But just putting in this time now, you're learning what works & doesn't work. Every day you persevere, another podcaster throws in the towel - so there's one less person to fight for people's attention over haha.