Once you have the right equipment for your podcast, and you have set up your hosting and distribution, it’s time to find an audience. Follow these five simple steps to grow your podcast from a hobby into a serious audio operation.

Get Listed. Podcast listeners tend to enjoy searching for new material. Therefore, putting your podcast in places where listeners are likely to encounter it will help increase your downloads quickly. Apple's iTunes directory not only boasts the easiest interface for podcast listeners, it also makes it very easy for podcasters to list new items in the directory. Make sure you tag your podcast with lots of keywords that your audience might search for. Also list your podcast with IndiePodder, and any other podcast directories and distribution services that can help you get the word out.

Tell the World. If you produce the best podcast in the world, then simply wait for listeners to flock to your door, you can expect a long wait. Unless your listeners know that you’re out there, you’ll be stuck creating podcasts for an audience of one. Write up a press release about your podcast and submit it to free news services like PRWeb. Leave insightful comments on weblogs and bulletin boards that cover the same topics or music as your podcast. If your budget can handle it, consider running a small ad campaign using Google AdWords or BlogAds.

Create Promos. Podcasters borrow plenty of familiar habits and conventions from broadcast radio. The commercial break is one of them. Some podcasts already run real commercials for advertisers, just like regular radio shows. Many shows that aspire to ad-supported status run promos for other podcasts to take up space in commercial blocks that might otherwise be blank. Creating a funny or incisive thirty-second spot for your podcast can earn you the attention of other podcasters, who will talk you up to their own listeners.

Visit Other Podcasts. If your audience hasn't connected with you yet, consider meeting them halfway by appearing as a guest or as a commentator on someone else’s podcast. Audiences tend to enjoy interviews more than podcasts anyway, so popping into someone else’s show as a special guest helps your colleagues produce better content. Likewise, invite established podcasters to your own show, so they can talk about their projects and passions. Audience members from their own podcast will flock to your feed to hear what happened.