The 5 Instagram marketing podcasts we actually listened to.
Instagram changes more than almost any other platform. New formats, new algorithm signals, and new “is Instagram dead?” takes every other week. So it's hard to find the intel required to actually keep up. We've lifted the best five shows, including a few short clips from each, so you can sample before hitting subscribe.
Build Your Tribe
Why we picked itBrock Johnson has been working on Instagram strategy for years, and it shows. This episode is a useful 2026 reset — covering what's actually working on the platform right now, without rehashing the advice you've heard a hundred times.
Instagram is not dying
33sBrock walks through the data behind the 'Instagram is dying' narrative, and explains why the take keeps getting recycled even when the numbers don't back it up.
The problem with cookie-cutter graphics
38sWhy templated post packs and cookie-cutter graphics tend to underperform on Instagram, and the kind of content that actually compounds reach over time.
The mistake of not selling enough
26sThe flip side of the 'don't be too salesy' advice. A lot of creators have over-corrected to the point where they never actually pitch anything — and what to do about it.
The Side-HustlHER Podcast
Why we picked itSometimes the best way to learn is to listen to someone diagnose a real account. This live audit walks through a small business's Instagram page and breaks down what's working, what isn't, and what to do about it. Useful even if your page is in a different spot.
Ditch the business plan
29sA frank take on why the traditional business plan can delay the work that actually moves a side hustle forward, and what to do instead.
SEO for Instagram names
33sYour handle and display name are two of the highest-leverage SEO surfaces on Instagram, and a lot of accounts get them wrong. Here's how to fix yours in a few minutes.
The T-chart content strategy
33sA simple two-column exercise that turns 'I don't know what to post' into a working content calendar in about 20 minutes.
The social proof effect
40sWhere to place testimonials on your Instagram so they actually move the needle, and the spots that look impressive but tend not to convert.
The Jasmine Star Show
Why we picked itJasmine Star is unusually good at zooming out. A lot of personal-brand episodes get stuck in day-to-day tactics. This one is the strategic frame underneath — the kind of context that makes the rest of her advice land.
Stop waiting for perfection
23sWhy the post you publish today, even if it's a bit imperfect, almost always does more for you than the perfect one you'd ship next week.
Don't listen to the critics
20sHow to filter the feedback you get on your content so the useful stuff gets through and the rest doesn't take up space in your head.
The online trust recession
15sWhy every feed feels noisier and less trustworthy than it used to, and what the brands taking it seriously are doing about it.
The 51/49 partnership
24sA specific way of framing creator collaborations that helps avoid the conflicts most partnerships run into, and how it changes the way you'd structure your next pitch.
She Believed She Could
Why we picked itMost creator-economy shows are long on inspiration and short on numbers. This one isn't. Allison and her guest get into the actual mechanics of brand deals — rates, contracts, what to ask for — with the kind of specifics you don't usually hear out loud.
Building your brand: case study
26sA specific walkthrough of one creator's brand-build — what worked, what didn't, and the order it all happened in.
Overcoming industry gatekeeping
25sHow more creators are working around the traditional agency middle layer, and where the new bottlenecks have shown up instead.
The power of AI tools
29sTwo specific AI workflows that can compress a week of brand-deal admin into an afternoon. Practical, not theoretical.
A new standard for influencer agencies
35sWhat a healthier creator-agency relationship looks like in practice, and the contract clauses you'd want to see early on as a sign of it.
Woman of Influence
Why we picked itJulie Solomon's show — recently rebranded from The Influencer Podcast — is consistently more practical than the genre average. This episode looks at writing and publishing as a marketing lever, and is honest about the tradeoffs of the book-as-business-card play.
Writing in the AI era
35sWhat changes for writers when AI can handle the first draft, and which parts of the work still have to be done by a person.
The lever of a book
42sAn honest look at the math behind book-as-business-card vs. book-as-business. Worth a listen if you're weighing a book proposal of your own.
The VC model of publishing
33sHow publishing economics are starting to look more like venture capital, and what that means for the kinds of authors who get signed.
Judge a book by its cover
28sA look inside the cover-design process at a Big Five publisher, and how to push back politely when the first draft doesn't land.
Turn any podcast moment into a video clip people actually share.
Drop in audio and Audiogram does the rest.. clipping, animated waveform, captions, your branding. The distance from episode to social just got even shorter.