An Interview With Chad Silverstein
…One major lesson I’ve learned about audience growth is that it’s not always about the information I think is important to share, but rather about understanding what my audience is actively searching for and asking about…
In an era where the podcasting landscape is more crowded than ever, growing an audience requires not just consistency and quality content but also smart, strategic planning. Today, we’re diving deep into the growth strategies of a podcaster who has successfully expanded their reach in this competitive space. With a background that blends unique storytelling with savvy marketing techniques, our guest has mastered the art of audience growth. They’re here to share the top five strategies that podcasters can use in 2024 to increase their listener base, focusing on leveraging social media, optimizing for SEO, making the most of guest appearances, and more. I had the pleasure of interviewing Ghada “GG” Benitez.
Ghada “GG” Benitez is a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS®) and Licensed California Realtor® , as well as CEO of GG Benitez International, She. Has offices in San Diego, California; in Dubai, and on the Costa del Sol of Spain, where she is guiding global investors to build profitable portfolios.
Benitez is the host of the Dubai Connect Podcast™, delivering expert insights on the world’s top real estate market of Dubai.
Thank you for joining us. To start, could you share your “origin story” with our readers? How did you begin your podcasting journey, and what challenges did you face in the early days regarding audience growth?
I started GG Benitez International to fill a crucial gap in the market: guiding global real estate investors, particularly from North America, into Dubai’s lucrative real estate opportunities. I realized that many American and Canadian investors hadn’t yet embraced Dubai’s potential simply because of a lack of accessible knowledge about the market. To address this, I immersed myself in Dubai real estate, spending weeks and months at a time learning everything from its unique rules and regulations to projected capital appreciation and rental returns.
I aligned myself with a seasoned Dubai real estate agent with over 20 years of experience, met with top-tier developers, government officials, and industry leaders, and gathered insights on everything from financing and property management to the Golden Visa program.
As a first-generation Arab American with a background in PR and sales, I was uniquely positioned to bridge this gap and bring high-value interviews to global investors through my podcast, Dubai Connect™. While the journey wasn’t without challenges, particularly in growing an audience, the organic traction and positive feedback have made it one of the top-rated podcasts on Dubai real estate today.
Social media is a powerful tool for podcast promotion. Can you share your most effective strategy for leveraging platforms like Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook to boost your podcast’s visibility?
To promote the Dubai Connect™ Podcast, I maximize visibility by sharing every full episode on my GG Benitez International YouTube Channel, which adds a visual dimension to the podcast. From each episode, I create at least three teasers and distribute them across platforms like Instagram Reels, Stories, YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, always including a link to the full episode. I’m currently experimenting with two teaser styles: one that leaves the question open, encouraging viewers to watch the full episode, and another that provides a complete Q&A segment within the teaser itself.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, as social media trends and algorithms are constantly evolving, and I’m continuously analyzing what resonates most with my audience. The challenge lies in staying adaptive to changing preferences while ensuring my content delivers value — whether it’s through sparking curiosity or providing a standalone takeaway. This iterative process has been key to growing my podcast’s visibility.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can be a game-changer for podcasts, especially when it comes to discoverability. What SEO tactics have you found most beneficial for attracting new listeners through search engines?
SEO has been a critical component for increasing the discoverability of my podcast, The Dubai Connect™. One of my key strategies is identifying the most searched-for questions and keywords on platforms like YouTube, such as “How to buy Dubai real estate as a foreign investor,” “Can you own Dubai real estate outright?” or “Is Dubai real estate facing a bubble?” I ensure these keywords are not only included in my video descriptions and captions but also naturally woven into the conversation during the podcast interviews. This helps boost discoverability, as search engines increasingly prioritize content where keywords are spoken in addition to being written.
I collaborate closely with an SEO expert to fine-tune these strategies and understand evolving best practices. Additionally, I repurpose this optimized content across social media channels and my blog on the GG Benitez International website, amplifying its reach. By targeting highly searched topics and pairing them with expert insights, I aim to connect with as many people as possible who are seeking guidance on investing in Dubai real estate.
Guest appearances, both on your podcast and on others, can significantly expand your reach. Can you discuss how you’ve approached guest appearances to grow your audience? What’s your strategy for selecting guests or shows to collaborate with?
Guest appearances have been one of the most critical factors in the success of The Dubai Connect™ Podcast. My strategy has been to secure the highest-level experts for each topic, focusing on those that are most relevant to global real estate investors seeking to buy property in Dubai and make strategic portfolio decisions. For instance, I believe I’m the only American real estate agent to have hosted a senior official from the Dubai Land Department on my podcast, which established incredible credibility for my platform.
This approach has opened doors to other high-level guests who may not ordinarily accept podcast invitations, especially in a market like Dubai, where podcasting is growing rapidly and competition for guest appearances is high. By prioritizing top-tier sources to address investors’ key questions — such as financing, regulations, and market trends — I ensure that each episode delivers unique value. This focus on authoritative voices helps listeners feel informed and confident in exploring Dubai’s real estate opportunities.
Networking within the podcasting community can open up opportunities for cross-promotion and shared growth. How have you engaged with other podcasters to support each other’s audience growth?
Networking within the podcasting community has been a valuable strategy for audience growth, and one of the best examples is my collaboration with the top podcaster in Dubai real estate. We’ve featured each other on our respective podcasts, allowing us to tap into each other’s audiences and provide added value by sharing unique perspectives and expertise. Beyond the episodes themselves, we’ve leveraged Instagram’s collaboration tools, particularly with teasers on Reels, to cross-promote our content effectively.
This approach has been highly successful in supporting mutual audience growth while fostering a sense of community within the niche. It’s a great example of how collaboration in podcasting can create win-win opportunities for everyone involved.
Beyond these methods, is there one more strategy you’ve employed that’s been particularly effective in growing your podcast audience in 2024?
Beyond other strategies, the most effective method I’ve employed in growing my Dubai Connect™ Podcast audience in 2024 has been ensuring every episode brings genuine value to the listener. Capturing and holding attention is critical — if listeners disengage within the first few seconds, it not only impacts the credibility of the podcast but also negatively affects my GG Benitez International’s YouTube channel’s performance and algorithm ranking. To address this, I focus on delivering insightful, relevant content from the outset, ensuring that every episode answers pressing questions or provides actionable advice for global real estate investors.
By prioritizing value, I’ve been able to build trust with my audience, which has been key to sustained growth and long-term engagement.
The middle of any growth journey is often where the most learning and adaptation occurs. Reflecting on your experience, what’s one major lesson you’ve learned about audience growth that you wish you knew when you started?
One major lesson I’ve learned about audience growth is that it’s not always about the information I think is important to share, but rather about understanding what my audience is actively searching for and asking about. When I first started, I focused on delivering what I believed was valuable, but I’ve come to realize that aligning my content with their specific questions and interests — like what they’re searching for on YouTube or discussing in forums — is essential for growth. This shift in perspective has been instrumental in making my podcast more relevant and accessible to the audience I want to serve.
Looking forward, what emerging trends or platforms do you see as having the potential to impact podcast audience growth in the next year?
Looking ahead, I believe YouTube will continue to have the most significant impact on podcast audience growth, especially for educational podcasts. In my experience, educational content performs far better on YouTube than on platforms like Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and even better than shorts or teasers on Instagram or Facebook. YouTube is where people actively search for in-depth answers and take the time to understand complex topics, making it the go-to platform for podcasts like mine that focus on guiding global investors through the process of buying real estate in Dubai.
Of course, it’s essential to research where your target demographic is consuming content, but for topics like investing in Dubai real estate — covering processes like securing financing, understanding ownership rights, and navigating the market — YouTube has proven to be the most effective platform for reaching and engaging my audience.
For podcasters who are just starting out or struggling to grow their audience, what advice would you give to help them stay motivated and focused on their growth strategies?
For podcasters just starting out or struggling to grow their audience, my advice is to be patient — though I’ll admit, patience is not a virtue I naturally possess! Building The Dubai Connect™ Podcast into one of the top-ranked real estate podcasts for Dubai took over a year of planning, investing in interviews, creating valuable content, refining editing, and implementing a strong SEO strategy. It required consistent time, energy, and resources, and the growth didn’t happen overnight.
So while I encourage others to stay motivated by focusing on the bigger picture and trusting the process, I also acknowledge how challenging it can be. Growth takes time, but the investment is worth it when you start to see your hard work pay off.
Could you list and briefly explain “5 Key Strategies for Growing Your Podcast Audience” based on your experiences and insights? If you can, please share a story or example for each.
1. Prioritize Value-Driven Content
The foundation of any successful podcast is delivering value. Understand what your audience is searching for and ensure your content addresses their questions and concerns. For example, crafting episodes around high-interest topics like “How to Buy Dubai Real Estate as a Foreign Investor” or “Understanding Dubai’s Golden Visa” ensures relevance and engagement. By focusing on pressing questions, my podcast has become a go-to resource for global real estate investors.
2. Leverage SEO and Keywords
Optimizing your podcast for search engines is crucial for discoverability. Use tools to identify the most searched-for questions and incorporate those keywords into your episode titles, descriptions, and discussions. For instance, tailoring an episode to “Is Dubai Real Estate Facing a Bubble?” and embedding the phrase naturally in the interview helped boost visibility on YouTube and podcast platforms. Working with an SEO expert has also allowed me to fine-tune this strategy for greater impact.
3. Collaborate with High-Level Guests
Securing credible, high-profile guests enhances your podcast’s reputation and attracts their audience to your platform. For example, hosting a senior official from the Dubai Land Department provided significant credibility to The Dubai Connect™, opening doors to other high-level interviews. Additionally, collaborating with the top real estate podcaster in Dubai allowed us to cross-promote our episodes and tap into each other’s audiences. Using Instagram’s collaboration tools, we effectively expanded reach for both podcasts, making it a win-win strategy.
4. Embrace Multi-Platform Promotion
Expand your reach by repurposing content for multiple platforms. Share full episodes on YouTube and create engaging teasers for Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn, and Facebook. For example, I consistently cut three teaser clips per episode and share them on various platforms with links to the full episode. Using Instagram Stories and Reels has been particularly effective, as it allows followers to engage directly while driving traffic back to the full podcast.
5. Be Consistent and Patient
Audience growth takes time and consistent effort. From planning and recording to editing, SEO, and promotion, every element requires commitment. For example, The Dubai Connect™ took over a year of investment and strategy to rank as one of the top podcasts in Dubai real estate. Staying focused on delivering high-quality content and trusting the process, even when growth is slow at first, has been key to my podcast’s success.
The journey of growing a podcast audience is filled with both challenges and milestones. Can you share a particularly rewarding moment or achievement in your audience growth journey that stands out to you?
The most rewarding moments in my podcast journey are when leads reach out to me, ready to purchase Dubai real estate, because they’ve found my information trustworthy, knowledgeable, and reassuring. Hearing someone say, “I’ve been listening to your podcast, and it’s given me the confidence to invest in Dubai real estate,” is an incredibly fulfilling experience. Knowing that The Dubai Connect™ Podcast has built that level of trust and credibility, to the point where listeners feel comfortable choosing me as their advisor, makes all the effort worthwhile.
As we wrap up, how can our readers follow your work and stay updated on your strategies and insights for podcast growth?
Please subscribe to The Dubai Connect Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and on my GG Benitez International YouTube Channel and feel free to connect with me on Instagram, as well.
Your journey and the strategies you’ve shared today provide a roadmap for podcasters looking to expand their audience in 2025. Thank you for offering such valuable insights into the art and science of podcast growth. We look forward to seeing how your podcast continues to reach new heights, and we wish you continued success in connecting with listeners around the world.
About the Interviewer: Chad Silverstein is a seasoned entrepreneur and Thought Leader with over 25 years of business experience. He has founded, operated, and exited multiple companies and now builds into a handful of high impact CEOs. Chad has launched multiple online communities, including a recent leadership development platform, and also serves as a strategic advisor for Authority Magazine’s thought-leader incubator program.
To learn more and connect with Chad visit: chadsilverstein.io
Ghada “GG” Benitez of The Dubai Connect Podcast: Top 5 Strategies for Growing Your Podcast Audience was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.