Episode # 85 - Miral Sattar on The Smart Way to Grow a Podcast

In this special episode recorded live at Podcast Movement in Manhattan, Daniel Hill sits down with Miral, growth strategist, executive producer of Barily Bear, and president of Kids Listen. Miral breaks down why conventional short-form clips fail to convert social media scrollers into dedicated podcast listeners, revealing how she grew her show to over 3.5 million listeners using faceless B-roll, on-screen micro-storytelling, and high-converting calls to action. She also unpacks the psychology behind "negative hooks" and how leaning into counter-intuitive angles drives viral engagement and real subscriber growth.Why isn't social media driving listeners to your podcast? Live from Podcast Movement at Terminal 5 in Manhattan, growth strategist Miral (executive producer of Barily Bear and president of Kids Listen) shares the exact framework she used to reach over 3.5 million listeners.Learn why cutting up standard interview clips often falls flat, how to use faceless B-roll and on-screen text to hook viewers, and how to master "negative hooks" to turn passive scrollers into long-term subscribers.Timestamps: (00:00) - Welcome & Meet Miral at Podcast Movement (00:46) - Why Social Media Isn't Working for Most Podcasters (01:28) - Fighting for Attention: Storytelling Over Standard Clips (02:15) - The Faceless Content Strategy Using Repurposed B-Roll (03:29) - Scripting On-Screen Text & Crafting Effective CTAs (04:33) - Converting Viewers with ManyChat & Lead Magnets (05:43) - Evaluating Content from a Scroller's Perspective (06:30) - How 6 Million Views Resulted in Zero Subscribers (07:44) - Mastering the "Negative Hook" to Drive Engagement (08:58) - Deconstructing Fairy Tales: Real-World Negative Hook Examples