The Instagram Stories Podcast

Can short-form video clips actually grow your podcast audience, or are they just burning you out?Live from Podcast Movement, I sat down with podcast marketing strategist Arielle Nissenblatt to unpack the evolving world of podcasting in 2026.
We discuss what "adopt a listener" experiments revealed on the streets of New York, the real impact of short clips versus full episodes, and how independent creators can break out of conventional marketing boxes to turn a hobby into a sustainable business.
Arielle Nissenblatt is a podcast strategist, writer, and community builder who spends most of her time helping people discover great podcasts and helping creators make theirs better.
She is the founder of EarBuds Podcast Collective, a weekly human-curated podcast recommendation newsletter, and writes several newsletters including Podcasts We Text About, Podcast Plunge, This & That with Arielle Nissenblatt, and the EarBuds topic spinoff newsletters.
Arielle also hosts podcasts like Trailer Park: The Podcast Trailer Podcast and Daily Tips That May or May Not Help You. In 2026 she was inducted into the Podcast Hall of Fame. She's on the Board of Governors at The Podcast Academy, has spoken at conferences such as Radiodays (Europe, Asia, North America), Podcast Movement, On Air Fest, Podcast Show London, Advertising Week, and more. Arielle has guested on more than 200 podcasts, mostly focusing on podcast and content marketing.
When Arielle isn't working on podcast and content strategy projects, she's playing soccer, pickleball, and leading walking tours around New York City through her company, Nisstory Tours.

In this live interview from Podcast Movement, Daniel Hill sits down with podcast marketing strategist Arielle Nissenblatt (EarBuds Podcast Collective, Podcast Plunge, "Well It Depends" Labs). They break down the real definition of a podcast in 2026, the ongoing debate over whether creators need video and short clips, and how independent podcasters can stand out by treating their show as a business rather than just a hobby.

In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) – Meeting Arielle Nissenblatt at Podcast Movement •
(01:28) – Street Experiments: What do people actually think a podcast is?
(04:18) – The Video Dilemma: Do video clips turn viewers into long-term listeners? •
(06:05) – Hobby vs. Business: Shifting your podcast mindset •
(08:08) – Finding your show's true mission and business model •
(10:25) – Out-of-the-box marketing tactics for independent creators •
(13:40) – Where to connect with Arielle online

Connect with Arielle Nissenblatt :
Arielle Nissenblatt : Website:
EarBuds Podcast Collective (Website) & Podcast Plunge (Substack)

Shawn Kallet is the co-founder and co-CEO of 203 Creates, an independent agency that helps brands and IP owners develop and execute entertainment-first content strategies that earn attention and drive performance. Shawn has over 20 years of experience developing innovative brand partnerships and revenue growth for media and creator economy leaders, including MTV, NBC News Digital, Studio71, Live Nation, and V10 Entertainment.
In this interview, Shawn shares personal anecdotes from his time at major networks like MTV and NBC, including early challenges working with pioneers like Rob Dyrdek and Logan Paul.
The conversation continues with stories about how brand partnerships have shifted from small experimental budgets to integrated media strategies that prioritize creator authenticity.
Case studies involving brands like Dunkin’, NASA, and Sci-Fi Network illustrate the massive reach possible when companies trust the creative instincts of influencers.

Links:
Shawn Kallet's LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnkallet/⁠
203 Creates - ⁠https://203creates.com/⁠
⁠The Digest⁠ newsletter for marketing & media pros 
Grave Conversations - ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@graveconversations⁠
Trivia For Kids Podcast - ⁠https://www.triviaforkidspodcast.com/⁠
Logan Paul & Dunkin:
Dunkin custom video on Logan’s FB page: ⁠https://fb.watch/oMZNyAjjiT/⁠
Dunkin FB spot: ⁠https://fb.watch/oMZ41PTV0W/⁠
⁠Dunkin Donuts Taps Vine Star Logan Paul For Branded Content⁠
⁠Logan Paul On Influencer Marketing: “I’m Worth Three Times The Amount I’m Getting Paid" - Tubefilter⁠
⁠The Influencers - CBS News⁠
⁠Logan Paul Partnership Recap⁠
Influencer brand partnership examples:
⁠VSauce x NatGeo Mars⁠
⁠Cats vs Zombies⁠ - Syfy Network & MrTVCow promoting Z Nation (brand elements have been removed)
⁠Clearasil x Good Mythical Morning⁠

Find Daniel:

The Instagram Stories - Social Media News: ⁠⁠⁠https://pod.link/1467688778⁠⁠⁠
Instagram: @danielhillmedia


Leave a Review: (⁠Apple Podcasts⁠)

In this interview, I chat with Diego Sanchez, a product manager at Buffer. He is a product leader with over a decade of experience launching new products from zero to one. At Buffer, he leads Community, the company’s newest product, focused on building scalable, meaningful social engagement.

Diego explains what makes Buffer different from other social media management platforms - the team is dedicated to helping small businesses and creators grow through publishing, analytics, and engagement tools. He highlights the company's unique culture of transparency, featuring public salaries and a four-day work week to prioritize employee well-being. A major focus of the discussion is the launch of Community, a new tool that uses gamification and AI to help users respond to comments and build meaningful connections.
Diego shares data showing that active engagement can increase post interactions by up to 42%, reinforcing the idea that creators should not simply "post and ghost."

Ultimately Buffer aims to simplify the complex landscape of social media while remaining an independent and mission-driven company.

You can find Diego online at:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diesanx
You can find Buffer at:
https://buffer.com/

In this episode of the Instagram Stories Podcast, I interview Anna Mangiello, a User-Generated Content (UGC) creator and coach.
Anna is a former high school teacher turned full-time UGC creator and coach who has been creating UGC content since 2021. She has worked with over 800 brands, including Fiverr, Maybelline, L’Oréal, TikTok, Microsoft, Dr. Squatch, and many others.

Anna has helped more than 700 creators build profitable online businesses through her programs, community, and digital resources. As a multi-passionate entrepreneur with a no-BS teaching style, Anna combines real industry experience with step-by-step education to help women build sustainable, scalable UGC businesses that support their families and give them true time flexibility and freedom.

In this interview, Anna defines UGC as content produced by everyday people for brands to use on their own social media or for paid advertising, which allows creators to work without the pressure of posting to their personal accounts or having a large following. She emphasizes that while UGC offers creative freedom and flexibility, it is a demanding business that requires managing administrative tasks, legal contracts, and client negotiations.
Anna also discusses her A+ creator community and her "Two-Hour Creator" course, which helps busy individuals—specifically those in the 30-plus demographic—break into the industry and leverage market gaps.
You can find Anna online at:
YouTube: A+Socials
TikTok: @aplussocials
Instagram: @aplussocials

This podcast episode features Jen Lehner, an AI strategist and consultant, and we review the accuracy of our tech and social media predictions for 2025 while looking ahead to the emerging trends of 2026.

The conversation covers the ethical dilemmas of AI video generation, viral marketing successes like the "death" of the Duolingo mascot, and the potential for AI agents to handle personal tasks like grocery shopping and app building.

(3:00) - Reviewing 2025 Predictions: Jen Lehner reflects on her successful predictions regarding AI content, wearables, and agentic AI, while Daniel notes that while he was wrong about YouTube Shorts replacing TikTok, he correctly identified the rise of "social media burnout" as a major topic.
(10:00) - The Sora Controversy and AI Ethics: A major discussion point is the "fail" of AI video tools like Sora allowing users to recreate deceased individuals (e.g., Martin Luther King or Elvis), raising concerns about legacy, dignity, and the lack of consent from families.
(18:00) - "Vibe Coding" with Lovable: Daniel and Jen Lehner discuss Lovable, an app-building tool that allows users to create functional apps simply by describing them—a concept known as "vibe coding". Daniel shares how he used it to build a camera app to help him take better photos of his wife.
(24:00) - The "Death" of Duo the Owl: The hosts break down Duolingo’s viral marketing campaign involving the staged "death" and community-led resurrection of its mascot, which successfully drove 1.5 million users back into the app to save him.
(31:00) - Wearable Tech & Privacy Struggles: Jen Lehner describes using AI digital notetakers that record and summarize entire days of conversations. However, she notes the ethical "guilt" of not being able to inform every person she encounters, such as a pharmacist, that they are being recorded.
(35:00) - 2026 Social Media Predictions: Jen Lehner predicts an explosion in live-selling auctions via apps like Whatnot, where young sellers are already making millions through fast-paced, high-scarcity sneaker sales.
(37:00) - The Analog Shift: Daniel’s wife, Lauren, suggests a counter-trend for 2026: a move toward "analog" social experiences where people host "no phone parties" to prioritize raw, genuine connection over glamorized digital lifestyles.
(38:00) - The Future of AI Agents & Robots: Jen Lehner anticipates the rise of agents that can autonomously order groceries via Instacart and home robots capable of tasks like unloading a dishwasher.
(40:00) - OpenAI’s Move into Hardware: Daniel highlights OpenAI’s collaboration with designer Johnny Ive to create a computing experience intended to be "less socially disruptive than the iPhone".
(44:00) - AI in Podcasting: Looking at 2026, Jen Lehner predicts the rise of AI personas or "synthetic voices" that will source, curate, and record entire podcast episodes autonomously.
Links:

Jen Lehner: https://jenlehner.com/
Front Row Daily Briefing: https://jenlehner.com/flash/