Mitchell Coombs #1 Podcast on Apple Podcasts

How Mitchell Coombs Got Escape Goat to #1 on Apple Podcasts Comedy Charts

Brand Strategy| Creator Marketing
May 31, 2026•6 min read

Mitchell Coombs launched Escape Goat to #1 on Apple Podcasts Comedy charts by activating his inner-circle audience, using curiosity-driven marketing, and building momentum before the public launch. Here’s the strategy behind the rollout.

After seven years working in podcasting, I’ve learned that getting to #1 on Apple Podcasts is rarely about sheer download numbers alone.

Momentum matters more.

Apple’s charts reward concentrated audience activity in a short period of time: downloads, follows, completion rates, and engagement signals all working together at once.

So when one of the creators I manage, Mitchell Coombs, launched Escape Goat and quickly climbed to #1 in Comedy, I wanted to break down exactly why the launch worked.

Creators are often underestimated as marketers. People see entertainment, but behind the scenes, many creators have an incredibly sharp instinct for audience psychology and online behaviour. Mitchell has spent the past 6–7 years building a highly engaged audience of more than 1.5 million followers across platforms, and this launch showed exactly how valuable that trust can become.

Key Facts: Escape Goat Launch

1. Start With the Inner Circle

One of the smartest parts of the launch was how Mitchell used his Instagram Broadcast Channel.

Broadcast Channels are still massively underutilised by creators. They allow direct communication with a highly engaged audience through voice notes, polls, updates, and behind-the-scenes content without placing content behind a paywall.

Before the public launch, Mitchell soft-launched Escape Goat inside the Broadcast Channel first.

He:

  • involved followers in renaming the group

  • shared updates during development

  • asked for feedback

  • sent voice notes explaining his process

That level of access created emotional investment before the official announcement had even happened.

People support what they feel part of.

This also helped “warm the feed” before launch. While podcast recommendation systems are not as advanced as TikTok or Instagram algorithms, Apple Podcasts still responds to concentrated listener activity early on.

The downloads started before the public reveal, which helped build momentum immediately.

2. Use Curiosity Without Overdoing It

Mitchell also used one of the oldest marketing tactics on the internet:

“I have an announcement to make.”

Simple. Open-ended. Curiosity-driven.

In an attention economy where audiences are constantly overwhelmed with information, mystery still cuts through.

Importantly, he didn’t over-explain or drag the teaser phase out for too long. He gave people just enough information to speculate without exhausting the audience before launch.

That balance matters.

Too much teasing can kill momentum before the actual product arrives.

3. Turn the Audience Into Promoters

This was arguably the smartest part of the campaign.

After teasing the announcement, Mitchell encouraged his inner-circle followers to start spreading rumours about what the announcement could be.

Because his platform is rooted in comedy and entertainment, the audience ran with it.

Comments rapidly increased as followers joked, speculated, and created theories around the announcement. The audience effectively became part of the marketing campaign itself.

This achieved several things at once:

  • increased engagement signals

  • boosted reach across platforms

  • strengthened audience investment

  • created exclusivity around the launch

Followers felt like they were “in on something” before everyone else.

At the same time, Mitchell consistently released two podcast episodes each week, ensuring the hype immediately converted into actual listening behaviour once the show launched.

Consistency matters.

Attention without delivery fades quickly.

4. Show the Work Behind the Project

When the official announcement finally dropped, Mitchell didn’t just announce a podcast.

He showed the process behind it.

The announcement included:

  • how the artwork was developed

  • how the theme music came together

  • how he transformed his living room into a podcast setup

  • the amount of time and energy invested into the show

The video was funny and entertaining, but it also communicated something deeper:

Commitment.

Audiences connect strongly to visible effort. When people can see the care, obsession, and passion behind a project, they become more emotionally invested in supporting it.

That emotional investment is often what separates a launch people scroll past from one they actively follow.

Why This Strategy Worked

Mitchell had been working on Escape Goat since August 2025.

The #1 Comedy ranking was the outcome of:

  • long-term audience trust

  • consistent creator-audience engagement

  • strategic use of direct communication channels

  • curiosity-driven promotion

  • consistent episode delivery

  • strong audience participation

This launch is a reminder that successful podcast launches are rarely driven by one viral moment.

They are usually the result of trust built slowly over time.

At Bedou, we study how creators build trust-driven audience behaviour across podcasts, social media, and brand campaigns. Launches like this are a strong example of how community, anticipation, and audience psychology can outperform traditional promotion strategies.

FAQ

How do Apple Podcasts charts work?

Apple Podcasts rankings are influenced by listener activity, follows, engagement velocity, and completion rates within a short period of time.

What is a podcast soft launch?

A podcast soft launch is when creators release or promote a show to a smaller, highly engaged audience before publicly announcing it to everyone else.

Are Instagram Broadcast Channels effective for podcast promotion?

Yes. Broadcast Channels allow creators to activate highly engaged followers directly, creating concentrated engagement before launch.

Why is audience engagement important for podcast launches?

Strong engagement increases shares, follows, comments, and listening activity, all of which can help podcast algorithms recognise momentum early.

Resources

Official and news sources

How Apple Podcasts charts work

Instagram Broadcast Channels

Podcast marketing and launch strategies

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Lem Zakharia founded Bedou after fifteen years across media, content production, and brand partnerships; including five years producing It's A Lot with Abbie Chatfield. She writes weekly on marketing, creators, neurodivergence, and the human stuff underneath all of it.

Lem Zakharia

Lem Zakharia founded Bedou after fifteen years across media, content production, and brand partnerships; including five years producing It's A Lot with Abbie Chatfield. She writes weekly on marketing, creators, neurodivergence, and the human stuff underneath all of it.

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