??I GOT 99 PROBLEMS BUT MARKETING A PODCAST IS NOT 1 ??

??I GOT 99 PROBLEMS BUT MARKETING A PODCAST IS NOT 1 ??

Don't shoot the messenger, but you should spend twice as much time marketing your podcast as you do making it.

People always ask me, “my show is great, but your shows are always doing better? Why aren’t my numbers higher?”

The answer is: having a good show isn’t enough.

The first question I ask is about marketing, and most people don’t have a real marketing plan. (Other than posting to social media, occasionally.)

If you have good numbers and haven’t done key marketing tactics, there is a lot of room to grow. Having a good show isn’t good enough.

Marketing isn’t a “nice to have,” it’s a must-have. The good news is that there are so many free and cheap things you can do!

But you have to do them.

You need to spend twice as much time marketing your podcast then making your podcast!

And I mean that, if you are paying me to make it, I should spend twice as much time too.

Value your niche audiences. Those are your people!

Find them, spend time getting to know them, engage with them. It's worth it, I swear.

Every

GREAT PODCAST, HAS ITS SUPER LISTENERS!

FIND THEM< MAKE THEM FANS

Social media engages the audience you already have, it does not grow it.

To find good shows to partner with, explore the podcast universe with?Rephonic. or Fathom

Another way to find shows to partner with: search for your show in *all* podcast apps and then check out the "you might also like" suggestions. Once you find a good match, search for that show and do it again.

Go down some rabbit holes. It’s fun.

Put a link to your podcast in your email signature—but point to a favorite episode or specific moment. ("Hear my favorite episode..." "this moment made me cry...")

Let's talk paid media.?APC is a great system—you set your spend and new subscriber goal ahead of time, and only pay when those goals are reached - contact us to see how you can get this

Should you buy a pre-roll? Mid-roll? Post-roll? It depends!

Pre-rolls are usually cheaper and more people might hear them, but they may also be less engaged.

When you are submitting your ad, the audio/visuals should be *great.* You should have dropped at least 3 episodes. Before you reach out make sure you know your budget and timing.

Podcasters, do not spend money on social media ads.

Do not. Doooooo not! Donotdonot. (Begging you.)

Spending money in-app/on other podcasts is smart but also smart: spending money in newsletters. People are more likely to click on a newsletter link than a social one.

Find super-niche audiences.

Think not just podcast newsletters, think topical matches.

When writing your ad copy, make it pop and relevant to the audience you're reaching. Have two options available: A paragraph the host can read and a list of talking points for the host to put in their own words. When they read it in their own words, it often ends up sounding more natural.

All podcasters must know about dynamic ad insertion. It's becoming more important, and there are creative things you can do with it

I can't believe I have to say this but I was asked it at a conference, so... You should not worry about losing an audience partnering with a "competition" show.

These are your friends.

If you have a solid show, you will grow with every partnership.

Podcasting is all about valuable partnerships!

Episode transcripts on your website?

You simply must! They're crucial for accessibility. Podcast newsletter writers (ahem—me!)/reviewers/super fans love to see them. They are good for SEO. And remember…transcripts are not show notes!

Cross-promote episodes of your podcast ON your podcast.?Always tease previous or future episodes.

People will listen to more and discover an episode they might not have found on their own.

If you want to take your promo-swap relationship to the next level, work with the host(s) of the other show to create a special collab episode.

The same episode can go in each of your feeds, but you can each add your own intro/outro.

If you find a show you want to partner with, make sure it's still running. If it hasn't published an episode in 8+ months, you can reach out and say, "Hey! I noticed you haven’t had an episode in while. Do you have one planned? What else do you have going on?!" Maybe there is an upcoming (or different!) opportunity for you. I booked a client on a panel by simply asking the podcast, “what projects are you working on?”

Update the copy for your ad reads frequently. In fact, instead of a tip here's an exercise: spend 10 minutes today writing a fresh promo ad for your show. It will be 10 minutes well-spent.

Put a media kit on your site for advertisers and writers.

It can include: a) about section b) contact/social channels c) stats d) links/press release d) assets f) mission statement g) sponsorship guidelines.

Be creative about it! Make it fun to read.- Ask me about two of our clients whose media pack is FIRE and if you read to the end you can see the very first one I ever made.

Think of each of your episodes as its own mini-marketing campaign.

Whom you partner with, whom you reach out to, your entire strategy, should be different with each partnership you try to make.

Start a newsletter!

People don't generally leave social media platforms, so they won’t click on a Twitter link. But they will click on a link in a newsletter! If you are thinking of starting a newsletter for your podcast, know this: you don't own your Podcasts subscriber list, but you own your newsletter subscribers list.

It's valuable.

Beef up your show notes. It's beneficial for your listeners (and people who want to write about your show) and will help your show's SEO.

Include resources you mentioned/additional resources, guest info, time codes, CTAs, a great quote etc.

Make your CTA specific and stand out a bit. Fine but boring: "listen and subscribe." Try: "text a friend right now if you liked," "screenshot the episode and tag us on social," "ask us a question in our Apple Podcast review section," etc.

Everyone wants a silver bullet, but there isn’t one.

Think about those mailers you receive about your neighborhood dentist. You ignore them...until you need a dentist. Be consistent. Repeat. Be consistent. Repeat. Be consistent. Repeat.

Engagement is more valuable than reach. It's better to connect with people who will become your superfans, the people who will champion you to their friends, than just...lots of people.

When you're thinking of audiences you want to target, don't just think about the kind of people you already have, think about the kind of people you don't have, but want.

Claim your podcast on?Podchaser.?There are a bunch of ways you can promote your show from there. Also ListenNotes

Make sure your URL is everywhere, in all bios.

Show off the best episode of your podcast. Figure out what it is, recall it in other episodes, feature on your site/socials.

I honestly don't think enough people ask themselves this question when making a podcast: What is my goal? Why am I doing this? Figure that out and focus on it with every move.

Do not advertise on Facebook.

Instead of linking to Apple Podcasts, use?Linktree?or?Pod.link.

It will allow people to go to your podcast with whichever podcasting platform they prefer.

Constructive criticism can make your show better if you read them.

Bad reviews can lead to more listeners.

People search by specific interest, not the word “podcast.” So you dont have to have podcast in your title of your podcast, just saying

Reach out to one podcast to partner with right now, let's all do it together. If you need help connecting, respond with a link to your show. I can help match you up or you can help each other.

Pitch letters should be very specific and conversational. (Ask yourself: how does a human talk?) Highlight something a bit weird. A quote. The most interesting line from the episode. No more of the phrase "disrupt the industry." No caps.

Help people. Offer advice, give to the vulnerable, promote without expecting things in return. It will come back to you.

You almost certainly do not need a microphone or headphones on your podcast show art.

It's a podcast...they get it.

Pitch yourself as a guest to one podcast. Right now. (I’ll wait.)

Re: guesting, don't underestimate the value of being a guest on tiny shows. Say a podcast episode has only 100 listens. That's 100 NEW people for you.

If you are pitching yourself to be a guest on another show, a good pitch letter takes at least 15-20 minutes. Listen to the show, research the host, check grammar in notes, check the tone.

Investing in this step of the process will pay off.

When you're thinking of shows to work with, don't just look at how big the show is. Look at how engaged they are with their audience. (Via their content, social media presence, reviews, etc.)

Think of each as your episode as its own mini-marketing campaign.

Depending on the subject or who is in it, you should reach out to different people. (Reach out to a guest's alma mater, they might want to include the episode in a newsletter, etc.)

The best pitch letters are personal, short, exciting, relevant, and really nice.

I say pitch short, but how short? A survey?found that 50% of podcasters like the email length to be 100-200 words. About 20% prefer shorter, and another 20% prefer the length of 201-300 words. Don't go more than 300 if you can.

Most people don't care which day you pitch them. But for the ones who do, pitch earlier in the week rather than later.

Always having a secondary category on Apple Podcasts is important by "helping your show appear in select category pages, in editorially curated collections, and in search."

Start a mini-series using voice memos from your listeners and other podcasters. People will tune in to hear themselves and you can use your guest spot as collateral to be on other people's shows.

Do a quick google search for “newsletters on _____.” Reach out to them. Ask if they might be interested in a written ad for a host-read ad swap!

Overheard on?Buzzsprout's Buzzcast...46% of people surveyed said they discovered a new podcast by hearing about it on another show.

Promo swaps work!

Listen to your own podcast and pretend that you’re a brand new listener to the show. What do you notice?

If you were thinking of pitching yourself as a guest on a show with 2+ hosts, pitch yourself NOW as a guest-host. Over the holidays surely there will be days with one host out. In comes you!

You can't be a gross marketer on Reddit, but you can set up email alerts for specific keywords. So when someone is talking about something that truly vibes with your show (or maybe they are looking for a podcast like yours) you can jump in.

Add your show to all directories.

Loved this piece?from?Timberland?because it's all about the things that work in podcast marketing: patience, dedication, good work, optimism, and consistency.

Pitch me ([email protected]) your best podcast pitch letter. I will feature the best ones in this newsletter!

What's your show's collateral? Structure your podcast for great partnerships.?

Create a cool video trailer to your podcast episodes.

Like how LMRE has here

Tweeting about your podcast is not marketing. It’s playing around on Twitter.

If you're pitching a newsletter, don't just send them a cold pitch. RESPOND to the last newsletter they sent (after reading it) with a personal note.

Hope this helps, and of course, I am always a message away :-))

P.S this used to be my Media Doc for The GuestList Podcast, my first podcast as promised, its not great but it was good enough to help me build a business that was voted top 100 businesses in the UK!