Podcast consumption is on the rise.
There were more than 750,000 active podcasts in 2018, but that number jumped to 800,000 by the end of 2019.
Plus, advertisers are willing to spend more on the medium, with podcast ad spending expected to hit $354 million this year.
Want to capitalize on all this growth? Then you need to grow your podcast audience.
How to grow your podcast audience
It seems like almost everyone has a podcast or knows someone who does. It is easier than ever to launch a podcast right from your bedroom or dining room. However, amazing content alone is not enough to make a living as a podcaster.
You need to first build a loyal following. But talking to your followers through your podcast is not enough to create a lasting long-term relationship. You need a way to talk with them when your podcast is available for download.
Email Marketing has the highest return of any marketing channel
Email marketing for podcasters is an incredibly powerful tool. It’s a direct link to your fans through a channel that you own. No algorithm can take away from you. You can regularly communicate with your audience about show updates, tease upcoming episodes, tell them about products you have created, request feedback from listeners, and so much more.
This is one of the best ways to promote your podcast. Why is this such a strong channel? Simple, email marketing has the highest conversion rates of any marketing channel. In fact, email is 40 times more effective at acquiring new customers than Facebook or Twitter.
Plus, it is one of the best ways to make money from your podcast. As you build your email list, you have a valuable asset that you can promote a paid product (either yours or an affiliate product that you earn a commission), a service, or a sponsorship opportunity.
“Most podcasters are focused on their feed numbers — how many downloads they have. But what they really need to consider is how many subscribers to their email list. Every show that is in the Fable and Folly Network has a newsletter. The newsletter is the mechanism that we send out to get people to take action: shop at our patron shop or become a patron of the show.“
Fable and Folly Network podcaster Sean Howard.
Sending a podcast newsletter to your subscribers
A newsletter is a great way to share your story and why you have a passion for your podcast. Take them along on your journey with behind the scenes images and show notes. Don't be shy about who you are. They already like you. A newsletter is a perfect way to build a personal connection with your subscribers and keep them coming back for more podcast episodes.
Just be careful not to be too promotional before you build a relationship with your subscribers. You want your first series of emails to be incredibly valuable, so your readers continue to open and engage with you and your content.
AWeber has pre-built email campaigns for podcasters
Want your audience to fall in love with your podcast? Set up an automated welcome series to greet new subscribers. Not sure what to write or how to set it up? AWeber has a pre-built three emails in a campaign that you can import into your AWeber account.
Example of one of the campaign emails
All you need to do is import the account from AWeber's campaign marketplace. It is super easy to import. Check out the video included in this blog to see how you can import the campaign in a matter of seconds!
Podcast email marketing example from Fable & Folly
Use lead magnets to grow your audience
One of the best ways to collect email addresses is to provide something of value— also known as a lead magnet. A lead magnet is a piece of content that is a viewable or downloadable piece of content that your follower receives in exchange for providing their email address. The lead magnet can be anything: a tip sheet, a pamphlet, even an exclusive podcast episode.
Podcast lead magnet example from Fable & Folly
The Fable and Folly show “Civilized” promotes a bonus podcast episode that is only available if you sign up for their newsletter.
"I don't just tell people to listen to my podcast or sign up for my email list. I invite them to get a bonus episode of my interactive adventure series. In my thank you email, I include a link to access the bonus material."
Sean Howard, Fable and Folly Network podcaster
The perfect landing page for podcasters
Good news: you don’t need a website to launch a podcast.
In fact, you could promote your podcast, collect email addresses to build your list, and distribute your lead magnet all within a landing page.
But not all email marketing and landing page providers are created equal. Podcasters have unique needs, and some providers will address your needs better than others.
“It’s really rare and amazing to find a company like AWeber that reaches out to the small independent podcast creators. And isn’t just there at their shows, but actually supports our community and reaches out to see if we need help and solve problems. I don’t have any other vendor that does that.”
Sean Howard, Fable and Folly Network podcaster
AWeber includes a professionally designed landing page and a pre-built email campaign built specifically for your unique needs.
The AWeber Podcast Landing Page is an easy to use drag and drop landing page template that can easily be customized. With this landing page, you’re all set up to promote your show, grow your follower base, and even offer additional content or an affiliate offer to increase your revenue.
Smart Content Feature for Podcasters
AWeber’s landing pages include our new Smart Content widget that supports some of the most popular podcasting platforms like Spotify and Stitcher. The Smart Content element lets you embed a podcast right onto the landing page so listeners can engage with your podcast right on your landing page.
With the AWeber Smart Content feature, you can transform your landing page into a dynamic and interactive experience for your podcast listeners.
A few of the podcaster providers that you can connect to your landing page using the Smart Content element include:
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- Art19
- iHeartRadio
- Libsyn
- Simplecast
- Himalaya
- Buzzsprout
- AnchorFM
- RadioPublic
- Acast
- Soundcloud
Plus, when you have a fully customized landing page, use AWeber’s Smart Designer to create an email template to match.
Drive traffic to your landing page with social media
Once you have your lead magnet and landing page, it’s time to consider additional channels to start driving traffic to grow your list.
Your future followers are on social media. It doesn't matter the topic -- you will be able to find prospective followers on social media. Social media is a fantastic way to attract a new listener, but you still need to drive them to your landing page.
AWeber makes it easy to post your landing page on your social media. Simply go to the landing page setting in your AWeber landing page. Click the social sharing tab and fill in the page title, page description, and social sharing image.
AWeber social sharing option
Why share your landing page rather than a link to your podcast in Spotify or Art 19? Because you need a way to regularly communicate with your followers. In order to do that, you need to turn social media users into email subscribers.
Building a podcast audience takes a strong marketing strategy and the right tools. That’s why AWeber offers these tools in one platform. Email marketing — when combined with a compelling landing page, lead magnet and multiple marketing channels — can be the difference between a successful podcast and one that becomes stagnant.
source https://blog.aweber.com/digital-marketing-2/marketing-tools-to-grow-your-podcast.htm
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