How to build a profitable podcast.
Email Marketing to BOOST your Podcast? Here's the ULTIMATE GUIDE for you!
NOTE - if you want AI to write your podcast emails notes for you, you can sign up to a Freemium plan to Abney (Podcast AI) here 🤓
Podcast email marketing is the use of email to promote your podcast. Through email marketing, you can prompt your subscribers to listen to your latest releases or give them updates on your podcast episodes, among other things.
Podcast email marketing helps you build and nurture relationships with your listeners. So, whether you’re just starting a new podcast or have been in the industry for a while, podcast email marketing should be a critical component of your marketing strategy.
This piece will provide you with actionable tips to up your podcast email marketing efforts.
By the end of this guide, you’ll learn the three main components of email marketing: creating a powerful landing page, building your email list, and customizing your emails. Think of these as your core principles for podcast email marketing.
Let's get into it. Here’s your step-by-step guide to leverage email marketing for your podcast.
The first stage of email marketing is growing your list. Most marketers generate signups through a landing page. The landing page is where you get people to sign up for your email newsletter.
As a result, building your landing page is one of the most important elements of podcast email marketing. A landing page should grab users’ attention, draw them in and make them want to learn more about your podcast. Let’s look at how you can do this.
First, your landing page must be robust to get people to sign up. One of the most important elements of the page is your headline. Benefit-focused headlines are effective, and a stand-out call to action will help to draw people in.
If the first thing someone sees on your page tells them they can “Save $100”, they are more likely to take a second look. You must immediately catch the users’ attention with concise copy emphasizing how your podcast can benefit them.
The design of your page is also crucial.
Ideally, all the critical information should be above the fold. That means the headline, key image, accompanying text, and input fields. You might want to add a nice graphic too.
You can use a landing page builder to create your page design. A good landing page builder will have plenty of templates that follow conversion rate optimization best practices.
The image above is an excellent example of an effective landing page.
The lead form is easy to find. It is placed right in the middle of the page. Also, the call to action “YES, TELL ME EVERYTHING” is capitalized and highlighted in a yellow box to make it stand out.
Using templates is fine, but make sure you put your stamp on things. You want your visitors to associate your landing page with your brand immediately. You can use a color wheel to create a logical color scheme that aligns with your logo.
So now you have your landing page. The next part of your marketing plan is to drive people to the page and get those sign-ups. You can add a lead magnet on your landing page to boost your conversion rate.
Lead magnets are pieces of content you can offer in exchange for a person’s contact details.
When you offer something of value, and for free, people won’t hesitate to fill out that form. For example, if you run a copywriting podcast, you could offer a nice PDF to subscribers. Something like “33 copywriting hacks that will boost your sales overnight.”
You give this PDF to people who sign up for your email list.
The image above is an excellent real-life example of a lead magnet.
The lead magnet is a free podcasting boot camp. It is vital to emphasize that your lead magnet is free. The idea of getting something for free combined with a piece of content draws people in.
The “Start Now” call to action helps to encourage consumers to take action. Once they’ve gone as far as clicking the call to action, being asked for their email address to gain access seems like a minor request.
Another approach is highlighting the exclusive content you share with subscribers through your email list. For example, you might share exclusive episodes with subscribers.
So how do you get people to your landing page and lead magnet in the first place?
You can provide a sneak peek of your podcast episodes on social media. You can link back to your landing page from a social media post. Alternatively, you might want to promote the content upgrade directly.
You could add a link to your landing page from your social media bio. Social media marketing won’t just help you get subscribers. It can also help create a buzz around your podcast, generating traffic through comments, shares, and likes on Instagram.
Don’t limit yourself to just social media. Add a link to your landing page below each podcast. If you have a blog, you can use an exit intent optin form on your site to get people to sign up for your email list. This: Also, explore DMARC reports to boost email security and delivery performance.
The general idea is to push people toward a sign-up form through whatever marketing channels you use. Don’t be over the top. You don’t want to annoy your audience.
You must ensure the emails in your email campaign will resonate with your intended audience. To get your email strategy right, you must ask yourself what piques your audience’s interest.
Use your website and social media data to build listener personas that will give you a strong understanding of the people you’ll write to. Studying your audience, habits, and preferences helps you identify the type of content or message that would appeal to them.
For example, if we were to try to build an email list for Venture Smarter, we’d start by analyzing what articles our audience found most interesting. We’d then look at the social media posts that generated the most attention.
You can use those insights to inform the kind of content you send and the way you build your list. Spend time on this.
Sending boring emails to subscribers is an email marketing mistake you need to avoid. Take the persona of Joe, shown below.
For Joe, listening to a podcast is an important part of the daily ritual. If your audience is like this, they want to learn or be entertained while they commute.
Your email campaign should take into account how and when people consume your content.
For example, if your audience listens to your podcast while commuting, you probably want to email your subscribers just before they’re commuting. That could be first thing in the morning or just after work.
Accounting for small details like this in your emails can make a huge difference. Appealing to your audience's preferences makes your emails much more engaging.
The tone of your emails should be customized for your audience as well. The example below would be a good email for a subscriber like Joe.
At the end of the email, there’s a list of entertaining topics that will be discussed in the next episode. This teaser will, hopefully, make Joe want to listen to the next episode.
To take things a step further, you should customize the emails you send each recipient depending on their recent interaction with you. For instance, if they listened to your podcast episode, send them a thank-you email or an email with content that never made it to the show.
That may sound like a lot of work, but email automation software can help. An email marketing tool like Klaviyo, for instance, can collect data on subscribers. That allows you to send customized emails based on their recent activity.
In the meantime, addressing subscribers by name in your subject lines also helps you connect better with subscribers. Simple touches like this can be done even if you're starting a podcast with limited funding.
If you want your podcast to succeed, podcast email marketing is a must. It allows you to interact more with your listeners and helps build relationships with them. As well as attracting new listeners, you can keep current listeners up to date and engaged by email.
A simple email notifying subscribers that you have released a new episode can go a long way.
So let’s do a quick recap.
First, you need to create a great landing page. Your landing page must grab consumers’ attention. Use calls to action and benefit-focused headlines to maximize conversions.
Next, build a killer email list. Use lead magnets to encourage customers to give you their email addresses. You can also use email finder tools to identify high-quality leads to target with your email marketing campaigns.
Finally, customized emails are also a must. Great emails help you connect with your subscribers and make them feel appreciated. Something as simple as addressing your subscribers by name in emails goes a long way.
Put that all together, and your podcast email marketing strategy will yield results for you. You’ll be well on your way to podcasting success!
