How to monetize your podcast?
In addition to building brand awareness, podcasting also gives you opportunities to make money. There are two main ways to monetize your audio content:
- Through sponsorships- You can allow other companies to publish their ads on your program. However, keep in mind that sponsors typically only pay podcasters who have an established audience base, so you may need to grow your podcast first.
- Through memberships– In addition to the regular episodes that you upload for free, you can create special content for your devoted followers. Offer subscriptions that allow these fans access to exclusive content, behind the scenes, or even podcast merchandise.
How to Market a Podcast and Master Podcast Rankings
If you want to learn how to proactively promote a podcast, there are podcast marketing tactics you can try:
1. Submit your show to as many podcast directories as possible
Your branded podcast took a lot of time, effort, and resources to produce, so it's only right that you make sure plenty of people can find and listen to it.
The easiest solution for this is to submit your podcast to as many directories as possible. But if this seems like a daunting task, you can prioritize getting the most used podcast listening apps:
- Ivoox. The podcast application par excellence.
- Spotify.
- Podcast & Radio Addict.
- Podium Podcast.
- TuneInRadio.
The good thing is that you only have to do this once. For example, after you have submitted your podcast to Spotify and Spotify has already put it on their platform, they will themselves go back to your podcast host to find your next episodes and put them on their app.
2. Invest in Podcast SEO from the beginning
It's easy to think that SEO doesn't apply to podcasts because they are in audio format. However, you should know that Google started indexing audio content in May 2019. It is capable of scanning audio files and even has a dedicated area for podcasts on its search engine results pages (SERP).
If you're not employing search engine optimization techniques on your podcasts, you're missing out on opportunities to increase your online visibility.
Hiring podcast marketing services is the easiest and most efficient way to improve your podcast rankings, but here are some things you can do on your own:
- Research popular keywords relevant to your podcast idea.
- Use them in your episode title and even the podcast name, if possible.
- Include them in your show notes.
3. Take advantage of blogs to maximize your reach
Even the most avid fans may not find out about your new show or episode right away, so you need to take the first step and break the news to them. You can do this by writing an article containing a link to your podcast and placing it on your blog page. This tactic helps ensure that your current readers and followers find out about your podcast.
However, when writing these promotional blogs, be sure to use the same set of keywords that are used in the podcast. Don't forget to link to the website or app where you can stream the episode too.
4. Do podcast marketing on social media
There are many things you can do on social media to promote your podcast:
- Post episode quotes and episode audiogram clips on your pages.
- Create polls related to a recent podcast topic using the Stories feature.
- Ask your followers to give their two cents on the topics you discussed in an episode.
- Join relevant online communities to engage with listeners and get feedback.
You can also invest in paid ads to further expand your podcast's reach. However, if you don't know how to promote a podcast using Facebook Ads, don't waste your time and money trying to do it on your own. Seek the help of a marketing agency so you can develop an effective segmentation strategy in no time.
5. Promote your podcast diligently
The beginning is always the most difficult; Launching a podcast and promoting it takes a lot of work. What's more discouraging is that you may not get traction right away. You may be following all the tips mentioned above and yet your podcast isn't growing. But that doesn't mean your efforts are in vain.
You have to give your podcast marketing strategy some time to work. You need to monitor your promotions and see what needs to be improved. Constantly promoting your program and adjusting your tactics accordingly will see your program rise through the ranks in no time.
Smart marketers don't just focus on how to make a good podcast. They also find ways to start using podcasts for marketing. They know that every time they create a podcast, they create an opportunity to further boost their content marketing strategies and lead generation efforts.
That's why, when it comes to expanding your content marketing efforts, podcast production should be one of your go-to solutions. As mentioned in a previous section, they can be used as supplemental content or repurposed in other ways. Podcasting diversifies your marketing arsenal and allows you to engage your audience in more ways.
More importantly, podcast content can be a powerful conversion and lead generation tool: "Podcasting is known for having ads read by the host, which appear authentic to listeners because the talent actually has a personal experience with the brand".
This finding was drawn from more than 250 Nielsen podcast ad effectiveness studies involving more than 200 brands across various industries.
With this discovery, promoting your product or service through your own podcast may be what you need to take your business to new heights.
Strengthen your brand with great podcast content
What makes podcasting unique is that the content comes in a completely different format. This allows podcasters to reach people and keep them engaged in a new way. Additionally, podcasts demand a different type of attention from their audiences, teaching them a new way to consume and enjoy content, listening to it anytime, anywhere, regardless of what they are doing.
Creating a podcast for your brand allows you to maximize these opportunities and much more. It allows you to tap into audiences that are already willing to listen to you and get their full attention.
The production process is really long and difficult, but you don't have to do it all on your own. You can partner with full-service agencies like IndianWebs to lighten your load. While you focus on developing your podcast content ideas, we make sure your hard work is heard by the people you care about.
IndianWebs is a digital marketing company that has helped businesses prosper. Over the years, we have developed proven strategies and used the best platforms to help brands steal the spotlight and achieve their unique goals.
