Why You Should Use a Newsletter for Your Podcast Marketing
So, you’ve been at this whole podcasting thing for a while, and now you’re wondering how to grow your podcast. The good news is, there are tons of ways to do that, from creating a website to marketing your show on TikTok. The bad news is, sometimes there are so many possible paths that it all feels overwhelming.
Take a deep breath, and don’t worry. While we highly advise you to look into all these different avenues, you don’t have to do it all right this moment. Our advice across the board when it comes to podcasting (or even life in general?) is not to put all your eggs in one basket.
However, we’re also big proponents of one step at a time. So today, let’s look at just one way to market your podcast: through a good email newsletter.
I know, you’re probably groaning at the thought of another newsletter. There are two types of people in this world: those who think newsletters are annoying, and those who’ve bought into their necessity.
But if you’ve asked yourself how to get more podcast listeners and you don’t have a newsletter, you’re doing yourself a disservice. There’s a reason why there are so many newsletters out there -- they may seem tiresome, but they work.
As with anything, though, there are ways to do it well and ways to do it...not so well. We’re here to help you nail all the steps, so you can make this whole newsletter marketing thing an easy -- and successful -- process.
✴ Why newsletters are great for marketing a podcast
Although email marketing requires a learning curve, once you’ve gotten the hang of things, a newsletter is relatively easy to generate on a regular basis. At the very least, you’ll be able to create a template you can use. Then, all you’ll have to do each time is plug in the new content.
It’s up to you how often you send out a newsletter, although we suggest no less than once a month and no more than once a week. That tends to be the sweet spot. You don’t want to clog up your subscribers’ inboxes with endless emails. But you also don’t want to experience the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality from fickle listeners who are easily distracted.
With a newsletter, you can do the following, which makes it a great marketing tool:
Encourage subscribers to listen to the latest episode
Tease an upcoming episode or big interview
Stay on listeners’ radar even during the off-season of your podcast
Promote affiliate links and sponsors (be sure only to do this organically and authentically)
Offer additional and exclusive content
Convert listeners of your free podcast into paying customers of your premium content
That’s all well and good, but I can hear you asking through your computer screen, “How does any of that get me more listeners?”
There’s a two-part answer to that question. The first part: not everything has to be about capturing the greatest number of listeners possible. According to Resonate Recordings, there are many ways to measure your podcast’s success, and you should think about which ones matter most to you. For example, if your focus is on engaging your audience and converting casual listeners into premium content subscribers, a newsletter definitely helps you do that.
The second part: a newsletter can bring in new listeners, too. Really. If your top priority is increasing your downloads and listener numbers, you’ll want to use a mix of marketing techniques, but a newsletter should absolutely be one of them.
✴ How to get more podcast listeners through a newsletter
A newsletter can do wonders when it comes to turning casual listeners into loyal fans who tune in every week. While these aren't necessarily new listeners, being able to capitalize on an engaged and dedicated fanbase is a huge advantage. So don’t discount this avenue. These listeners are a great way to increase your numbers because you’re not cold-calling here; you’ve already got them on the hook, and now, a well-done newsletter could be the tug that brings them on home.
That said, there are also opportunities to get brand spanking new listeners to tune into your podcast, all thanks to your newsletter. But generally, this is going to require a well-done website.
Why’s that? Well, because the listeners have to come from somewhere, and newsletters don’t just float out in the ether. Regardless of whether they’re new or old listeners, your audience will have to subscribe from your website.
If you were only concerned with current listeners who came to your site because of your Call-to-Action at the end of your podcast, you could use a simple landing page. All you would need is a sign-up button. But you're looking to capture the email of anyone who visits your site, not just current fans.
For that reason, along with a host of others, we suggest building a well-rounded, SEO-optimized website. Your site can -- and should -- be a lead generator for you. What do we mean by that? Well, if your site gets any traffic from the internet, you should be looking to convert those visitors into newsletter subscribers and eventual podcast listeners.
Now, getting someone to sign up to another newsletter when they’re undoubtedly already signed up to a million of them is difficult -- so you have to make it worthwhile. Ideally, if you’re offering valuable content on your website, like helpful resource articles, that would be enough for them to seek out more from you organically. But often, people need a little nudge.
In this case, you can offer something (like a free PDF guide on podcasting equipment), but in order for them to access it, they have to sign up for your newsletter with their email address. From there, they’ll receive your newsletter, where you should be promoting your podcast -- and hopefully, they’ll decide to give it a listen if they haven’t already.
Of course, getting someone to sign up for a newsletter and getting them to stay signed up is another challenge entirely. And that’s why you need to make sure you’re providing super valuable content.
Related: How to Get More Podcast Listeners Through Social Media
✴ How to create a worthwhile newsletter
The number one, most important thing to keep in mind while creating a newsletter is to make sure that it’s valuable, engaging, and worthwhile. What that means, specifically, depends on the type of podcast and community you have. But a good rule of thumb is to think of what you would want to receive in your inbox. If your newsletter can’t pass that initial test, you should rethink your strategy.
Luckily, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to create a good newsletter.
The best way to craft a newsletter is to start by taking stock of work you’ve already done that may not have directly made it into the podcast. Did you do an episode where you discussed a series of maps? That may have been hard to describe over the air, but you can certainly link those images in your newsletter so listeners can get a fuller picture. (Pun totally intended.)
Or, maybe you had to cut an interview a bit short for time or clarity’s sake, but there was one tangent that was particularly interesting. Consider sharing a transcript of that part of the conversation in your newsletter.
There are two things to keep in mind here, which go hand in hand. The first, is that you want to supplement your podcast, not replace or recreate it. Rather than simply linking to the latest episode, make sure there’s something extra for those faithful fans who’ve already listened and want more.
The second thing is to make sure you’re providing exclusive content in some part of the newsletter. You want to give subscribers plenty of reasons to remain subscribed. More than that, you want to get them to open the email and engage with the things you’re sending. The best way to do that is to deliver valuable content each time that they can’t find anywhere else. By doing this, you build up trust. That’s how you cultivate loyal fans who stick by you!
✴ Sign up for our newsletter
We’re not going to try to be cheeky here and slyly try to encourage you to sign up for our newsletter -- we’re going to shout it from the rooftops. Because let’s face it, if you’re wanting others to sign up for your newsletter, you should be willing to sign up for others’. That’s the golden rule of email marketing, right?
So, if you’re looking for a great example (if we do say so ourselves) of a weekly newsletter, sign up for ours here at The Wave. It's filled with helpful resources, product reviews, podcast recommendations, and more. We promise it’ll make your Mondays a whole lot brighter! And if it helps inspire your own newsletter, drop us a message -- we love to hear the success stories from our community.
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