Does launching a podcast feel like a side project that you do for fun, but not actually something that contributes to your business? It doesn’t have to be that way.
I believe you can use your podcast to grow your business by creating a marketing funnel. With the right marketing strategy, a podcast can bring new customers to your business every time you release an episode.
To show you my personal strategy, I’m going to walk you through how I created a marketing funnel for my podcast, Clocking In with Haylee Gaffin.
My Marketing Funnel Strategy
I use a simple but effective content marketing strategy to grow my business. Every week, I release a newsletter, a blog, and a podcast episode. I promote my content through social media outlets, primarily Instagram and Pinterest.
Let’s look at where your podcast fits into your content marketing strategy, and how you can create a marketing funnel to turn listeners into customers.
Grow Your Email List Through Your Podcast
The first way to utilize a podcast to grow your business is to get listeners to opt into your email list. Your email list is at the top of your marketing funnel and one of your most valuable assets when it comes to reaching potential customers.
During a podcast episode, you can promote a free downloadable that your listeners can access by opting into your newsletter. The key to this strategy is to make sure what you’re offering pairs organically with your podcast episode.
For example, if you’re recording an episode about goal setting, you could promote your goal-setting worksheet to your listeners. Check out episode 37 of the Clocking In podcast to learn more about this strategy.
Build a Community of Podcast Listeners
Another great way to gain direct access to your listeners is to create a Facebook group for your podcast.
Not only can you market new products and courses to your group, but you can also get to know your listeners and understand their needs. It’s basically free market research to learn how you can serve your audience better.
Market Products and Services On Your Podcast
Before you try to sell a product or course, you should introduce it to your audience on the podcast. They’ll love having the inside scoop on what you’re working on, and when release day comes, they’re already educated and ready to buy.
You can use this strategy in two ways:
- Record a podcast ad for your product or course
- Talk about your new product or course in an organic way during your podcast episode
I recommend trying both ways and tracking how well they work for you. You can offer your listeners a discount code that they only hear through the podcast to track how many customers came to you from an episode.
Set Marketing Goals For Your Podcast
Before you create your own content marketing strategy, make sure you set goals for your podcast. Check out episode six of my podcast to learn how to measure goals for your new podcast.
I hope this has helped you create a marketing funnel for your podcast. If you’re looking for more educational content around podcasting or want to build connections in the podcast space, come join Mic Check Society! Inside Mic Check Society, we periodically release new content, host virtual coworking sessions, Jump on monthly hot seat calls, and connect with the other podcasters inside our private Facebook group. Get more details about Mic Check Society below!
