This week I had the joy to chat with Magan Ward about pop-up podcasting. Magan Ward is an Email Marketing Strategist that grew her own email list by 78% in less than one month with her signature pop-up podcast system and she specializes in helping podcasters expand their audiences, increase downloads, and grow their email list by leveraging their email and podcast platforms alongside one another with marketing strategies that think outside the box.
Clocking In with Haylee Gaffin is produced and brought to you by Gaffin Creative, a podcast production company for creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about our services at Gaffincreative.com, plus you’ll also find resources, show notes, and more for the Clocking In Podcast.
Magan Ward is this month’s guest educator in Mic Check Society. When you become a member, you gain access to so many resources including exclusive training from our educators.
Mic Check Society
Today’s episode is brought to you by Mic Check Society, a community for podcasters. Each month, I’m dropping an exclusive training, hosting a monthly hot-seat call and coworking sessions, plus you’ll get access to our Facebook group to connect with and network with other podcasters!
What is Pop-Up Podcasting?
Magan had the idea for a ‘pop-up podcast event’ similar to an audio webinar in 2020. This audio event is where subscribers can listen in to a workshop-style podcast episode through podcast listening apps. The episodes are bite-sized and easily consumable. A unique feature of this event is the ‘pop’ part of pop-up – these episodes were only available for a limited number of days.
This unique form of webinar is Magan’s signature and trademarked process for gathering business leads. Pop-up podcasting is perfect for any online business, ranging from service and product providers to course instructors.
This fun and innovative podcasting style can help you grow your email list and nurture leads. If you don’t like to do live teaching events and are struggling with scheduling, a pop-up podcast is perfect for you!
Why Do a Pop-Up Podcast?
Pop-up podcasting can be so easy to do! Magan started hers by simply using her phone as an audio recorder and editor! You don’t have to be held back by intimidating technology. There are no major investments, it can be so easy. And, there are so many benefits to just go for it and try it out.
The biggest benefit can be growing your email list with warm leads. You have the potential to make these warm leads instant fans of your content. You are meeting them exactly where they are at, they can listen to and consume your content on the go. Pop-up podcasting can be a major game changer for your brand.
How Do You Incorporate Pop-Up Podcasting in Your Podcast?
Maybe you’ve already got an established podcast. You can definitely still incorporate pop-up podcasting into your podcast. Use the platform you already have and create a private RSS feed for additional content. You can use this link as a lead magnet to your email list.
For example, you can provide additional episodes or exclusive content to the listeners who follow the lead magnet for that RSS Feed link.
How Do You Get Started?
Magan Ward has a course dedicated to this pop-up podcasting system that will walk you through how to incorporate this into your business to build your email list. You can find that here. The first module is free!
The best way to start is to just do it! You can grow you business in organic and strategic ways when you just start.
Interested in Learning More from Magan?
Magan Ward is this month’s guest educator in Mic Check Society. When you become a member, you gain access to so many resources including exclusive training from our educators.
Mic Check Society
Today’s episode is brought to you by Mic Check Society, a community for podcasters. Each month, I’m dropping an exclusive training, hosting a monthly hot-seat call and coworking sessions, plus you’ll get access to our Facebook group to connect with and network with other podcasters! Make sure you head here to get your name on the waitlist and be the first to know when we’ve launched to the public!
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
http://maganward.com/
www.maganward.com/popuppodcastsystemmodule1free
www.maganward.com/podcasters
Catch The Show Notes:
Meet Magan Ward (1:53)
Pop Up Podcasting (3:10)
Benefits of Pop-Up Podcasting (6:30)
Ideas for Incorporating Pop-Up Podcasting (11:20)
Getting Started (14:45)
Mic Check Society (18:00)
Review the Transcript:
Haylee Gaffin
in your business, your email list is more valuable than you probably even realize. So in today’s episode, I’ve brought on a special guest, Megan ward to talk all about pop up podcasting, which is her signature and trademarked program. Meghan Ward is an email marketing strategist that grew her own email list by 78% in less than one month with her signature pop up podcast system, and she specializes in helping podcasters expand their audience increase downloads and grow their email list by leveraging their email and podcast platforms alongside one another with marketing strategies that think outside the box. Now Megan is actually joining us this month inside of MIC CHECK society as our very first guest educator. She’ll be talking about the secrets to increasing downloads and growing your podcast so make sure you head over to Mic check society.com To get access to that training, and let’s dive into today’s episode all about pop up podcasting. Hey, y’all, welcome to the clocking in Podcast, the podcast for entrepreneurs and professionals making their way in the working world. I’m your host Haylee Gaffin. This podcast is produced and brought to you by Gaffin. Creative, a podcast production company for creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about our services at Gaffin creative.com. Plus, you’ll also find resources, show notes and more for the clocking in podcast. So let’s clock in and get to work. Hey, Megan, thank you so much for coming on the show today. I really appreciate you being here. And I’m honored to have you. I want to kick off this conversation about email marketing and pop up podcasting. But before we do that, I want to have you tell our listeners a little bit about yourself, what you do and kind of your journey to getting here. Yeah, hey, Haylee. Hey, everybody.
Magan Ward
Thank you so much for having me Haylee. So I’m an email marketing strategist. I currently work one on one with podcasters to grow their email list and their podcast alongside one another. But I also create educational content and digital products for all entrepreneurs as it relates to email marketing. But a fun fact is that my entrepreneurial journey actually began as a photographer. And then I began creating digital products for fellow photographers. And when I entered that, you know, digital online business space, that’s where I discovered the importance of an email list. So I began to nerd out a little bit when and wanted to learn everything that was about building my list. And next thing I knew, fellow business owners were asking me to write their welcome sequences and kind of the rest is history as to how I got to email marketing by way of photography. So I do still have the photography side of my business, but it kind of runs on autopilot. It’s 100% passive income while I focus on this business and educating fellow business owners about their email marketing.
Haylee Gaffin
I love that. So I know you’re, you’re mostly working with podcasters. And one thing that is kind of what got me curious about having you on the podcast was to talk about this concept you’ve created of pop up podcasting. So how did you come up with this idea? And I guess, kind of explain what it what it looks like for an entrepreneur or business owner to do a pop up podcast. So yeah, I’d love to hear a little bit about that.
Magan Ward
Yeah. Okay, so obviously, this is my favorite thing to talk about. In early 2021. I had this idea for a pop up podcast event that was kind of like an audio webinar. Now I’m gonna pause just real quick and define what the heck up pop up podcast is. For those that have never heard this before. This is an audio event where my subscribers can listen in to a workshop style podcast episodes through their favorite podcast app. I keep our episodes bite sized, easily consumable, but the episodes were only available for about six days. Hence the pop part of the pop up podcast idea in it just that six days created a sense of urgency for people to listen in and consume before everything disappeared, right? And now this is my signature and trademarked process for getting new leads into my business. And it’s it’s really perfect for any online business, whether you’re a service provider, providing digital products or even group programs or courses. It’s just a fun, innovative way to just think outside the box to grow your email list and nurture leads and prospective clients. Yeah,
Haylee Gaffin
I love that mainly because I am not a huge fan of doing live things. So like live webinars scare me I it’s just yeah, my type of or my style of work, but a pop up podcast and like, being able to record it all beforehand and it’s such a better approach for people like me who just are not okay with live things.
Magan Ward
Yeah. And so cuz that’s how I kind of came up with this random idea because I was, I was struggling at the time to go live to teach. And everything was still wonky with the pandemic. And it was hard for me to know what the heck my kids school schedule was going to be at any given time. So, you know, know that we know all of this at the time of this podcast recording in 2022. I don’t have a podcast, so I had to do some homework and figure out how I was going to pull it all off. And it paid off, because this random idea that I had grew my email list by 78% in less than a month. So you know, it works. But the great thing is that it was all so easy to do. So anybody that’s listening that does not have a podcast, I did not have a fancy mic. I used my phone for everything I know. podcasters might cringe when they hear that. But the audio is pretty decent through my handy Android phone.
Haylee Gaffin
Yeah, I’ve actually had a couple of clients who were like on location and just wanted to have a really good conversation with someone who use the microphone on their phone. And were able to record a podcast episode and I really didn’t even notice that big of a difference. Now, I will say there. I’m a big fan of like having quality microphones and not using just the the one that comes on your computer. I don’t love that doesn’t sound that great. There’s a lot of echo. But no, I mean, you’re absolutely right. Like it does it. You shouldn’t like technology hold you back from doing something like this. Yes, exactly. Exactly. Yeah, awesome. Well, okay, when it comes to pop up podcasting for business owners, specifically, because I know I have a lot of podcasters, who listen to the show, but also a lot of business owners who have just thought about doing podcasts, what is the biggest benefit of a business owner doing a pop up podcast?
Magan Ward
Obviously, the biggest benefit is growing your email list. But growing it with warm leads and making them instant fans of your content. Because you’re meeting them exactly where they’re at, they can listen and consume your content on the go with this audio styled webinar, if you will. And it was really the biggest game changer for my business in my life. And when I was actually able to put plans in place to leave corporate, which was huge. And that’s what a lot of us out here are trying to do. Right? We’re just trying to get our business off the ground so that we can quit that nine to five.
Haylee Gaffin
Yeah, I love that. It’s so out of the box two, like it’s not something that I mean, before you came around. I hadn’t heard about it. The concept wasn’t something I was familiar with. And I mean, I think I heard you speaking on it in late 2021 on one of my own clients podcast, and I was like, this is brilliant. So I mean, we connected that was that had to be a year ago now. But yeah, I love that you thought out of the box for this and kind of made it so different than anything anyone else is putting out there. So I even took this concept. I didn’t do like exactly how you had it. But I use it for a challenge because I didn’t want to go live and have video because what I’m doing with my challenges is all for podcasting and audio. And so I did a similar concept of instead of being a popup podcast, I made it a challenge of like, you can go into my, you know, sign up through teachable and it’s hosted there. I know I’ve I’ve heard of your process. And it’s so much more streamlined and smartly put together. But for business owners alike that have not launched their podcasts or they’re still considering if a podcast is right for them. Do you think a pop up podcast would be a great place to start?
Magan Ward
Obviously, the answer is yes. Let me go back. So I do love your idea of a challenge my original one. Just to kind of piggyback off of that a little bit. The original puppet podcast, it was called kickstart your email list. And every day they had a little bit of homework to go do. So if they did not even have an account with an email marketing provider that day, they were going to go do that they hit already getting big given the pros and cons, what to look for. And so that’s just an example like you could use this for anything like you said, like the challenge. But back to this question. Yes, I do think that this could be a good idea for anybody out there. Like I said, I did it all for my phone. I uploaded the episodes from my phone into the program that I used, which was Hello audio. So I don’t want anybody to think like this is not like just launching a podcast because it’s not it’s probably a million times easier. If we’re really going to sit down and look at it because you don’t have to make any really big investments. You don’t have to have a super fancy Mac grifone you don’t have to go get an account with I don’t know y’all are gonna podcasters are gonna cringe again. Libsyn I guess is one or audio beam where you can actually hear Post your show, you don’t have to have all that you don’t have to make any of those investments or even hire an editor necessarily. Because I did edit on my phone too. So yeah, come at me, Haley.
Haylee Gaffin
I’m not I mean, I truly believe and I offer a lot of things based on the level that you’re at. So like, if you want to take the DIY approach, I have DIY courses, I have a shop full of products to help people who just aren’t ready for that investment. So I don’t think that a budget should keep you from launching a podcast of your dreams. But also, I love that pop up, podcasting does give you the opportunity to test it out to kind of see if you enjoy writing podcast episodes, or just talking through them. Because I’ve, I’ve seen I’ve experienced it myself where you get stuck and you don’t know how to navigate a conversation or when you’re actually like sitting down to do a solo show. And you’re thinking like, Oh, I could talk for 30 minutes, and then five minutes, and you’re done. And you’re like, Oh, what was I talking about? I’m a huge fan of short episodes. Most of my podcast episodes that are solo are under 10 minutes. So I’m okay with that. But it does take a lot of experience and going through it. So I think having the pop up podcast is a great opportunity for people to do those. Oh, yeah, absolutely. And then for really the people that have a podcast already, how do you recommend like if they wanted to try out a puppet podcast? What would be some good ideas for them to use it for? Like, how would you suggest that they navigate figuring out how to use a puppet podcast when they already have one.
Magan Ward
So I would say it may be just as simple for them, because you could utilize what you’ve already got and create a private RSS feed for this. I’m not super well versed in that. But those listening that have a podcast should know what the heck I’m talking about. And of course, it’ll create a link that listeners can plug into their own podcast app of choice. Now, some of my clients I’ll give you have some idea as to some of my clients use this method for their lead magnets to their email list, we have one that’s grown their email list by I think it’s almost 1400 subscribers just in four months, organically. It wasn’t a pop up podcast, but more like an evergreen series. So if someone doesn’t want to use this for a lot, or a fast growth event that can make it like an evergreen workshop, or an evergreen lead magnet or maybe an evergreen webinar, or like I’ve said, in this case, these girls that have this podcast, they are a true crime podcast. So that is the business right? They don’t, it’s not just an arm of their business like some of the rest of us out here. And so what they have is a source of Patreon. So they have a ton of extra episodes behind a paywall. They will take like, like a docu series. So think about something you would see on Netflix, like what was a recent one, keep sweet, pray and obey about what’s his name? Anyway, we won’t get into all the true crime today. But what they do sometimes is it’ll take like a series of those, it’s like a series of three to five episodes. So pull those out, put them on a private RSS feed. And even though they’re usually behind the paywall, you can opt into their email list and get that so think like, maybe there’s a certain series of an episode on a certain topic that you want to cover, you could make that just your actual lead magnet and not be some of your free episodes. If you have time to create a little bit of extra content.
Haylee Gaffin
Yes, I love that, especially like, I’ve considered taking that challenge that I did. So it was like a podcast planning challenge. And I’ve considered turning it evergreen in some capacity. So that I’m always kind of funneling people into my launch projects, or watch, you know, have a launch program, I have the course. And then just my one on one service. But like, that’s such a good idea to take that and turn it over. Yeah. So that you don’t, it’s not like just a one and done because that happened, you know, months ago, and I put in a lot of work, but I’m not sending anyone to it. No one can access it. Right?
Magan Ward
Yeah, use what you’ve already got. I think that would be genius. So I recommend doing that. And let me know how it goes. Because I really think that could be very, that’d be an amazing lead magnet just to have out there. Yeah. And you know, with it being audio, I mean, it’s so easy for people to listen on the go that that’s the beauty of it all. It’s just so easy. I think one of my favorite pieces of feedback from the first pop up podcasts that I did was just a fellow business owner and mom she was like I listen every night when I’m cooking dinner. I’ve just got my air pods in the kids are running amok around the house, but I’m actually listening and consuming and, and learning. She said I absolutely loved it. It was her best. It was her most favorite.
Haylee Gaffin
That’s amazing. I love that. So if someone was ready to get started with pop up podcasting, how could they A learn how to do it from you work with you like what does that look like?
Magan Ward
Yeah, so you can find all kinds of content about it on Instagram, of course. But I do have a course called the pop up podcast system, I do recommend checking out module one that I do give away for free, you can come and learn more about what is all included in it. I know Haley will include this in the show notes. It’s just making word.com forward slash, actually, I’m gonna say this. And it’s a mouthful. I’m not going to say it. I will include it in the show notes, I’m sure. So you can grab module one just to listen and see a little more about what it what it’s all about what it all includes. Awesome. Well,
Haylee Gaffin
I really appreciate that. Do you have any final words to share about popup podcasting? Or email marketing? Even with our audience in our listeners today?
Magan Ward
Yeah, just do it. It especially if you’re a podcaster, like the email is so important. We have grown What if my clients email list now let me let me tell you this, they had this true crime podcast for four years before they started doing anything with email. And we’re now we’ve just hit year five, we’ve been doing their email for a year and we’ve grown their email list from like, basically zero to I just looked at were 6700 subscribers, and it’s all organic over the last year, they can’t run ads, because they’re true crime. There’s all these you know, things against them on Facebook. So that’s all it’s all organic, and just having a strategy. So just start somewhere and just make it super simple. I know I mentioned I have the free module, I’ve got something else for free if you want it that you can grab if you’re a podcaster. It’s just called listeners to subscribers. It just walks you through everything you need to know about growing your email list and podcasts alongside each other. And that’s just Mega word.com, forward slash podcasters. And I’m sure Haylee will have that one in the show notes as well.
Haylee Gaffin
Yes, I can include that as well. I love that. Especially I wanted to throw this in here too, because I’ve created quite a few opt ins for my business and for my podcast. And I will say if you have created an opt in and I know this is a little different than pop up podcast, but if you have an opt in at all in your business, use it in your podcast, too, if your podcast is serving your business, and I think I may have talked about this on past episodes here, but I have taken podcast episodes, turn them into opt ins and promoted that often in the episode, but then also plug that on Pinterest. And I’ve seen such growth just from people like looking for a podcast budget worksheet because it stands alone. But on the worksheet I have a little blurb about like, go listen to this episode to like walk through the entire worksheet with me.
Magan Ward
Right? So you’re increasing your downloads and increasing your email list all at the same time. That’s the beauty of all of it, how it all works together so beautifully, beautifully.
Haylee Gaffin
Awesome. I love this. Well, I really appreciate you coming on and chatting with me. Where can our listeners find you?
Magan Ward
I am always on Instagram at the Megan ward. And that’s that’s mostly where I spend my time.
Haylee Gaffin
Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining us and I will talk to you soon. All right, thanks, Haley. Bye. If you’re anything like me, you love today’s conversation with Meghan about pop up podcasting. I think she is just so brilliant and thinking outside of the box and coming up with something so unique and creative. And just using podcasting as a way to stand out in your market, but also to test the waters with podcasting. Now, don’t forget, Meghan is a guest educator this month. Inside of MIC CHECK society, she is sharing the secret to increasing downloads and growing your podcast so make sure you head over to my check society.com and you can get access to this training and past trainings today. So head over to Mic check society.com And we’ll see you inside our Facebook group. This has been another episode of The clocking in podcast. You can find the show notes for this episode and more at Gaffin creative.com. Thank you so much for your listenership and support. If you love this episode, I’d be so honored if you leave me a review in the Apple podcast app. Until next time, I’m your host Haylee Gaffin clocking out.
