The Ultimate Guide to Podcast Audience Growth
June 2020 Hello World!
We Are JAR AUDIO
This is all about growing your show
3 What you will learn in this guide:
How to think like a broadcaster
How to start
Understanding your audience
Competitive Analysis
Show objectives
Audience Growth Strategy
Promotion + Marketing
4 Who’s going to benefit from reading this?
Professionals leading brands looking to increase their engagement metrics (with the ultimate goal of driving revenue) by offering their audience loads of value
5 Why listen to us?
Our team at JAR Audio has done this very thing with some exciting brands, including:
6 Having a branded podcast is all about making meaningful connections between listeners and brands. Think like a broadcaster. Think like a broadcaster
Long are the days when you could produce a podcast, it would go viral and audiences would come in droves.
There are over 1 million podcasts today
Audiences seek out the niche topics they are interested in
So you have to think like a broadcaster every step of the way.
Not only will this mindset improve your podcast concept, but also your audience growth strategy.
9 Your audience growth strategy should be determined while you concept your show idea. And it all starts with understanding your audience. Where do we we start?
Facilitate a strategy session with your team to determine:
Target Audience - Who are we looking to reach, and what are our goals in reaching that audience? Note: If you are unaware who your audience is, you can commission custom research.
Competitive Analysis - Perform a competitive analysis to find opportunities, open space and advise cluttered show-types in your category, or that your audience is listening to already.
Show Objectives - Why is your brand launching a podcast? Are you looking to grow the brand? Grow your social channels? Hit a certain number of downloads?
12 Your Audience
On top of understanding who your audience is, we’ll dig deep into their podcast listening habits.
How do they listen to podcasts?
How much do they listen to podcasts?
What sort of podcasts are they listening to?
13 Competitive Analysis
A competitive analysis of other podcasts should uncover: Your Podcast
Which shows is your audience listening to?
Where are there opportunities?
Which shows are similar?
What are they doing that you like/dislike?
Are there opportunities to partner up?
14 Show Objectives
Get crystal clear on why you are producing the show:
To meet certain brand metrics?
To drive revenue?
To hit certain KPIs? (site traffic etc.)
15 Promotion + Marketing What you need to consider: 1. Messaging 2. Branding 3. Logos 4. Social Channels Messaging
Set your messaging standards:
What is going to capture our audience’s attention?
How are you going to stand out among others?
How do you describe the show?
What is the headline? Sub-head?
What is the call to action?
18 Branding
Set your show’s brand standards:
Does it tie back to your parent brand, or is it seperate?
What are the colours of the show?
Fonts?
Imagery?
19 Logos
What is the show’s logo:
Is it going to capture attention?
Simpler is better than complex
Does it work large and small?
Is there an avatar?
20 Social Channels
What channels does your audience use?
Linkein
21 Social Channels
How does our show live in social channels:
Look and feel
Language standards
Post length
Links
22 How do you speak to: 1. Listeners? 2. The Press? 3. Influencers? 4. Potential Partners? How do you speak to listeners?
What’s going to get them to listen:
What’s in it for them?
How are you delivering value?
Can you tease something?
Can you ask for them to share?
24 How do you speak to the press?
The press get pitched a lot:
What is going to capture their attention and report on your show?
What is different about your show?
Why should their audience care?
25 How do you speak to influencers?
How do you capture influencer’s attention and have them share your show:
What’s in it for them?
Why will their audience appreciate the share?
Can you offer them something in return for sharing your podcast?
26 How do you speak to potential partners?
Speaking to partners is similar to influencers:
What’s in it for them?
Outline how you see synergy
Why will their audience appreciate the partnership?
Can you offer them something in return for the partnership?
27 Promotion Strategy + Execution Promotion Strategy and Execution
Your podcast strategy needs to consider 6 key “buckets”:
Marketing PR/Earned Media Spotlight Partnerships and opportunities with Creation of publicity materials and Pitch directories to feature your media companies and social contact lists based on show topic. show on podcasting apps (Apple, platforms. Spotify, TuneIn, etc) based around theme, timing, talent, etc.
Cross Promotion Paid Opportunities + More The best listeners already Strategically place paid advertising Based on the type of podcast you understand podcasts.Set up in the right channels to increase are producing for your brand, what interviews with existing podcasts so exposure. existing channels can you their listeners can become yours. leverage? - Email list? - Employees? - Website? 29 Marketing
Consider partnerships and opportunities with media companies and social platforms. Example could include, but are not limited to:
Email Newsletter Landing Page Influencers LinkedIn Google AdWords
Ads on Other Thought Blog FB/Instagram Live Pre/Mid-Roll Shows Leadership
Social Content Podcast Event Press Release Physical Mailers Illustrations/GIFs
30 Marketing - Examples
Social Media Ads - Leveraging your existing social media platforms, you can develop fun, engaging content to share with your followers.
Expedia’s Out Travel The System by JAR Audio
31 Marketing - Examples
Blog - Create posts around: episode drops, behind-the-scenes, interviews, guest posts, etc. Bring out personality. Add guest posts from the production team, interview subjects, experts in the field, fanatical listeners, etc. Resurface old posts based on current events, holidays, etc.
Expedia’s Out Travel The System by JAR Audio 32 Marketing - Examples
Website or Landing Page - Ensure all subscribe options are clear and above the fold. Create dedicated episode pages to house guest photos, bonus content, behind-the-scenes photos from recording, etc.
Cineplex’s Hello Movies by JAR Audio
33 Marketing - Examples
Armchair Expert 34 Marketing - Examples
Trailer - Produce video and audio trailers to promote the podcast through social channels.
Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History
35 Marketing - Examples
FB/Instagram Live - Share live content as its happen (exciting announcements, recordings, interviews, future episode details).
36
These marketing examples just scratch the surface of what is possible. It's important that you produce a custom promotion plan for your podcast.
37 PR/Earned Media
You can identify relevant opportunities to pitch and shape stories. Example could include, but are not limited to:
Pitch Targeted Pitch Other Pitch Relevant Pitch Relevant
Media Podcasts Publications Newsletters
Write Press Thought Write Blog Posts Distribution Releases Leadership
Influencer Speaking Ghostwriting Outreach and + More Opportunities Collaboration
38 PR/Earned Media
39 Spotlight
Use your relationships with key allies in the podcast industry to have your show featured in the top podcast apps and directories:
Launch - Featured shows are based on editorial decisions. You can pitch Apple, Spotify etc to feature your show at launch.
Themes - Curated shows based around a specific theme (eg. Gripping Mysteries, Love Is In the Air etc.)
Talent - Episodes featuring specific talent (eg. All things Margaret Atwood)
Timing - Curated shows or episodes based around certain times of the year (eg. Holidays, Awards Season, Sports Championships etc.)
40 Cross Promotion
Establish relationships with other complementary podcasts to set up “cross promos” and extend your podcast into new audiences:
Identify Similar Audiences - Determine which podcasts share similar audiences and broker cross promotion opportunities with one another.
Identify New Audiences - Determine which podcasts can open us up to new audiences and broker cross promotion opportunities with one another.
Cross Produce - Hosts can swap shout outs, interview each other on our shows, share content to embed into shows.
Feed Swaps - Release an episode from their show in your feed, theirs in ours.
41 Paid Opportunities
Look for opportunities to advertise on some of the world’s most popular podcasts/podcast networks.
Baked In Your ad is part of the podcast content and lives in the content for the life of the podcast (ie. it does not change). ● Part of the show’s fabric ● No target, but native integration
Example providers:
Dynamic Ad Insertion The ad is served from an ad server and inserted into the content on demand. ● Offer precise targetability ● More control and flexibility
42 Based on your podcast server you will have access to analytic. Use that data to make changes in your promotion plan. ACCESS Would you like your brand to have a podcast?
JAR Audio is a full-service agency, but our services are scalable
6-episode season (30 mins per episode) is $48,000 plus promotion (scalable)
4 months to complete production and season release
We also offer audience growth strategy and execution services
Let’s start with a 30 minute consultation with Paul Stewart, Director of Outreach
JARAudio.com/bookachat 1 (604) 551-7918 [email protected]
45 Thank You, Good Luck and Happy Podcasting!