Looking for an easy way to increase podcast revenue? Ad spots and sponsor messages are great ways to monetize your podcast, but email marketing makes it easy to continue selling when you’re not on the air. Email gives you another “product” to sell to advertisers plus offers new audience revenue streams. Here’s how to monetize your podcast with email.
What is email marketing?
Email marketing is a cost-effective, proven strategy that makes it easy to continually connect with your audience. For podcasters, that means you can hold a dialogue with listeners through another popular channel when you’re not broadcasting. It’s a great way to promote your brand, preview upcoming episodes and maintain relevance.
To get started with podcast email marketing, you need to grow an email list. That should be easy if you already have an audience. Set up an opt-in subscribe form on your website and promote it during your podcast episodes. Tell your audience why they should subscribe: exclusive content, insider information, helpful tips and tricks, a freebie or some other incentive. You can even create a lead magnet to grow your list.
Once you’ve established your podcast email list, you can send regular emails that interest and engage your audience — ultimately keeping them tuned in to your podcast.
You can even use email automation tools to deliver a series of pre-made emails at timed intervals. That way you can focus on your podcast and still augment your content with email marketing.
The best part? You can use email marketing to monetize your podcast. Here are five ways to do it.
Paid ads and sponsored content
You probably already have paid advertisers and sponsor messages for your podcast. With a podcast email, you can sell more ad spots and sponsored content.
Tell your advertisers and sponsors about your email list. Let them know you can put their message in front of hundreds (or thousands) of subscribers eager to learn more about their products and services. You could offer ad spots as add-ons to their current advertising packages or as standalone products.
Your email needs to have value for your subscribers, so set clear parameters for paid content. You might limit it to an ad blurb at the beginning, middle or end of your content. Or, you might require sponsors to create content that’s relevant to your audience and allow a brief mention of their products or services.
It’s also a good idea to ask advertisers to offer your audience a discount. That way you’re still able to offer value through paid advertising.
Affiliate links
If you have products or services you recommend on your podcast, it’s a good idea to sign up for their affiliate programs. You can then promote the same products and services via email and earn a commission when your audience buys.
If a company doesn’t have an affiliate program, contact them about a joint venture in which a special link is created for you. That link can be tracked so you get credit for any sales you generate.
Like sponsored content, it’s a good idea to work with affiliate partners to offer your audience an exclusive discount. The benefits are twofold: You’re able to offer additional value to your subscribers and you increase the likelihood they’ll click your affiliate link and buy.
Exclusive content
Another great way to monetize your podcast with email marketing is to offer subscribers access to exclusive content. You can create a series of niche podcast episodes or an online course packed with valuable information your subscribers are willing to pay for.
Promote exclusive content to your podcast email list. You already have a trusting audience that’s invested enough in you to subscribe, so it’s likely they’re willing to pay for content they can’t get via your regular broadcast.
Motivate a quick response with a time-limited special offer. Perhaps your exclusive content is only available for a short time, or you offer email subscribers a 50 percent discount if they purchase access by a specific date. Be sure to list the benefits they’ll receive to create desire and influence sales.
Donations
Many podcasters thrive on audience donations. You can use your email list to request donations that enable you to continue producing high-quality content.
Patreon is a popular donation platform that allows you to offer incentives to donors: exclusive content, merchandise and even ad spots or sponsor messages.
A creative idea: Select a charitable cause your audience is passionate about, then pledge to contribute a portion of the donations you receive to that cause. That way you can simultaneously boost podcast revenue and make a positive impact that endears you to your audience. Keep your audience engaged with regular updates about how much they’ve helped donate and how the funds have improved their world.
Merchandise
Email marketing is a great way to promote your podcast merchandise. You might have online courses, books, digital services or even physical products to sell: coffee mugs, T-shirts, keychains and more. Perhaps you have a product that’s intrinsically linked to your niche. For example, a productivity podcaster might sell a day planner designed on the principles it preaches.
Set up an online store, then promote your products to your podcast email list. Again, you can influence more sales by offering special discounts and/or pledging a portion of proceeds to a charitable cause.
Email marketing offers many opportunities to monetize your podcast — even when you’re not on the air. Use these ideas to attract subscribers, keep them engaged and earn more money from podcasting.
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