Starting a podcast feels like a never-ending list of things to start or do, so it’s understandable why ‘podcast newsletter’ isn’t your most prioritized task. There are other more ready-made avenues for your podcast, like social media platforms and chat forums. So why bother with a newsletter just for your podcast?
1. Legitimize Your Brand
Your podcast is more than just a podcast. Whether it’s the central hub of what you do, or a new branch to an existing business or project, starting a podcasting means building up your brand. You’re building new associations and connections to yourself with your podcast. Building a podcast newsletter lets your listeners know that you’re dedicated to your podcast, and unlikely to abandon your work.
Just starting your podcast? A newsletter gives your podcast a more professional feel, regardless of your podcast’s vibe.
Using the podcast as an extension of your other work, like public speaking or writing? Use the newsletter to connect your podcast listeners to your main body of work.
With newsletters hitting your listeners straight in their inbox, you’re reaching out to them in an environment that automatically invokes a sense of purpose and professionalism. Compared to keeping your posting primarily to social media, which often invokes more of a lackadaisical vibe.
2. Foster Your Community
Social media is a great way for potential listeners to discover your podcast, but it also creates a less personable feel. When you post, unless you’re mentioning someone by name or asking a question to invoke a response, it can carry the same vibe as shouting into the void.
A podcast newsletter directly to someone’s email inbox is like extending a hand directly to the recipient. Whether your mailing list goes out to five people or five hundred, it’s a direct message to your listener and a direct invite to participate in conversation.
Your podcast newsletter is where you can also do things like highlight listener comments/reviews, or invite them to submit something they’re working on so that you can promote it. Offering ways for your listeners to be featured in your podcast makes the whole experience feel more conversational and engaging, and feeds back into your listener retention. Remember, if your audience is engaged with your podcast, they’re more likely to:
- Recommend your podcast online
- Introduce their family and friends to your content
- Buy your podcast merch
- Attend events that you will be at or come to your live shows
3. Monetize by Selling Ad Space
Your podcast isn’t the only place that you can feature advertising: as your podcast newsletter grows, you can offer spaces dedicated to advertising. For example, if you’re working one-on-one with a brand, you can offer them ad space in your newsletter alongside the ad space in your podcast to increase the value of your podcast. Or, if you’re not yet working with an advertiser, you can offer this space for fellow podcasters to buy advertising.
Your podcast newsletter also offers you a space to promote any affiliate links that you have, or run cross-promotion for other podcasters/creators. A newsletter is a blank canvas, meaning that it’s your chance to highlight what you want in whatever way best suits your needs.
4. Increase Your Discoverability
Newsletters aren’t just ways to reach your current audience, but also tools to help you discover new listeners as well. Your newsletter sign-up link is easy to share in your show notes, or your social media, or even with a QR code on a business card – these routes are easily accessible by everyone, and redirecting any visitors to those links will give them a quick look at what your overall content will look like.
Newsletters act as an amazing tool for boosting your podcast’s SEO – meaning that it’s boosting your appearance in search engine results. This will make it easier for new listeners to stumble upon your podcast and tune in.
Getting Started
No newsletter is built perfectly overnight. Envision what you want your newsletter to look like, and focus on the main elements that make your podcast newsletter uniquely yours, and start there. As you grow, you can add more segments, add the promotional space, invite collaborators, and more.
But the best way to get there is to get started! And you can get started today by checking out Podbean’s Mailchimp plugin for your podcast!
Well done
Pingback: Discoverability vs Retention: What You Need To Know For Your Podcast - Podbean Blog