You’re listening to this podcast to learn all the ins and outs of running an eCommerce business, but have you ever thought appearing as a guest on one yourself?
In today’s episode, we're talking about how can you use podcast guest spots and podcast advertising to help grow your product-based business and the best ways to approach find a show that is going to have your ideal customers listening to it.
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What are the main ways that product-based business can use podcasting into their marketing strategy?
You can send your product to a podcast that has the same target audience as you. Podcasters are a very specific niche.For example, you are eCommerce business owners, so if someone like Klayvio, wants to get access to their ideal customer, they know they can come to this podcast. It’s so easy to identify those niches within the podcast space and to find a show that is going to have your ideal customers listening to it.
Where are the typical podcast ad placements?
Usually podcasts are selling three slots.
- The pre-roll, which comes before the episode.
- The mid-roll, which inserts itself in the middle, and is the most expensive because it has the best chance of actually being listened to.
- The post-roll, which is after the episode.
When you’re listening to a show, it’s really easy to fast forward through the beginning and cut it off when they’re done with their episode.You’re more likely to let the mid-roll keep playing, especially if you’re driving or running on a treadmill. It’s the most expensive, but it’s also the most powerful.
Do you have any insight into what advertising on a podcast costs?
Somewhere between 15 to 30 CPM is a rate today. It’s approximate usually 25, 20 25 seconds roll at course 15 CPM. So. Board because January is like a hundred thousand listens that’s $1,500 for that a mid-roll goes for like around 30 CPM and the post the end of the show adds cost around 10 CPM.
What sort of podcasts should you target?
It’s easier to target smaller podcasts that have 1000 or so listeners per episode because they’re often super niche and they have really engaged audiences, versus the big guys, who’ve got millions of followers. Just like influencer marketing, it’s not always more valuable to work with big numbers. If you have a business and it targets a specific niche, try to concentrate on smaller or middle-sized podcasts because it gives you better results than the big shows.
Is there a minimum commitment you have to make for podcast advertising?
Sometimes there is a limit. Some people want you to sponsor 3 episodes, others don’t have limits. There may even be some shows requiring you have to run it for a month or more.For bigger shows, there will be financial minimums, like specific dollar amounts that you have to hit.
But in this instance, we’re not talking about those big shows. When you go to a smaller creator, you’ve got a lot more flexibility because you are likely dealing directly with the podcaster versus when you go to one of those bigger shows who is part of a production company. Honestly, you will not find your people there, anyway. Focus on those small creators and think about:
- Who is your audience?
- What are they listening to?
- What else do they care about?
If you sell a product that you market to entrepreneurs, there are a ton of podcasts that you can connect with because there’s so many people talking to other entrepreneurs, like a lifestyle product, or a CBD product—both are great for entrepreneurs too.
Is there a difference between advertising on a show and truly partnering with a podcaster?
There is. Partnering is more like you and the podcaster getting together in business. Instead of paying for ads, you can offer a percentage of the product selling through the show. You could also find a YouTube channel, which also podcasts because they’re creating content, but they’re not sure how to monetize that content. Perhaps they put the ad in the videos or the description is affiliate links leading to Amazon, and they get around 3% if someone clicks through.
That’s the big difference between working with a smaller, more niche person versus the big guys. The big guys are a straight up business. They have their production company; you talk to their ad salespeople, they send you a proposal and you sign.
Smaller, more niche podcasts are really looking at the relationship that they’re building with you. It takes a bit more work to find the right people, but it has a better ROI in the end so don’t be afraid of that little extra work. If you find someone who has a podcast on YouTube and they have no clue how to monetize the content, when proposing a partnership or collaboration, you let them know you built an audience and a solid email list and you can launch a product for those people. That could be a great way to launch a new product or even a product brand with these content creators in the longer term.
Even doing a collaboration with them that gives you access to their audience. It gives them something to promote and you can split the sales with them. So it’s a really great way to get yourself in front of other people while also serving them.You’re creating such a deep relationship with them that they’re just going to want to continue to support your business because you’re the one that helped them put this all together.
How can product based business owners find guest spots on other podcasts? Is it even worth it?
When an entrepreneur goes on a podcast as a guest, it’s not to sell a product. It’s to tell a story to tell or to teach something.Podcast hosts are definitely excited to have guests to fill up their content calendar because they talk to new people, their audience gets to hear new perspectives, and guests bring value without the host having to create new content all by themselves.
It’s just like when you create an evergreen blog post for your website or content for social media you’re not just pushing your product, you’re considering other things, other ideas and other problems that your potential customer has related to your product and how you can educate them.
Maybe you’re targeting entrepreneurs who work from home and you can talk about how important how you feel is to your overall productivity—you can talk to people about how we should still get up and getting dressed every single day even though we’re sitting on our butts at home working.
You can also talk about how you’re a small business owner and what your entrepreneurial journey has been because we all love to support each other. If they want a product like yours, they’re more likely to check you out.You can connect and network with the host because the host can be your ideal client. And you can build the authority, lead generation, getting traffic, build backlinks, build your brand—there’s so many options with just one single broadcast.
Practice makes perfect
Starting with smaller podcast guesting allows you to improve your speaking, develop your story and hone your message. Just like a musician starts as a busker. You don’t have to start with Tony Robbins. Start with a small show, so if you screw it up, you don’t screw up Tony Robbins.Once you find your story and your angle, you get to reuse that.
You don’t need a new story or a new angle for every podcast, You need a story/angle for each specific niche, but you can tell the same stories, cover the same stuff over and over again.
Over time, there is an option to come up with better topics. See what works, note what your audience responds better to.Never give up your efforts because it usually takes six to 12 months to see the results—it’s definitely a long-term strategy, but you have to be consistent. Do it every single month.
I want to start my own podcast—is the podcast space overcrowded?
The podcasting space is still in its infancy. There are new podcasts popping up all the time, but so many people start and don’t continue because it is a long-term play.
The ones who stick around have strong, engaged audiences who tune in every single week. There are many podcasts shows that stop after 7 or 8 episodes, so if you’re committed to go through with running podcasts or being a podcast guest, don’t give up on the seventh episode. It has to be about serving, giving value, making connections, networking, and all of that other stuff will follow.
How do you get started as a guest podcaster? Any tips or tricks you can give us for pitching?
Make sure you are really clear about the value you can bring and how it’s going to help them.Do your research about the host, do your research about the show and listen to a couple of episodes to at least feel the vibe of it. When a yoga instructor is sending a pitch to an eco podcast, you have to ask why? What value can you give? How do your products or services align? Do your research. C
raft a good reach out email that is not too short, not too long and straight to the point. Focus on the host and on the show—not on yourself. Stand out. Serve the show and the host. How can you give value to the listeners? What can you bring to the show? Our businesses are not about us. They’re about the people that we serve. It’s the same thing when you’re reaching out to a podcast host because it’s really about their audience and how you can help them better serve their audience.It’s also important to follow up.
Try to follow up 2-3 times and then leave them alone. You don’t want to be a stalker but you do have to follow it up in 3-6 months. That’s when the magic happens. Another touch point is leaving a genuine, positive review as a connection.
Use podcasts as market research
When it comes to creating content, always use words that your ideal customer is using. If you are going to a sell a product for moms, listen to mom podcasts. You’re going to hear them talk about the things that they’re struggling with, what they’re looking for, how they’re trying to solve their problems.
60 or 70% of the people listening podcasts because they want to learn something. It’s an amazing place for you to do market research and figure out what is your audience is struggling with and what they need from you. What can you speak to? What type of content can you create?
You can use that as inspiration while you’re researching podcasts to be on. It’s a win-win and you’re going to learn some stuff along the way.
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Episodes Mentioned
66. How to Do Affiliate Marketing for Product-Based Businesses
