Are you looking to grow your podcast audience? It’s easy to focus on new listeners, but have you thought about those who are already in contact with you? Let’s look at how to use email to connect with your current audience and deepen the relationship with your listeners.
Newsletters vs mailing lists
Newsletters add value and are almost a product in and of themselves. They’re about leading with value and building trust. Think of them as an extended blog that people come to expect at a regular time. Mailing lists, on the other hand, are about wider communication and announcements, like new product launches and special offers. Once you’ve earned the trust of your audience by providing value regularly, you can then send out these announcements to your mailing list and people will be more receptive.
How to grow your email list
One way is to offer lead magnets like workbooks, cheat sheets, checklists, templates, or even Notion pages. These are things that are useful and valuable to your audience and they can download them in exchange for their email address. You can also automate an email campaign that sends out a new episode of your podcast when it drops. This is called RSS by email and it’s supported by services like MailChimp, MailerLite, ConvertKit, Aweber, GetResponse, and Campaign Monitor.
Once you have an email list, it’s important to segment it using tags or categories. This allows you to differentiate and target different groups of people in your list based on their interests. You can then use these tags to send out targeted emails about specific topics that your audience is interested in.
What to do once you have your email list
You want to deepen the relationship with your listeners by inviting them to take the next step. This could be an email nurture sequence that guides them through a particular process, or it could be a friendly email that asks how they’re getting on with something they downloaded. The key is to be human and show that you’ve taken the time to reach out to them.
Calls-to-action within your episode
When it comes to your episode, it’s important to have a clear call to action. This should be something that benefits the listener in exchange for their email address. Remember, this is a long-term relationship that you’re building, so it’s important to take it slow and not jump straight into a sales pitch. Offer something that’s useful and valuable to them, and invite them to take the next step with you.
Wrapping it up
Email is a great way to connect with your current audience and grow your podcast. Remember to offer lead magnets, segment your list, and invite your listeners to take the next step with you. By building a relationship with your listeners, you’ll create a loyal audience that will support you for years to come.
Mark Steadman
Helping seasoned, soulful entrepreneurs use their podcast to build trust and create long-lasting, rewarding relationships with their listeners.