Podcast Growth Hack: The Promo Swap Strategy

Amplifiers. Welcome back to the Podcast Playbook. So today I want to talk about something that we get asked a lot, and that's how to grow our listenership. We all have a number of episodes out there, and it's just not either bringing in a lot of people or it's not converting as much as we would like. So we all have that organic growth. But today I want to talk about a trick that you can use called the promo swap. And so I'm going to break down exactly what a promo swap is, how they work, why they're effective, and the steps that you can use to make sure that they grow as your downloads, alright, so what exactly is a promo spot? So very simply, it is, when you promote a podcast, another podcast on your show, and they do the same for yours. So think of it is the I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine. But in podcast form.

So there are few ways that we can do this, alright. So first there is a very, just a very quick pre roll mention. So at the very start of your episode, you're just going to introduce the other podcast, saying, Hey, before we dive in today's topic, let's want to tell you about this podcast that I've been loving. Then there's the mid roll promo, and so, of course, this comes in the middle of your podcast. Often it's using a short recorded trailer from the other podcast host. So it's not you talking about them, it's not you stopping in the middle of your interview, or whatever you're doing. It's just something that little ad that you're going to insert in. There's the post role shout out, which is obviously at the end. And this is where the you're going to catch, the more loyal listeners. They're the ones who have stuck around to listen to all the content. And sometimes you can do something called a episode swap. Now this could be playing an episode of theirs dropping on a different day that your podcast normally goes. So for example, if you release your episodes on Tuesday, you could record a quick introduction and then drop their best episode onto your Rs feed to do it that way, alright?

So each way has its own perks. So of course, the pre roll is grabbing your attention right away. It's very early in the episode, and people are listening. You've got the mid roll, which is going to land when your listeners focuses are high, all right. Then you've got the post roll, which I said, is going to hit those die hard fans, the ones who are really listening to every single word that drops in. And those are the ones that you really want to get too, and then the episode swaps. You're just giving your audience and their audience a real taste of another show style. Alright?

So let's talk about why these work better. So a lot of people focus on the buying and selling of ads now that can just come across as spam. So with doing these promo swaps, it really comes down to having a sense of trust the podcast. Listeners have a close relationship with their hosts. They have a close relationship with you. They've known to they've come to know and like and trust you. So when you recommend another show, it feels more like a friend saying, Hey, check this out, this than just having a random pop up on a website type thing. Alright, so here's the bonuses of one. You've got your audience overlap. So if your show is about leadership, you're not going to necessarily look for other podcasts in leadership, but you may instead want to swap with a productivity podcast. You're hitting an audience already primed for the content, and we've got trusted recommendations, like I mentioned before, a shout out from a host is like social proof, people are way more likely to act on it. Of course, it's budget friendly. It costs nothing to do this, besides your time to work out the ins and outs of the collaboration, and then it's relationship building. So every promo swap builds connection with the other host, and that can open your doors to getting other guests partnerships or future collaborations. Yeah.

So let's talk about how to do this the right way. Alright, let's break it down step by step one, finding the right partners. So look for shows in your niche, but not direct competition. I just mentioned that earlier, so you're not looking to compare apples to apples. If you're a leadership coach, partner with a productivity or a entrepreneur podcast, their audience is already primed to want to listen to what you have to say. Step two, match the other hosts, engagement, not their numbers. All right, so it's great to have, you know, get in front of a podcast host who has 1000s upon 1000s of listeners, wonderful, but if they're not engaged, they're not active, and getting in front of passive listeners is really doing you no good. So don't get caught up in the overall metrics of downloads, but instead ask them about how engaged their audience is. That's really what you want. You want to get in front of an audience that is engaged, and the same for them. So when you are approaching someone else, talk about your engagement of your audience, as well as ask them about theirs. So of course, step three, create a killer promo. So this is huge. Don't just say, check out this podcast that's not going to help anybody. Record something with energy, personality and a clear hook. Think of it as a movie trailer that you want to make people click right away to subscribe or to go listen. All right. Need to draw them in. Step four is set clear expectations when you're working with the other host. So agree upfront. When will the podcast run, or the promo, I should say, How long will it be? What format is it going to take? Make sure you have clear communication, because you want to avoid those headaches later from misunderstandings. All right, if you're doing a full episode, drop of theirs, is it going to stay permanently on your RSS feed, or is it just going to run for a certain time, that type of thing? Alright? And step five, track your results. So when you are having your show on someone else, and you're giving them a place to go, either have a landing page, a promo code that they can use, or even a trackable link so that you can go back and take a look at your analytics to find out if the swap is actually Working and bringing people over to you.

Alright, so how does this? Can this actually explode your downloads? It can, and this is where the magic happens. A single promo swap can put you in front of hundreds of new listeners, maybe 1000s of million, on how big their audience is, and those listeners are already in the podcast mode, so you're not trying to gain new people who are just exploring you've got a set audience already, but the real momentum builds when you do it consistently. So imagine yourself doing five swaps over the next few months. Each run brings in a new wave of fresh listeners. Some stick, some don't. That's just the way it goes. Some will share your show with others, and before you know it, you've got built steady, organic growth. Think of it as word of mouth for podcasting, all right? And if someone comes from another listener that they trust, it's going to carry more weight than any ad campaign that you could buy to get them there.

Alright, so let's talk about some of the mistakes the want to give you some words of caution. Promo swaps are powerful, but only if you do them right? So here's what I want you to avoid. One we've we talked about this ray swapping outside your niche, alright? Fear show about entrepreneurship and you want to get in front of a large crowd, so you try to work something out with a crying podcast, your list their listeners are going to can be confused. You need to make sure the relevance of your swap is more important than the actual amount of reach you're going to get. Okay, overloading your episodes. You don't want to have too many promos, because it's just going to feel. Me, it's going to feel inauthentic. And so keep that balance in mind, and skipping the details. If you don't clarify the timing, format, length with the other hosts ahead of time, it's just going to get messy. So make sure you have that worked out.

So here's my challenge for you this week, I want you to think of one podcast host that you admire. I want you to reach out to them. Make it a simple pitch, make it authentic and because you just never know where your next wave of listeners might be and they could be their audience, alright, if today's episode gave you a few ideas, share with anybody else who's into podcasting that you feel could use a growth boost. If you're talking with the person that's you're wanting to do a podcast, well, share the episode with them so they can hear the ideas behind it. Let's get out there and spread the word. How well these promo swaps work. So until next week, happy podcasting.