instead, value connections and relationships built through more intimate settings
Last year, at the start of October, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp all went offline due to a server issue. The outage lasted six hours.
Cue the immediate flocking of people to Twitter, as they looked to see if it was just for them or if others were having issues too.
As a result, messaging app Telegram also crashed as users rushed from WhatsApp and overloaded the Telegram servers. Man, this Monday was not fun for so many people!
And yet… This is a perfect example of why you shouldn’t rely on social media for promoting your podcast. Heck, why you shouldn’t rely on social media full stop, and exert more control over your podcast’s outlets.
Why Your Website and Email Marketing is Key to Podcast Growth
When it comes to promoting your podcast, I’m a huge proponent of you needing a website for your show and, ideally, combining that with email marketing.
Sure, podcast apps are the preferred resource for many podcast listeners. But they can also have issues, as Apple’s relaunched Podcasts Connect portal proved.
Depending on the technical comfort of your listeners, apps could also be preventative when it comes to how listeners consume your show.
They may not want more apps on their phone
Their data plan might be restrictive
They may have firewalls on their phone that prevent apps from being added
This is where a website comes into its own. Since you can’t promote your podcast on social media when these platforms are experiencing downtime, you still need a place where your episode is easily accessible and shareable.
Facebook down? No matter – your site is there with its podcast player, ready to be listened to at any time. And now, with people looking for something to do since Facebook is out of commission, now would be a perfect time to listen to the latest episode of your favourite show (there’s your marketing update right there).
You can easily take advantage of social media being down, too, by sending an email to your subscribers saying something as simple as, “You know what’s not down? My podcast. Listen now while waiting for social media to come back online!”
Example. Let’s say I’ve just launched a new episode, but social media is down. No worries – all I need is my podcast host and their podcast player, and my email marketing software (AWeber). Embed on my site, publish, share via email.
Simple. Quick. Effective.
And if you don’t want to have to worry about building your own site, take advantage of the free option your podcast host comes with, if they offer podcast sites. Here’s mine.
So, yes, by all means, build your podcast marketing on social media, and around podcast apps.
But don’t forget to build your platform around your owned content (website and email marketing), because you never know when rented land (social media) will close down.
Converse with your social media connections and look at ways to have them sign up to email
Tag these subscribers as social media, so you can send direct emails related to the platform (Twitter, Facebook, etc) they came from
Continue to nurture the social media connection and ideas they’d like to see in your segmented email
Do this, and the next time social media takes a big dunk you won’t be too concerned, because you know the valued connections and relationships, along with podcast listens, are just an email away.
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