Affiliate Ninja Virtual Summit

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Traffic Academy: Get In the Driver’s Seat! (Part 1)

If you have a website, you have to understand online traffic.
Entrepreneurs who know how to drive traffic to their sites (and convert it), are the ones who are making 5, 6, and 7 figure incomes.
As for those who haven’t quite figured out the traffic formula…they are more in the 2, 3, and 4 figure range.
As you can see, traffic is a crucial piece to the online business puzzle.
So, we created this guide to teach new digital marketers owners how to use it effectively.
We’ll start by introducing you to online traffic and all the basics.
Then, you’ll learn tried-and-tested traffic strategies that work, so you can hit the ground running!
Since there’s a lot to cover, we’re breaking the training down into 2 parts:

• Part 1 (that you’re reading now) will teach you the methods of driving free traffic
• Part 2 will dive into paid methods of driving traffic

Let’s get started!

Online traffic basics

What is online traffic?

Online traffic or web traffic is technically the data that moves between online visitors and the websites they visit.
But, from a marketing standpoint, traffic really refers to the flow of visitors to a location online – whether that is a website, a landing page, a social media profile or anything of the sort.

Why is online traffic important?

For one, online traffic equals people visiting your website.
In the digital world, this is the equivalent of people coming into a physical store.
The more people who visit, the more opportunities you have to close sales.
More sales mean more revenue and who doesn’t love that?
Plus, traffic can provide great data and insights into a website’s performance.
For example, you can see where traffic is coming from, allowing you to invest more into the channels with the highest ROI.
Or, alternatively, you could see that a sign-up page isn’t as effective as it needs to be, and enable you to make edits to your copy – improving conversions accordingly!

How is online traffic measured?

Online traffic can be measured very simply.
All web servers generate a log file where traffic statistics are kept.
This data can be easily viewed and managed for free through Google Analytics or various other heat map/analytics tools.
When looking at online traffic statistics, the key metrics which you can learn from include:

• The number of visitors pages receive
• Average page views generated by each unique visitor. Higher page views indicate a visitor showing an interest in a site and looking at the various pages it offers.
• The duration that each visitors stays at a particular website. Again, the longer they stay on a website the more interested they are.
• The duration they spend on each particular page.
• Times when most traffic is generated.
• The most popular pages.
• The pages first viewed. This helps to show which pages are attracting people to your website.
• Exit pages. Those that cause visitors to leave a website.
• Paths. How visitors navigate through your site.

How do websites gain traffic?

Earning traffic can be done in numerous ways, some of which are free and others which are paid.
In this first part of the series, we will take a closer look at the following free methods you can (and should be) utilizing:

• Email marketing
• Blogging
• Social media
• SEO

Free Traffic Methods

Email Marketing

The first free traffic method we’re going to cover in Part 1 is email marketing.
Email marketing becomes a traffic source when you drive traffic from your emails.
By adding links and enticing copy to your messages, you can direct subscribers to visit your website, an affiliate offer or another place of interest online.
Email marketing traffic should always be driven by personalized emails that are relevant to where the recipient is in the buying cycle (i.e. new visitor looking for information, has shown interest in specific products or services, has made a purchase, long time loyal customer).
This way, the messages help to engage readers and nurture them further through the buying cycle.
How effective is email marketing?
It has shown to offer the highest ROI of any online marketing tactic!

Email Marketing Best Practices

Emails are a great opportunity to entice your audience with promotions.
A key to successful conversions is segmenting your audience properly.
You want to send the right message at the right time.
For example, a 10% off coupon would be a good idea when someone has left their shopping cart before checkout.
Besides promotions, you can stay at the forefront of your audience’s mind by sending regular monthly newsletters which share what’s new, links to blogs (more on those next), recent projects, or industry related news.
This helps to build the relationship and keep your audience engaged.
By choosing your links wisely, you can drive customers back to your website on a regular basis.
You can use Sendlane to engage your audience and send out timely, personalized emails right now!

Blogging

Next up is blogging.
You probably read a few blogs regularly but may not know they are a key tactic for increasing traffic to a website.
Research shows blogging can increase traffic by 55%.
Blogs provide an opportunity to inform potential customers about your company while sharing information that is useful and interesting to them.
Blogs work to drive traffic through SEO tactics and links.
In the example below you’ll notice this blog article has internal links to a variety of helpful resources available elsewhere on the site.
The author is sharing valuable content that not only teaches the reader about the subject, but also more about what the company can offer:

Blogging Best Practices

When writing blogs you want to think along the same lines as you use on social media which means quality, engaging content.
People want to be informed, entertained, or inspired… not blatantly sold to.
So write about topics related to your industry that customer want to know about and that they will find interesting.
You want to show users how your products or services can be used in daily life, and guide them through FAQs about them.
Once they are interested in the actual messaging in your blog posts, they may find subtly included links to your products and services helpful.
As far as optimizing blogs, keywords will come into play and long tail keywords are helpful.
You will want to optimize all posts with keywords, tags URLs, and Meta descriptions which work like the directions for search engines to find them.
Also, Google looks for active sites that are providing consistent content so you will want to plan a blog schedule with regular posts and stick to it!

Social media

Practically everyone is on social media nowadays, which means these platforms are senda great source for traffic.
In fact, you’d be missing a huge opportunity if you didn’t make efforts on the different platforms (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, etc.).
To use social media channels effectively you will want to post content that your followers see as relevant.
This should also include links to your website, so customers can easily make the jump, like this example from the Sendlane Facebook page:

 

Most importantly, social media shouldn’t be used just to promote your website but should have content that will interest your followers.
For example, share relevant blogs, free eBooks, videos, online courses or webinars that will draw followers to your website – like the “Free Training” shown in the example above!
Post on a consistent basis about stories, thoughts, photos, and videos that relate to your business but are not just about your business.
Remember: People don’t go on social media to be sold, they want to be entertained, engaged, and are looking to interact socially, so humanize your brand and post content that people will find helpful. 

Social Media Best Practices

As we said, social media is a place to engage with people and it offers a broader reach than most any other marketing medium. (1/5^th of the world’s population is now on Facebook!)
One of the best ways to reach an audience of people who will likely be interested in your business is to look to influencers in your industry.
Who is making big waves and generating a lot of attention?
You want to target their audience and build relationships with them.
To do this, you can begin engaging with the influencer’s page with likes, comments, and shares.
You can also create infographics, tutorials, or whitepapers that offer value to others in your industry (not just your customers), add your name and link to them, and send them to influencers.
This can be a great way to get more exposure and build your network as others share your work.
After some rapport has been established, you can ask if you would be able to guest post on their page, channel, site, or blog, or if they would like to work out another type of collaboration.
Furthermore, you want to become known in your industry yourself and can do so by joining groups and participating actively.
Remember you don’t want to go in with a mindset of sales, but of positioning yourself as a thought leader in your niche with helpful and relevant information.
Comment on issues, reply to any messages, and participate in conversations.
This will build trust and credibility.
Once your audience starts to flock, be prepared with a call to action button on your page for those who are interested.
Also, continue to nurture your relationships with consistent valuable content.
A good practice is to provide 80% engaging content and 20% promotional on social media.

SEO

Next up is SEO, which Google in particular has made very important for businesses.
Just “Google it” is such a common phrase because search engines have made information so easy to find!
All you have to do it a quick search and a world of information is at your fingertips.
From answers to the most random questions to the “best of” specific products and services.
Because of that, having your website featured on the first page of search engine results is paramount!
It takes time but the first 3 search results account for about 65% of clicks!
The top results are often viewed as the most credible or highest quality, which is great for anyone who does the work to make it there.
Plus, when you get there organically, you have the added benefit of retaining your position longer than paid results.
Even if you stop SEO efforts, it takes about 3-6 months to drop off.
To improve search engine rankings for a website, you need to make sure your website includes a number of SEO techniques.
Of course, you need to start with quality content, but others include the use of keyword targeting as well as inbound link building amongst others.
In the screenshots below, you can see the landing page for Macy’s women’s dresses.
This page ranked #1 for women’s dresses so let’s take a look at what they are doing.

 

They display all of their dresses for sale first and then accompany the page with a keyword-packed piece of content at the bottom of the page.
These keywords shows search engine crawlers what the page is about and help it come up for a variety of searches.
This page would trigger results for cocktail dresses, little black dress, bridesmaid dresses, and more.

 

If you are unsure of how SEO works, take a look at our SEO 101 article to learn more.
From there, you’ll develop an understanding of how to be sure your website hits all the marks.

SEO Best Practices

While SEO is a very detailed topic that experts take years to understand and perfect, there are a few best practices that can help.
First, keywords are the bridge between seekers and results.
You need to perform an in-depth analysis of what words your audience uses when looking for your products or service.
Over time, you can track, test and optimize your keywords.
Also, functionality is very important as web consumers these days will leave after mere seconds of waiting for your web page to load.
This means anything that causes slow loading (rotating banners, clunky media, etc.) needs to be trimmed.
On the same note, mobile friendliness is a major ranking factor now so you need to be sure your website is responsive and designed with mobile customers in mind.
Build your site for speed, this not only means fast loading but easy navigation, content written for easy scanning, and have the most pertinent information prioritized.
Lastly, your website is on the world wide web, right?
The key word there is web – meaning the more connected it is, the better.
Links are the way you make connections.
Integrating them should be done to direct visitors deeper into your own website, as well as making connections from other sites to yours.
The more high authority sites that link to your site, the more valuable you will look to search engines.

Drive Traffic to Drive Sales

Traffic is what will make or break an online business.
But it doesn’t magically appear once you create a website.
Your website is just one piece of a larger puzzle which only attracts traffic when it’s all put together.
So is driving traffic to your website easy?
I wouldn’t say so.
However, it is very possible when you know what to do and have the dedication to follow through!
Plus you have these 4 methods to get started with right away!
Ready to learn how to drive even more traffic to your website?
The second and final part of this series which focuses on paid traffic sources will be available next week, so stay tuned for Traffic Academy: Part 2.



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9 Reasons Why Your List is the Most Important Asset in Your Online Business

Today I want to share with you a list of 9 reasons why your LIST is the most important asset in your online business and for your online success.

These reasons/rules/tips apply to anyone who’s working online (and even some cases offline).

So take this list and realize why an EMAIL LIST is such an important asset to your online success and why I’m such a strong advocate of why you need one.

1.  List building is a CORE fundamental element of any online business.

As a digital marketer – I would not have an online business without my list or the knowledge of building a list.  You should learn list building inside and out, understand it, embrace it, and utilize those skills.

2. Your list is an ASSET.

Treat the members of your list with respect – as your LIST is your business and chances are all your lifetime client/customers on that list.  Treat your customers as you’d treat your mother.

3. Treat your list with love.

Treat them like you would treat a lady or man on a first date.  Offer them unexpected gifts and they will do the same for you.

4. When you speak to your list use YOUR voice.

If you copy and paste or send your list “blind” emails, expect copy and paste, or blind results.  Speak to your list as you would speak to your customer face to face.

5. Your email is your “reach”.

When you send an email to your list that’s you publicly making a statement.  Make sure your message is clear and you can stand proudly behind it.

6. People check email out of daily habit.

They don’t visit websites daily, but they do check their email every day.  Email marketing allows you to stay in contact with your customers daily.

7. Out of all the emails they get, they opened YOURS.

This is a sign of TRUST.  People get a lot of emails and if they are opening yours, you should embrace that.

8. ‘You get 80% of your list from 20% of your customers’.

This saying definitely pertains to your email list.  20% of your list will always trust you and not only buy anything you tell them to but they will even market FOR you – spreading your word to their friends and family.

9. Your competition has a list.

The digital marketing world is HUGE but let’s face it: it’s still an open marketplace.  Just as you’re on MANY lists your subscriber is too.  You HAVE to stand out.

I made this list was while working on Build My List and with all of the updates to the training, I realized that all the successful internet marketers in the world all have a “big email list.”

Coincidence?  I think not, but share your thoughts below and let me know what you think!

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Launch your business the right way - in 30 days

Did you have a chance to think about making a commitment to start a true online business by joining Launch an Online Business Masterclass that launches next week?

In case you need a reminder – this four-week class walks you through all the little details of starting an online business from scratch. On top of taking a deep dive into creating your mission, business model, website, launch, and initial audience, you’ll also have access to weekly live training every Friday.

These sessions taught by experts on the ConvertKit team will give you the chance to learn each topic more deeply than you can with any written or recorded lessons, and it also gives you face-to-face time for Q&A’s around anything you need help with (don’t underestimate the value of being able to ask questions!).

To further support your journey as you (finally!) take your business seriously and build it the right way, you’ll also be a part of a Facebook Community group with other students going through the masterclass. Accountability. Encouragement. Fellowship. It’s all there.

Launch an Online Business Masterclass starts October 2, and it’s completely free.

Think about that for a second. You’ve been around the Internet for more than a minute or two, so you know that learning resources usually come in two varieties:

• Free - costs nothing but you get what you pay for: usually written, hard to determine credibility, DIY in nature (no live help)
  
• Paid - (sometimes) higher quality, (sometimes) more credible, can come with some support (live or not)

I’m giving you a chance to have the all pros of both these, with none of the cons.

On top of it all, ConvertKit is including a 30-day trial of the best email marketing product for creators like you. Which will cost, you guessed it, nothing upfront.

Again, the masterclass kickoff is just a few days away, so take advantage of this no-brainer commitment to yourself and the future of your business today.

Register here for this free Masterclass

Are Online Courses the Right Move for Your Online Business?

 As online entrepreneurs, we’re all looking for ways to increase our profitability. With only so many hours in the day, having multiple streams of income in your business can help you quickly level up your online business.

You probably have noticed a significant rise in the sheer number of business owners who are offering online courses to their audience. You’d have to be living under a rock not to!

What you may not know is exactly what goes into an online course, or why it’s revolutionizing the way we learn and earn an income online.

To start understanding the what and why, we first need to define what an online course actually is.

What is an online course?

An online course is essentially a collection of lessons on a central topic that can be accessed on the web from anywhere and is often broken into modules with in-depth lessons underneath each umbrella topic.  Many educators call this “distance learning” because there are no location limitations.  

While online education is nothing new, its influence in the world of online business in the last two to three years has been staggering.

We’ve seen many online business owners go from full-time freelancing to solely selling online courses. Years ago, that would have seemed risky, but today it’s become almost a new normal.

Now anyone with a computer and Internet access can sign up for an account and start selling an online course. And while it may seem like the marketplace is already oversaturated with online courses, we’re really only at the beginning.

There’s still so much room for you to grow your online business through online courses. But you still might be wondering what the big deal really is. So why are they worth working into your current business model?

What can an online course do for your online business?

Online courses provide the unique opportunity for you to teach a wide audience about a topic in your particular skillset. And not only do online courses generate more revenue, they also build your online business’ credibility and authority. This is important in building trust with your audience as the go-to expert in your field, all of which lead to better conversion.

Here are a few additional reasons why online courses are worth incorporating into your online business:

Online courses are scalable

When you’re solely providing services, how much you earn is largely tied to how much time you put into a project. This is true even if you’re pricing on a project-to-project basis vs. hourly rates.

Time is the great equalizer in online business. We can’t buy additional hours, so we want to make the most productive use of the time we have.

Online courses help you scale not only your income but also your thought leadership. In a sense, you’re getting paid to share your knowledge and build your platform as an expert in your field. Solidifying yourself as an expert is invaluable and well-worth the investment, especially if you’re able to generate revenue along the way.

Online courses fit lower budgets and create niched-down audiences

If you’re a service-based entrepreneur, some people in your audience may not have enough room in their budget for your services. It’s understandable, but you’ve spent all this time building your audience from scratch that it’s worth looking into options on how to further monetize your influence.

While these audience members may not work with you one-on-one, they might have an interest in a lower-budget option that helps them DIY what you do. Maybe they want to dip their toes in before they make a larger investment. This is where creating an online course comes in.

Let’s say it costs $100/hour to work with you as a consultant. If you sell a course for $200 with four hours of content (not to mention all the bonus material and freebies you’d include), the student gets double the value of hours. If you include a course community, which I highly recommend, they’d get even more value from connecting with other students.

Online courses at a lower budget (often priced around $100-$500) create a stronger connection with your audience. One of your online course students may even turn into an ideal client down the road. They’ll already know how much value you provide so when they have the budget to outsource, you’ll be top of mind.

Online courses give you flexibility and freedom

Have you always dreamed of working from anywhere as a location-independent entrepreneur? Do you fantasize about not having to ask for permission to take time off? Do you want to be more hands-off with your work?

This can become a reality with online courses. When you’re creating an online course, you can set your own schedule and work at your own pace. If you know you have a busy month, you can work ahead or pause your schedule when you need to.

Online courses can be created at any time during the day, too. No one has to know that you recorded one of your online course video trainings at 11 p.m. or wrote your sales copy at 5 a.m. This flexibility can be especially helpful for side hustlers.

Most common content types within online courses

Now that you’re warming up to the idea of weaving online courses into your business model, let’s chat about what kinds of content go into an online course. With the recent rise in multi-media, there’s more options than ever to create a unique course in multiple formats.

As we all know from our time in traditional school, not everyone learns from reading a textbook or listening to a lecture. That’s why including different content types ensures that all types of learners– from visual to auditory– feel like they’re comprehending the material.

Let’s break down the most common content types that are used within online courses:

Email or plain text

Although there are multiple visual and audio formats that can be incorporated into online courses, plain text is still widely used. Some online course creators create their course solely using plain text. More often than not, online course creators mix plain text with other visual formats.

With the flexibility and creative freedom of plain text-based online courses, you can mold and shape your lessons to fit your audience’s needs. You may wish to create a separate PDF worksheet your students can print out and fill in on their own to test their knowledge, or include step-by-step written instructions within the text of your email or lesson web page.

Want to test plain text course creation for yourself? You can start creating an email course using only ConvertKit and Gumroad. This can be a great way to test the market with free, user friendly tools.

Video

Including high-quality, engaging videos within your online course raises its perceived value. In a sea of long-form blog posts and eBooks, online courses provide concise videos for maximum learning.

Video engagement drops after six to nine minutes so it’s best to keep your videos around this length. This gives you enough time to prime your students for the subject, answer any important questions, and share an actionable activity.

But if you’re thinking “I can’t boil down all this information into a five minute video”, don’t worry. Your best option is to take longer videos and break them into smaller, bite-sized chunks. This will help your content become more digestible for your students.

To help you film and edit your online course videos, our friends at Teachable have some best practices for getting started:

• Best file types: mp4 or mov
• Recommended resolution: 720p (1280 x 720px)
• Recommended frames per second (fps): 24-30
• Supported file size: 1.5GB or smaller
• Audio specifications: H.264 + AAC audio (advanced users)
• Compress videos when possible

Audio

Maybe your audience wants to learn on-the-go or your topic doesn’t need visual instructions. Audio can be a great option for this type of audience.

For the best audio quality, invest in an external mic (usually priced around $40-$90) and a pop filter (usually $9-$20). You can record your audio files using free software like QuickTime, and edit them using GarageBand or Audacity all on your own.

Also, don’t worry about being weirded out by the sound of your own voice. You’ll get used to it after a few times, trust me.

Slideshow viewers

If your students want to go through your slide deck on their own time, embedding a slideshow viewer is a great option. This way students won’t have to watch your video with commentary if they want to pull out a quick quote from a slide or go through an activity after the lesson.

Some online course platforms like Teachable have slideshow viewers built into their software so you can be up and running in a few clicks.  Another option is to create a slideshow on Slideshare. It acts as a public slideshow viewer so you can share it with a wider audience if so choose.

Quizzes

Want to test your student’s knowledge of what they’ve learned so far? Many online course platforms give you the option to create custom student quizzes with select lessons. We recommend looking into Teachable and Thinkific if you’re interested in including quizzes.

How do you know if you’re really testing your student’s knowledge? Here’s a few tips:

• Use multiple question formats. Most quiz builder tools allow you to ask multiple choice questions, rating questions, or even simple yes/no questions. Use a variety of question types to keep your students interested.
• Ask open-ended questions. These are used for answers to larger themed questions that can’t be summed up in a simple sentence. Think of it like a mini-essay for students. These answers will also give you great qualitative feedback.
• Be concise. Clarity is more important than cleverness so keep your questions short and actionable. Also, determine how many questions are needed by how much content you’re covering. Does it make more sense to ask five questions every lesson or give a 25 question quiz at the end of the module? You can decide depending on your format.

Downloadables

Along with quizzes, you may want to give your students what Regina of byRegina likes to call “adult homework”. These worksheets and workbooks give your students an opportunity to complete exercises and apply what they’ve learned. You can give online course students the option to print them out or create fillable PDFs in Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Some examples of downloadables include:

• PDFs
• Worksheets
• Workbooks
• Checklists
• Timelines
• Calendars
• Spreadsheets
• Trackers
• Planners

Are online courses the right move for your online business?

The first step is to survey your audience to discover what they want to learn about. We’ll talk more about this in our next article on How to Find the Problem Worth Solving for Your Online Course Audience.

In the meantime, share your thoughts about online courses with us in the comment section below. Are you intrigued by the idea of creating and launching an online course? Is there anything specific holding you back? Let’s talk about it below.

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How Your Online Business can Benefit from a Podcast

With attention spans at an all-time low, audiences are looking for ways to consume quality information in a fraction of the time. Enter in podcasts.

Podcasts are hardly new, but it’s still a growing content platform among online businesses. Many business owners are starting podcasts to share educational information and give a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to run a business.

But are people really listening?

According to Edison Research, 67 million Americans listen to podcasts on a monthly basis. And that’s just in one country when podcasts are available worldwide.

So we don’t have to wonder if people are tuning into podcasts, but does that mean it’s the right move for your online business? Well, it depends.

First, let’s talk about the benefits of podcasting to see if it’s something you want to consider including in your content strategy.

Benefits of podcasting for your online business

Every few months (or even weeks), you’re bound to see another business owner announcing that they’re starting a podcast. You may be wondering why they’re all flocking to podcasting, but it’s with good reason.

Let’s go over some of the basic benefits of starting a podcast:

Build your authority & credibility in your niche

The more openly you share your expertise, the more others will trust you. That trust translates into higher conversions because people want to buy from those who have authority and credibility.

Through podcasting, you have more time to fully cover important topics in your niche and show the depth of your knowledge. You’re also able to show how well you think on your feet, which is a true test of expertise.

Listeners from across the globe also have a chance to hear your voice. It’s one thing to connect with someone’s writing and it’s another to connect with their actual voice. When you create podcast episodes, your audience picks up on your mannerisms, experiences your true personality, and feels even more connected to you.

Repurpose high-performing content

Let’s say you recently wrote a blog post that has been garnering a large amount of traffic. Your blog comments have been through the roof, and your audience has been spreading it like wildfire on social media. Repurposing will come in handy here.

Since you’ve already proven the blog post topic is something your audience is interested in, it presents the unique opportunity to bring it to a larger audience with your podcast. By transforming the written content into audio content, you’re able to share similar commentary on the topic but in a fresh, new way.

This also saves you time and energy in the creation process since the content is already drafted for you. All you need to do is add a few additional insights, personal anecdotes, and your personality. Then you have an engaging podcast episode that took you half the time!

Reach a whole new audience

It only takes one look around the classroom to realize that not everyone learns the same way. Some prefer lectures because they’re auditory learners. Others need a slideshow to take notes from because they’re visual learners. Others would rather be left alone with a book.

When you create written content, you’re only able to reach the audience members who like to learn by reading. By adding another dimension through audio content, you’re able to reach a new audience that’s just as interested in what you have to say.

Create a deeper connection with your audience

Your written voice is one thing, but your actual speaking voice? That’s what really connects you with your audience. With a podcast, you’re able to give readers a deeper look into who you are and what you do.

You’ll create an even deeper connection with your audience if you sound just like you do in your writing. It’s all about keeping a consistent brand voice throughout every content platform.

More time to make a connection

Most blog posts are anywhere between 750-1,500 words depending on the topic and author. With a podcast, you’re able to fit a lot more information into a single episode.

With blog posts, readers often skim through the content to get the main ideas. Podcasts help you better capture more of your audience’s attention and for a longer amount of time. 

What will you do with all that extra time? You can share more educational content that builds trust with your audience, share personal stories that help them get to know you on a deeper level, or showcase your personality in a fun and engaging way.

Connect with influencers and others in your industry

What better way to connect with other bloggers and business owners than featuring them on your podcast? Interviewing other professionals in your industry gives them a chance to connect with a new audience while you get to connect with theirs. Win-win!

Start by asking a few of your friends in the industry so you get practice with interviewing and thinking on your feet. Then you can move up to micro-influencers and then full-blown influencers as you build your confidence and platform.

Conquer a personal challenge

Don’t you love when you prove yourself wrong? Maybe podcasting is something you’ve always wanted to do but told yourself you could never do. Well, let’s put that to rest.

When you dive into podcasting, you’ll strengthen a wide range of skills like editing, producing, interviewing, and scheduling. You’ll also get better at some less obvious skills like marketing, brand storytelling, pitching, and selling.

How to use a podcast to grow your audience

Now let’s talk about something much more uplifting: using your podcast to grow your audience. We highlighted that podcasting can help you reach a wider audience, but how do we go about that?

This is your chance to experiment and get creative! If you need some help in brainstorming, we have a few ideas to help you get started:

Use call-to-actions during podcast episodes

Are you launching a new product soon? Are you putting an extra emphasis on building your email list this quarter? Depending on your goals, you can use your podcast as a way to drive higher conversions within your website.  

You’re giving a lot of free, high-quality educational content through the podcast. It’s also being shared with a very interested audience.

You’ll want to capitalize on the authority and trust you’ve built through the podcast by giving direct call-to-actions (CTAs). Talk about your upcoming product launch or highlight a testimonial from one of your clients. Get creative!

Increase your podcast reviews and use them as testimonials

We all know that leaving reviews on podcast apps (like iTunes and Stitcher) greatly influence the searchability and popularity of a podcast.

Rather than using the reviews only to increase your downloads, you can also use the reviews as testimonials for your website. These podcast reviews act as perfect, bite-sized commentary to add to your podcast page, home page, or even sales pages.

Repurpose influencer podcast interviews

When an influencer agrees to sit down with you to do a podcast interview, you’ll want to leverage that highly desireable content as much as you can.

The first step is repurposing the podcast interview into show notes to put on your blog. Then you can take it a step further by creating quote graphics for social media, a full list of resources shared from the episode– the sky’s the limit.

Bonus points: If the influencer mentions your podcast show notes or article on their website by linking to your post, it can help you increase your traffic and domain authority (aka better SEO). Score!

Have you considered starting a podcast for your online business?

Hopefully this article has given you some extra motivation and inspiration behind your idea. What kind of podcast are you thinking about starting? I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below.

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