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Welcome to Up an Octave, a podcast by Sonivia. I'm your host, Rue Spence, founder of Sonivia, the podcast management agency that helps women and non binary people take up space in podcasting. Up an Octave is here to support you in your podcasting journey. From how to market yourself, how to sound great, how to edit for your specific voice, and how to make your podcast feel like magic.
Welcome to Up An Octave. In this episode, we are wrapping up the deep dive on the fun, fandom, and funnel models of podcasting. Right now, we are talking about funnel shows. So the funnel model of podcasting invites your audience to get to know you before committing to your product or service. This is the try before you buy option that you're giving your potential customers.
Which is what your listeners are. In the funnel model, your listeners are potential customers. We talked a little bit about this in the fandom model, which was last episode. If you haven't listened to that, please go check it out. I think that they all kind of build on each other and there are some similarities and some overlap.
So it's helpful to understand podcasting offers that parasocial relationship, which is when you feel like you know your favorite podcast hosts. You've never met these people, they might not even know you're out there listening, but you know what their vibe is, you know why you find them appealing, and it's because you buy into whatever their thing is.
You know, there's just that, the way that they're presenting information to you, where you're like, oh my god, they're like my best friend, and I haven't met them. But you're spending all this time together because you're listening to their episodes, you know, while you're cooking dinner, so it's kind of this intimacy that when you become a fan, you have bought into them.
So that's kind of what we talk about when your podcast is a fandom model, is that you are the thing that people are buying into, but as a funnel, you're guiding people to something that you're offering. So for example, the elephant in the room is that this show is a funnel podcast. Yes, I am here to educate you and to give you tips and tricks and insights, But I'm also offering my services as you hear in my ad.
The best funnel shows don't feel pushy, or like, the girl from high school who's like, Hey bestie, how you been? Emoji, emoji, emoji, emoji. Uh, you should buy this thing from me. It shouldn't feel super pushy, it shouldn't feel like slidin into your DMs. The best funnel shows are ones that offer value. So, like I said with this show being a funnel, I am offering my services, I am telling you, Hey, this is how you can get some more help.
But in the meantime, I am trying to provide value. I am trying to help educate and take podcasting up an octave. But I'm not here to be a fandom podcast, right? I am not here to go on tour. That would be cool, if the opportunity arises, dope, I would love that. But that's not the purpose of this show. And I'm also not a fun podcast.
I have goals, and I have intentions, and this is more than just a vlog. You know, I'm sitting here and I write out what my episodes are going to look like. And I have the strategy for what episodes are releasing when. That's where a funnel podcast sits a little bit differently in its positioning between the three models.
The value that you're offering is going to look different depending on what your niche is. If you're a coach for business owners, you may be trying to get people to sign up for your coaching. But in the meantime, you should be offering high value to people who haven't worked with you because that builds up trust and it builds up your authenticity.
Before people sign up to invest and spend money on you, they want to know that they're going to like you. Part of why I offer a free discovery call. is because I want to make sure that the people that I'm working with like me. I also want to make sure that I like them. So that's where podcasting is a little bit of a downfall because it's a one way relationship.
But, often times, someone liking you is a good first step to you liking them. Right? That helps on that front. Where I talk about offering value is that you don't want to sound like an infomercial. This is kind of like that, you know, pushy MLM person that I was talking about earlier. We have all heard those shows that just sound like they're here to sell you something.
You know, it's maybe 15 minutes long, but it feels like there's like three ads, and in between the ads, the host is constantly referring to what they're selling, and, you know, the ads are very pushy, they're just hawking their goods. I personally believe that podcasts are free, so I think you're entitled to have an ad in your show, if you're a funnel.
In my opinion, however, a rule of thumb is to have no more than one ad spot per 30 minutes of content. This way it doesn't feel like a spammy infomercial. If you're having a pre roll, which is before the episode starts, you know, Hey, it's me! Buy my thing! If that's my first time listening to you, I don't know who you are.
I don't know that I need what you're selling. Hmm? And I don't know that I want to buy it from you. If you then have, you know, a mid roll, which is during the episode, that's where my ad lives, that feels a little more personal. You know, it's like, okay, had some time, kind of warming up to you a little bit, cool.
And then if you have an ad at the very end, that's like, okay, cool, so you've bought into me, you're loving me enough to stick around after the content to listen to this, sick. The mid roll ad, because I like to kind of have like that sandwich effect of... Here's some value. Here's some trust. Here's some authenticity.
Hey, just so you know, this is available. Anyway, back to the good stuff. You know, I think it helps to soften the pushiness, but also how you approach your ad is important. If it feels like, hey, you have to buy this thing, people don't want to be sold stuff. You know, it's, if it feels very pushy, I think that ads can sometimes feel like unsolicited dick pics.
So don't put dick pics in your podcast. Boom. Just that easy. So with a funnel podcast, you're likely not going to monetize through traditional sponsors, but rather with affiliate links, which we've talked about on the last episode. And I think with a funnel podcast, you have to be really strategic with the affiliate links that you're partnering with and make sure that they're specific to your niche.
Because if you're just kind of randomly spouting them out there, and then you're also like, but hey, buy this thing for me! I think it gets, again, spammy, but it also gets muddy. Where it's just like, okay, but hold on, what are you actually selling? What am I actually buying? So, for example, for staying within your niche, I have an affiliate link for Buzzsprout.
That's what I use to host. It's also what I recommend because it's IAB certified, but it's something that my listeners are interested in. On my website, I have affiliate links for the gear that I use. The headphones that are on my head, the mic I'm talking into, the Scarlett 2i2 that my mic's plugged into.
I have links to that because that's what people ask me about. So depending on what your funnel is, depending on what your niche is, I think there's room for that. If you're a funnel podcast for people who travel full time and you want to funnel them to buy your course for outfitting a van for full time use, you may want to have an affiliate link to items that you're going to suggest that they buy for their van, like a portable generator or something like that.
Because... That's what they're interested in. You know, that's still part of your funnel is okay, cool So you go on Kajabi and you buy my course and in that course I'm gonna expand on ideas that I've talked about on my podcast, you know, okay so episode 4 of the podcast is Clean drinking water, episode 12 of the podcast is how I wash my clothes.
Episode 14 of the podcast is having animals on, you know, in van life. So if you have products that you're recommending that correspond with those episodes, that correspond with those aspects of what you're teaching in your course, I don't see anything wrong with that. And I actually think that that is a good place to get some revenue without feeling pushy.
Especially, and only, and this is critical, only if they're products you believe in. I don't like when I see that people are repping stuff that they don't use, or worse, that they've never used. I at least want to know that you have had hands on what you're recommending. Okay, so before I go, I'm answering a question that comes from Britta at The Sage and the Song: an archetypal exploration on life, love, and leadership. She says, I get really awesome feedback on my show from folks who listen to it, but my regular listening audience is still quite small, under 100. I'd love to hear your tips on how to organically spread the word and gather more listeners. How to grow is one of the biggest questions that I am asked.
And I checked out Britta's show, and she's doing something really unique with how she incorporates music. I won't give any more away here, because I want you to go check it out. But, while I was checking out Britta's show I noticed something that I notice on a lot of shows. where people are asking about growth when I do audits.
She's not always asking for help with growth. If you're getting really awesome feedback, you have a community that's building that wants good things for you. That's why they're motivated enough to share that feedback. Let them engage, let them help you, because they want to. Even if you're at under a hundred people, that's still that many people.
who are giving you this feedback that are interested in seeing you be successful. So if you're ending your episodes with, you know, like, Okay, that's it for today. Poof. Or however you're ending it, you're missing a valuable window to remind people who love what you're doing that your success is largely in their hands.
If they want to see you be successful, they get to play a part in that. Before you end your episodes, employ a call to action that has an ask tailored to your goal. So on the last episode, we talked about what success looks like to you. That was Abby's question. And I think that this kind of dovetails into that, because of what the different asks you could have are.
If you already have these devout fans, ask them to share your episode with a friend. They already love what you're doing, so they're going to be excited to share that message. People love talking about content with others. That's why we share memes, that's why it's fun to go to the movies together. It gives us something to talk about, and it provides that sense of connection.
Invite people to connect through your show. Alternatively, you could ask people to review your show. This helps you to build up credibility, and it helps to position you as an expert. So, if you are a funnel show, maybe that's helpful for you, because then people will see like, oh wow, according to these bazillion reviews, it sounds like Britta really knows what she's doing.
So, those are two different models for what a call to action can look like. There can also be calls to action to sign up for an email list, or you know, whatever that is. But leaving that call to action space blank? I think that does you a, a really big disservice. The call to action is also why I don't like having ads at the end of my show.
Because like I said earlier, you know, I like to have this little sandwich where it's high value content, little ad, and then high value content. But at the end, you're already having this ask of helping with growth, that it feels a little pushy to give people a checklist. It starts to feel like homework.
It's like, cool, so buy from me, but also help me grow, but also doot doot doot doot doot If you keep it very simple, you know, you're providing this high value, you're giving the ask of, hey, we should work together, or hey, you should go to my online store and buy this thing, anyways, back to the good stuff, and then at the end, you know, maybe there's people who are still on the fence, maybe there are people who it's out of their reach to be able to invest that money in your service or buy your product.
But hey, a free thing that they can do! Is they can share your show. Maybe there is someone who they know who is in a place to invest. Or maybe there is someone who they know who just needs to listen. Which gets your downloads up. Which helps to grow your audience. Or hey, a free thing you can do is leave me a review.
So those are the different ways that you can kind of end that show. Where it doesn't feel too pushy and it doesn't feel like too much to do. Because if people are overwhelmed, they're just going to completely shut down and not take any action. So, nudge them to buy. Give them that little free engagement at the end of like, Hey, you could do this if you're not in a place to buy.
There's always that chance they'll still warm up to you, but people are gonna shut down if you overwhelm them with too much. So again, go check out Britta's show, The Sage and The Song. And if you have a question that you'd like to see answered on the show, Please send me an email at rue.sonivia@gmail.com Feel free to either write it in text form or send me a voice message for me to play on the show. Thank you so, so much for being here and completing this launch with me. This has been such a fun project to work on. This is maybe the most fun way I've ever gotten to celebrate my birthday.
But I just am very grateful for you being here and I am super excited to continue talking about podcasting and taking podcasting up an octave. This was the last part of the Fun Fandom Funnel series. If you found this episode helpful, so this is a call to action, if you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend just like your podcast.
Mine needs ratings and reviews to grow. So please rate it on your podcatcher of choice, RIP to Stitcher. I loved me some Stitcher. I used Stitcher. For years. Anyway, I'm a little bitter, but please leave a review on Apple Podcasts so that I can spread this message out far and wide. I will be back next Tuesday to talk about how to know how much you should be editing your podcast.
Until then, have a great day and happy podcasting. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend, if you are stateside, and I'll talk to you on Tuesday.
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