Making Podcast Marketing Bite-Sized & Affordable 💸
Inside Podspike, a service that helps indie podcasters compete
Hi Besties!
This week I’m taking you inside a growth experiment for my podcast, Private Parts Unknown, using the UK-based service, Podspike. Shortly after launching Podcast Bestie, I connected with its founder, and we had a great chat. I decided to jump in and test out Podspike for a few months.
As an advocate for indie podcasters, I love the company ethos — the whole point of Podspike is podcast promotion at an accessible price for indie podcasters. I had a good experience and wanted to share it with my Besties, so now I’m bringing you a Q&A with Podspike founder Dan Page.
What is Podspike?
DP: Podspike is a service dedicated to making podcast marketing easy. We’ve looked at what really makes a difference when it comes to podcast promotion and then created services that are as accessible as possible for indie podcasters. It’s kind of a one-stop shop for podcasters who need help but aren’t sure where to start.
There’s a huge need in the podcasting industry for non-industrial-sized marketing efforts that serve indie podcasters. How did you identify this gap in the market, and what was your inspiration for Podspike?
DP: The whole thing started when I was looking to get a podcast I’d made showcased to the wider world. I knew that half the battle was making the podcast, and the other half was promoting it — so I researched who could help us get there. There were lots of articles saying similar things (which often involved lots of work), a few offering useful advice (but still leaving me to take action) — and some boutique agencies who wanted thousands of dollars up front… and would only work with me if I had a big-name host!
What was your background before starting Podspike, and how has that informed your offerings?
DP: Prior to starting Podspike, I’d worked as a writer for BBC topical comedy shows and produced podcasts for brands and universities. It meant that I knew how much hard work went into creating original content and how important it was for creators to see others enjoying their work. Now I’m just as at home editing in Reaper as I am crafting a press release!
Explain the different Powerups you offer through Podspike and how they work.
DP: Podcast marketing is such a vast subject, and it can be quite intimidating — it’s often highlighted as the number one pain point for podcasters. So we decided to work out the best way to achieve the three types of promotion we believe have the greatest impact:
Getting more clicks by optimizing how a podcast is presented to its intended audience;
Raising a podcast’s (and host’s) profile by getting them featured in newsletters and distribution platforms;
Cost-effective ads that deliver more downloads and subscribers without requiring a big minimum spend.
Our Powerups are basically all bite-sized ways of achieving the above because we understand that indie podcasters have a limited budget and only want to focus on what works best for their specific show. Maybe you’ve already got a great online presence, but your artwork (which is crucial in attracting new listeners) is tired and needs updating — there’s a Powerup for that. Equally, you might have great artwork and want to show it off by getting featured in a podcast app — there’s a Powerup for that — and so on. Everything’s handled online, you get your own account, and we have an excellent support team. You can buy Powerups as one-offs, but the most cost-effective way is to subscribe to our monthly plan.
So far, I’ve tried the Extended Play and the Subscribe Boost (twice). You shared some helpful results and context for how to interpret them via email. Can you walk us through that and explain users' typical results?
DP: With Subscriber Boost, we’re able to get indie podcasts featured alongside big-name shows in a popular podcasting app, and with Extended Play, we put your show in front of a truly global audience — reaching places such as Africa and South America where podcasting is really growing. Both of these Powerups guarantee to get you more downloads and subscribers at a competitive return on investment (ROI), plus we analyze your results to identify trends and suggest possible improvements.
For instance, with Private Parts Unknown, we were able to generate new subscribers for less than $7 each. When you compare that to places such as Overcast, which might charge around $12 a subscriber on a $1,200 minimum spend, you can see we’re immediately offering much better value! We were also able to analyze your data and see that your cover art was outperforming other shows by around 40% in terms of views.
You’re active on social media, and you curate the Podcast Clinic. From your perspective, what kind of marketing and promotional efforts are the best use of indie podcasters’ resources?
DP: There is so much advice on what podcasters can do to market their show that it can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming! The key thing is to make the most of the time and money you have available and not worry about trying to do everything.
From our research, the number one thing you can do is improve your cover art — it’s your shop window and represents the start of your "listening funnel." We’ve got some early data that suggests if you follow the basic principles of good artwork design, you can get roughly twice the number of clicks as a podcast that doesn’t.
If your artwork is already strong, getting your show description dialed in is a great next step. People who like the look of your show usually then read the description before deciding whether they want to listen, so engaging copy is critical.
Once you’ve got strong artwork and copy, then getting eyes on your show is the next challenge — social media can only take you so far, so Pod Swaps are a great way to multiply your audience cost-effectively, but often the highest return comes from getting featured in a podcast app.
You launched the company in September 2021. How has the journey been so far, and what are your goals for the future?
DP: Like with launching a new podcast, it’s been a hard but rewarding process. We don’t have investor funding, and thus we’re starting small but have found the whole industry really welcoming. It’s meant we’ve built some great relationships and can genuinely offer impactful marketing help to even the smallest podcast.
For 2022, we’re continuing that focus by building new partnerships and developing a way to offer access to a Campaign Manager who will take even more of that marketing load off your shoulders by getting to know your podcast and planning personalized mini-campaigns that string several Powerups together. It’s all about easing the strain on busy podcasters who would rather spend their time creating great shows.
Anything else you’d like to add?
DP: If anyone feels they need some pointers on podcast promotion, we’ve got a free monthly newsletter called The Podcast Clinic that brings together experts from across the industry to help treat promotional aches and pains. We’re always eager for people to send in new questions, so please sign up and ask away!
Thank you, Dan!
➡️ Connect with Podspike on Twitter and Instagram.
➡️ Besties who want to try Podspike Pro Membership can use code BESTIE20 to get 20% off the first month of Pro! Available to the first 20 users.
Applications are Open for AIR’s New Voices Fall 2022 - This potentially career-changing mentorship comes with a $1,000 stipend. Attend an online info session on Thursday, May 19 at 12PM PT / 3PM ET to learn more. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, May 25.
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🍄 If you’ve listened to my Mind Trip series, you know I like to dip my toe in the psychedelic pond, so I’m excited that our latest Play It Forward rec is about magic mushrooms. Elizabeth Garcia suggests you take a trip with:
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“It's so informative, peaceful, and it really gives you a look into how magical mushrooms can be and how they can help us evolve as humans.”
And make sure to check out Elizabeth’s podcast Conscious Kitchen where she and co-host Laura Fama cook up in-depth talks and dive into self-improvement with a diverse range of guests and topics. Elizabeth particularly loves this episode:
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“It was a beautiful opportunity for our shows host Laura to be able to reconnect with an old friend Kat Graham who really gave us an honest and deep look into her career and the racism in Hollywood. We often look at successful people and don't realize that they also struggled to get where they are. This is a true story of resiliency and being your own biggest supporter.”
➡️ Here’s the link to submit for future editions.
💕 P.S. A huge THANK YOU to Elizabeth for your kind words about Podcast Bestie!
“Thank you for the opportunity and the support of indie podcasters. It's really hard to be found nowadays, in a sea of influencer podcast shows, and this means the world to us…”
So… ROLL CALL! 🗣
Have you tried Podspike or a service like it? What are your thoughts?
Follow me @courtneykocak on Twitter and Instagram. For more, check out my website courtneykocak.com.