Why Your Podcast Isn’t Selling Spots in Your Membership and How to Fix It
Your podcast is a valuable tool to promote your membership or group coaching program. You can connect with your listeners around their pain points and demonstrate how you can help alleviate their struggles. Sounds great, right? But what if your podcast isn’t actually selling spots in your membership? It’s really important to take a step back and figure out why there’s a disconnect between your episodes and your sales for your membership program.
If you’ve been around here for a while, you’ve seen me emphasize why having aligned content between your podcast and your business goals is so key. Sometimes, as podcasters, we get so caught up in the excitement around our show and our download numbers that we can lose sight of the real purpose of our podcast: sales!
Today, I want to help you examine your podcast to determine why your episodes are not helping to sell spots in your membership. We’ll look into whether or not your content is aligned (see? It’s important!), why there is such a thing as “too much” when it comes to educational content and guest interviews, and why your content and marketing calendars should go hand in hand. Don’t be discouraged if you’re not yet meeting your membership sales goals. Keep reading and we’ll figure it out together.
Is your podcast content aligned with your business goals?
One of the biggest issues I see when I’m working with clients is that their podcast content is not leading to their sales offers. You’ve seen me say this before and I’ll keep repeating it: your podcast content HAS to be aligned with your offers. Otherwise, what are we doing here? It’s literally the whole point of having a podcast for your business.
When you're planning content that's going to pull people into your membership, I want you to think about what got people to enroll in your membership in the first place. Was it a specific pain point? Is it a struggle that people are having? I've had conversations about my own membership, the Strategic Podcast Academy, lately and finding out what brought people into my membership and there is a goldmine of content in those conversations because usually what one person is feeling, other people are feeling it too.
Another thing to examine is your customer journey. After they’ve listened to your episode, what’s next? If they can’t answer that question, then they’ll likely move on and not take advantage of your offers and services. You have to make the next step very clear for them. You can communicate that through engagement, whether it’s an opt-in, a funnel, a Facebook group, your Instagram account, wherever. Just make sure to keep engaging your audience so that you remain top of mind when they are ready to jump into your offer. Additionally, you have to talk about that offer. Picture me yelling this for the people in the back. You have to talk about what you do and what you sell, and you have to do it more than once!
Why there is such a thing as “too much” when it comes to your podcast content
I know this is going to sound counterintuitive, but you might be giving away too much free educational content on your show. I know, I know, but hear me out. You should definitely provide educational content occasionally and give your listeners advice, but if you give them every single step from start to finish and all the details and minutia in between, they will have no reason to purchase your offer. They can DIY it for free and they won’t sign up to buy anything from you. That’s definitely not what we want to happen.
Instead, you can give high level advice and then point them to your services. Something like, “if you’re struggling with this, you need this, and here’s why.” That’s it. It’s enough content for your listeners to know that you understand their pain points and you have a plan to help resolve them and the next step is for them to buy from you.
Interviewing guests on your show is great, but don’t have too many
I see a lot of new podcasters thinking solely about their download numbers in the beginning and so they interview so many guests trying to tap into their audiences. But having too many guests really can detract from your own message and your sales. When you have only guests on your podcast, what you are doing is telling your listeners that the guests are more important and what they are doing is more important than what you are doing. That is the very opposite of what we’re trying to communicate!
I’m not saying you shouldn’t have guests at all. I think guests are great. But try to have a balance between sharing others’ expertise and sharing your own. You could also interview people from inside your membership. This is a great way to demonstrate how you have helped your members to be successful in their businesses and it’s a wonderful, organic way to advertise your offer. Just be strategic about which messages you’re sharing with your audience and don’t let your voice get drowned out.
Your podcast content calendar and your business marketing calendar have to work together
Aligned content is so important. I’ve said that already, right? Your episode content has to match your business goals and your offers. In turn, your marketing calendar has to match your content calendar. For example, if the doors to my membership about podcast strategy are open, then I should have episodes during that enrollment period that relate to podcast strategy. Makes sense, right? If I were to have episodes about my favorite business podcasts instead, that would be a missed opportunity and would get my content out of alignment and I wouldn’t sell any membership spots. So, each quarter or each month, or whenever you sit down to plan your content, keep your business marketing calendar handy for quick reference.
You can use your podcast to sell your membership. You really can. All it takes is some prior planning and some tweaking of your content and you can show your listeners why they need to join ASAP.
Are you ready to build your podcast strategy, simplify your marketing, and finally make your podcast work for you? Join the Strategic Podcast Academy, my signature group program that’ll support you with monthly training, resources, and an amazing community!
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The Transcript for Podcast Your Business:
131: Why Your Podcast Isn’t Selling Spots in Your Membership and How to Fix It
[00:00:00] Caroline Hull So a podcast can be a really valuable tool, especially if you're trying to grow a membership or a group coaching program. But what I see all the time, especially with business owners who have a podcast and they have a membership, they have other services, is that their podcast isn't actually helping them sell spots in that membership or in their 1 to 1 services, any of that. And so today I really want to talk about why your episodes aren't selling your membership.
[00:00:36] Well hi there and welcome to Share, Strategize & Shine. I'm your host, Caroline Hull, a podcast strategist and CEO of Wild Home Podcasting. I've built my entire career through podcasts by sharing my experience using strategic systems and shining a light on the power of podcasting. If you are looking to cultivate leads for your membership, group program, or consulting services, I'm here to help you create a holistic and integrative podcast strategy that will let your business thrive. Let's dive in.
[00:01:16] Welcome back to Share, Strategize & Shine. I am Caroline, your host. And if you are a long time listener, you know that we or you may have noticed that the name of the podcast has changed. And I'm really excited for this new phase of the podcast. And if you're wanting a little bit more background info on why we decided to do this and all of the things that went into it, you can go and listen to the bonus episode that I recorded all about this. And it's a really good view into, you know, I talk a lot about how your podcast needs to evolve with your business and grow with you. And I think this is a really good example of that needing to happen. And so definitely go check it out and listen to that episode. If you're maybe thinking to yourself, I know, I don't know if my podcast is working for me or should I update my cover art, all of those questions. So check out that mini episode and yeah, we'll give you an inside scoop. So I'm really excited to be here today with a new name and just the new vibe that we are bringing, the new energy that we bringing to this podcast.
[00:02:23] So I want to get really specific in today's episode and talk about memberships and how you can sell them with your podcast and why your episodes are not selling them with your podcast. So I mentioned that podcasts are really great for selling spots in memberships, group programs, that kind of thing. The reason is, is because it's a long form content, right? So this is not just an Instagram reel that we're seeing or even a story. This like really gives us a chance to sit down, have somebody in our ears, maybe we're not sitting maybe were washing your dishes or carpooling your kids to all the places like me. That's when I listen to all of my business podcasts. And maybe it's somebody that you've been thinking about working with for a while, or you've heard about their membership and you're interested in it and you see they have a podcast, and so you want to go and listen to their episodes and really, really get a feel for how they work right and what their philosophies are. And if you're going to be able to relate to them on a more personal level, I definitely think that the shift that we have seen in marketing and podcasting requires that extra oomph of know, like and trust. I think people really crave that. They really want to get to know the people that they're going to invest in, the people that they're going to spend time with. And it makes perfect sense. You know, when you think about it, it really does make a lot of sense. If you're going to invest money in somebody, you really want to get to know them. And so the great thing about a podcast is it gives you a longer format to do that. Now, the thing is, though, is if you are going to do that and you're like, yes, I'm going to have a podcast, I really want my membership to grow from this podcast, but it's not growing. And a lot of times what we need to do is look specifically at your episodes and see what's going on with your episodes. So let's talk about that.
[00:04:23] One of the biggest issues that I see is that your content is not leading to your offer. And what do I mean by this? Because I think that can be, you know, it sounds like, okay, I need to say go here, go to this link, go do this thing in order to get people from my podcast to my offer. But there really is a lot more to it. I actually just read a study today that came out and they interviewed people who listen to podcasts to get their information. And you know what the number one reason why people stopped listening to podcasts? Their episodes got boring or they weren't talking about the thing they wanted to hear about, right? This is something we talk a lot about here on this podcast and in my business, Wild Home Podcasting, and that is that your content has to be aligned. And so when you're thinking about content that's going to pull people into your membership. What I really want you to think about is what got people into my membership in the first place. Was it a specific pain point? Is it a struggle that people are having? I've had conversations with people about my own membership lately and finding out what brought them into my membership. Right. And there is just a goldmine of content in those conversations because usually what one person is feeling, other people are feeling it too. And, you know, there's this whole like veil, I think sometimes over, especially if you work with business owners or anything like that. You know, we don't always talk about the struggles and nobody wants to be online, like constantly talking about their struggles. And so sometimes, you know, we won't even mention them. But when you really sit down and talk to people, there's stuff they're going through and there's problems that they're trying to find solutions for. And inevitably it probably led them to your offering your membership, right?
[00:06:20] So really thinking about the pain points that people are experiencing that bring them into your world, that bring them into your sphere and creating episodes around them. And now these episodes don't need to be like doom and gloom or this is the thing you're struggling with. These episodes should make people feel seen. They should make them feel heard. They are connecting with them because they hear themselves in the episode, right? And that's really, really key. Like, I know that if you're listening to this and you're a consultant or a coach and you have programs that people join, like probably why people join them is because they love how you can relate to them and you get them and you understand them and you are in it with them, right? You want to help them. That's what we all want to do with our products and services. We want to help people. And so having that really come across on your podcast is really, really important.
[00:07:14] The other thing about content leading to an offer is really understanding the journey that your listeners are going to need to go on to get to that offer. And so when you think about, okay, I have had an episode, I just played it, you know, making sure that the content then leads into the next step for them. So if they've really loved your content, they're really relating to it. They feel like, yes, this is what I, I need, this is what I want. And then, okay, what comes next? And making sure that that next step makes a lot of sense for them. So whether that's an opt in, joining a group, you know, a free call, whatever that thing is, making sure that it makes sense and making sure that we mention the thing that we want to sell more than once on the podcast. You know, you've got to advertise what you do. You've got to advertise what you do and what you sell. And it doesn't have to be sleazy and it doesn't have to be, you know, in a bro marketing sort of way. It can be in your own unique personal way, but you have to talk about it. And how to do that through your content is to bring in storytelling. And so think about someone who's been in your membership. Maybe you're talking about a specific pain point and you think about them and their journey. Share their journey. Now it doesn't have to be you saying their name or anything like that. But I worked with a client and she went through X, Y and Z, and now she's here and she joined the membership. Oh, by the way, did you know I have a membership? You know, that kind of thing is, is how we are leading and engaging people through our content. You know, engagement is a huge piece and connection, right? Of of how we grow these programs is we create engagement, we create connection. And so making sure that you're inviting your listeners into your space and you're inviting them to connect with you further and deeper. And that kind of goes along with that path, right? Like understanding what the next step is and making sure you're there to engage with them, to talk to them, to ask if they have questions, whether this is an email funnel or this is an a group that you say you're going to be in, make sure you're showing up in or if that's Instagram, you know, wherever the thing is, wherever whatever the thing is that you want people to do after the episode and to connect with you on making sure that you are there doing the thing right. And so when we think about content leading to an offer, those are some of the questions that I will ask and those are some of the things we think about.
[00:09:54] Did you know that your podcast can be so much more than a hobby? It can be a way for you to attract your ideal client and establish yourself as an authority in your field. But you need a strategy. And that's why we've created the Strategic Podcast Academy, a monthly membership designed to help you build a strategy for your podcast. You can grow your business and get off the content creation hamster wheel. With support from myself and a community of like minded podcasters, you will create a strategic plan for your podcast and start implementing impactful changes. During our time in the monthly membership, we're going to cover topics such as customer path planning, content planning for sales, podcast SEO, creating connection with your listeners, email marketing for your podcast, and so much more. So if you are an online business owner, coach, consultant or service provider, and you're ready to have a podcast that supports your business, then the Strategic Podcast Academy is for you. Head to wildhomepodcasting.com/membership to join today.
[00:11:00] The other reason why you may not be selling your membership through your episodes and this one is this one's hard. It's hard to explain and to understand why this isn't the way to go, but you don't want to give too much away on your podcast. And I know this, like, this makes a lot of us kind of stop because educational content, don't people love educational content? Yes, they do. People love educational content. And I'm not saying to not do educational content. What I'm saying is, is to make sure that you're not giving away every single piece of education in your podcasts. I have come across podcasts that were really great podcasts by really great business owners, and there was so much information in the podcast that I did not need to go and buy the thing or click on the link. I didn't need to because it was all right there in the podcast. And so what I usually coach people on is to come at it less from a how to angle, even though we will title some episodes how to but less from a like here's all the things now you can go do it and more of a if you're struggling with this you need this. If you're experiencing this, you need this. If you're going through this thing, this might help you. Coming at it more from that angle, right? Just like this episode. So I'm not necessarily giving you all the strategy. I'm not going to put a template in the show notes so you can go and create your own strategy. What I'm doing is bringing awareness to of why your episodes may not be working for you and for your membership and your services and what you can start to think about to make that change, right? So really watching that educational content and, you know, making sure that we are not creating you know, we don't want people to go and DIY, we want them to come into our world and maybe they still DIY, but we want them to come into our world. And so really thinking more about the content and less about giving away so much that they really don't need you.
[00:13:18] The other issue that I see with a lot of podcasters, especially in the beginning because they want a lot of downloads, is that you are interviewing too many guests on your podcast. So if your podcast is all guests, which you know, there's nothing wrong with that, but when we're talking about wanting to sell something specifically in our business so we're not doing sponsors, we are using this podcast to drive everyone to our membership, right? When we have only guests on our podcasts, what we are doing is telling our listeners that our guests are more important and what they are doing is more important than what we are doing. I do not believe that you should not have guests. I think you can have a successful podcast without guests and I think you can have a successful podcast with. You know, for me, I like to have a guest on about once a month because it gives me a little bit of a break, but it also allows me the opportunity to network and have conversations with people about things that I know are important to me and probably my listeners as well. Questions that I've been getting that I may not know the answer to, I'll have a guest on. So like a really great example is we recently had somebody come on and talk about Pinterest. That's not exactly what I do. I don't really do Pinterest. I'm not a Pinterest strategist. Right. But what we were able to talk about was Pinterest for podcasts. Okay. Oh wait, now we're getting somewhere, right? So now what we have done is we've turned the interview around and we're relating it to what we do. This is also a really great idea if you're trying to sell a membership. And so having guests on that are maybe guest speakers inside your membership. Brilliant. So now you're interviewing them on your podcast and you're saying, Oh, we did a masterclass with her in our membership. And if you want access to that, be sure to go join the membership, right? That's a really great way to do guests on a podcast that's selling a membership. My other favorite things to do have people from your membership on your podcast, you know, bring your clients on your podcast, because now not only are you sharing them with your audience and you're helping them promote what they're doing, which is like being a cheerleader and just being like the ultimate host and mentor, right, is like, I'm here for you. I want to share you with my audience. But also this allows your audience a chance to hear how you work with people. And let's be honest, when we're thinking about signing up for a membership, we want proof. We want tangible proof. We want to see some results. We want to hear from some people. When one of our members comes on and talks to us on our podcast, we're giving and creating that moment of proof for our listeners. And so now not only have we built up awareness but now we're creating that social proof. So interviewing guests, I'm not saying you shouldn't do, but I want you to be strategic about it. And I want you to really think, is this just to get me downloads or is this to help me grow my business, this guest. Right.
[00:16:32] And now all of this, I feel like, is bringing me to something else that we're going to tie it all up at the bow here. You know, when you are running promotions for your programs, this is a great time to create a strategy for content on your podcast. And like literally taking all of these things that we've talked about and putting it into a plan, you will hear me on this podcast and everywhere else I'm talking in the world talking about how your marketing calendar should coincide and be best friends with your podcast schedule. I really believe that your podcast should be your main piece of content and everything should come from that. And so when I'm thinking about, okay, I know that in a couple months we're going to do a big membership push. Now I can think about what episode specifically do I want to have on my podcast that are going to help me do that? And we can, you know, go back through what we've talked about in this episode. Listen back to the episode ideas that I gave you, talking about specific pain points that lead into the membership, having guests on who are related to the membership, having a member from the membership come on your show and like bonus idea even doing a roundtable with several members from your membership would be really neat. I actually recently saw someone do this in a private podcast format to promote their membership and it worked so well. I loved her episodes and it really made me want to join the membership. I mean, I was like completely ready to join after I finished listening to them. And so there really is a lot of power in these types of episodes and, you know, making your listeners like bring in them in, giving them a sneak peek, making them feel like they're part of it, even though they haven't necessarily clicked by yet. Right. And I think if you can do that, not just with the podcast, but you know, in that engagement piece we talked about, then you're really going to be able to start utilizing your podcast in a way that is going to bring your listeners to your membership.
[00:18:48] And one last thing I want to say about that is, you know, we want to make sure that the listeners we have are primed. They are really warm leads, they're excited. And so when we talk about the membership, it's a no brainer. And so that goes back to that aligned content piece, making sure it is aligned from the get go. And if your episodes are not speaking to your ideal client, your ideal member of your membership, then it's not going to do you any good later to set up those promotions. And so this really is about strategically thinking about your content, creating engagement and connection, making sure you're actually talking about the thing and having guests that are aligned.
[00:19:30] So if you feel like your episodes are not helping you sell your membership, I would definitely start at the top and make sure that it is very clear how they get from podcast to the next step. And then think about what is happening after they get there. And if you have a funnel set up to let them know about the membership and why they need to be a part of it, I really believe that a podcast can be an incredible tool for selling memberships. And I mean, it's just like this amazing warm hug of a format when people are trying to get to know you. It's like bringing them in, giving them a hug, setting them down and getting them a drink. Right? Like if we were in person, that's what we would do. And so really approach your podcast that way. Like this is how people are going to get to know me. They're going to get to know what I'm passionate about, how I want to help people, and that's going to help lead them to the thing that I want them to join.
[00:20:28] So I really hope this episode inspires you today. And if you're struggling with your membership and you need a little extra help, be sure to check the show notes for some links on some resources and what our next steps are. And I will be back next week with a new episode. Thank you so much for being here.
[00:20:48] Thank you so much for listening to Share, Strategize & Shine. To give your own podcast some shine, download my free podcast content by heading to the link in the show notes. Be sure to leave a review and connect with me on Instagram for more podcast strategy insights. Until next week.
