EPISODE · May 30, 2024 · 35 MIN
How to Attract, Convert, and Retain Podcast Listeners: Strategies from Stephanie Arakelian of Impact Theory
from Uploading · host Stephanie Arakelian, Blaine Bolus, Ramon Berrios
About the Episode:Stephanie is the Podcast Marketing and Audience Development Specialist for Impact Theory — a podcast hosted by Tom Bilyue that currently has 4.2 million subscribers on YouTube — and the Marketing Advisor for Great Pods. Before working on Impact Theory she was the: Marketing Director for Innovations 4 Health, President and Founder of a social media marketing agency called Dimont Media, and VP of Marketing and Audience Development for the podcast network CurtCo Media.In this episode, Stephanie Arakelian shares her insights on podcast marketing and audience development, drawing from her experience of over 5 years in the podcast industry. From effective content repurposing to creating a podcast that converts, Stephanie breaks down key strategies for achieving success in the evolving podcast landscape.Today, we'll cover:- The contrast between YouTube and audio podcasts and how to cater to each audience- The importance of community building and focusing on one platform at a time- How to effectively repurpose old content using AI for business growth- The importance of understanding your "why" when creating contentWhat You'll Learn1. Content Creation and Goal Setting2 Podcast Platform Specialization3. Podcast Content Repurposing4. Building a Podcast Community5. Podcast Monetization6. Audience Understanding and Content Analysis7. Podcast Advertising and Listener Experience8. Podcast Production Process9. Podcast Industry Growth and Challenges10. Funnel Strategy for Audience EngagementTimestamps01:31 Podcast marketing for startup and established networks02:53 What Impact Theory is all about04:11 The importance of treating YouTube audience separately from audio audience07:33 How podcasts grew, analyzing podcast data, how to make a podcast stand out10:56 Podcast analytics, how and what to measure, adjusting strategy based on data13:18 Turning podcast listeners into fans, fans into evangelists16:29 Strategies for placing ads on podcasts19:45 Impact Theory’s podcast workflow, from guest selection to publishing23:27 Repurposing podcast content — replays, mashups, special clips27:11 Impact Theory University as a hub of growth mindset29:20 Content strategy for Impact Theory podcast and university31:14 Stephanie’s growth tips for emerging podcast creatorsUnderstanding Different Podcast Audiences: "And then what was really interesting when we dove into the podcast side of it is breaking out their YouTube audience versus their audio audience, because they are separate. And that's one of the things that I'm trying to implement into the industry, is to show people, as podcasts are moving into the YouTube space, that you have to treat them separately because your audiences are not going to be the same. YouTube is still the number one most-played listening platform for podcasts, but it's a completely separate audience." — Stephanie Arakelian [00:04:10 - 00:04:37]Maximizing Listener Retention: "So anything over about an hour and a half, hour 45. We will split into two episodes to make that a better listening experience so that people feel like they're getting, you know, a decent amount in the chung, enough information in there, and then when they come back, they get another part of the conversation, and that's good for listener retention, listen rates, ad sales, everything. And so we've seen a huge spike in our downloads because of that." — Stephanie Arakelian [00:17:59 → 00:18:23]Why New Podcasters Should Rethink YouTube: "I think that confusing content creators right now, if you do, are not already familiar with YouTube, and this is an unpopular opinion, I say that new creators should not try and push their podcast on YouTube unless you have no expectations for it, because it's a whole other ballgame, right?" — Stephanie Arakelian [00:32:16 → 00:33:25]Show notes powered by Castmagic---Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further?Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you.Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox?Check out our newsletter here.Follow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates!Castmagic InstagramCastmagic TwitterCastmagic LinkedIn ---Blaine Bolus - Co-Founder of CastmagicRamon Berrios - Co-Founder of CastmagicStephanie Arakelian - Podcast Marketing & Audience Development at Impact Theory
Embed this episode
What this episode covers
Stephanie Arakelian has built a distinguished career in digital marketing and podcasting. Initially running her own social media and digital marketing agency, she was introduced to CurtCo Media, a budding podcast network at the time. Stephanie took on a role managing their social media and digital marketing initiatives, rapidly developing a passion for the podcasting industry. Enthralled by its growth and potential, she decided to close her agency and immerse herself fully in the world of podcasting. Stephanie now serves as the Podcast Marketing & Audience Development Specialist at Impact Theory. In this episode of "Uploading…," Stephanie Arakelian shares insights on creating podcasts that convert and repurposing content for business growth. She discusses the nuanced differences between YouTube and podcast audiences, emphasizing the importance of understanding audience goals and leveraging data for effective content strategy. Additionally, Stephanie talks about the comprehensive production process and subscription model that enhances listener engagement and retention and offers practical advice for new creators.
Ready to play
How to Attract, Convert, and Retain Podcast Listeners: Strategies from Stephanie Arakelian of Impact Theory
No transcript for this episode yet