This is a deck I presented in September at the Mid-Atlantic Podcast Conference, just outside of Philadelphia. In this talk, I shared opportunities for podcasters to monetize their show without dealing with irrelevant or poor partnerships.

1. Hello, Podcasters.
This is my first slide.
While you wait, email tom@tomtatejr.com and say
“I WANT THE SLIDES”

2. Hello, Podcasters.
Okay, cool. The clicker works.

3. “Marketing is getting someone who has
a need to know, like and trust you.”
John Jantsch, Duct Tape Marketing

4. I’m Tom Tate.
● Product Marketing Manager at AWeber, an
email service provider.
● Over 90k users, many are content creators.
● Launched my first podcast in 2012.
● From Philadelphia, PA

7. Third-year MAPCON speaker !

8. These are my shows.

9. I work on these shows.

10. Beyond the Podcast Virtual Summit

11. How to monetize your podcast without
selling your soul...

12. The case for getting paid.

13. Things people pay for.

14. Why every podcaster should seek to monetize:
● You’re fulfilling real needs.
● You provide quality content.
● You are accessible.
● You need to justify the time it takes to create.
● You need to outsource tasks to focus on what you do best.
● You command an audience and you have influence.
● But most importantly...

15. You need to eat.

16. The dream.

17. The illusion.

18. Two paths to monetize without
advertisers, ROI-centric marketers, and
a bajillion downloads.

19. Nothing wrong with ads.

20. The case for ads.

21. But ads can get weird.

22. “I don't like ads but I get it, it's a
necessary evil.”
That’s a real tweet.

23. Patronage.

24. Patronage - What is it?
Listeners support your show directly.
● In history, this is how artists were
supported.
● You provide consistently good
content/services on a predictable
basis, and your listeners
compensate you, often recurring.
● Recurring revenue is key.

25. Patronage - How it works?
Listeners support your show directly.
● Direct via paypal.
● Direct via your provider like
Anchor, or your listeners’ player
like Overcast.
● Through services like Patreon,
typically with tiered rewards.

26. Examples:

27. Examples:

28. Examples:

29. Examples:

30. Examples:

31. Three biggest mistakes...
1. You are too modest to ask for money.
2. You have lame rewards - stuff people don’t want.
3. You are only treating Patreon as a “tip jar.”

32. Three best practices...
1. Always call out real humans on your show.
2. Amplify FOMO at all times through patron-only
participation opportunities.
3. Give listeners easy access to advertise (if it aligns
with the soul of your show.)

33. SHIFT YOUR MINDSET

34. SHIFT YOUR MINDSET

35. SHIFT YOUR MINDSET

36. Sponsor your own show.
Pitch your own stuff.
Invite listeners to join your tribe.

37. SYOS - What is it?
You get paid in return for a
good/service.
● Establishes you as an authority
in your space.
● Creates a stronger relationship
between you and your listener.
● Allows you to provide more
value beyond just audio.

38. SYOS - How it works?
Just like any other podcast ad, except you are the advertiser.
● You pre-record or do a live read for a hyper-relevant thing that you offer.
● You direct listeners to a website or URL.
● Listeners then sign up, purchase, or follow up with you for more info.
● Ideally, you pitch something free to start.

39. Ideas for that “something free”
Here are some starter ideas:
● PDF guides. (Super easy to create in Google Docs.)
● “How to get started” tutorials
● Top ten lists.
● 7, 14, or 30-day challenges.
● Checklists.
● Bundled audio. (Convenience is valuable.)
● Curated content. (Best of content.)
Can be any medium, doesn’t have to be audio. Delivered via email.

40. Ideas for that “something paid”
Here are some starter ideas:
● Premium audio / archived episodes / exclusive content.
● Paid online courses (incredibly easy to build now.)
● Paid PDF guides, checklists, or getting started docs.
● 1:1 coaching or direct services.
● Paid membership site.
● Physical product (book, tool, software.)
● Your actual business.

41. What do your listeners need?

42. Minimum Viable Product

43. Invite users to sign up for your email list
Here’s why:
● More at bats to reach your audience.
● Two-way familiar communication channel.
● Not subject to social media algorithms.
● More sweet sweet data.
● You can automate emails and provide value on auto-pilot.
● Listeners are now in your ecosystem.

44. Here’s what simple email automation looks like:

45. Typical paths:
Podcast > Free Content > Upgraded Content > Paid Content > Upsell Content
Podcast > Upgraded Content > Paid Content > Upsell Content
Podcast > Paid Content

46. Real examples
Episode: Blogging for Multiple Income Streams
“If you want to start a blog of your own, check out my free video series at
blogstartercourse.com. I’ll show you step by step how blogs make money and
how to get your site online for less than you might think.”
Nick Loper, The Side Hustle Show

47. Real examples

48. Real examples

49. Real examples

50. Real examples

51. Real examples

52. Real examples

53. Real examples

54. Real examples

55. Real examples

56. Real examples

57. Real examples

58. Real examples

59. Real examples

60. My favorite to get started with is the “mini-course”
Why?
- It’s just email.
- Repurpose stuff you already know into a few emails.

61. The Mini-Course

62. The Mini-Course

64. What’s going on under the hood...
● Likely attracting good subscribers
○ The course or challenge becomes a more attractive incentive to join.
● We’re nurturing our subscribers.
○ We’re delivering structured and consistent value!
○ Subscribers are achieving small victories. But just a taste… we’re still agitating the problem.
● Our subscribers are spending time with us (every day.)
○ People buy from people they know, like and trust.
● The pitch feels natural.
○ Why stop now?

65. More advanced stuff...

66. More advanced stuff...

67. Other ideas:
“Head on over to [FRIENDLY URL] and get access to...
● The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide to Podcast Equipment
● How to get started with knitting in 7 days
● The 10 Comic Books You Need To Read Before You Die
● 30 Day “No Meats, Clean Eats” Challenge
● Free Disney World Packing Checklist
● Ten TED Talks that’ll Change Your Life

68. SHIFT YOUR MINDSET

69. SHIFT YOUR MINDSET

70. Plan your path to monetization.

71. Thank you!

72. Have questions? Want the slides?
tom@tomtatejr.com
tomt@aweber.com - @tnrt on Twitter
www.reallyshortemails.com