“If you have nowhere for people to go, shoveling more people there isn't going to help” -Megan Shields

Introduction:

You might be ready to level up the way in which you are growing your podcast and marketing your business. And, if you're hanging around here, you're probably interested in using Facebook and Instagram Ads to do that. 😉

However, there are a few things you should have in place before diving into the world of paid advertising on Facebook.

Facebook Ads are a traffic machine. If you're paying to send thousands of people to your business everyday but you don't have the foundations in place for HOW they can take that next step with you, you're setting yourself up for failure.

In this blog I'm going to be speaking specifically to what we look for with all of our clients before we implement our Tri-Fecta Ad Strategy into their business. If you're not sure what that is click here to read our blog post all about it.

With that said, here are the 3 things you should have in place before you dive into our ad strategy 👇

1. An Organic Marketing Strategy

This might seem counterintuitive but hear me out here. Yes, using ads allows you to leverage your time and not HAVE to post online every day. You're going to get engagement and reach; it's guaranteed because you're paying for it. However, a paid ad strategy PLUS an organic strategy = 🔥.

Here's why.

All these platforms care about is the user experience and keeping people on them. That way they can sell advertising space😉. That being said, when you put an organic post out there and people start engaging with it (liking, commenting, sharing, etc.) the algorithm is thinking "this is quality content, I'm going to show it to more people so they can have a great time on this platform and stay here". That's how & why virality happens.

When you add paid ads into the mix, even though you are paying for engagement and reach, the algorithm still sees that as a positive thing. It still views the ads as quality content because people are engaging with it. This generally will increase your overall organic reach and engagement for your organic posts.

There has been a rumor going around that using paid ads will kill your organic reach--from what we've seen using this strategy for the last 3 years that simply isn't true.

Overall, you want to make sure you have an organic strategy & presence so that when you begin running ads and people start to look you up, there is content for them to consume as well as a place for them to take the next step (i.e. your link in bio) with you.

2. A Lead Magnet & Nurture Sequence

One of the key components of our Tri-Fecta Ad Strategy is list building. An email list is a super valuable asset for a podcaster. It allows you to build a community of people you can consistently market to, get feedback from and sell your products and services to. Before you begin running ads to grow your email list you need two things.

You need to have a lead magnet to promote to them (a pdf, free training, etc.) and a nurture sequence in place. The last thing you want is to get people onto your email list then they don't hear from you until two months later when you send an email. By that time, they forgot who you were, and they unsubscribe. You especially don't want this when you are paying to acquire people onto your list. So, make sure that you have a solid, automated welcome/nurture sequence in place before using ads.

3. CTA's on your Podcast Episodes

Prior to paying to get more people to your show, make sure that your podcast is optimized for more traffic. This means having clear episode titles, descriptive show notes as well as a call to action for the listener to take their next step with you. This could be a link to book a call, download your lead magnet or go to your website. Whatever it is, you want to make sure that you are optimizing your listeners attention and being clear on what steps you want them to take next.

All of this to say...

Facebook and Instagram Ads are traffic machines. Think of it this way, imagine that you are waiting outside of a concert to be let into the venue. The doors open up but once you get inside there is a long hallway with many doors and no signs on where to go. It wouldn't take long for that hall to get crowded and the traffic to get backed all the way up because people don't know where to go.

You need to think of your business in this same way when it comes to ads. Shoveling more people to a place (your podcast, your freebie, your website, etc.) where they aren't sure what to do next is not going to help. It's going to burn through your ad spend and yield no results.

Make sure that your foundations are optimized. Set yourself up for success.

If you want to learn how to implement our exact Tri-Fecta Ad Strategy for your podcast check out our course & community; The Podcast Audience Amplifier.

Let's stay connected: Follow us on Instagram