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Hey Reader! - I’ve got a new project I’m excited to share with you. The Slow Writers Club. It will be a paid community for digital writers who care about craft, quality, and long-term projects.

It’ll feature live deep work sessions and a chance to connect with awesome people like you. Perfect for helping you get podcast scripts written. if it sounds interesting to you, join the waitlist here and I’ll send you the details.

Personalize Your Podcast Promotion and Win New Audiences

I was recording a podcast guest appearance yesterday on a show dedicated to managed service providers (It was relevant, I swear! I was talking about whether they should start a podcast).

And Paul Green, the show's host, gave me some stellar advice before we hit record. I’m paraphrasing, but it was:

“When answering questions, instead of saying - businesses should start a podcast because - use the wording - MSPs should start a podcast because. That way, you sound more authoritative and will bring more listeners across to your service.”

This is a brilliant piece of advice that I’ve never considered before. When you appear on a lot of podcasts discussing the same thing, it’s too easy to find yourself falling into your usual answers and rhythms.

But by addressing the guest podcast’s audience directly, you engage them in the conversation. They will be sitting at home or in their cars, and instead of passively listening, they will perk up and actively start listening because you are talking directly to them.

The most successful podcasts are aimed at a specific group of people. Not necessarily as specific as MSPs but specific nonetheless. You can use that when you plug yourself as a guest:

• Film nerds will love my show because…
• Fitness enthusiasts will love my show because…
• Podcasters will love my show because…

You should be able to find in the podcast description who they’re talking to. If in doubt, ask the host before you start recording.

And this isn’t just the case in guest appearances…

Custom Trailers

Coincidentally, I had a comment on one of my tweets talking about something similar. I shared a tweet about trailer swaps and got an insightful response from podcast producer Catherine O’Brien.

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𝐶𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑂'𝐵𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛 @hellocatherineo @KieranMacRae You can even make a custom trailer for podcasts that say yes to a swap. "Since you listen to (swap-ee podcast) you know about of (topic.) On (our show) we discuss...." The trailer can be the equivalent of a customized cover letter. Demo why your show is value to new audience. Kieran MacRae @KieranMacRae Trailer swapping is the simplest collaboration you can do. 1) Make a 30-60 second trailer 2) Find indie podcasts like yours 3) Send a DM asking if they'd be open to a trailer swap 4) You each play each other's trailers in an episode = Your show in front of a new audience 5:46 PM • Sep 20, 2024 0 Retweets 1 Likes Read 1 replies

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Rather than just sending out your default trailer, you can create a custom version for each show you’re doing.

Yes, this will be more time intensive, but it will also be more effective. Instead of an “If you like X, Y, and Z, you’ll love our show!” you make it, “fans of (guests podcast) will love our show because..”

It forces you to specifically offer up the value of your show to that audience, which takes some thought, and you might need to get creative. But the extra work is worth it because you will better engage that audience, selling your show and ultimately bringing in more listeners to you.

This is news to me and something I will start doing in the future. I highly recommend you do the same.

TLDR: The more directly you can talk to a new audience, the more responsive they’ll be.

All the best from Scotland,

Kieran MacRae

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P.S. If you missed it at the top I’m launching a paid community, the Slow Writers Club. If you are a podcast script writer or digital writer of any kind who cares about quality, craft, and long-term projects, then this will be the group for you. Check it out here to join the waitlist.​

Community Wins

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How I Can Help You

1) ​​How to get your first 100,000 downloads ebook – Learn what it takes to grow a podcast and make sense of podcast marketing.

2) ​​Work with me 1:1​ – I am an experienced podcast coach, and I want to help you master your podcast marketing. Check out my full list of services and discover how we can work together.

3) Growth Machine Podcast Audits are now available. Don't be blind to the mistakes holding your podcast back from the growth it deserves. Get an experienced and critical eye to give you feedback on everything from show notes to podcast quality and delivery.

4) ​Recommended Tools​​ – These are the tools I use to grow my podcast. I focus on tools that improve quality and save time.

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