Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast with Courtney Elmer | Podcasting Strategy for Business Growth

Q + A | How Do I Give a Podcast CTA That Doesn't Sound Salesy?

Jun 18, 2025

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

You KNOW you should give a call to action in every podcast episode. But every time you sit down to record, your brain short-circuits — should you tell them to follow the show? Join your list? Download the freebie? Book a call? Support your sponsor? Buy your thing? Say too much and you sound desperate. Say too little and you miss your chance to turn listeners into leads.

In this episode, I’m breaking down the real reason CTAs feel awkward, the difference between a call to engage and a call to action (yes, they’re different), what to say instead of stacking five random asks at the end of your episode, and how to say exactly what listener needs to hear to take the next step.

If you’ve ever felt unsure of what to offer, how to offer it, or afraid of pushing people away when you do — hit play and dive in.

1:02 – The Surprising Reason You Freeze Up When It's Time to Give a Call to Action (CTA)

2:22 – What Not Giving a CTA Is Costing You

7:36 – How to Guide Your Audience From Listener → Lead → Client

8:52 – What a Strong CTA Actually Sounds Like

14:15 – Why You Don’t Need a New Freebie for Every Episode

16:02 – The 2 CTA Entry Points I Recommend (And Use)

22:06 – How to Handle CTAs When You Have a Sponsor

24:08 – What to Do Next If You Want Your CTAs to Start Driving Real Results

Other Episodes You’ll Love:

If Your Podcast Isn’t Converting Listeners to Leads, This Could Be Why

→ This episode was recorded on the Deity VO-7U

Support the show

Liked this episode? Share it with your podcasting friends!

Love this show? Say thanks in true podcasting style by leaving a review.

Take the Podcast Health Score™ to see exactly where your show is losing listeners and get a custom plan that shows you what to fix first.

Join the On-Air Coaching waitlist for a chance to get coached on air by Courtney and get your podcast questions answered in real time.

Get the Podcast SEO Mastery Course and learn how to optimize your show so the right listeners can actually find it.

Apply for the PodLaunch® Accelerator and get deeper podcasting support and expert guidance tailored to your specific podcasting goals. Email us at hello@podlaunchhq.com to learn more.