Learn about the power of podcast networks and how to grow your show through strategic partnerships, niche audiences, and diverse monetization paths. Discover the benefits of joining a network, navigating network deals, and leveraging the 'network effect' for growth. Unpack the rise of YouTube-first podcasts, the impact of SEO on visibility, and explore exciting new shows in the HubSpot podcast network.

Former Microsoft product manager turned content mastermind, Philip Ruffini, shares insights on building a B2B media empire. Topics include crafting a B2B content strategy, leveraging YouTube for growth, managing global content teams with SOPs, measuring content ROI, and repurposing content across diverse channels for lasting impact.

Entrepreneur Will Nelson shares content creation insights, from finding inspiration to time management. Learn about avoiding pitfalls, personal branding, and monetizing content. Discover practical tips for efficiency and overcoming creative blocks.

Tommy Magill, a powerhouse in the content and course creation space, shares his journey from affiliate marketing to scaling businesses through paid ads. He discusses how to secure low-interest business credit and the power of storytelling to boost sales. Tommy emphasizes the importance of testing offers for maximum ROI and the role of content creation in building trust. His insights on effective advertising strategies and the future of content, particularly long-form formats, provide valuable takeaways for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Logan Lyles, Head of Evangelism & Content Marketing at Teamwork.com, discusses the importance of audience research and LinkedIn for growth. He shares tips on repurposing content, niche communities, and using short form video. Topics covered include content creation, engagement on LinkedIn, creating video content without editing skills, boosting content reach, leveraging small teams for growth, and creating unique and authentic content.

About The Episode:In this convo with Nick Christensen, we breakdown the secrets to using influencer and creator marketing to amplify sales and views. Nick shares insider strategies on how to maximize ROI, the importance of genuine partnerships, and how to forge lasting brand deals as a creator.Today, we'll cover:- How to negotiate influencer marketing deals during high-conversion periods like Black Friday.- The critical factors influencers should consider when setting rates and approaching brand deals.- Exploring the distinction between affiliate marketing and influencer roles, and how to navigate these.- The effectiveness of outreach strategies for securing partnerships and the preference for commission-based models.- Nick's journey at Appsumo and his tips for creators to connect with brands authentically.What You'll Learn1. Leveraging influencer marketing for sales.2. Creator compensation and negotiation strategies.3. Affiliates vs. influencer marketing roles.4. Crafting successful brand partnerships.5. Engagement over follower count.6. Long-term relationships with brands.7. Performance-based partnership benefits.Timestamps00:00 Passionate about helping creators grow efficiently. Started ambassador program.04:42 Monetize YouTube channel through brand outreach and outreach.10:13 Avoid coming on too strong with rates.11:22 Suggest specific approach, avoid standard email.16:53 Appsumo's successful Black Friday marketing strategy.18:21 Measuring marketing success with LTV to CAC.22:13 Six-month trial period with potential for growth.26:49 Build long-term partnerships with smaller companies.29:09 Affiliate opportunities in SaaS for recurring revenue.32:41 LinkedIn is the best marketing channel.Expanding Influence with Strategic Partnerships: "We have an eight figure affiliate and influencer program that I started about five years ago. Started with really just referral marketing, expanded to affiliate, traditional affiliate marketing, and now kind of the final stage is what we call ambassador or influencer marketing."— Nick Christensen [00:02:34 → 00:03:47]Influencer Marketing Strategies: "Ten times out of ten, you're going to get a yes from brands, especially if the first three months are more of like a test and then invest where there's no skin off their back."— Nick Christensen [00:07:56 → 00:08:04]Influencer Marketing Pitfalls: "You just got to ten k subs, you're the king of YouTube and it's like, yo, I'm coming in with $15,000 per month fee, right? And it's an exaggeration of an example, but I've seen some insane rates being thrown out to where not only are you not trying to align with my goals, but the outreach is just so transactional."— Nick Christensen [00:10:20 → 00:10:45]Effective Marketing Outreach: "Don't send them some general pdf with some crazy numbers in it. Send them a real email and say, hey, I checked out castmagic or I checked out Appsumo and I loved this part of it, or I loved this tool. I would really love to promote this in this and this way."— Nick Christensen [00:11:29 → 00:11:44]The Importance of Genuine Engagement in Monetization: "Well, I'm looking for good engagement, not just views. I'm looking for real followers and real comments. Bots are huge on YouTube. All social media channels pumping up these creator channels to make it seem like they have these insane followings and insane engagement."— Nick Christensen [00:14:08 → 00:14:25]Evaluating Social Media Engagement: "One ratio that we use is a CPM based on the last ten videos, the views of the last ten videos, and then a ratio of follower to view to comment accounts, right? So it doesn't matter if you don't have a lot of followers or you don't have a lot of subs. If your sub to view count to comment ratio are really good, let's say you have 100 followers and you get 80 views on your videos and of those 80 views you get like 20 comments. That's a really good ratio, right? That means you have a great channel of people that are really engaged."— Nick Christensen [00:14:37 → 00:15:13]Maximizing Black Friday Earnings: "People are conditioned to buy during Black Friday. And so if I was a creator, I would go really hard on Black Friday, lowering my fee amount and increasing the commission amount of saying, I think if there's any time for me to do this and adjust my ratios, this is it."— Nick Christensen [00:17:34 → 00:17:50]Marketing Efficiency in the Digital Age: "LTV, to CAC is how we track all of our paid returns at Appsumo. The LTV, meaning the customer profit that I am getting from them. The CAC being how much I am paying to get that customer."— Nick Christensen [00:18:38 → 00:18:49]Negotiating Brand Deals: "And the first one month of it, I don't even want any fees, I just want commissions. And then after that, this is the CPM that we agree to. And it's so risk free on both sides because I have one month, which maybe a couple of videos, you're not really putting in a ton of work. But the upside is, if it works, the brand will be like, I want to invest in this creator, and you can sign a six month or a twelve month agreement with them at the CPM that you want."— Nick Christensen [00:22:19 → 00:22:43]Influencer Marketing Strategy: "At least three videos, preferably longer term partnerships, six to twelve months where you are basically an extension of their marketing team and paid on retainer."— Nick Christensen [00:26:54 → 00:27:03]Shownotes 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 CastmagicNick Christensen - Head of Marketing at Appsumo

About The Episode:In this convo with Travis Albritton, we unpack the secrets of creating honest, effective podcasts that resonate with audiences and align with your business goals. Travis shares his seasoned insights on the practical side of podcast production and strategic considerations to ensure your podcast delivers real value.Today, we'll cover:- Travis Albritton's journey from content marketing at Buzzsprout to launching his own agency, Honest Podcasts.- The balance between human touch and AI efficiency in podcast post-production and content creation.- Strategic platform choices for podcasters, considering budget, audience growth, and content distribution.- How to stand out in a world with increased noise and competition.- Essential tips for podcasters on starting, scaling, and enhancing their content, drawing from Travis's seven years of industry experience.What You'll Learn1. Podcast production and editing techniques.2. Efficient transcript generation via AI.3. Strategic platform and social media choices.4. Crucial podcast launch steps and tips.5. Podcasting growth and industry trends.6. Business-oriented podcasting strategies.7. Outsourcing and leveraging technology in podcasting.Timestamps00:00 Transitioned from employee to podcast business owner.06:51 Think through what you'll bring to the world.09:13 Start with audio-only podcast, add video later.12:02 In-person interviews are costly, use technology.15:30 Free Audacity for Windows, Zoom for interviews.20:01 Options for obtaining music for your show.23:06 Zoom and Riverside settings for podcast recording.27:25 Outsource podcast tasks to focus on promotion.28:37 Use independent audio editor to save costs.32:41 Efficient and creative process for podcast production.37:35 Stand out in content creation with uniqueness.38:53 Building trust as a creator is crucial.Podcasting Success Strategies: "So my job was essentially to take all the people that used Buzzsprout to host their podcasts and turn them into experts, so that way they would be successful at their podcasts and they would have as little churn as possible."— Travis Albritton [00:02:30 → 00:02:42]Creating Successful Branded Podcasts: "I mainly serve businesses and business owners that see the podcast as an integrated piece into their overall marketing plan, and we make sure to reverse engineer the podcast into however they make money. And so for some clients, that's build a big audience and then sell them products. For others, it's use the podcast as an excuse to get FaceTime with people that you eventually sell your products and services to. And there's a whole number of different strategies that you can use to see an ROI from a podcast. But that's what I do."— Travis Albritton [00:03:58 → 00:04:28]Making a Successful Podcast: "What would you bring to the world that doesn't exist yet? Why would somebody listen to you? What is the benefit to them? Whether it's to be entertained or educated or both, and really get clear on why does the world need what you have to say?"— Travis Albritton [00:06:55 → 00:07:10]The Philosophy of Editing: "I like to think about editing as I'm removing the big mistakes, to leave the meat on the bone of this is the conversation station that happened as it was captured, and we're taking out the stuff that doesn't need to be in there that the listener doesn't care about."— Travis Albritton [00:24:27 → 00:24:40]Podcast Production Economics: "It's much more efficient for you to hire an audio editor specifically who can. If it's a us based editor you're looking at, really do a good job editing your podcast, and then you just have to do all the other stuff. Or if you're more savvy, you can hire overseas where the currency exchange is a little bit better, and so then you can get it for like $10 for an episode. It's like, I don't know many people that can't afford $10 to have an audio podcast produced for them. So that's how I would actually think about it, is not how do I get this podcast to make money, but how do I make the cost to produce the podcast so low that it doesn't matter when I make money or how much I make, and then everything that you make on the backside, you can have the patient of letting it play out."— Travis Albritton [00:28:52 → 00:29:36]The Human Touch in an AI-Saturated Future: "finding ways to do something that's unique, that stands apart, that's what's going to grab people's attention. And if you can bring as much of yourself into it as possible so they know when they're watching and consuming it, there's an actual person generating this content."— Travis Albritton [00:37:52 → 00:38:06]Shownotes 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 CastmagicTravis Albritton - Founder at Honest Podcasts

About The Episode:In today's episode, we chat with Ben Bradbury, a content expert and GM of Audio & Video at Workweek, as he shares the secrets to launching a successful podcast and mastering the art of engagement. From the mechanics of distribution to the nuances of co-hosting dynamics, Ben unpacks the essential strategies for creating a podcast that not only resonates with audiences but also stands out in a crowded market.Today, we'll cover:- The critical role of consistency and subscriber growth in podcast success.- Why understanding your audience's online habitats is key to effective content distribution.- Strategies for leveraging emotional resonance and trust through podcasting.- The impact of host dynamics on podcast narration and listener engagement.- Insights on balancing authenticity and resource investment for content creators.What You'll Learn1. Audience growth and subscriber base importance2. Consistency in podcast content delivery3. Understanding and measuring podcast ROI4. Emotional resonance in podcasting value5. Effective host dynamics and chemistry6. Authenticity in show content creation7. Operations and growth strategy in podcastingTimestamps00:00 Explore content strategy with world's top creators.03:06 Excited to discuss making content successful, launching podcasts.06:47 Unique HR show features anonymous horror stories.11:11 Importance of research and understanding podcast goals.13:56 Hire project manager, delegate tasks, protect time.18:21 Benefits of co-hosts in podcasting, dynamics importance.22:16 Choose co-host based on chemistry and format.25:23 Consistency in podcasting leads to increased downloads.27:46 Creative podcast network highlights unique interviews and expertise.31:44 Building trust, selling partnerships, measuring ad efficacy.34:21 Show's vibe is thoughtful questions, go deeper.Scaling Content Production: "And so my first move for anyone who's growing a show is looking to scale themselves, would be, number one, install a generalist project manager who can help you with scheduling, who can help you with managing the rest of the team, and really kind of protect your time as an asset and be that shield."— Ben Bradbury [00:13:56 → 00:14:11]The Value of Podcasting in Marketing: "And I think a podcaster fills one of those slots. That's the value of podcasting as a marketing channel, is you really function as a friend on demand to that audience because you have that affinity, that emotional relationship and trust embedded."— Ben Bradbury [00:17:00 → 00:17:14]Podcast Co-Hosting Dynamics: "So if you have someone in your network you're considering bringing on as a co host, number one is assess for chemistry, make sure that you guys have good rapport. You can read each other well, you can balance conversation well."— Ben Bradbury [00:22:30 → 00:22:41]Maximizing Podcast Growth: "If I have 1000 subscribers and I post three times a week, I'm going to be able to get, just from those subscribers, triple the baseline rate of downloads to a show that's posting just once a week. And that's why you pretty regularly see as a pattern shows that are on that exponential growth curve, what I would call the velocity of a show, which is the number of downloads times by the time length that it's on, they'll typically have multiple hits on your feed."— Ben Bradbury [00:25:23 → 00:25:51]Shownotes 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 CastmagicBen Bradbury - GM Audio & Video at Workweek