171: Grow Your Sales Funnel with Strategic Podcasting
In this episode, I chat with Caroline Hull, a podcasting expert and CEO of Wild Home Podcasting. Caroline shares why long-form content is so important for marketing and how podcasts can really help you build your brand and make more money. She gives great tips on how to fit podcasts into your marketing plan without burning out.
We also cover practical advice on making the most of your podcast, from creating content to setting up funnels. Plus, we talk about common mistakes people make when starting a podcast and how to avoid them.
Caroline explains how understanding your audience and making content that speaks to them can help you build a loyal following. Whether you're new to podcasting or want to take yours to the next level, this episode is full of useful tips and inspiration.
Unlocking Business Growth Through Strategic Podcasting
In the ever-evolving world of online business, staying ahead of the curve requires innovative strategies and tools. One such powerful tool is podcasting. Recently, I had the pleasure of hosting Caroline Hull, a podcasting strategist, manager, and CEO of Wild Home Podcasting, on my show.
Caroline shared invaluable insights on how business owners can leverage podcasts to grow their brands, build authority, and boost revenue. Let's dive into the key takeaways from our conversation and explore how you can unlock business growth through strategic podcasting.
The Evolution of Podcasting: From Management to Strategy
Caroline’s journey into podcasting began with editing and management, but it quickly evolved into something much more impactful. Recognizing the immense potential of podcasts for business owners, she shifted her focus to strategy. Caroline shared, "Podcasting can have a profound impact on business growth. It's not just about content; it's about strategy and integration."
For many business owners, the initial steps into podcasting may seem daunting. However, understanding the strategic role of a podcast can transform it from a mere content creation tool into a powerful component of your marketing arsenal. Caroline's approach highlights the importance of viewing your podcast as an integral part of your business strategy rather than a standalone project.
Long-Form Content: The Heart of Effective Marketing
In today's digital landscape, long-form content plays a crucial role in nurturing relationships with your audience. Caroline emphasized the importance of incorporating long-form content, such as podcasts or YouTube videos, into your marketing strategy. She noted, "Podcasting allows for an intimate connection with your audience. You're literally in their ears as they go about their daily lives."
Unlike short social media posts or quick videos, long-form content provides a deeper understanding of your brand and values. It allows your audience to connect with you on a more personal level, building trust and loyalty over time. Caroline's insights underscore the need to choose a content format that aligns with your strengths and preferences, ensuring consistency and authenticity in your messaging.
Integrating Podcasts into Your Marketing Strategy
One of the biggest mistakes business owners make is treating their podcast as a separate entity from their overall marketing strategy. Caroline highlighted the importance of integration, stating, "The magic happens when your podcast is integrated into your overall marketing strategy. It becomes a powerful brand builder."
To avoid burnout and maximize the benefits of podcasting, it’s essential to view your podcast as a key component of your marketing funnel. This involves repurposing podcast content across various platforms, such as social media, email newsletters, and blog posts. By doing so, you create consistent messaging that reinforces your brand and engages your audience at multiple touchpoints.
Understanding Your Audience’s Journey
A successful podcast not only provides valuable content but also aligns with the needs and journey of your audience. Caroline explained the importance of understanding where your listeners are in their journey and tailoring your content accordingly. She shared, "It's not about giving too much value away; it's about showing why your audience needs you and your expertise."
Identifying the stage at which your audience is can help you craft content that resonates with their current challenges and aspirations. Whether they are just starting out or looking to scale their business, your podcast should address their specific needs and guide them towards the next steps in their journey. This strategic approach ensures that your podcast serves as a valuable resource, driving engagement and conversions.
Measuring the Success of Your Podcast
To truly harness the power of podcasting, it’s essential to have clear objectives and metrics for success. Caroline advised treating your podcast as a member of your team with a specific job and purpose. "Your podcast should be like a member of your team, with a clear job and purpose, driving specific results for your business," she said.
Determining the primary goal of your podcast—whether it’s building your email list, attracting new clients, or driving sales—will help you measure its effectiveness. Regularly reviewing your podcast's performance and making data-driven adjustments ensures that it continues to contribute positively to your overall business goals.
Conclusion
Podcasting, when approached strategically, can be a game-changer for online business owners. By integrating it into your marketing strategy, understanding your audience's journey, and measuring its success, you can unlock significant business growth.
Caroline’s insights provide a roadmap for leveraging the power of podcasts to build your brand, connect with your audience, and achieve your business objectives. If you haven’t yet explored the potential of podcasting, now is the perfect time to start and see the transformative impact it can have on your business.
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Where you can find Caroline: Website
Caroline’s free gift: Podcast Readiness Quiz
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Transcript:
And today, my special guest is Caroline Hall. Carolyn is a podcasting strategist, manager, and CEO of Wild Home Podcasting, a boutique podcast management agency and a homeschool mom who helps online business owners create strategic podcasts to help grow their businesses. Now, Caroline, I am super excited that you are joining me today. You are my podcast coach, and you have helped me tremendously with my Creator’s MBA podcast.
Caroline Hull [00:00:36]:
Yeah. I just wanted to share with my audience everything about you, but more importantly, how they can use podcasting to grow their business, grow their revenue, grow their business, and how they can use it strategically in their business. But before we get into all the questions I have for you, can you tell the good audience just a little bit more about you and how you help people?
Dr. Destini Copp [00:01:01]:
Yeah. Absolutely. So as she said, my name is Caroline. My company is Wild Home Podcasting. And it was so funny because as you were reading my little bio there, I was like, you know, I need to update that because I started out in podcasting, doing podcast editing, podcast management, that kind of thing, very quickly realized the power that podcasting could have for business owners. And most of my clients were business owners because I was an online business owner, so I was in that world, and started helping them with the strategy. So I've been doing podcasting for almost a decade now. Started a podcast, with a co host and then just kinda fell in love with it.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:01:44]:
And now what I do so I do still a little bit of editing and management, but we're actually moving away from that because there's so many amazing tools out there that can help you to do that really effectively. And what I do now, specifically, is help people, online business owners, figure out how to use their podcast to help them grow their brand, build their authority, and increase their revenue. And what through how I do that is really by helping them with their content. So I always tell people I'm a podcast coach and a content strategist, And I've actually been working on my purpose, and so I'll share that with you too, because I think this is really helpful just to hear my approach to podcast coaching. Because my purpose really is to empower women to unleash their voices and help them shine with confidence and influence through podcasting.
Caroline Hull [00:02:40]:
I love that. And I also loved how you kinda, you know, were open and honest with us. Right? That you're kinda pivoting in your business. And I think we're all doing that at some point. A little bit. Yeah. Right? I I feel like I do that, you know, occasionally. But here's here's one of the initial questions I have for you, and I know that some people are listening.
Caroline Hull [00:03:02]:
What should be their kind of their pillar content strategy, and they may be looking at should it be video or YouTube or podcasting. What would you say to them if they're trying to make a decision on what route to go?
Dr. Destini Copp [00:03:21]:
Yeah. First of all, having a piece of long form content in your marketing strategy, I think, is so so so important, especially because marketing has really changed. You know, used to, you could post on Instagram a couple times and you could get some sales, And I think people now are just a little bit more not necessarily cautious, they just take their time making the decision about the money that they're gonna spend and who they're gonna work with. And long form content really helps you nurture those relationships. So I like to think of it as going beyond just like an Instagram reel, which is, you know, can be 30 seconds. Right? And just gives you a glimpse of somebody. I love long form content because it really helps you get to know them, their philosophies, how they interact with people, how they talk, how they think, how they work. It really does give you an inside peek.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:04:15]:
Now as to whether you should do YouTube or a podcast, it's totally up to you, but there are a couple things that I like to mention to people. One of the reasons I love podcasting so I'm an introvert, I'm an INFJ, and, I don't like to be on video all the time. That's not my favorite thing in the world. And I do think that YouTube is a little bit of a different beast. I think what's so incredibly special about podcasting is that it is audio. You're literally in someone's ear. Like, think about, you know, your ideal client, what they're doing on a daily basis, when are they listening to, like, an audio book or a podcast? It's usually when they're doing something like driving their kids to and from wherever they're going, or doing the dishes. I know when I'm doing housework, I like to put my earbuds in and listen to my podcast.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:05:07]:
And so it really is, like, this intimate interaction in a way where you're being welcomed into their life. I think in a way that's very different from video. And I think also because it is audio, it's a little bit more informal. I feel like YouTube can be very scripted, very edited. Podcasting is a little bit more natural, a little bit more conversational. And like I said, it really does just allow people to get to know you in that way. So I think it really comes down to, you know, if I'm gonna go towards adding long form content, how best do I feel showing up? And I know for me, sitting down in front of a microphone, choosing whether or not I'm going to do video is so much easier than trying to make 5 reels for the week. So that's why I love podcasting.
Caroline Hull [00:05:58]:
And I think that's why I love it too. Right? It's you know, I'm also an introvert in being able to just kinda I feel like I'm having a 1 on 1 conversation with somebody when we're pot Right. Even though they're not in front of me like you are right now, I just feel like it's that, you know, it's that very, very personal conversation with somebody. So I loved what you said there. My next question and kinda where I wanted to take this discussion because I think this is so very powerful because we you know, it takes a while, right, to create this pillar content, whether you're you're blogging, you're doing video, or you're doing podcasting. It it it can be a little bit time consuming. Now what I love about podcasting, I feel like it's easier for me. Right? Like what you said, it's easier for me to just kinda speak into the microphone and kinda communicate my thoughts that way.
Caroline Hull [00:06:49]:
But Yeah. What we don't wanna do is spend all this time on this pillar content and not have it do what we need it to do for our business. So we wanna make sure we're being very strategic about it. So what do you say to people, and how do you kinda coach them through that process?
Dr. Destini Copp [00:07:07]:
Well, I think you you brought up, like, the biggest point. Right? Is that a lot of times when people start a podcast or they think they're gonna start a podcast, they view it as something separate from their business. And I would venture to say the same can be applied to, like, starting a YouTube channel or any kind of thing like that. When you go into it, you're like, oh, this is different. This is over here. I'm creating content for this. It's separate from everything else I'm doing. And, honestly, that is one of the biggest mistakes I see business owners make, and that will most certainly lead to burnout a lot faster.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:07:43]:
Where the magic really happens with a podcast is when we think of it as a piece of everything that we're doing. It becomes really integrated into our messaging and our marketing, and we're able to use it and repurpose. You know, you mentioned that it is a little time consuming to do something like a podcast because you have to record, you have to plan it, you have to edit it. We're spending so much time on it. So why would we only create an episode and just post it over here and think that it's gonna do something for us. When we think about it as a piece of our funnel and we take that long piece of content. Right? 20 to 30 minutes of probably amazing quotes and and bullet points and whatever you've talked about in that episode and we repurpose it and we use it not only for a podcast before email for Instagram, I mean you can use it for Pinterest. I mean, really, you can repurpose it everywhere.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:08:43]:
Now we're actually saving ourselves time, and what we're doing is creating consistent messaging, which is gonna help us build our brand. And that's one thing I don't think people really realize about long form content is that it really can be this powerful brand builder, but it has to be done in a way where, like I said, everything is working together. The other thing that I wanna mention too is a lot of times when people start a podcast, they think, okay. I'm just gonna post these episodes, and a 1000000 people are gonna listen, and I'm gonna just start making money right off the bat. And then that's not exactly how it works. So, you know, one thing about podcasting is it has grown a lot since I started podcasting years ago, and it does take a little bit more to get found. And that's really where the strategy piece becomes 1000000 listeners, we start thinking I need the right listeners and I need to have a plan for them when they come to my podcast episode and they listen to these episodes. Where am I leading them? What comes next? And that really is that funnel piece that I mentioned.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:09:56]:
And so if you're thinking about starting a podcast or if you have a podcast and you feel like, you know, oh, this is taking so much time. I don't know if it's worth it. Usually, when you're asking that question, it's because you haven't strategically integrated it into the rest of your marketing strategy. And when you can do that and you can also have it be a piece of your funnel, that's when you're really gonna start to see the results of of the time spent on a podcast. And let me tell you, those results are gonna be they're gonna tell you that it's worth it, because what a podcast really does is nurture your audience in a way that, like I mentioned, Instagram can't do not even email can do to an extent. Right? And, honestly, like, my podcast is my biggest converter for me over email, over Instagram, And that's because I am very strategic about my content, when I'm what I'm sharing with people, what I'm asking them to do after the episode, all of those things. So just going into it with a little bit more intention can make a big difference.
Caroline Hull [00:10:59]:
And I think you hit the nail on the set head when you mentioned you have to have a plan for them. You have to have a plan for your listeners and kinda take them on that journey. And everybody who's listening here and have been listening to you know, with me for a while on this podcast, they know that I'm a huge fan of funnels and taking that customer on a specific journey. But let's let's kinda dig into that because it's kind of a hard, I think, concept for people to understand when it comes to a podcast. I think it's different when you're thinking about, oh, they come to the sleeve magnet. From the sleeve magnet, I have this trip wire, and then from there, you know, I I have this email sales funnel. What does that journey look like on a podcast?
Dr. Destini Copp [00:11:40]:
Yeah. So you really have to think about where your listeners are. 1 of the kind of foundational pieces that I do with all of my clients, and if you come into any of my programs as we talk about your personal client journey. So I like to think of I have a I you know, if you've ever heard me speak about podcasting, you know, I love to use visuals. And I live in Colorado, so I like to think of it as a mountain for one thing. And we wanna think about, okay, where are they climbing up that mountain? Where are they in that journey? Are they just getting ready to start climbing up that mountain? Are they already halfway up the mountain and they need help? What I mean by this let me give you a really great example. When I started my podcast about podcasting, I mean, incredibly meta, I talked a lot about launching. And I talked about launching a podcast for years, And I slowly started to see my downloads go down.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:12:42]:
My engagement was going down. You know, what I realized was that a lot of my audience had actually already launched a podcast. They'd figured that part out. What they needed help with was what came next. And when I surveyed my audience, talked to my ideal clients, and realized that, I switched my content, and now all of a sudden I'm starting to see my downloads go up, I'm starting to see my engagement go up, I'm starting to see more leads coming through from my podcast. That's what I mean, like, being really aware of where your listeners are in the journey. And and you can have listeners in a couple different places, but I think the main piece that I wanna drive home with that is, like, we don't necessarily wanna be talking to people at the beginning of their journey or the end of their journey. Right? We wanna show people what's possible.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:13:31]:
The second thing I wanna say about, like, the customer journey and how content plays into this is one of the traps that we fall into a lot with content as online business owners is we think, oh my gosh, we need to give everybody so much value. Because if we give them a lot of value, they will want to buy into whatever we're doing. And the problem with that is is if you give too much value, then people don't need to take the next step. And so what I really try to get my clients to focus on is instead of focusing so much on the how in their content, focus more on the why. You know, why are they experiencing this? What brought them to this place? What was the catalyst? Like, think about the catalyst for people joining your programs or buying your your product. What made them click buy, and how can you create episodes around that? And what I need everyone to remember is that when you're creating content, right, you're sharing the why, you are the how. And so your content should lead directly into well, if you wanna solve this problem, like, I'm helping you identify the problem. I'm helping you see yourself, feel seen, feel heard in my content.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:14:43]:
And then what comes next is taking a step with me. Right? And that's essentially, like, how you wanna think about your content and how you wanna think about that customer journey. And knowing, you know, okay, what is the logical first step for my listeners? So if I understand what part of the journey they're in, that helps me to understand the correct call to action that I should be sharing with them.
Caroline Hull [00:15:08]:
And I love that, what you said. You gotta focus on the why and but not the how. And I think it's easy for us, right, as we're creating a lot of this content, whether it's Instagram content, podcast content, YouTube, or whatever. It's easy for us to sit. Here's how you do it. Right? Because that's what we do. Right? We're teachers. We're teachers.
Caroline Hull [00:15:26]:
We we know how to do that. But creating content that kind of, you know, leaves them that you are the how is a little bit more difficult. And I I know that's one of the things that you have definitely helped me with because it's like I said, it's not easy for any of us to do that.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:15:43]:
It's not. It takes a big mindset shift. It takes a really big mindset shift, and it takes it takes putting yourself in your client's shoes. Like, I think one of the things we forget is we've already been on the journey. Right? Like, we we've done the journey. That's why we're here helping other people because we've already gone through the thing. We have figured it out. We know what works and what doesn't.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:16:07]:
And that's why it's so easy for us to share the the how because we're like, oh, yeah. You just need to do this. But what we need to remember is that our clients, a lot of times, they don't know what they need because they don't understand what they're experiencing at the moment. You know, it's just like with me in podcasting. A lot of my clients will come to me, and they have a podcast. They're 50 episodes in. And they're like, I'm spending so much time on this, but I don't really understand if it's working for me or not. That, I know exactly what they need to do.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:16:40]:
Right? I I've done this. I've helped a lot of people do it. I've done it with my own podcast. That's not what they need right now. What they need to understand is, okay, but why is this important to you? Why do you feel this way about your podcast? What's going on underneath the surface? You see what I'm saying? So it's like an it's we shift from being like, okay. Well, here's all the answers to, I see you. I I hear you. I I see what you're going through.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:17:07]:
I completely understand. I've been there too. I have clients who've been there too. Let me show you what the next step is. And when you make that mindset shift, it helps people connect with you, I think too, in such a different way than when you're just giving them 5 tips for how to do something. Right? It really does take that connection to another level.
Caroline Hull [00:17:31]:
And let's take this a little step further. So let's say there's people out there. They have, you know, 20, 30, maybe even 50 episodes that you mentioned, and they don't know. How do they know if their podcast is doing its job or if they need to switch their strategy?
Dr. Destini Copp [00:17:46]:
Yeah. I think the first step is just determining what your podcast job is. I like to say that your podcast should be, like, a member of your team. It should have a job, it should be part of your your sales or marketing team, but you really need to give it a specific job. You know, is your podcast are you setting it up to help build your email list? Are you setting it up to help get you more 1 on 1 clients? For me, my podcast is a big driver for my membership. It's how I use it to talk about my membership, and I have, a client I worked with recently who her only product that she has is a membership. And so we took a look at her podcast and figured out, okay, how can we drive people to your membership? And that really is the first step is determining, okay, what is the purpose of my podcast? And so if you say, okay. I wanna get more people on my email list.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:18:41]:
Well, what are you doing through your content and through your call to actions that is going to lead them to join the email list, and what is the incentive? It really is, like, when I work with clients, we don't just look at the podcast. We look at the whole picture. You know, what is happening after they click the link? What happens after they go into the funnel? Because it all has to work together. And a lot of times, when a client comes to me and they're, you know, they're deep in their podcast, they've been doing it for a while, they feel like it's not working, we can pretty quickly figure out that there are some gaps between the podcast and what happens next and what's going on in the rest of their business. So I would start with those two places. Think about your purpose. Think about the purpose of the podcast, and then think about how it is integrated into, you know, the funnels you already have, the systems you already have, those kinds of things.
Caroline Hull [00:19:36]:
I love that. And those are some great tips there. Carolyn, before we wrap it up here, do you have any last minute tips for the audience?
Dr. Destini Copp [00:19:45]:
Yeah. I think my biggest tip just is I know a lot of people when they're thinking about starting a podcast or they're even questioning if their podcast is worth it is, you know, people want to hear your voice. They wanna get to know you. They're looking for the solution that you offer. They are out there. They are looking for it. And if you're one of those people who, like me, I do so much better in this format than I do, like, on an Instagram reel, then podcasting is definitely a really great way to go. And don't be afraid to start.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:20:20]:
Don't think it has to be perfect. And, you know, just go for it and really lean into your messaging, your purpose, your why, and that's gonna shine through in your content. And it's going to help people really connect with you. And that's just such an important thing, and I know that one of the things that podcasting has really brought for me is as my business has evolved, my podcast has been able to evolve with me and help me clarify my messaging and really just find my voice. And so, you know, there are other, like, valuable things that come along with podcasting, and I really think that's one of the most powerful is that it really can help you define how you show up online and how you talk to people about what you do.
Caroline Hull [00:21:05]:
And I do think it's one of the most personalized mediums out there, which is why I absolutely love it. I'm I'm a podcast listener. I listen to other podcasts, and I love doing my own. Now, Caroline, can you let folks know where they can find you and also talk a little bit more about your membership? I'm in your membership. I love it. I love everything that you're doing there. So tell us a little bit more about it.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:21:28]:
Yeah. So I have a membership called the Strategize and Shine membership. So my podcast is called Share, Strategize, and Shine, and I wanted the membership to be an extension of that. And it really is a place for podcasters to come who want to take their podcast to the next level. Every month, we do trainings, we have a podcast power hour, office hours, but I really think the goal the gold in that membership is the amount of, templates and tools that I have created and I'm constantly creating to help podcasting feel easier. Because that's ultimately my goal for everyone is that podcasting doesn't feel hard. Because the minute it feels hard is the minute that we don't wanna do it. So I've poured a lot of time into creating templates and, tools.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:22:17]:
So, it's a really great place to come if you're wanting to take your podcast to the next level. And then you can find me at wildhomepodcasting.com. Everything is on that website. I also have resources for people who are wanting to launch a podcast. So if you haven't launched a podcast yet, I also have, my Launch Accelerator. And then, yeah, just come join my email list. You'll get podcast tips in your in your inbox every week. And, if you are wanting to kind of figure out, like, okay.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:22:50]:
Is having a podcast the right step for me? Is it the right thing for my business? I have a free quiz you can take. You can just head to wildhomepodcasting.com/quiz.
Caroline Hull [00:23:01]:
Now you said the gold in your membership was all of the tools and templates and everything that you put together, which I which I think is amazing, by the way. But I think as a student in your membership, I think the goal there is all the personalized support that you give and the feedback that you give on everything. So I just need to throw that out there.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:23:20]:
I mean, that's super important because any any podcast strategy has to be personalized. Right?
Dr. Destini Copp [00:23:27]:
And as you're developing your own strategy, because that's what you do inside the membership, so you're developing your own strategy, I just give you the tools to do it. You know, you're gonna need a little help here and there, and everybody is different. What everybody needs is different, so you're right. I do try to to make it very personalized and connect with everyone in there. So
Caroline Hull [00:23:47]:
So, Carolyn, thank you so much for joining me today and sharing all of your wonderful wisdom with us about podcasting.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:23:55]:
Thank you so much for having me. This was so much fun.