LISTEN: Talking Podcasting with John Lee Dumas
Stuck in commuter traffic, his cash tapped out from buying and listening to countless audiobooks while driving, John Lee Dumas one day stumbled onto the power of podcasting.
“I just immediately fell in love with the medium,” he says. “I remember thinking, ‘This is amazing – on demand, targeted, free content that I can just listen to when I want to and where I want to!’”
Dumas, who spent seven years in the U.S. Army and later tried to find his niche in the professional world, only to, as he put it, “feel like I was dying a slow death in the cubicle,” had an awakening during one of those long commutes.
“I started to see, there was this void in the marketplace for a daily, business-themed podcast,” he says. “I, personally, as a consumer, wanted to be listening to a podcast every single day that was telling me the story of an inspiring entrepreneur. I wanted that daily motivation, inspiration and lessons for my own life and work.”
So, in September 2012, he quit his day job and launched “Entrepreneur On Fire,” a daily business podcast. He had no audience, no broadcasting experience, no budget and no sponsors.
Four years and 1,400 episodes later, Dumas now oversees a thriving, 7-figure lifestyle business that generates more than $300,000 per month in revenue.
How to Make Money with a Digital Marketing Podcast?
Digital marketing refers to the practice of promoting a product or a business online. It can either be done through search engine optimization (SEO), blogging, social media campaigns, pay-per-click advertising, affiliate marketing, and more. However, one hot marketing trend that is getting a lot of attention today is podcasting.
In essence, a podcast is a recorded audio program that contains a central theme. This popular digital marketing medium can be downloaded on mobile devices, tablets, and computers, giving listeners the chance to listen to it any time and anywhere.
In this episode, you’ll get to know more about creating a digital marketing podcast from one of the world’s top podcasters, John Lee Dumas (JLD) of Entrepreneurs on Fire (EOFire).
How Do You Improve Content Marketing Through Podcasting?
According to John, he didn’t start his career in the digital marketing industry. He did corporate finance and real estate but realized that such lines of work are not for him. He, then, decided to learn more about setting up a business by reading books, listening to audiobooks, and listening to podcasts.
During this time, he also noticed that there was a void in business-themed podcasts. Since there were no digital marketing podcasts going on air every day, he grabbed the opportunity and became the pioneer in producing daily podcasts that feature interviews with various entrepreneurs.
Today, JLD has produced 1,400 podcast episodes. His digital marketing podcast generates over $300,000 per month making his net worth reach 7 figures. He also has many followers on different social media sites.
Note that this type of business can be as rewarding as it can be if done correctly. To improve your digital marketing podcast, here are some tips to follow.
Dig deeper into your content
It’s no secret that a podcast needs specific content. It would be the heart of your show. Marketing a podcast to people will be effortless if you constantly deliver a clear message.
Content marketing through podcasting will be effective if your theme is something your audience can relate to. You should also be well-versed in your content’s focus. People will make your podcast as a main resource once you have established authority in your niche.
John’s content marketing podcast is not solely focused on him doing all the talking. Instead, he invites and interviews various individuals who are noteworthy in their fields. A lot of people tune in to his show because his content is not only educational but, above all, inspirational.
Grow your audience
Regardless of how good your content is, if you don’t have listeners, your podcast will not grow. One of the digital marketing struggles when starting a podcast is gaining an audience. Even John struggled with it, too. But eventually, people began to know, like, and trust him more. JLD retained and multiplied his audience by delivering valuable content every day.
Get to know your audience
This is perhaps one of the key digital marketing techniques every podcaster should master. You have to connect with your listeners through your show. Ask them what they want to hear or learn, get to know their challenges, and try to provide a solution.
John always communicates with his audience through emails and social media. In doing so, he found out that many of his listeners are also having a hard time starting a podcast. This vital information led John to talk about this topic more and invite more prominent people in the industry to also share their opinion about it on his show.
Of course, JLD did a lot of effort to improve his podcast. In the next section, you’ll learn about his marketing podcast strategies.
How Do You Find Marketing Secrets in Podcasts?
A lot of podcast marketing secrets you’re looking for can easily be found when you take advantage of the two-way communication opportunity that podcasting offers.
John consistently sends messages to his members via email and social media, which are two of the most convenient digital marketing platforms. Aside from thanking them for listening, he also asks what their struggles are. Then, he incorporates their ideas into his podcast.
John became a trusted source for his audience because he eagerly listens to them. The two-way communication technique is one of the best marketing secrets podcast experts use.
This digital marketing secret opened a lot of business opportunities for John as well. It led him to create his podcast community called “Podcasters’ Paradise” and his webinar platform called “Webinar On Fire”, as well as publish his self-help book, “The Freedom Journal”. Not only did these achievements become additional sources of income for John but also became sources of business solutions his audience is looking for.
What Are Some Internet Marketing Podcast Techniques That You Should Use?
Here are some of the Internet marketing podcast techniques that John uses:
Sponsorships
Almost all podcasters earn from sponsorships. In fact, JLD’s first monetary revenue came from using this technique. Sponsors usually pay when a podcast reaches 1,000 downloads per episode. One basic strategy is to improve your content and make it relevant to certain businesses, and eventually, sponsors will contact you for sponsorship opportunities.
Email marketing
Another effective technique in digital marketing is sending emails. John has a huge email list that he uses to send news, updates, and other important messages to his followers on a regular basis. In these emails, he asks his followers their opinions and applies their responses to his podcasts. He also tries to build a social connection with them by replying as regularly and as personally as he can.
Emails, when appropriately used in marketing a podcast, can create a connection between your business and your customers. Just make sure to use your audience’s vocabulary and make it more personal.
Memberships
JLD wanted to deepen his connection with his audience to understand them more and produce content that is geared toward their specific needs. Thus, he thought of another digital marketing strategy, and that is starting his podcast community, the Podcasters’ Paradise. This community is where John mostly connects to his followers, provides essential resources, and offers platforms for new friendships.
Listener avatars
When marketing podcast shows, building an avatar helps you envision the characteristics of your ideal listeners and customers. Once you have defined these characteristics, you can start looking for your potential audience through online communities, personal meetings, or referrals.
You’ll learn a lot once you get to meet and know these individuals. In John’s case, he wasn’t sure back then about the direction he needed to take regarding his podcast content. He turned to Jimmy, his avatar, for recommendations, tips, and everything he needs to know. Consequently, he learned exactly what Jimmy (and his ideal listeners) wanted and needed.
Podcasting is one effective way to grow your business. But this will only work if you produce great content. If you’re having problems building your podcast, John Lee Dumas of EOFire can definitely help you. He’s recognized as one of the most successful podcasters in the world. Let him guide you on starting your podcasting career!
FAQs
What is a podcast in digital marketing?
A podcast is an effective digital marketing tool businesses can use. This is because it has a captive audience, who can easily subscribe and be alerted to upcoming episodes. This eliminates the need to create a new marketing campaign altogether.
There are several opportunities podcasting can give to your business. Digital marketing strategies that can be done include promoting products and services on the show, promoting a website and social media channels, building an email list, and more. You can also embed your podcast link on your social media channels or website to generate more traffic.
What is the best marketing podcast?
Whether you’re looking for podcasts for Internet marketing, digital marketing, or traditional marketing, check out some of these top shows listed by Forbes:
- Call To Action – This podcast focuses on providing digital marketing podcasts content weekly.
- Social Media Marketing Podcast – Their content is all about social media marketing strategies.
- Marketing Over Coffee – This podcast, which records shows in a local coffee shop every week, discusses various traditional and digital marketing methods.
- Social Pros Podcast – They offer informational guides about content marketing best practices.
- Success Made Simple – Here you can listen to inspiring interviews with prominent people about how they continue to succeed in business.
What is the best digital marketing book?
There are different books out there that can help you accelerate your grasp of digital marketing, based on how deep your knowledge is of the said industry.
If you’re just starting out, the top three recommended books for you are
- Digital Marketing for Dummies, by Russ Henneberry and Ryan Deiss
- Google AdWords for Beginners: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to PPC Advertising, by Corey Rabazinski
- SEO for Beginners: An Introduction to SEO Basics, by Loren Baker, Danny Goodwin, Benj Arriola, et al.
Meanwhile, if you’re someone who already has a basic understanding of digital marketing and looking to have a deeper knowledge, the top three books you should read are:
- The Effortless Experience: Conquering the New Battleground for Customer Loyalty, by Matthew Dixon, Nick Toman, and Rick DeLisi
- The Big Data-Driven Business: How to Use Big Data to Win Customers, Beat Competitors, and Boost Profits, by Russell Glass and Sean Callahan
- Introduction to Algorithmic Marketing: Artificial Intelligence for Marketing Operations, by Ilya Katsov
Those who are already experts in the field can always add some more into their bucket of knowledge through these books:
- Identity Resolution for Winning Customer Experience, by Martech Advisor
- Web Analytics 2.0: The Art of Online Accountability and Science of Customer Centricity, by Avinash Kaushik
- Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics, by Brian Clifton
Where can I listen to podcasts?
You can listen to your favorite digital marketing podcast by downloading it to your computer, tablet, or mobile phone. Search for these apps to start listening to podcasts.
For iOS Only
- Apple Podcasts
- iCatcher
- Overcast
- PodCruncher
- Downcast
For Android Only
- Google Podcasts
- Player FM
- AntennaPod
- Podkicker
- Podcast Republic
For Cross-Platform/Both Operating Systems
- Spotify
- RadioPublic
- TuneIn Radio
- Castbox
- Stitcher
The Power of Podcasting
Today, with more than 1 million unique listens per month, “Entrepreneur On Fire” (EOF) is one of the most popular podcasts in the world.
So much so, Dumas shared, that international business icon Tony Robbins actually had his team reach out to Dumas to ask if he’d consider featuring Robbins as a guest on EOF.
“It was surreal,” Dumas says. “Here I was, back in 2012, starting with no audience, no revenue, nothing, and now Tony Robbins’ team is reaching out asking me if he can appear on my show. It’s been an incredible ride.”
Are you having difficulties with producing podcast content or capturing your audience’s interest? Learn how to improve your content marketing through podcasting with the help of JLD. Make him your mentor and start your podcast now!
