Marketing marketing to marketers. (Say that fast three times, we dare you.)
Tongue twister it is, but that’s what we at Casted have in common with the stellar team at Lumavate. We’re both on fire with dishing up content for marketers in fresh and big ways and putting game-changing conversations into the world through podcasting.
In Season Five of the Casted podcast we chatted with two Lumavate rockstars, Stephanie Cox (VP of Sales and Marketing) and Michelle Lawrence (Content Marketing Specialist). These two shared the mic with us as experts in the digital space and podcast pros.
What started as Mobile Marketers about two years ago, the Lumavate podcast focused mainly on marketing and tech leaders in the mobile arena. But truth be told, the team felt like the show was just adding to the noise, delivering tired content and an all-too-sunshiney perspective on what it’s really like as a marketer.
Lumavate knew that, like them, marketers were a raw and real crew who obsess over new ideas and driving results. After all, that’s where they shine as they help marketers take their crazy ideas and turn them into apps in no time (without coding). So, they rebranded the show based on this new insight and Real Marketers was born. Since then, the show has blossomed and taken on a life of its own, including spawning a full-fledged community of loyal fans.
And the team has morphed the way they treat the show, too. They’ve become geniuses at maximizing the value and squeezing every last drop of goodness out of each and every episode. In our game-changing Season 5 episode with Lumavate’s Stephanie and Michelle, we gleaned all kinds of insights around how you can create an irresistible show and fuel your content strategy in a big way. Let’s look at some of the tried-and-true tactics you can implement, too.
Showcase a unique perspective
With over 43 million episodes floating around out there, the podcast sphere has enough noise already. And one thing we love about our friends at Lumavate is that they’re determined to not just add to the audio clutter.
Lumavate’s podcast, Real Marketers, is a no-nonsense, punchy show that speaks to marketers who are born experimenters. You know, the ask-for-forgiveness-instead-of-permission brand of us who aren’t afraid to move fast and try something new.
Here’s Lumavate’s own language around what you won’t find in their podcast: “Vague marketing advice. Bullsh*t stories about successful marketing campaigns. A $10 subscription fee. Guests that have a hidden agenda. Boring fireside chats.”
Yes, please!
Creating something distinct and compelling means doing your homework. It’s critical to slow down and give some serious thought to a show before going all in. Hone in on your ideal listener. Ask them what they want and need from you. And see what else is out there.
“If you think about your show, really have a purpose. You need to do your research, you need to go on iTunes...to see what else is already out there. Because if you’re just another fill-in-the-blank-type of show that already exists, you’re going to struggle. It’s going to be hard to break through the noise, unless you have some unique spin on it,” shares Stephanie.
By being incredibly authentic and sticking to their goal of dishing up only unique and relevant content, Lumavate gives marketer listeners what they want: peppy, actionable, bullshit-free content they won’t find elsewhere. And they’ve positioned themselves as super savvy and well-connected experts who are there to not just entertain, but help.
Truth be told, Lumavate doesn’t even have lead metrics tied to the podcast. While we all want lead gen love, too many marketers make that the only mark they’re aiming for. And the end result is self-focused, inauthentic content that just adds to the noise.
Add value at every turn
If you want to become a go-to for listeners in your niche, you have to make sure you’re bringing your A-game when it comes to providing value. One way Lumavate makes that happen is by hitching their wagon to incredible brands like Google, Amazon, MGM, and Microsoft. Not only do these leaders dish up first-class wisdom bombs and advice, but partnering with them gives Lumavate instant credibility and brand value.
“We’re a startup, scale-up company, right? Not everyone’s heard of us. But when you can put our name next to Google or Amazon or Microsoft, you get a ton of really great brand value,” shares Michelle.
Listeners eat up the action-packed, value-rich content Real Marketers serves up. The show’s five-star reviews speak for themselves:
“The caliber of guests on this podcast is outstanding...I’ve learned a ton!”
“The show is honest, insightful, and will leave you with actionable takeaways you can implement into your own strategy.”
“Simple, yet sophisticated and straight to the point.”
Clearly, the value Lumavate bakes into each and every episode is getting eaten up. So, as you’re thinking through your podcast strategy, ask yourself this: what’s my audience eager to learn and know? How are they wanting to grow? What’s keeping them up at night?
Then take the answers to those questions and brainstorm incredible guests who can share highly actionable takeaways for your listeners. Call them up and make the guest ask. You might be surprised who will say ‘yes’!
Wring out every last drop of valuable content
If you’ve hung around us for long, you know that we at Casted are seriously obsessed with helping brands get the most out of each and every podcast episode they produce. We cringe when we think about all the incredibly rich content that gets poured into a show and all too often shelved once it gets published. That’s so much wasted effort! And not only that, but your audiences are missing out on so many opportunities to glean knowledge, insights, and key takeaways.
Michelle shared an example in our convo. She took one 30-minute episode of Real Marketers and created an entire content strategy around it. She whipped up three different mini blogs based on the episode’s three key takeaways (you could also just create one overall post). From there, social posts, audiograms, and other smaller snippets were repurposed for those who prefer bite-sized goodies.
The opportunities are endless to serve your audience with repurposed content from your podcast, but here are just a few:
• Ebooks
• Infographics
• Lead magnets
• Blogs
• Emails
• Social campaigns and individual posts
• Giveaways
• Audiograms
And the fun shouldn’t stop at release week. Episode value can extend far beyond publishing if you do it right. Great content lasts and there’s no reason to have it start gathering dust when people desperately need what you and your expert guests have to share.
Lumavate does a great job of not letting content go to waste. Not only do they repurpose the heck out of each and every episode, but they shoot for longevity, too. Michelle goes gangbusters promoting episodes when they are released, but she also circles back and repromotes months later, giving more people a chance to grow and learn.
Repurpose and reuse, but only if you’re adding value
As marketers, we’re all about a good content recycle, aren’t we? But we all know that more isn’t always better. You do hit a point of diminishing returns eventually. You have to watch for that balance of content that’s fresh, relevant, and helpful, and not tired or diluted.
“So there's a balance between getting enough great content out there that people are excited about, but also making sure you don't oversaturate. You want quality content and content that is going to be engaging versus just can we create 100 social posts off of a single podcast episode? Yeah, definitely. But is that going to, at some point, diminish the value?” Stephanie reminds us.
And remember, maximizing the value of each episode doesn’t have to always mean creating something brand new. Part of your strategy can be to just put tidbits out there (e.g. social posts, newsletter hooks, etc.) that drive people back to original content. And even though all of this repurposing goodness might sound like a ton of work, it can easily be templated and automated. Before you know it, you’ll be a content recycling/repurposing rockstar and your episodes will get the love and attention they deserve.
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