Podcast Coach Tim Wohlberg
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Where do you put your promo? Are you asking for something right out of the gate? Do you like to sneak it in the middle? Or are you closing with your CTA?

There are a lot of opinions about the best placement of your call to action and in this episode, I’m going to challenge you to shake things up a bit. 

Now, I’m not a fan of hearing a call to action right off the top. I mean, come on man, I just got here and you’re already asking me to do something? It especially burns my nuts if you’re asking me to review or subscribe to your show in the first 30 seconds. I haven’t had a chance to decide if I like a single thing you have to say yet. It’s like taking me to meet your mom on the first date. Slow down. Let’s see where this thing is going first. 

Other than that, I get that the first few minutes of your show is valuable real estate. You have their attention but do you really want to annoy them with a promo before you even get going? I guess the good thing about CTAs at the beginning of the show is that I still have time to hit the skip button a few times. Haha! Foiled you! You can’t make me listen to your stupid pitch for your boring newsletter!

A CTA in the middle can also be powerful because people are often already invested in listening. They’re hands are in the dish soap, they’re picking up dog poop, or they’re settled in for the train ride and can’t be bothered to dig into their pocket to hit the skip button. 

And, it’s much easier to slip it in. To work the CTA into the conversation which is ultimately going to make it more effective. A call to action with context is going to seem less like a promo and more like an obvious next step. I’ll talk more about context in a minute but if you want to even more, check out episode 102 on how to help your listener take the next step

So, we’ve covered the CTA at the beginning, slipping it into the middle and the last spot left is the last spot. You’re winding down your podcast and this is when you go to the standard ‘subscribe, share, sign up’ call to action as you’re walking out the door. 

The problem with this move is that everyone sees it coming. And, they’re already on to the next podcast on their list. 

Hey Coach Tim. It sounds like you’re saying beginning, middle, and end are all bad spots for the call to action. What gives? Are you saying NO call to action?

 

Hell no! You have to have a call to action.

This is the best way to help someone take the next step in their customer journey with you. It’s critical and… helpful. Again – check out episode 102 when I share more about this. 

Here’s what I’m saying – stop being so damn predictable. Mix it up a little. Try one episode with your CTA off the top, then in the next episode, try out the back end CTA. If you really want to punch your podcast-nerd ticket, test each one! That might look like having a CTA with a specific URL or promo code for when it’s at the end, and a different URL or promo code for when it’s mid-show. Find out what is the most effective. 

And, if you really want to gain some traction with your CTA add a bit of context. You might be able to do that off the top as you introduce the topic, in the middle as a ‘oh and by the way’ CTA, or at the end as you sum things up. When your CTA relates directly to your show topic, you are way more likely to get action – no matter where you place it. 

You may have noticed that I twice invited you to check out a back episode. Both times, my suggestion to listen to episode 102 was in context to what I was talking about. I can guarantee if I had just said, go back and listen to my library of shows you’d have been less inclined. 

So, add in context to your CTA and get curious about where your CTAs perform best by mixing it up and testing it out. 

This will make your promos feel a lot more palatable and a lot less pushy. 

 

Now, if none of your calls to action are getting action, it may be that your show and business are not in alignment. I can help straighten things out in my free 15-minute coaching call. Go ahead and get on my calendar right away because the only thing more annoying than a poorly placed promo is a poorly placed crappy promo being pitched at the wrong people! 

 

Book your FREE 15-Minute Podcast Coaching Call

https://calendly.com/timwohlberg

Podcast Coach Tim Wohlberg
Podcast Coach Tim Wohlberg
Podcast Coach Tim Wohlberg

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