S1E7: Reach & Frequency

Welcome to Episode 7 of The PodQuest Show! Today, we’re going to dive into the world of advertising and a very important aspect of it that you’ll want to consider for both sides of the microphone.

And by the way, when I say both sides of the microphone, I’m referring to Side A, being the host, and the flipside, being a guest on someone else’s show.

And the particular element of advertising that we’re going to dig into today is known as Reach & Frequency, or sometimes simply as R & F.

So, let’s get started…

Prior to becoming a podcast host and business mentor, my first profession, was as an actor. I hold degrees in acting and performed professionally for 20 years before hanging it up to become a proper dad. I used to joust and sword fight for a living, both at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament for six years, and then another 6 for the New York Renaissance Faire.

I’ve performed in several soap operas, had big roles in small films and small roles in big films, and instead of supporting my acting career as a waiter, I worked in sales. I even spent several years working in television advertising and that’s where I learned this super important piece of the selling puzzle.

Nowadays they’re called “touch points”, and research has shown that the number of them required has gone up. You may have heard of the old standard that someone needed to hear your product name seven times before they’d remember it or consider buying it.

Of course, these are averages, but they held true. More recent stats are reflecting the need for 10 or more touch points in order for a customer to make their buying decision.

So, let’s think about that from the A-Side…

You’ve got a potential sponsor looking to run a spot on your show. Maybe they’re your first one, you haven’t yet monetized your show, and you find yourself chomping at the bit to collect some revenue – any revenue!

Of course, you could provide a low-ball quote and offer them a 5-episode package – BUT… I wouldn’t recommend that.

Keeping in mind the element of touch points, you should probably put together a 10-episode package knowing that it will produce better results for your sponsor.

In scenario one, with only 5 episodes, they’ll likely get little traction with their spot and walk away feeling like they wasted their money. You’ve got a much better chance of keeping their business if you help them to make some sales – and you’re only going to do that by increasing the mention of their product or service.

My recommendation is to never offer a package of fewer than 10 episodes, unless there are other circumstances.

What might those be?

Well, a live event, for example. If someone is promoting an upcoming class or seminar, or even a webinar, just a few spots will work fine. Why? Because there is more urgency – the event is coming right up – you either want to attend or you don’t. A quick and easy decision.

Another example might be a common referral. What do I mean by that?

Let’s use The PodQuest Show as an example. You’re a podcast listener, obvious by the fact that you’re hearing this now. Thus, as a podcast listener, it would be common for you to consider another show you might like. Running the promo-bites that I do, can often engender a new listener just from hearing about the show one time.

Speaking of Promo-Bites, let’s hear one for this episode…

Featured Promo-Bite: The Pausecast

Another cool podcast you’ll want to check out.

Now, of course, three mentions would be even better than one, and that’s why I offer a 3-episode sponsorship package for other podcast hosts.

The bottom line is to keep these things in mind as you create packages for your potential sponsors.

Now let’s look to the flipside…

You’re hoping to be a guest on someone else’s show. Fantastic! I highly recommend it.

But, please consider this…

If you don’t have your own podcast yet, and you go on the “guesting circuit” as I call it, you’re gonna leave a whole lotta money on the table.

Why?

Because you’re getting a bunch of Reach and zero Frequency.

Sure, you’ll potentially make a sale or two, but that’ll be about it. I can tell you this – as someone who has been a guest on over 50 podcasts – I have never sold anything, or gotten a new client, directly from being a guest.

I say “directly” because, yes, it has paid off by being on other shows, but ONLY because I also have my own podcast.

Here’s the scenario you want, and what actually works:

You become a guest on someone else’s show. During the interview, and of course the reading of your bio, the fact that you host a podcast comes up a few times. Your show gets mentioned, and any interested listener thinks, “hmmmm… I should give that a listen”.

Then they tune in to your show. They start to get some frequency, and THAT’s when the action happens.

Of course, you’ve got to be promoting your own products and services on your show, but hopefully, that’s why you started one in the first place.

Let me give you a real-world example:

I guested on a podcast, and this one in particular, took place about 2 years ago. A listener to that show heard my interview and started listening to my show. During one of my episodes, they hear about my free report called The Simple 5-Step Process to Launch a Rocking Podcast in Just 14 Days. They sign up for it.

Now that’s all great, but your funnel should not stop there. Mine certainly didn’t.

From the report, they were invited to attend my free webinar, which they also registered for, and during the webinar itself, they were offered a special deal for my online course, Zero to Launch in 14 Days.

And it was THEN that they purchased.

This scenario is far more common than expecting that someone will buy from you after only hearing about you once.

And I’m not knocking podcast guesting at all, I’m just saying that if you don’t have your own show, you’re going to have a lot of R “reach” and not enough F “frequency” to avoid leaving money on the table. And who wants to do that?!?

Reach & Frequency are two of the key elements of advertising that you should always consider, whether you are a podcast host or you are going about as a guest. You need both to be truly effective in converting listeners into customers.

And just a little teaser here…

We’ll be doing an upcoming Roundtable episode on podcast guesting. The do’s and don’ts, along with what’s important and what’s not. You’ll get to hear from myself and other podcasting pros about what we like in a pitch, and the things you should never say. So, be sure to subscribe to The PodQuest Show if you haven’t already, because you will not want to miss this episode.

Coming up in the next few weeks, I’ll be featuring podcast pros, Doug Sandler, Molly Mandelberg, and Michele PW (Pariza-Wacek).

I recently made a guest appearance on episode 014 of Get What You Want with the amazing Shirley Baldwin. I’m being interviewed this week on Quit Your Pitching and will let you know when it drops.\

And until next time… Happy Podcasting!

Don’t forget to listen for your PQ Token and go to PodQuest.net/Rewards to enroll and play for awesome prizes.

Follow us on Facebook and check out our Website for more details and to engage with our podcast community. If you’d like to have your own Promo-Bite for your show, go HERE. And if you’d like to be a guest on the show, click HERE.

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