If you’ve been trying to grow your podcast audience for long, chances are you’ve begun to explore the power of cross-promos. As a listener, you’ve likely heard these on your favorite show plenty of times. While they can vary in style, a cross-promo is essentially a deal between two shows to promote one another on their podcasts. Most often, this consists of a 30-60 second ad swap.
Cross-promos are a great way to tap into new audiences, especially if the host of your partner show is reading the ad themselves. Studies have shown that host-read ads lead to higher conversion than pre-produced or producer-read ads.
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A good cross-promo partnership is mutually beneficial to both parties. So how do you find the right partner?
Use historical data
If you’ve tested out cross-promos or audio ads before and have any data available about how well the listeners of the ads converted to your podcast, you’ll want to keep that top of mind. For example, if you have a show about the business of making wine, you might have previously done trades with wine shows and culinary shows. Which ads performed best? If that knowledge is available to you, it’s a great way to guide yourself in the right direction. And if you don’t have that info, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to be notified about a future article about how to use Chartable Smartpromos.
Find the right size
Since cross-promos don’t involve a monetary exchange between shows, the best way to ensure both parties are getting a fair trade is by swapping impressions. First, you’ll need to determine how many cross-promo impressions you can swap. One easy way to do this is by determining how many downloads your show gets in a month, and sticking to a number close to that. Then, when reaching out to shows, you can let potential partners know you’re looking to trade in that ballpark of impressions. If they prefer to trade more impressions than that – let’s say double – you can let them know you’re up for it, but that it’ll likely take two months to deliver. Or find a balance that works for both shows.
Listen to some similar shows
You may already know some of the top shows in your genre. If not, it’s important to familiarize yourself with your peers. Take a look at shows that have a subject matter overlap with your own either by combing through the top charts of the genre, or searching for relevant keywords on podcast apps. From here, you may find a handful of shows that fit the bill. If you think your own listeners would like a show, it’s a good indicator that a cross-promo could be effective.
That being said, thinking outside the box can be beneficial when it comes to cross promos. For example, maybe there’s a show about dogs that doesn’t seem like a match for my hypothetical wine show. But if the hosts spend 10 minutes every episode pouring a glass of vino and discussing it, it could be a good opportunity for an authentic collaboration.
Keep in mind the logistics
Some shows prefer to do only host-read swaps (which can often lend to authenticity and increase effectiveness of the ad) while others will only trade pre-produced audio files. Depending on what works best for you and your recording schedule, you might have a preference for one of these over the other. If so, it’s helpful to know that in advance of coordinating any swaps so you can effectively communicate with potential partners, offer flexibility when possible, and find a show that has the same priorities.
Analyze the results
As your cross-promo delivers (and especially once it concludes), it’s key to take a look at performance metrics. When possible, we recommend tracking this through attribution platforms like Chartable. You’ll be able to see how many converted devices and downloads resulted from a promo in addition to an overall conversion rate. At The Podglomerate, we have a different conversion rate benchmark based on the genre and promo variables. For example, branded shows tend to have lower conversion rates overall. It’s also important to remember that listeners who discover your show through cross-promos tend to be more retentive and over time, and that multiple cross-promos can help you grow your show in a sustainable way. The chart below shows an example of one way to track these promotions. Based on conversion rates, we’d recommend more swaps with SHOW C and other podcasts like it. Likewise, SHOW A and SHOW B are likely not the best fit for your audience.
By now you probably have a few ideas for ideal cross-promo partners for your show. Over time, these kinds of collaborations get easier as you develop relationships with podcasting peers, discover new shows, and find out what works (and what doesn’t) for your podcast. Staying up-to-date on industry newsletters is one great way to learn about potential partnership opportunities.
Have questions? Interested in working with The Podglomerate to help grow your audience? Email us at [email protected] to learn more about our services.
