⭐ How to engage in creative bravery, with Steve Pratt
Plus, podcast recs to take your mind off of things
Hi. Shreya here. I had scheduled this issue, an interview with the wonderful Steve Pratt, before this week’s happenings in the US. I’ll be sharing that below.
However, I can’t start this newsletter without acknowledging how heavy and strange this past week has been, primarily owing to the US Election results. We at Tink are taking the time to take our time, and I truly hope you are able to do the same.
I’m so glad for the podcasts that we listen to, now more than ever. So, I asked the Tink team what they’re listening to to get their mind off of things. They delivered in spades.
[Note - I’ve borrowed the description of each podcast from their RSS feeds, not written it myself!]
P.S - If you’re interested in placing an ad in Podcast Marketing Magic or Podcast The Newsletter, fill out this form.
💛 Podcast Recommendations To Lighten the Load
The Big Flop. Find out what happens when massive hype turns into a major fiasco, and join us as we try to answer the age-old question...Who thought THIS was a good idea?
Object Diaries. Stories About Human Connection Told One Secret Object at a Time.
E Pluribus Motto. In each episode, Janet Varney and John Hodgman spotlight one state and chat about its motto, bird, beverages, songs, and–occasionally–muffins. Plus, you'll hear from residents and guests whose lives or work have been inspired by that state. This podcast is a celebration of regional culture and an homage to the love we all seem to have for the place we call home.
Who? Weekly. Each week, Bobby and Lindsey delve into the Whos and Thems of the pop culture landscape—bravely daring to ask (and then, answer) the question on all of our minds: “Who?”
No Small Endeavor. Exploring what it means to live a good life. What does it mean to live a good life? What is true happiness? What are the habits, practices, and dispositions that contribute to authentic human flourishing?
Material Girls. A scholarly podcast about pop culture hosted by Hannah McGregor and Marcelle Kosman.
Lauren also thought you might enjoy this episode of our own podcast Feed The Queue. It’ll transport you to a different place for sure.
Now, as one of my favorite characters from the audio drama Midnight Burger would say — Ever forward. That way.
🎙️Steve Pratt on finding creative bravery, and more
When I recently wrote on how to market yourself despite being terrified, Steve Pratt reached out to me with a fun story! How he, in good fun, wrote an Open Letter to Tom Webster on marketing his book more. So, I thought why not hear from Steve on creative bravery.
STEVE PRATT is the author of Earn It; Unconventional Strategies for Brave Marketers and the founder of The Creativity Business, which offers consulting, workshops, and keynotes to help companies develop differentiated content, marketing, and messaging that earns attention. Steve is also the co-founder of the world’s first branded podcast agency, Pacific Content, named one of Entrepreneur’s 100 Brilliant Companies.
Let’s get to it, shall we?
Shreya Sharma (SS): What’s the bravest or most unconventional thing you’ve done in marketing that terrified you at the time, but paid off in the end?
Steve Pratt (SP): I started posting TikToks and Instagram Reels in the spring. And they are weird! They are like the Office but for book marketing. It’s all fake, including fake book marketers, a fake agent, a fake social media coach. I was terrified that everyone would think I’m an idiot, or that I’d be ridiculed for marketing a marketing book in a dumb way. In the end, though, there have been many big wins. The fake characters built a loyal little following from the videos, and I actually had them appear in character at my book launch, which was hilarious. It was the fake world coming to life in the real world! Perhaps more importantly, I am having a lot of fun making the videos and I’ve decided to keep making them.
SS: When it comes to marketing yourself, what do you think holds you back most? (Or what have you seen the most common people hold back?)
SP: My goal in creating content is to share ideas with others and I know that marketing is a necessary part of creating change or having an impact. However… I have a fear of being seen as someone who personally wants to be in the spotlight or someone who has a big ego that needs to be fed. There are so many cringe-inducing examples of this stuff on LinkedIn and elsewhere. A lot of us refrain from marketing because we think that’s what it entails. When you realize that there are other, more generous ways of marketing, the fear factor subsides considerably.
SS: Your book focuses on being brave in marketing. How can independent podcasters differentiate between bold risks worth taking and risky moves that could potentially backfire?
SP: Creative Bravery has to be tempered by two factors. First, is the Creative Bravery aligned with your own goals? If it works, is it going to get you the results you’re looking for? Second, the show has to be designed as a Gift to listeners. It has to be valuable for the people you want to reach.
If your Creative Bravery jeopardizes why you’re making it or has the potential to compromise the value of the show for your audience… don’t do it! 😜 If your Creative Bravery is going to set you apart from everyone else and make your show more memorable and more valuable for your intended listeners… do it! 🎉
SS: What common marketing mistakes do you see independent podcasters making, and how can they pivot towards more effective strategies?
SP: One of the most common mistakes is to try and promote that you’ve got a podcast or that you’ve got a new episode. Or to just announce the name of the guest in the episode. People don’t necessarily want to know a new podcast exists–they want to know what they are going to get from spending their precious time and attention with a podcast episode or series. So sharing how a listener will benefit from listening to an episode is a really easy shift that is also very effective.
SS: If you could share one lesson from your book with our readers, what would it be?
SP: My one lesson would be to think about attention at every step of your podcast journey, from the development of the show through to all the marketing. If you don’t have anyone’s attention, you have nothing: no downloads, no listeners, and no time spent with your show. You have to set a high bar if you want to earn attention. You have to make something different and special because average and conventional won’t cut it.
So whether it’s every second of every episode of the podcast, or every single piece of promotion for the show, think about whether it is good enough and interesting enough to earn the attention of the people you want to reach.
Thank you, Steve! If this resonates with you, you’ll LOVE Steve’s book - Earn It! Unconventional Marketing Strategies for Brave Marketers.
🎲 From the Desk of Tink
In the spirit of escaping from this world, I am so glad we’re working with Critical Role’s The Re-Slayer’s Take. Set in Exandria, the same world as the popular Amazon Prime animated show The Legend of Vox Machina, and it follows the audio escapades of the second-coolest monster hunters. Gamemasters George Primavera and Nick Williams lead six misfit mercenaries on an adventure. After being rejected from the elite monster hunting group, The Slayer’s Take, they band together as The Re-Slayer’s Take. What I absolutely love about this show is that it’s bite-sized. Which means I can recommend it to everyone who says “I can’t listen to a 4 hour Dungeons and Dragons actual play episode.” If that’s you, listen here.
Next week, we’ll be back with more podcast marketing magic.
Until then, be well.
Shreya