🔴 Indie Marketing Case Studies: Lowlines and Hotter Than Ever
How to make the most with what you have!
Hey! Shreya here. Back with more fantastic case studies as part of our Indie Series. If you’re new here (hi!) – don’t forget to read Wil’s case study on This Is Propaganda.
Today, we’ve got not one but TWO great independent podcasts and what we can learn from them. I share my learnings from Lowlines, and Andreea Coscai of Tink shares her successes from Hotter Than Ever.
Lowlines: making more with less
⬇️ Let’s start at the very beginning
When Lowlines first came to us, they were gearing up to release the 6-part series. They only wanted to build editorial buzz around the campaign. This meant – we were not going to be able to employ any of our usual podcast marketing tactics of promo swaps, feed drops, and pitching the host as a guest. The focus of this case studies is – how to do more with less!
💛 Independent and proud
From the very beginning, we leaned into the narrative of Lowlines being a fully independent (and fully female-led) production. This took a little bit of reframing because it is hard to see being fully independent as a good thing. Especially when you’re struggling to do more with less resources since you are independent. However, we led every pitch and every conversation around Lowlines with how proud they are to be independent. The masses (and the presses) love a good underdog. Owning this and crafting the pitch around this got Lowlines placements in the likes of Podnews and Inside Podcasting.
⭕ Make an episode zero
I’ve talked about the importance of making an Episode Zero before. I learned this importance from working on Lowlines. The producers figured the context of why this podcast came to be was crucial to the listener experience of the podcast. A concept this deep and heartfelt required a little something between a trailer and the first episode. That’s how the prologue came to be. Including this episode in pitches got us thoughtful reviews from the likes of Mentally, A Magpie.
⏳ Time your pitch
We always talk about sending pitches on Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday or ANY day but Friday. But, Lowlines is a podcast suited for weekend listening. So I sent pitches on Friday. I started with a little apology for disturbing them on a Friday but explained why I was doing so! Think about what the vibe is of your podcast; is it suited for listening with people, on a weekend, or during a specific time of the month or year. Timing that pitch can go a long way! It got us placements in the likes of Pod Bible and Bingeworthy.
I have a deep love for Lowlines. In my personal newsletter, I also wrote about how I had an audio affair with it. It was a pleasure working on it and we learned a lot!
Hotter Than Ever: branding that works
Here’s Andreea Coscai sharing how she created magic for Hotter Than Ever.
⬇️ In the beginning
When we started working with Hotter Than Ever, Erin had just launched the show. Marketing so early on without a network’s backing can be tough! You don't have podcast friends yet and little to show to build those connections, especially if this is your first show. How are you supposed to stand out in a sea of podcasts?
🪄Set your brand up for success
Well, from the start, Hotter Than Ever's branding was so strong, and the vision was clear and fierce! Erin also had a lot of wisdom (and the right attitude) to share with listeners. These magical elements already started forming a community around her. So I was pumped to introduce the show to new listeners! The potential to truly grow and nurture that community was huge.
🤝Make podcast friends (can’t say it enough!)
Intentional and intense research for partnerships (which led to 18 new podcast friends). Diving deep into the sea of podcasts already out there is not an easy task (but it is what we do everyday at Tink). Making sure we understood Erin's mission and vision for the show was also absolutely key to stay laser-focused on the best matches. So even as a new show, don't feel any FOMO for filtering through opportunities!
🫡 Follow up, and then follow up again
Insistent (and shameless) pitching to apps. Listen, I am not afraid of a follow-up! What's the worst that can happen? A "no" will at least let me know where I'm standing. Keep in mind that when pitching for an app placement, you want to make sure to communicate you're excited to encourage listeners to use said app and that you follow through with the promises if featured.
⭐ The results
And ta-da! Hotter Than Ever was featured in Apple Podcasts’ New & Noteworthy (for a good while even). It was one of the first shows listed, no scrolling needed. What a win!! The downloads skyrocketed, a well-deserved moment for Erin. It's always a guessing game when it comes to app pitches, but ultimately I think what helped Hotter Than Ever be up there was its clearly defined and bold branding, in line with Erin's inspiring story and attitude. Which is what got us excited to work with her in the first place!
It's such a joy to sprinkle some magic on already mind blowing work, and that’s just what we did for Hotter Than Ever!
🎙️From the Desk of Tink
We were just at Podcast Movement in DC and I simply cannot tell you how many conversations I had about how important art is to make difficult topics accessible. Homegoings does just that. Host and musician Myra Flynn explores themes that fearlessly straddle that line between necessary and uncomfortable, as she speaks with artists, experts and regular folks all over the country about their literal skin in the game — of everyday life. Homegoings is storytelling — with a heartbeat.
Thank you for reading! Next week, Wil returns to answer an oft asked question — how to use your indie work to market yourself for an audio job?
Until then, stay curious!
Shreya