➡️ Put your best promo forward
Best practices for writing promo swaps and ad copy for your podcast
Hello, hello! Ready to talk promo? They’re one of our favorite ways to partner with other podcasts. We’re going to get into the nitty gritty of setting up a promo swap and creating effective assets so that you get the most out of those opportunities.
⏳ If you only have time for one thing
Podcast listeners are inundated with requests: “Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!” “Sign up for our newsletter!” “Follow us on social media!” “Sign up for our Patreon!” We hear them so often, said in the exact same way, that we often don’t hear them at all. This week, take a look at your CTA (call-to-action.) Think of two things you want your listeners to do and think of a unique way to ask them to do it. WHY should they give you a rating and review? (Be honest!) How would you tell a friend to subscribe to your podcast? Rewriting this tiny bit of copy can make a big difference when it comes to whether your listeners take action on your request or if it just fades into the background.
BONUS: Check out Podstack, a podcast recommendation newsletter from our very own Devin! She’s open to pitches, too!
Before we dive into the logistics, a quick refresher about what a promo swap is.
Promo swap: You share a 30 or 60-second promo on your show (pre, mid, or post roll) for another show, and vice versa. The promo can be read by you (the host) or it can be a pre-recorded file provided by the other show.
🗒 Booking promo swaps
When you find another podcast that might have a similar audience to yours and you think your audience is about the same size, a promo swap is a great way to collaborate. The audience overlap with the other show can be from subject matter, tone, or even format. All of these characteristics can mean that their audience might also enjoy your show. We love using tools like Rephonic’s podcast audience graph to see what other podcasts a show’s listeners might have in their queue.
Once you’ve pitched another podcast and suggested a promo swap, there are a few logistics you’ll need to sort out to set it up.
Type of promo
As mentioned above, promo swaps can be done using a host-read script or a pre-recorded audio file. As a good practice, you should always try to have both options available and ready when you begin pitching. Sometimes pre-recorded files are preferred because there isn’t access for the host to read and record the script. BUT! We tend to advocate for host-read promo swaps whenever possible. The benefit of doing host-read is the added trust that the audience has in the host’s recommendations. When a host-read promo script is used, it can feel like a personal recommendation from the host and less like an ad, so the audience may be more inclined to check out the show.
Size and place of promo
The other details you’ll need to figure out are the size of the swap and where it will be placed. The placement refers to whether the promo will appear at the beginning of an episode (the pre-roll), the middle (mid-roll), or at the end (post-roll). It’s common for shows to agree to running the promos in the same placement as each other, but they don’t have to be the same. The most important part is that both shows know where the promo will be placed and agree to it. Mid-roll tends to be treated as the prime real estate because it may be least likely to be skipped, whereas pre-roll and post-roll both have their own pros and cons.
The size of the promo swap refers to how many downloads or impressions the promo will receive. To ensure both swaps receive equal audience exposure, you want to agree on the number of downloads/impressions the swap needs to receive. For example, if Show A receives 5k downloads per episode and Show B receives 10k downloads per episode, the two shows could agree to a 10k swap. In order to make it equal, Show A would run the promo on two episodes to reach the 10k amount.
✨ Pro Tip ✨
In general, you may want to aim for larger swaps (ie. 25k) so that the promo can appear in front of more potential listeners or appear across multiple episodes. Sometimes it takes a few times for listeners to act on it and go check out the show.
✍️ Making that promo shine
So, what should your promo actually include? What should it sound like? You want it to be the most compelling pitch of your show it can be. Whether you’re writing a script for another host to read or making your pre-recorded version, here are some things to consider:
Start with a 300-word pitch
Use this pitch to tell potential listeners about yourself
Present the unique selling point of your show. What does it do really well? What makes it different from other shows? What will listeners take away from it?
If your podcast is comparable to other podcasts or even other forms of media, don’t be afraid to make that comparison. For example, “if you like Hidden Brain, you’ll love ours.” (I still remember when CBC’s Limited Capacity was described as “Black Mirror for your ears”. That caught my attention!)
Highlight an exceptional episode or memorable guests
Include a fun call to action that encourages them to check out your show
Next, take that 300-word pitch and cut it in half. Remember, you need a 30 second script and a 60 second script. For your 30 second script, you’ll probably max out around 120 words. You can always time yourself reading it to see if it’s too long!
Once you’ve got the two scripts, you’re ready to create your pre-recorded promo files and prepare for host-read swaps. For the host-read swaps, make the necessary adjustments so that it makes sense for someone else to be reading it about your show. For your pre-recorded file, record yourself performing the script and add any music and sound design to elevate the message.
This week we loved hearing Arielle Nissenblatt’s pre-roll promo for her new podcast! It might be a good example to get you inspired to make yours!
One thing to keep in mind – the timing matters. There may be swaps where they are more flexible if your promo file is 40 seconds instead of 30, or your script is a bit longer, but those are the exception. Some shows may have limited time slots that only allow for 30 seconds or 60 seconds, so you want to make sure you have those available when you start reaching out to your podcast friends.
✅ Your Promo Swap Checklist
Here’s a quick recap of everything you’ll need to prepare and confirm with your swap buddy to set up a promo swap.
Logistics
Type of promo (host-read or pre-recorded file)
Size of promo (how many downloads/impressions it will run for)
Placement (pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll)
Timing (when will you each begin running the promo)
Assets
30 second (~120 word) script for other host to read
60 second (~300 word) script for other host to read
30 second pre-recorded file
60 second pre-recorded file
52 Weeks of Podcast Growth
It’s that time of the week, again! Here’s this week’s tip for podcast growth:
Perfectly timely for our entire discussion today – work on that short pitch. Write a 150-word pitch for your show. Consider the things you need to highlight when you only have a brief length to work with. This might be similar to what you include in your 30 second promo script!
Previous week’s tips were:
Find 10 podcasts that are similar to yours.
Connect with 10 new podcasts on social media.
Join 3 subreddits and/or discords that are relevant to the topic of your podcast.
🎙 From the desk of Tink
For millions, seeing a performance of “The Diary of Anne Frank” or the 1959 film of it has been a life-changing experience; the one that introduced them to the horrors of the Holocaust. Playing Anne Frank sheds new light on this beloved drama through archival recordings and new interviews with surviving cast members in the Broadway play, the national touring production, and the Oscar-winning film. It’s a six-episode series hosted by best-selling author and The Forward’s executive editor Adam Langer, about the 1955 play, “The Diary of Anne Frank” and how it changed the lives of the people who helped to create it.