Struggling to find more listeners? The reason might be a lack of strategy behind your content marketing

A content marketing funnel might sound like fancy terminology reserved for marketing pros, but really… all podcasts should have one! A marketing funnel is often the missing link that can help to convert listeners to superfans of your show. 

Essentially, a content marketing funnel is a structure that helps to attract, engage and convert your ideal audience. It is a system that guides potential fans from just being curious about the show to being loyal fans. 

So what does it look like for a podcast?

There are three major steps that need to be taken by a potential listener to convert all of the way into clicking play, buying your merch or visiting your YouTube channel. These are:

  1. Top of Funnel (the Awareness stage): These are the actions that make people aware your podcast exists.
  2. Middle of Funnel (the Engagement stage): These are the steps that keep them interested and coming back to your show.
  3. Bottom of Funnel (the Conversion stage): This is the final step of the funnel and it is all about encouraging specific actions. These could be subscribing, sharing, reviewing, or buying your merch – you decide!

And why would this matter?

When we speak to podcasters, we often find that everyone understands that there are stages to discovering their show but putting them down on paper just does not cross their mind. Don’t rely on hope of someone stumbling across your podcast and instead, take action by filling out your own marketing funnel template that will help you convert more listeners. 

A funnel can help your podcast to:

  • Maximise content reach by repurposing evergreen and lasting content (e.g. social clips, blogs, newsletters, videos).
  • Build an audience contact list via email lists and communities that matter to you.
  • Nurture casual listeners into loyal subscribers and superfans of your pod.
  • Create monetisation paths by guiding listeners toward premium content and in turn, supporting your show!

So what does YOUR funnel look like?

As an example, let’s pretend we are filling out a funnel for a new entertainment podcast about books:

Top of Funnel (Awareness)

The goal: Reach new audiences who might be interested in reading more books.

  • TikTok Reels & YouTube Shorts: Funny 30-second clips from your latest episode (e.g., interesting opinions and hot takes about latest releases)
  • Instagram Carousel: “Top 5 Books to Add to Your TBR Pile This Month” with each slide teasing a point from your episode.
  • Repurposed Blog Post: “Why Everyone’s Re-reading THAT Scene in XX Author’s Latest Release” with a CTA to listen to the full episode.
  • Reddit/Community Posts: Share polls or questions in relevant subs like r/books.

Middle of Funnel (Engagement)

The goal: Keep existing listeners happy and engaged – and most crucially, keep them coming back!

  • Email Newsletters: Episode highlights, bonus chapters, polls and questions.
  • Behind-the-Scenes Content: Something like IG Stories showing BTS content can really work, and don’t forget to post on your BookTok, too!
  • Listener Q&As: Invite fans to send in questions or voice notes, and then you can use thes as part of Patreon/paid content initiatives too.

Bottom of Funnel (Conversion)

The goal: This is the hardest part of the funnel – turning loyal subscribers into paid subscribers (or if you have only free content, this is all about keeping that loyalty and growing it).

  • Call-to-Actions: “If you loved this review, drop us a 5-star review or share the episode!” Don’t forget to encourage people to interact with you on podcasting apps.
  • Exclusive Bonus Content: Bonus episodes, blooper reels, or early access – there is a whole world of superfan strategy waiting for you.
  • Merch Options and Event Discounts: Branded merch with visuals or catch phrases from your pod are great, and so are discounted tickets to live events for paid subscribers!

So to wrap up: You really don’t need to have a huge show to have a marketing funnel. Without a CRM or a sales software, you can just as easily map out how people discover your show and what keeps them listening. Just look at all of the steps with a critical eye and ask yourself ‘is it enough to keep someone coming back? Or is it too much?’ That will steer you towards the right balance. id subscribers could go a long way to further build their loyalty and add value to their subscriptions. 

WANT HELP WITH YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY? WRITE TO US.