IN THIS EPISODE: Joe Rubin reveals the complexities of podcast growth, emphasizing the importance of strategic marketing, community networking, and finding unique ways to stand out in a crowded landscape.
GUEST: Joe Rubin, CMO & Co-Founder of Mowpod, a podcasting & newsletter marketing and technology firm. Find Joe at MowPod.com or at @itsmowpod. Joe's go-to karaoke song is any he can croon to slightly intoxicated or any Disney song with his daughter.
TOPICS: Monetization, Startup, Technology, Marketing, Podcasting
KEY FIGURES: AI, ChatGPT, Morning Brew, Acast, Streamyard, The Hustle, DeepCast, Pod Match, Friday Night Karaoke, charts.mowpod.com
SUMMARY:
Joe Rubin, CMO and co-founder of Mowpod, shares his journey from venture capital to podcast marketing, discussing how he and his team entered the podcasting space by creating their own podcast as a learning experience. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the industry from the inside and experimenting with different marketing approaches, highlighting their transition from working with newsletters to developing podcast marketing strategies.
Joe discusses the podcast marketing landscape, noting that while podcast creation is easy, growth and sustainability are the true challenges. He showcases Mowpod's AI-powered ad creation platform and emphasizes effective monetization through targeted sponsorships and host-read ads rather than relying solely on dynamic insertion. Rubin highlights the importance of community engagement, networking, and conference attendance as crucial strategies for podcasters looking to build sustainable audiences in an increasingly crowded market.
KEY QUOTES:
• "If you're in this space and you don't have a podcast or didn't have a podcast, like, how could you be really good into a space if you aren't in the thick of it, right?" - Rubin
• "Ideas are a dime a dozen but like actually executing it and doing it like that's where it's worth it. Right? That's the money." - Rubin
• "I think that there's just too much fallout sometimes. I think people start this. It's almost too easy to start." - Rubin

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• Successful podcast marketing requires a multi-channel approach, including social media, targeted advertising, and active community engagement across platforms
• The podcast industry has a significant challenge with podcast creation versus podcast sustainability, with a massive gap between total podcasts created and actively maintained shows
• Monetization strategies for podcasts include dynamic ad insertion, sponsorships, host-read ads, and creating podcasts as corporate marketing channels
• Emerging marketing tactics like Instagram Reels and AI-assisted ad creation are becoming increasingly important for podcast discovery and promotion
• Independent podcasters should experiment with multiple marketing channels and be willing to invest time in learning different promotional strategies
• Podcast growth is less about having a perfect initial product and more about consistently improving and adapting based on audienc

--
Be sure to visit www.soundstrategy.fm for full transcripts, other insights, and interactive content. You can also contact us with feedback (we'd love to hear it!), guest bookings (Want to be on our show? Want Lucas to be on your show?), advertising/sponsorship opportunities and more.
Thanks to our sponsor: DeepCast Creator — You create the show, and let us help with what comes after. Visit us at www.deepcast.pro, claim your podcast, and take advantage of our metadata and marketing workflow toolkit. Also, DeepCast offers a podcast website feature called Podsites -- 1-click, automagically generated, clean podcast websites. Learn more at www.podsite.fm.