Many factors go into a podcast that gets traction, especially in the finance niche, which is highly competitive. If you’re a financial advisor wanting to use your podcast as your primary way to attract clients to your firm, then this case study will give you step-by-step processes to convert your podcast listeners into podcast clients.
We designed and launched the website for the #1 rated retirement podcast, Benjamin Brandt’s Retirement Starts Today Radio.
Using his brand as an example, you will learn what goes into a website to leverage and scale your podcast and business.
Ben also has a masterclass on how to launch a podcast that helps financial advisors get clients. Click here and register for a free webinar on “The Advisor Podcast Accelerator”.
Ben and I met through The Online Advisor Growth Formula by Jeff Rose. An excellent course to learn how to leverage the internet, your content, and your website to bring more clients into your financial firm.
Ben’s most important goals:
- A website to launch along with his new podcast
- A website that grows with him as an asset that he owns and controls
- The ability for listeners to submit questions (he could then feature on the show)
- Capture leads (Capture email to convert podcast listeners into leads)
- Organize all content, position on-brand, and connect all marketing tools to one central location
We addressed his goals with these techniques that you will learn about in this case study:
- Authority Web Design
- The Marketing Machine – the central hub that connects all marketing tools
- Content Organization- leverage SEO and provide easy navigation for users and listeners
- The Anatomy of An Ideal Podcast Show Notes
1. Authority Web Design
Includes things like:
- Authority “Triggers”
- Social Proof to earn the visitor’s trust
- Headlines to create a great first impression
- Leveraging other brands to reinforce the speaker’s authority
Authority trigger is a symbol of trust that leverages proven psychological principles to create the ideal first impression in the visitor’s mind, instilling confidence and credibility in the individual or brand.
The best place to leverage Authority triggers is Above the Fold, the first thing people see when clicking on your website. We worked with Ben to craft the Brand, Story and Message and ensure that these elements are correctly positioned on his site.
Here is what to include:
- Authority Headline “Planning your amazing Retirement starts Today” states what this site is about and how it can benefit the visitor.
- Media Mentions enforce credibility.
- A picture of the speaker (here Ben) creates a connection with the listener.
- A positioning statement. Ben introduces himself and states his mission clearly. It’s also one of the themes of his show. Repeating this adds authority and reminds people of what you do and how it’s different.
Just beneath the Above the Fold section is
- Media Mentions that enforce credibility.
- Another Authority Headline, “Listen to the fastest-growing retirement podcast on iTunes.” It shows that the podcast is growing and worth listening to, positioned right next to a podcast plug-in to give direct access to episodes.
What makes a website work? take a look at our 10 Best Financial Advisor Websites & Why They Work.
2. The Marketing Machine
the central hub that connects all marketing tools
To use your website to convert podcast listeners to leads, you need to guide the listener’s journey:
The prospect listens to the podcast. -> CTA’s (call to action) within each episode motivate the listener to visit your website -> Your website converts podcast listeners (now a visitor) to EITHER email subscribers OR prospects for the firm
Two lead capture strategies have to be in place for this to work:
- Implement an Email Capture
To collect emails, visitors need to sign up for your lead magnet. A lead magnet is a low commitment option for people who visit the site but aren’t ready to schedule a call. The lead magnet on Ben’s website is “The Ultimate Retire-Ready Toolkit.”
A sign-up page is displayed by clicking the CTA button “Get the Toolkit” this is a permission-based pop-up. We recommend this two-step permission-based pop-up strategy out of respect for the user.
The goal is to capture leads for possible future conversion.
- Include CTA’s to schedule calls
The CTA on Ben’s website is “Learn what Ben can do for you” with the button “Ongoing Planning.”
Again, this is located on every page of his website to drive conversion. The button links to Ben’s “Work with Me” Page, where visitors can learn about Ben’s process to then “Learn More” about how they can work with him.
Does your site need a lead magnet that converts? We have a lead magnet and conversion package to take your website to the next level.
Once they click “Learn More,” Ben’s firm website opens. This is where the ultimate objective takes place- scheduling a call with Ben.
The overall goal is to drive traffic from the podcasting site to the firm site and schedule those calls with prospects.
Want more leads from your website and content? Contact us today.
3. Content Organizations
leverage SEO and make it easy for users and listeners to find the content they’re looking for
On this site, the content is accessible through
- The top menu links to the main categories Ben frequently talks about on his podcast.
- The home page links to all of those topics in the menu plus recommended reads that are valuable for people to see and read when they visit his website.
There are two basic ways that people can submit questions:
They can click on the “Ask a question” button in the main menu, or they can click on the side tab. Either way, they are taken to a page or pop-up with simple instructions to submit a question, by doing so we can capture podcast leads.
User experience is very important to position yourself as an expert. Content and Resources should be easy to find to not lose the visitor’s attention. Both SEO and User experience require time and effort to create and develop in our Design & Development packages we work with you to improve these factors of your website.
4. The Anatomy of an Ideal Show Notes Page
Your Show Notes Page is another opportunity to link back to your website and services.
To get the most out of your show notes page, plan to include the following:
- A podcast player to play the episode
- A text summary of the episode with links to relevant resources and locations
- An outline of the episode with time stamps and topics
- A list of resources and people mentioned is vital for SEO and backlinks. Backlinks drive traffic to the show notes for each episode and direct people back to your site, increasing their likelihood of becoming a lead.
- Ways to connect with you, share on social media and other places to subscribe to the podcast.
- CTA for email capture to sign up for your lead magnet
Take a look at Ben’s Show Notes Page here to see how it looks in practice.
Conclusion
If you want your podcast to attract and convert listeners, you need a clear digital marketing strategy. Every business is different and requires a slightly different approach. This case study should give you a good understanding of where to start and what elements to focus on when you decide to up-level your website design to help you grow your business!
