Hi everyone!
I've gotten so much great info from reading through all posts in this community. Very appreciative!
I am almost ready to upload, but I'm stuck trying to choose a hosting platform...
My podcast has a mental health topic related to my business. I do not expect to make money for the first year or so, but definitely looking to (even slightly) monetize in the future.
I intend to make weekly 15-20 minute podcast episodes, and I will record both audio and video (going to post video on my youtube channel).
Am currently deciding between Spotify and Podbean, but also open to other options if there's a compelling reason.
While this is an investment for my business, I do not want to pay monthly or yearly fees if it's not actually necessary...so leaning towards Spotify unless there's a reason not to.
Thoughts?
Thanks all!
Best hosting for my podcast (not hobby, looking to eventually monetize)
Best podcast platform for monetization
I would encourage you to look more into starting your own website for the podcast, and then work to funnel traffic from the podcast itself over to the site because that's going to do a few really important things for you...
1. Registering your own domain and hosting your website gives you full control over your content, audience, and monetization strategies. This allows you to:
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Sell merchandise: Create and sell branded merchandise like t-shirts, mugs, and stickers.
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Offer premium content: Provide exclusive episodes, early access, or ad-free content to subscribers.
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Display ads: Use Google AdSense or direct ad sales to monetize website traffic. (However, ads such as the low earn rate on your current podcast is entirely based on the topic of the content. Not all ads are created equally, and they run on a bidding system typically. This means if your podcast is about something that doesn't really sell ads, the ads will never be worth a lot of money / they will not be directed at the right audience. A good example of a good match would be a real estate podcast where the ads triggered are surrounding real estate = big $$$.
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Build a mailing list: This one is BIG because you will truly own your audience, and can move the list to another provider down the road. This is all collected via your website, and it allows you to send update emails to get people to circulate back to the podcast, and to your offers.
2. Sponsorships and Partnerships - By directing your listeners to your site you can...
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Direct Sponsorships: Reach out to companies directly to negotiate sponsorship deals. This could involve promoting products or services during your podcast.
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Affiliate Marketing: Promote products or services and earn a commission for every sale made through your affiliate link. Tools like Amazon Associates, ShareASale, and Commission Junction can help with this.
3. Crowdfunding and Donations
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Patreon: Create a Patreon page where fans can support you on a monthly basis in exchange for exclusive content, shoutouts, or other perks.
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Buy Me a Coffee: A simpler alternative to Patreon where listeners can make one-time donations.
Anywho, I hope that makes sense this goes into more depth https://podcastpontifications.com/uncategorized/how-to-start-a-podcast-with-no-audience/ and this talks about the platforms https://podcastpontifications.com/uncategorized/best-podcast-platform-for-monetization/
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