School of Podcasting: Expert Tips for Launching and Growing Your Podcast

Episode: Want More Downloads? Ditch Social Media for Newsletters!

Host: Dave Jackson
Date: February 24, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dave Jackson challenges a popular belief among podcasters: that social media is the best way to drive growth and downloads. Drawing on his own analytics, industry research, coaching experiences, and feedback from listeners, Dave makes a compelling case that email newsletters consistently outperform social media in driving website traffic, listener engagement, and conversion. He shares practical tips for starting newsletters, measuring results, and provides a behind-the-scenes look at his own shifting content strategies—including why he’s enlisted a coach. This episode is packed with concrete advice for podcasters at any stage looking to build their audience more effectively.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rethinking Social Media's Value for Podcast Growth

• Dave reviews website and podcast analytics and finds that social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and even LinkedIn drive surprisingly little traffic to his website.
  • Quote: "I looked at how much traffic that bought [from social media], and the answer was pretty much, yeah, like a whole lot of nothing." (15:15)
• Highlighting the experience of Gary Arndt from the Everything Everywhere Daily show, Dave points out that abandoning social media had no negative effect on Gary’s million-download podcast.
  • Quote: "He quit his social media…And the answer was, yeah, nothing. Nothing happened to his downloads." (18:10)
• Social media may deliver a “trickle” of traffic, but is better used for actual social engagement rather than direct promotion.

2. Newsletters: The Secret Weapon for Podcasters

• Dave reveals that his newsletter consistently delivers the second highest traffic to his website—far outpacing any social media platform.
  • Quote: "I need to do more of that was I do a newsletter... I realized that you might be going, Dave, I’m just talking about Batman in the basement. But I think we all want a bigger audience." (20:35)
• Shares stats:
  • Email marketing ROI: $36–$45 per $1 spent
  • Email conversion rates: ~17.6% vs Social media’s 9.2%
  • Email click rates: ~2.9% vs Social’s 1.36%
  • Open rates for emails: 15–25%
  • Active email users: 3.7–4.2 billion, more than Facebook’s 2.9 billion
• Newsletters allow for personal, segmented, and controlled messaging—unlike social media’s algorithmic and platform limitations.
  • Quote: "The best use of social media…is to be social. You know, search for a term and chime in on the conversation." (17:07)

3. Personal Insights on Analytics and Coaching

• Dave discusses working with a coach to get an outside perspective (“I have low hanging fruit I can’t see”) and why feedback, even negative, is key:
  • Quote: “I love negative feedback because it gives me a chance to do something better, and I want to do things better” (08:00)
• He admits to neglecting his 4,000-person newsletter list, illustrating a common oversight:
  • Quote: "You have 4,000 people on an email list... and most of them have only received one email from you." (24:40)
• Analytics tools: Dave prefers Fathom for web analytics over Google Analytics due to simplicity. He also uses UTMs to track the sources of traffic.

4. Why You Should Start a Newsletter – Practical Guidance

• Newsletters grant ownership and control of your audience—unlike social media, where you can be deplatformed or hidden by algorithms.
• Most people prefer marketing messages via email over social (66%).
• Building an email list is easier and more reliable than building a social following, and it’s simple to measure effectiveness through open and click rates.
• Content Suggestions:
  • Behind-the-scenes info, personal anecdotes, community highlights
  • Focus on consistency ("cadence"/schedule); aim for value, not just promotion
  • Engage with your audience—use a real reply-to email ("noreply" addresses are a huge no-no)
    • Quote: "There’s nothing that pisses me off more than when I click on reply and the email says noreply…like, are you kidding me?" (65:57)
  • Write in your voice; AI can assist (especially with editing), but shouldn’t replace you

5. Tools & Tactical Tips for Email Newsletters

• Starter tools:
  • Sendfox: $59 lifetime deal, good for basic needs
  • ConvertKit/Kit: 10,000 subscribers for free, popular among podcasters, better for advanced features/segmentation
  • Mailerlite/Mailchimp: Also good, many have robust free plans
• No “best” tool—pick based on your needs (content over platform).
  • Quote: “It’s not really the platform, it’s the content.” (94:30)
• Export your email list regularly as a backup.

6. Newsletter Content Structure – A Real Example

• Dave breaks down his newsletter format: a personal intro or thought piece, links to recent and notable content (with clear, clickable titles), a “Stuff That Caught My Eye” section, and a clear call-to-action.
• Title and subject matter always designed for curiosity/clicks (“Would you ever title a newsletter ‘episode 16’? No.” (73:53))

7. Lead Magnets and List Growth

• Giveaways or exclusive content (lead magnets) help grow lists; just inviting people to a generic newsletter seldom works.
• Segmenting lets you target messages (e.g., gear tips, growth strategies).

8. Advertising in Other Newsletters

• One of Dave’s top sources of new audience: advertising in topic-relevant newsletters (e.g., PodNews for podcasting).
  • Advice: Don’t advertise in a podcasting newsletter if your show is about crochet—match your niche!

9. Metrics, Tracking, and Calls to Action

• Use UTMs to track efficacy of links from various sources.
• Consider making newsletter sign-up your main podcast call-to-action; you can push for follows or reviews there where conversion is higher.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On analytics & feedback:
  “Go get an opinion about your show that's not from your mom because you're trying to chop down a tree with an ax. That is dull.” (13:22)
• On what listeners want:
  “Just because you're not going to do this for your job doesn't mean you don't want an audience. Doesn't mean you want to be proud of your work.” (22:38)
• On newsletters driving commitment:
  “When somebody signs up for your newsletter…I am taking actions to say, I like your stuff...Ooh, wow. Second base.” (44:01)
• On content ideas for newsletters:
  “It's not as hard as you think…people love the behind the scenes stuff.” (61:17)
• On the value of negative feedback:
  “If you have negative reviews, well, then I really want to hear from you. … I'm weird. I love negative feedback because it gives me an opportunity to grow.” (118:14)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:00–13:00 – Dave reviews analytics, reveals surprising insights about LinkedIn and social media traffic
• 13:00–20:00 – Social media’s minimal impact, Gary Arndt case study; intro to newsletter findings
• 20:00–27:00 – Newsletter analytics, missed opportunities, insights from working with a coach
• 27:00–37:00 – ROI & conversion stats: email vs. social, segmentation and engagement benefits
• 44:00–49:00 – Ownership, control, and preferred marketing mediums; calls to action
• 61:00–72:00 – Content ideas for newsletters, being human not salesy, using (or not overusing) AI
• 73:50–75:50 – The importance of good titles; practical format suggestions
• 87:00–96:00 – Email tool options, tips for switching providers, platform vs. content
• 103:00–108:00 – Advertising in newsletters; finding your audience in the right places
• 111:00–114:00 – Behind-the-scenes on upcoming episodes and integrating storytelling
• 116:30–120:00 – Closing thoughts on reviews, learning mindset, and audience interaction

Memorable Moments

• Power rant on ‘noreply’ emails: Dave’s playful frustration at brands using no-reply emails underlines the importance of true engagement.
• Story about neglecting his email list: Dave’s candor (“…gave them a PDF and ran away”) is both humorous and relatable for creators missing easy wins.
• Analogy of newsletters as “second base” in the audience relationship – a playful, memorable way of communicating incremental buy-in.

Actionable Takeaways

• Your newsletter should be the primary tool for converting listeners to loyal fans—don’t neglect it.
• Measure what works with UTMs and simple analytics; don’t waste time where you can’t see results.
• Engage genuinely; segment content; always be tracking, improving, and personal.

Final Thoughts

Dave closes by reminding podcasters that success is about constant learning, taking feedback, and focusing on content that serves the audience. Newsletters are an overlooked but exceptionally powerful lever, and now’s the time to make the switch—ditch the social media hamster wheel, start building your list, and watch your show grow.

"If you like what you hear, then go tell someone."