I’m so excited to dive into this topic! Last week I hopped on my Instagram stories to ask what you all wanted to see more of on this podcast, and my biggest request was all about when, how and why to create a freebie for your podcast episodes. The second was how to build your email list. These 2 things actually go hand in hand! That’s why I’m including my own freebie The Ultimate Episode Checklist for Solo and Guest Episodes that is a must-have for podcasters and will help you determine everything you need! 

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Let’s start with the 4 questions I ask myself when seeing if the content for an episode could use a freebie.

1) Does the episode need a companion piece to help listeners implement what you're teaching?

If I'm doing a workshop on the podcast episode, could my listener use a worksheet to go with it? Maybe they'll need a swipe file example that they can use or perhaps a template from Canva. If the answer is yes, then that tells me you definitely need a freebie for the episode.

2) Does the topic need something to just elevate it and take it a step forward?

You do not want to just regurgitate the episode in the freebie. Ask yourself, is it something to elevate the episode in order to take things forward as the listener?  I learned that from Amy Porterfield! 

In the example of the freebie for today, the freebie isn't even about “creating a freebie”, which is what this episode is centered around. The freebie is about my Ultimate Podcast Checklist because when I personally got through the checklist myself, I decided I needed a freebie. So the checklist as a freebie is that elevated step forward for the listener, and that means they might take that second to go into the podcast blog and actually grab the freebie! 

In this case when it's a pop up, it's really easy to have that email exchange. The freebie really is about adding value and content to you the listener in exchange for building my email list!

3) Does the episode need a visual?

For example, if I'm giving an episode on how to create out your podcast episode and what to look for in making sure you've got all the things you need to get started, I might say, “Go grab the checklist for this episode!” because that way your the listener will have a worksheet to work through that mindset with and have the actual checklist to go along with it!

4) Can I offer this freebie in more than one place?

Specifically for myself, when I create a freebie I’m looking to see if this could be something of value that I can offer to my Facebook community every month. For the Podcast(H)er Facebook group, (that is free to join at any time!) we have a free gift for joining and if you're already in it, you can also grab the free gift for that month too! It's always something that adds value and something on the topic of podcasting, with the prime focus about moving your business forward. It's a free download, and we change it up at the first of every single month. So if I'm looking for creating a freebie for the podcast, I'm also seeing if this could be something we could put in our Facebook community as well. I fully believe in not overextending yourself and repurposing when possible! If it works for both then that’s just a bonus!

Don’t Force a Freebie Just For Your Email List

If it's not a natural supplement to the episode and you have to force the freebie into the content, then it's not worth putting on there. Your listener will quickly understand and see through the fact that you're just giving them a freebie to get their email address. Remember if it's not really one that's adding value to the episode, to them as the listener or to your community, they're not going to grab it. At the end of the day, you want to take those extra steps in your podcast process so that when you have an opportunity to create a freebie, it helps grow your email list and forms a better connection with your listeners!

So don't miss out on this episode's freebie The Ultimate Episode Checklist for Solo and Guest Episodes! 

If you create your own freebie after this, tag me on Instagram @itsjoannebolt because I would love to see what you come up with! 

If you enjoyed this post, I know you would love checking out But First, Coffee: My Pathway Into Podcasting and Because Everything is Content - Part 1