Lecture on Podcast Marketing with Grace Andrews

Introduction

• Grace Andrews, marketing expert behind Stephen Bartlett's podcast, "The Diary of a CEO"
• Took the podcast from 6,000 subscribers to 4 million
• Shares social media strategies and insights

Grace’s Background

• Freelancing prior to working with Stephen Bartlett
• No formal marketing qualifications
• Completed a Master’s in Broadcast Journalism during the pandemic
• Shifted focus to social media journalism
• Created "The Social Climber" to educate herself and attract clients
• Worked pro bono initially to build experience

Getting the Job with Stephen Bartlett

• Applied on a whim for the social media manager role
• Contacted team members for insights
• Emphasized the importance of passion and willingness to learn
• Started with a small follower base, grew to millions

Role Evolution and Responsibilities

• Transitioned from social media manager to marketing director
• Leading and expanding a team
• Emphasizes learning through experimentation and growth

Social Media Strategies

Initial State and Evolution

• Early days: Text-based content; no Reels, TikTok, or LinkedIn videos
• Introduced short-form content across platforms to boost reach
• Testing and learning through content experimentation

Content Creation and Analysis

• Aim to achieve specific goals: Growth, community engagement, new leads
• Importance of research, execution, and feedback loop
• Flexibility within structured strategies

Thumbnails and Titles

• Importance of engaging thumbnails and titles
• A/B testing of thumbnails (100 versions per episode)
• Pre-research testing to determine engaging topics

Short-form Video Strategy

• Focus on reach and engagement rather than pushing to long-form content
• Highlight, edit, and publish the most engaging clips
• Experimentation with content styles, subtitle styles, and story arcs

Brand and Audience Connection

• Building emotion and connection beyond selling products
• Example: Red Bull’s content creating a feeling of energy
• For The Diary of a CEO: Content focused on inspiration, motivation, and engagement

Role of Experimentation

• Constantly testing new ideas to improve reach and performance
• Examples include new clip editing styles, hook placements, and content strategies

Trailers and Long-form Content

• Unique and engaging trailers to tease new episodes
• Full-time team members dedicated to trailer production

Recruitment Strategies

• Giving candidates creative control and assessing their proactive engagement
• Looking for candidates with passion, willingness to learn, and creativity

Big-picture Vision

• Aiming to build The Diary of a CEO into a leading media brand
• Expanding distribution channels (BBC iPlayer, airlines)
• Focus on community engagement and delivering value

Personal Brand Development

• Grace’s own social media presence as "The Social Climber"
• Building a personal brand to experiment and stay ahead in the industry

Conclusion

• Importance of community, connection, and continuous learning in social media marketing
• Open to questions and engagement through social media