How to write a promotional message
In Apple Podcasts Connect, you can add customized text to your subscription banners. These banners include up to 50 characters, including spaces and punctuation, and appear on both the show page and channel page, if you have multiple shows.
Your promotional message should speak directly to your audience. Reach them on a deeper level by aiming to answer one of these questions:
- How will subscribing improve their lives?
- Why does this cost money?
- Who is the subscriber supporting?
- How does the subscription relate to this specific show?
- How does the subscription relate to other shows in your channel?
Merely stating keywords like “ad-free” or “bonus episodes” does little to connect the listener with your specific show or help them understand what makes your subscription stand out from others. Instead, be specific about what listeners get by subscribing and why it’s worth their money.
| Generic Upsell | Improved Upsell |
|---|---|
| Unlock exclusive episodes and listen ad-free. | Access 8-hour soundscapes for the best sleep ever. |
| Subscribe for BONUS episodes & early access! | Get archived interviews and shows never heard before. |
| Ad-free and bonus episodes. | Each episode takes 30 hrs to make-help make more! |
| Exclusives from Steve, Tim, and more. | Come backstage and hear how I make the podcast. |
| Unlock network of award-winning original content | Listen to one of Apple Podcasts Best of 2021! |
| Unlock network of award-winning original content | Glimpse into the lives of all 5 amazing hosts. |
Make the most of your 50 characters by:
- Eliminating nonessential words. “Subscribe and listen to ad-free episodes” should be “Ad-free.”
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Avoiding uncommon abbreviations, like “eps” for “episodes.”
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Not including subscription name, price, free trial, or how often the channel is updated. Those are automatically listed.
Show page banner
If you have a channel, the text you entered for your channel page banner will be used for each show by default. Because listeners are most likely to see the show page banner, we recommend that you customize this message when you set up your show.
Keep in mind that you can update these banners as often as you like, so consider changing them regularly to keep your audience up to date on the exclusive content of the moment.
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Highlighting your exclusive content. Let your audience know what they can expect from this week/month’s bonus episode.
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Explaining what is distinctive and know your audience.
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Contextualizing this show within the larger channel if you have multiple shows.
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Listing the number of shows included in the subscription if you have multiple shows. People who see this might not be aware of the other shows in your channel.
Channel page banner
A channel page banner appears only if you have multiple shows. For this banner, think about what you can offer listeners.
- Describe your top benefits. Limit it to one or two.
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Don’t include the number of shows you have. This is automatically included in the banner.