Email marketing might seem old-school, but it’s returning to the creator economy. As TikToks and podcasters chase viral fame, they overlook a crucial tool for long-term success.

GetResponse, a veteran in the field, is betting big on this overlooked opportunity, and it’s hired a social media maverick to lead the charge. 

Carlos Gil, known for his early adoption of Snapchat for B2B marketing, brings a unique blend of corporate experience and content creation skills to the 25-year-old company.

His focus is on educating marketers and content creators about the importance of email marketing in building sustainable online brands, particularly in the booming podcast industry. 

Carlos sees significant growth potential in podcasting, driven by consumer demand for traditional and social media alternatives.

So, he shares with us takeaways from the recent Podcast Movement conference, including a trend toward increased brand sponsorships in niche podcasts and a new content monetization platform.

GetResponse Taps Social Media Veteran to Boost U.S. Presence

Carlos has worked in digital marketing since 2008, holding leadership positions at LinkedIn and BMC Software. 

The 41-year-old gained prominence in 2014 as an early adopter of Snapchat for B2B marketing, which led to collaborations with brands such as MGM Resorts and Southwest Airlines.

“I consider GetResponse the OG of email marketing,” Carlos says. “Before there was a Mailchimp, before there was a Klaviyo, before there was an Active Campaign, there was GetResponse.”

In his new role, Carlos aims to educate marketers and content creators on the importance of email marketing in building sustainable online brands.

At Gary Vaynerchuk’s recent VeeCon conference, he observed a significant gap in email marketing adoption among popular TikTokers and YouTubers.

“Much to my surprise, none of these young men and women are using email marketing,” Carlos notes. 

“While these networks have provided platforms for these creators to make a lot of money and build brands for themselves, they’re not future-proofing their brands through email marketing,” he added.

Carlos’s approach combines his marketing expertise with his content creation skills, a combination he believes is rare in the industry. 

“Not every marketer out there has the natural inclination or skillset to be a content creator,” he explains. There’s an art to this. It’s taken years to learn how to do this.”

Podcasting’s Rise in the Creator Economy

Carlos believes the podcasting industry is undergoing significant growth, driven by consumer demand for traditional and social media alternatives. 

“Most consumers today crave alternatives to social media and traditional media to consume content,” he notes. 

The social media vet attributes this shift to the podcast’s intimate nature, which offers listeners a more personal connection with content creators.

Investment in the podcasting space is also fueling growth. Carlos points to recent high-profile acquisitions, such as Spotify’s $200 million deal with Joe Rogan and SiriusXM’s $125 million acquisition of Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast. 

“As more money is being invested in this space, I think you’re going to start seeing better production quality,” he predicts.

For up-and-coming podcasters, Carlos advises finding a niche and maintaining consistency. 

“Having a niche, having a presence, having something to talk about that drives value, whether it’s value in the form of education, entertainment, inspiration, that’s where it starts,” he explains. “And then it’s consistency.”

Carlos stresses the critical role of email marketing in effectively monetizing podcasts. “Podcasters often overlook email marketing, but it’s highly critical,” he says. Your newsletter will effectively be your lifeline to your podcast audience.” 

He advises podcasters to direct listeners to sign up for newsletters, which can be monetized through sponsorships and advertisements.

Other revenue streams for podcasters include paid collaborations and charging for guest appearances. 

“I know one [podcaster] who charges $5,000 for guests to come onto his podcast. And guess what? He gets it,” Carlos tells us.

For podcasts to achieve high levels of financial success, Carlos highlights the importance of persistence and developing a unique voice. 

“It’s powering through the suck,” he says. “It’s powering through 15 viewers or listeners. It’s just consistency, repetition, and not giving up.”

“You don’t need to overthink it,” Carlos continues. “You just need to get started.” 

He recommends approaching podcast creation like a Netflix series, suggesting creators “record twelve episodes or 15 episodes, and then you drop it all at once.”

Insights from the Podcast Movement Event

Drawing from his experiences at the recent Podcast Movement conference, Carlos highlights several key factors driving the growth of podcasting in the creator economy.

“The majority of consumers today are craving alternatives to social media and traditional media to consume content,” Carlos observes. 

He notes that podcasts offer a more intimate form of content consumption, likening it to “being a fly on the wall of a conversation.”

The diversity of content available in podcasting is a significant draw. 

Carlos points out how podcasts cater to niche interests that may be less readily available in traditional media. “There’s just such a wide variety of content,” he says.

Quality improvements in podcast production are also fueling growth. 

“Now it’s not just audio, video,” Carlos notes. “You have that symbiotic relationship between video and email where it’s almost like watching a TV show.”

Carlos mentions monetization, including paid brand collaborations and charging for guest appearances.

Reflecting on the Podcast Movement conference, Carlos was impressed by the caliber of attendees. “People are all about their business. They’re all about making money. They are very, very smart, ROI-oriented professionals,” he observes.

Carlos on the Future of Podcasting

Carlos anticipates a significant shift in podcast sponsorships. 

“I think the next big shift is you’ll start seeing many more brands sponsoring these podcasts based on the niche,” he predicts. 

Carlos envisions major brands like Nike or Whole Foods partnering with podcasts that align with their target audiences.

According to him, this trend stems from corporations’ need for authentic content creation. 

“The people working inside the four walls of most of these corporations, I can tell you, are not content creators,” Carlos observes. 

“It’s much easier for a brand to attach itself to a well-known creator or podcaster than it is for them actually to start a podcast, get someone to host it, scale it, and grow it,” he adds.

For aspiring creators, Carlos emphasizes persistence and leveraging available tools. 

“Every celebrity, every influencer, they all have access to the same tools you do,” he states. “What makes you go from being average to great is using these tools, using all of them, not just one of them.”

GetResponse aims to capitalize on these trends. Carlos mentioned the soft launch of a creator monetization tool that allows users to create courses and paid newsletters through the platform.