A recent report reveals that nine of America’s top 50 podcasts, including Call Her Daddy, are boosting their follower counts by rewarding mobile game users with points for interacting with their content. This strategy is implemented through a marketing company called MowPod, which promises a significantly elevated position in the Apple Podcasts Charts through a tool it doesn’t disclose publicly.
The tool advertises to mobile game users, encouraging them to follow Call Her Daddy on Apple Podcasts to earn tokens. Users are directed to a landing page for the show, where they can subscribe or listen to recent episodes. Interestingly, users just have to reach the landing page to receive tokens, not actually follow the podcast.
This method has proven effective at boosting follower counts, downloads, and listening time. Customers pay $5 per new follower, with a required minimum spend of $5,000. It’s worth noting that 60-80% of people who become followers through its in-game ads stay on after a campaign, and at least 25% of them stick around as a long-term listener.
However, this approach raises questions about the integrity of podcast rankings and the potential for manipulation.
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