podcast_promo_swaps v1.0.0

name: "podcast_promo_swaps" description: "Run reciprocal podcast promo swaps between shows: find compatible partner shows, negotiate fair terms, write host-read and trailer ad scripts, set up tracking with vanity URLs and promo codes, and keep the exchange ledger honest. Use when a podcaster wants to trade promos, do a feed drop, or set up any cross-promotion exchange with another show."

Podcast Promo Swaps

Purpose

Set up and run fair reciprocal promo exchanges between podcasts: partner matching, ad scripts, tracking, and a ledger that keeps both sides honest.

Workflow

1. Match partners on fit, not size. The best partner is the show whose listeners are most likely to care about this show, not the largest one. Check thematic overlap, tone, release cadence, and audience scale. If one show is clearly bigger, the smaller show owes more in return (extra episodes, better placement, social amplification). Find candidates through directories, social communities, and listening to episodes before reaching out.
2. Pick a swap format. Options, cheapest first:

• Trailer swap: each show plays the other's existing trailer. Low effort, easy to reuse, but trailers run long (often 1+ minute) and feel less personal.
• Prerecorded host intro: the partner's host records a 20-30 second intro naming your show; you drop it into your episode. Personal and cheap.
• Bespoke cross-promo ad: a 30-60 second spot written for the partner's audience. Tailor the pitch to their listeners.
• Personal host recommendation: the host genuinely recommends the other show and says why they like it. Most authentic, best for niche shows with real audience overlap, but needs a fresh recording per partner.
• Feed drop / episode swap: one full episode of the partner's show published in your feed with a short framing intro, and vice versa.
• Guest swap: each host appears as a guest on the other's show. See references/swap-formats.md for a format picker with tradeoffs.

1. Negotiate written terms before anyone records. For each side: spot length, format, placement (pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll), number of episodes, release window, social posts included, who approves the final cut. Bigger gaps in audience size need bigger compensation on the small side's terms sheet. Template: references/terms-sheet.md.
2. Write the ad scripts. One script per format per partner. Keep them tight, in the host's own voice, with a single clear call to action (name of show, where to find it, one reason to try it). Templates: references/ad-scripts.md.
3. Set up tracking before airing. Per-partner vanity URL or UTM-tagged link (?utm_source=partner-show-slug) plus a promo code where the feed supports it. Record the baseline downloads per episode for the airing episodes, then measure referral traffic and new follows in a 14-day window after air.
4. Run the ledger. Log promised episodes against aired episodes with dates and links to show notes as proof. See bin/swap-ledger.py for a CLI that owns this ledger. If a partner goes quiet or misses an air date, pause your side of the swap until they catch up. The rule is simple: nobody owes more than one unaired spot.
5. Review results and decide. Compare referral traffic per partner against baseline. Keep partnerships that pull their weight, renew with adjusted terms if the imbalance is clear, and end cleanly (both sides' promos out) when they don't.

Output Contract

A finished promo swap includes:

• Named partner show with evidence of fit (why the audiences overlap)
• Agreed swap format and written terms both sides accepted
• Recorded or written ad spot matching the agreed length and voice
• Per-partner tracking links/codes live and tested
• Ledger entries showing promised vs aired spots for both sides

Operating Rules

1. Verify every show fact (episode count, category, release schedule, host name) against a primary source before pitching. Never guess audience numbers: use "similar-sized" or leave size out unless both sides share real figures.
2. Never ask a partner to promote something the host has not actually heard. Listen to at least one full episode of a partner's show before writing their recommendation.
3. The pitch benefits THEIR audience first. "Your listeners would like us because..." always comes before "we want..."
4. Quality parity is part of the deal: if one side records a clean host read and the other drops a rough trailer, the listeners notice. Agree on a floor (noise level, length, script approval) in the terms.
5. One unaired spot is the maximum owed at any time. Pause your side if the ledger shows the partner is behind.
6. End stale partnerships cleanly: both sides' remaining promos air, then close the ledger. No ghosting, no retroactive renegotiation.