A Guide’s Approach to Marketing
The minimum of three published NRJs makes you discovery-ready—but a healthy starting catalogue is five or six substantial NRJs. This gives listeners enough choice to explore your work.
1. Begin with five or six NRJs
Aim to include:
- One compelling free NRJ as the entrance to your work
- One signature Journey representing what you do best
- One longer course, series or Living Audiobook
- Two or three Journeys serving different interests or needs
Quality matters more than reaching a number. Several thin or repetitive NRJs will not create meaningful listening.
Three recommended videos for your profile
- Personal Introduction — Who I am
- Your background, perspective, personality and motivation.
- Portfolio Introduction — What I offer
- A meta-guide to your NRJ catalogue: the themes you cover, who your work serves and where different listeners might begin.
- External Video — See me in conversation
- An existing interview, talk, podcast video, webinar extract or future Ask Your Guide conversation.
2. Establish a sustainable publishing rhythm
After your initial catalogue, aim to:
- Publish one substantive new NRJ each month; or
- Meaningfully expand an existing Journey with new tracks or resources
A meaningful update can return the Journey to homepage visibility and notify listeners who have favourited it.
Build a heartbeat—not a content treadmill.
3. Install your embeds
Place an NRJ embed:
- On your website homepage or main resources page
- Beside relevant courses, books, services and articles
- On a dedicated “Listen to me on NRJ” page
- In occasional newsletters and launch emails
- Wherever a particular Journey naturally complements the surrounding content
Lead with your free or signature NRJ and make sure your referral attribution is included. Test every embed and link on both desktop and mobile.
4. Identify your first potential listeners
Begin with 20–30 well-matched people, rather than broadcasting indiscriminately to thousands.
Consider:
- Existing students, clients and readers
- Newsletter subscribers who regularly engage
- People who have previously enjoyed your audio work
- Book readers who would value an audio companion
- Members of relevant communities
- Friends and professional contacts with a genuine interest
Your first practical milestone is ten active direct referrals, approximately covering the $9.99 monthly Guide membership.
5. Approach people personally
A short personal invitation will often outperform a generic promotional post:
“I’ve created a new audio Journey on NRJ that made me think of you because of your interest in [subject]. The first Journey is free to explore, and I’d genuinely value your thoughts.”
Recommend a specific Journey for a specific reason. Invite—don’t recruit.
6. Use several outreach channels
Choose the methods that fit your existing audience:
- Personal emails and direct messages
- Your regular newsletter
- Website embeds and articles
- Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or other social channels
- Podcasts, interviews and guest appearances
- Webinars, workshops and live events
- Book launches and course communications
- Collaborations with other NRJ Guides
- QR codes on printed materials or presentation slides
You do not need to use every channel. Consistent use of two or three appropriate channels is usually more effective.
7. Treat each release as an event
Whenever you publish or substantially update an NRJ:
- Explain who it is for
- Share one specific benefit or point of interest
- Link directly to the Journey
- Use your referral attribution
- Invite existing listeners to favourite it
- Remind them that favourites receive update notifications
- Follow up once rather than posting it only once
Uploading completes the creation. Sharing completes the publication.
8. Encourage listeners to return
Remind listeners that they can:
- Continue exactly where they stopped
- Favourite Journeys and receive update emails
- Download audio for offline listening
- Create playlists
- Explore your other NRJs
- Support Guides through genuine listening
Long-form audio becomes more valuable when listeners know they do not have to finish it in one sitting.
9. Review the signals that matter
Each month, consider:
- How many active direct referrals do I have?
- Which Journey attracts people initially?
- Which Journeys generate sustained listening?
- Which embed or outreach method performs best?
- What could I meaningfully publish or update next?
- Is my catalogue giving listeners a reason to return?
10. Remember the healthy Guide rhythm
Launch with five or six. Add or substantially update one each month. Approach twenty or thirty well-matched people. Build towards ten active referrals. Keep creating, sharing and listening to what your audience tells you.
Three NRJs make you eligible for discovery. Six create a more convincing body of work. Continued creation and thoughtful outreach keep you visible as the NRJ library grows.