Here are some very compelling reasons why podcast guesting needs to be a regular marketing strategy for your business.
Last week I posted about borrowing trust. Podcasting is a great way to borrow trust. In fact, it is one of the primary reasons why I have a podcast. I get to interview people who would otherwise have no reason to talk to me. Often, I get asked to be on their shows as well. This networking aspect of meeting influencers within my field as well as gaining credibility with their audiences has proven to be a great way to build my audience.
But like any marketing tactic, you can’t just do it once. Just like you can’t host a single episode of your own podcast and expect it to have any lasting results, you can’t just be a guest one time on one person’s podcast. You have to continuously keep appearing in this media for it to be effective. I have a friend who has created a 100-podcast challenge: the goal is to get on 100 podcasts in a 3 month period. By doing so, you not only become more comfortable with this medium, but you multiply your exposure exponentially.
If you are going to be a gust on someone else’s podcast, I recommend that you listen to at least 3 episodes of that podcast before applying to become a guest. The best way to start is by listening to other people’s podcasts. I have a very specific ask along these lines: Please subscribe to my podcast and leave a review on Apple Podcasts (iTunes). Even if you listen to podcasts through a different syndication channel like Stitcher or Spotify, The number of subscribers and reviews on iTunes helps with ranking. Please visit: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/20-minutes-of-influence/id1335266676
Another friend has listed these reasons as to why you should make podcast guesting be a regular part of your marketing strategy:⦁ It’s free – Who doesn’t like “free?” Most podcasts are recorded at home and not at studios, like radio shows are recorded. As long as your computer, software, programs, and peripherals, such as a microphone, are up-to-date, you can create a podcast. Because podcasts are primarily an audio file, you don’t necessarily need to have video capabilities. However, visuals and downloadable items do add interest as well as value. For these reasons, you may want to make sure you have the tools to create these items as well. Once you’ve secured the necessary tools, you don’t usually have to pay for them again, hence the “free” part.
⦁ It is more effective than guest posting – The latest tool for driving traffic and building credibility is guest posting on someone’s blog. Through their network of followers with tangential interests, you can gain traffic and trust from someone who is already a known entity within your niche. While guest blogging is effective, it can take a longer span of time to see the results you want. With podcasting, the effects are felt sooner. You can’t buy this type of advertising anywhere else.
⦁ Bring your powerful message to life – Do you have something so say? Get your message out to the widest possible audience in one fell swoop. That is what podcasting can do for you. Depending on the audience size for that particular podcasting show, thousands and thousands will tune in and hear what you want to say. It’s quite a heady and humbling proposition when you think about it.
⦁ Gaining trust – Isn’t’ that what it is all about anyway? People want to back businesses that they can trust. No one wants to waste their time or money on products or services that promise but never deliver. It takes time to build trust. Maybe you already have the trust of a few (in business terms) right now, but appearing on a podcast places you within earshot of an audience that has already built a trust relationship with its host. By extension, they are affording you the same measure of confidence when they tune in for your interview. Trust is built quicker through hearing than reading. Both are faithful mediums, but when you can hear a person’s voice, you get a sense of who they are and what they stand for. The next best thing is seeing their face.
⦁ Build business associations – There are other opportunities like JV giveaways, guest posting on someone else’s blog and social media, but doing a podcast interview adds a new dimension to business networking. For that 30 minutes or an hour that you speak with the blog host, you are forming a new relationship. There are takeaways on both sides that can lead to further business opportunities down the road. Just like with the podcast audience, a picture forms of who this person really is. If it is positive, a bond has been created.
⦁ Less time consuming than hosting a podcast – People host podcasts because it’s something they want to do. But, to take advantage of podcasting for business exposure, you don’t have to start your own show. Guesting on shows is a great alternative with just as many (if not more) professional benefits. After the initial legwork and research (which we will get to in later sections), all that is required is the time it takes you to write your script and practice your delivery. More time goes into producing and distributing podcasts for the listening audience.
⦁ Drives traffic to your site – The audience can find out more about you and hear more from you when they visit your website. When a trusted host offers them your credentials, your voice, and your contact information, people can search and find you right away. It also helps when there are freebies and discounts involved too.
⦁ Time shifting – No, we are not talking about traveling through time and space; although, that would be cool too. Time shifting is the concept of listening to a live show anytime you want. It’s much like how TiVo and DVRs work today for television programs and movies. Not only do podcasts offer you the option to multitask when listening to them, they also give you the option of when you want to hear them. Organize them and listen to during a long road trip, when you do chores, or when you exercise. Because your time to listen is not set, they are always available.
The rise in podcast growth is largely due to shifts in how podcasts are consumed. Once they were restricted to computer listening. Now, they can be devoured on smart phones and tablet devices along with mp3 players and iPods. Because of that shift, people are more apt to “tune in” than before. They can enjoy at their leisure at a venue of choice, often while doing something else like driving or exercising. When it comes to listening, 69 percent of podcast listeners are hearing five shows or less per week.
Want more information on how to be a super-star podcast guest? check out this book by Heather Havenwood and my friend Rob Anspach:
Here is my affiliate link to the book: https://amzn.to/2KSTCsE
Finally, would you like to be on the 20 Minutes of Influence podcast? I’m always looking for new guests. You can fill out my intake form here:
Greg Jameson has been writing blog articles on ecommerce and internet marketing for over 10 years. Learn more about Greg at https://webstoresltd.com/about/
Guest Posting
