How to Leverage Podcasting (Even Without Having One)
Jason and I have been podcasting for over three years. April 4, 2018 was the first episode. So much has changed over three years. I get a lot of questions around podcasting and how to leverage your business while podcasting. For a deeper dive into leveraging podcasting, listen to Weddings For Real episode 135.
A Little Background
Jason and I began podcasting in 2018 after having our third baby. Podcasting has become a huge part of my life. The people I’ve met and interacted with, the interviews I’ve done, and the listeners all make podcasting worthwhile. Podcasting has even changed the trajectory of my career. I love the idea of pouring into someone’s business and speaking to where they are in their business and in life. Overall, podcasting is not glamorous and a lot of hard work goes into it, but it’s worth it all. If you’re looking to start a podcast or be a guest on one, or if you’re looking to potentially incorporate one in the future, you’re in the right spot.
Lessons Learned
Here are some lessons learned in three years of hosting the Weddings For Real podcast:
Lesson #1 - We didn’t have a plan starting out -- we just wanted to start a podcast. We didn’t have a set goal or set audience. We didn’t know if it was for couples, wedding pros, a general audience that was interested in weddings, etc. When we first started, we wanted to have listeners submit crazy wedding stories, but we found out quickly that it wasn’t going to be a viral sensation where we’d make money from ads. We’ve since refined and found our audience. We recommend thinking about your audience and considering what content they’re looking for. Sometimes it takes trial and error!
Lesson #2 - Consider if ads are part of your plan when starting your podcast, and consider your reason behind it. Be strategic with your ads. In the beginning, we took affiliate deals and ad deals that didn’t align well with our strategy and audience. It takes five to ten thousand podcast downloads within thirty days of the episode release to see significant advertisement dollars. While that’s certainly not impossible, we do urge people looking to start a podcast to research their advertisement strategy.
Lesson #3 - Try a fifteen minute discovery call before having someone join you on the podcast. We began having discovery calls so that we could screen potential podcast guests to be sure that there will always be actionable content that comes from my conversations. It’s my goal to inspire entrepreneurs through actionable plans from the tips I share on the podcast.
Lesson #4 - Reviews are a key part of a podcast! Reviews are especially hard to get because people are busy. We’ve done giveaways for things like complimentary consulting sessions, Starbucks gift cards, and more to encourage our listeners to leave reviews. Don’t take it personally and don’t be afraid to keep asking for reviews.
Be Their Guest!
If you’re not ready to start your own podcast, leverage audiences that already exist by being a guest on someone else’s podcast. Being a guest is a great way to dip your toes into the world of podcasting. If you’re looking to take on more speaking engagements, it helps if you have a course or a product to reference. The podcast space is getting more noisy, and it’s not as easy to be a guest as it used to be. I get a pitch almost every other day, and I can’t interview them all. It’s very easy to tell if the person took the time to write a heartfelt email and it’s easy to tell if they didn’t. Read below for my tips for being a guest on someone else’s podcast.
Tip #1 - Do your research on the podcast you’re pitching to. Submit at least three topics that you feel like you could comfortably cover and give three or four takeaways for the listeners of the podcast.
Tip #2 - Be personal with your pitch. It’s best if it comes from the person that wants to be on the podcast, not an assistant or public relations person. Try to create a relationship rather than have a transactional relationship.
Tip #3 - Have a good space for recording. Your sound is important. With that, ensure you’re speaking clearly and slowly.
Tip #4 - Share the episode! Stories, emails, however you can share it! It means so much when podcast guests share the episodes with their followers.
Tip #5 - Be transparent if you’ve recorded this same topic with several other podcasts. It’s a real bummer when we plan our podcasts and the exact topic with the exact same guest comes out in the same week. Your topics are likely evergreen content, so just be open up front so the podcast hosts can schedule accordingly to avoid back to back releases of the same content.
Tip #6 - Share stories. I like to give an overview up front and have a couple stories to pull from throughout. I always ask myself how it will relate to a listener. It’s easy to say, “Do this. Do that.” However, if you wrap a story around it, it becomes more real.
Thank you
We want to extend a huge thank you to our Weddings For Real listeners! We appreciate you listening and you’ve seen us grow along the way. Thank you for all of the support, direct messages, and reviews. We pour our heart and soul into this podcast, so it truly means the world. I appreciate each and every one of you. Thanks for being a part of our Weddings for Real family, and please continue to listen to Weddings For Real Podcast!
