The Power of Brand
Your brand is your greatest asset. It tells the world who you are, what you do, where you want to take people, and how you’re going to get them there. When you build your brand effectively, you will position yourself as an authority, a thought leader, and open up a world of opportunities to grow and thrive…no matter what industry or niche you exist in.
Ask entrepreneurs who’ve left successful corporate jobs and many will tell you they owe the ability to transition from ‘9 to 5’ life to the freedom of working for themselves to personal branding. Their ability to showcase their expertise, build strong, lucrative relationships, and transcend their employer’s standards earned them a reputation that allowed them to seamlessly move into the launch of their own enterprise…with many of their established clients following them to their new venture.
To effectively build your brand today (both your company and personal brand), you need a platform to make connections, network, put your expertise center stage, and tell your story in a compelling, relatable way that attracts people to you.
And that stage…is podcasts.
Why Podcasts?
The podcast medium allows you to check off all the aforementioned brand-building items AND THEN SOME. By bringing your knowledge to the microphone as a value-driven guest, podcasts give you an uncanny ability to establish authority in your niche, put yourself in front of a new audience with each interview you do, increase your overall reputation and visibility, accelerate your personal brand growth, and so much more.
Coaches and consultants across the globe are using podcasts to achieve expert authority status in their space and take their brands from unknown to undeniable. By bringing significant value to the microphone, they’re finding dynamic, innovative ways to attract new clients, increase revenue, strengthen their network, and much more
With this guide, you will learn how to do the same.
These eight simple strategies will help you understand the power of leveraging the podcast medium to grow your brand with confidence and clarity.
Let’s get started.
1. Establish the Right Mindset
Everything starts with mindset. Developing a positive mindset extends far beyond branding, being a guest on podcasts, or even growing your own enterprise. If you don’t have clarity when it comes to your mindset and approach life from a place of scarcity instead of abundance, making significant strides and accomplishing your goals will be impossible.
When it comes to building your brand in the podcast space, your mindset needs to be locked in on commitment, development, and patience. Let’s break each of these down:
Commitment
This is where many aspiring podcasters fall short. They release a few episodes and expect the world to show up and listen. This NEVER happens. And when the listeners don’t show up, they feel their efforts are all for naught and they stop producing new content before they ever give themselves a chance to break through.
And as a guest, people do a few interviews sporadically with no real plan of action, they see little to no results, and they immediately conclude that podcast guesting doesn’t work for them.
Building your brand via the podcast medium means you need to commit to your mission. You need to commit to staying passionate about your brand objectives. You need to commit to getting better at your craft a little bit each day. You need to commit to finding your voice and establishing a powerful way to tell your brand story with conviction, confidence, and consistency. And, most importantly, you need to commit to solidifying your presence on the podcast platform for an extended period of time.
Development
Now that you’re committed to building your brand on the podcast medium, it’s time to focus on your development. What you can control is the number of guest appearances you schedule, the amount of reps or “practice swings” you put in to get better at your craft, and the value and expertise you bring to each guest appearance you make. These are the things you need to emphasize. What you can’t control is how quickly your audience finds your interviews, resonates with your message, and responds to your Call To Action. So put your attention where it needs to be: on getting better at your craft. Developing your skill set is a requirement and will take place the more active you are in the space. That activity, naturally, will lead to the enhancement of your reputation and strong positioning for your brand.
Patience
Real results do not come overnight and this statement rings just as true in the podcast space as it does anywhere else. It takes time to grow a loyal following and establish yourself as a high-quality guest. It takes time to establish authentic authority. As you continue to put effort forth, you’ll begin to see things fall into place for your brand. Those who become impatient and expect things to happen rapidly are the ones who walk away from their efforts before any significant gains can be made. Be the person who works consistently to bring value to the world through your message and it will pay off over time.
2. Root EVERYTHING In Value
When your efforts are rooted in value, it shows. You don’t look like someone simply trying to complete a transaction, but rather a person who’s looking to make a significant impact on the world. The simple act of being genuine and being a constant beacon of assistance and guidance to those who find you will make you stand out and help your brand skyrocket.
With podcasting, your goal is to be a resource people turn to for education, entertainment, and solutions to their problems.
As a podcast guest, you can root your efforts in value by positioning yourself as an asset to podcasters before, during, and after your guest appearance takes place. This showcases you’re not just showing up for an interview to sell something, but that you’re genuinely invested in the success of that podcast because your knowledge and expertise is part of that portfolio. The more listeners find that show, the more opportunities you have for your message to be heard, thus propelling you to the expert status you seek!
Someone who operates from a transactional mindset is easy to spot and focuses solely on their own gains…completely oblivious to the fact that serving others and bringing value to the world not only helps others grow, it positions them for gains in spades.
Use the podcast platform to project value from your brand and everything will fall into place.
3. Collaborate with Podcasts (and Podcasters) That Align with Your Brand Objectives
In order to experience real, tangible growth that establishes authority, you need to keep a tight focus on who you collaborate with. You may be thinking that making as many guest appearances as you possibly can will accelerate your brand growth even faster.
If this is your belief, spoiler alert: you’re wrong.
The best way to take your efforts to new heights is to collaborate with the right people and the right podcasts. Savvy podcasters understand they can’t let just anyone fill the guest seat. They need to be sure your message aligns with their content and will resonate with their audience. If you have your own agenda and don’t have their (and their audience’s) best interests in mind, the final product could have a negative impact on the audience, thus causing them to turn the show off…and possibly never return.
When making guest appearances on other podcasts, find podcasts that run parallel with your mission, message, and brand objectives. Additionally, look for hosts who would be ideal clients for your product, service, course, etc. If you work in the finance sector, going on a podcast that talks about fly fishing won’t lead to any positive results. Why? Because that audience listens to that podcast for fly fishing content, not how to be smart with their money. Therefore, it makes more sense for you to make guest appearances on podcasts that your target customer is listening to. In this case, finance-based podcasts, financial literacy podcasts, and the like.
Producing content for the hell of it and going on any podcast that will have you as a guest will not serve you. Always keep your focus on the following phrase: Quality Over Quantity.
4. Don’t Let Download Numbers and Analytics Drive Your Motives
In the podcast space, many creators, as well as aspiring guests, are governed by download metrics. The higher the number, the better. This number defines the success of my podcast…….
*QUEUE THE RECORD PLAYER SCREECHING SOUND*
No matter what your objectives are in the podcast space, this belief couldn’t be further from the truth and, quite frankly, it’s a plague on this industry that’s causing too many false beliefs.
If you want to leverage the power of the podcast medium to elevate your brand and achieve expert status in your niche, it’s important to understand the following in as clear and blunt of terms as possible: DOWNLOAD NUMBERS ARE IRRELEVANT.
Thinking like a podcast producer and as I mentioned in Section 1, it takes time to build an audience. The only way to do that is to create quality content on a consistent basis that triggers people to recommend said content to others. The more producers do that, the more they grow. That has nothing to do with download numbers and everything to do with the quality of content they’re producing. That’s something that’s controllable and, believe me, it’s far more productive to focus on what you can control versus what you can’t.
So let’s assume the host understands the aforementioned point. With that mindset, they’ll be looking for insightful, valuable guests who can impact their audience. And as fate would have it, you’re looking for great podcasts to showcase your expertise and cement your expert status.
It’s kismet!
When finding and scheduling guest appearance opportunities, the number of downloads a podcast receives should NEVER be what makes or breaks your decision to collaborate with that show. You should be looking at the content of that podcast and whether it aligns with your objectives. You should also be looking at the focus and message of their content and how consistently they’re producing it.
You never know what will make a podcast gain the momentum it needs to explode. In fact, it could be YOUR contributions that puts that podcast on the map. Disqualifying yourself from that epic accomplishment because a podcast “doesn’t have enough downloads” (an arbitrary distinction if there ever was one) is the worst thing you can do for the growth and development of your brand.
5. ABC – Always Be Compelling!
Think about the podcasts, live presentations, speeches, lectures, movies, TV shows, books, and internet content you’ve consumed in your life. What was the common denominator that sucked you in? More than likely, it was the fact that the content (and those presenting said content) was compelling as hell!
Now, think about all the content you’ve scrolled passed, flipped by, or tuned out – why did you do that? Because nothing compelled you to give it your attention.
Your brand is what people are attracted to. When others know who you are, what you do, and how you can help them, they’ll enter your orbit and give you the opportunity to deliver the transformation they seek in their lives. And the only way to make that happen is by being your unapologetic, value-driven, compelling self!
When people hear your voice via the podcast waves, the more compelling your disposition, your demeanor, and your story, the more it will resonate and provide the impact you need so authority status can be established. No one wants to listen to a monotoned robot drone on and on about mission statements. They want to hear your expert thoughts, intriguing commentary, and compelling brand story. Do this consistently and your brand will soar.
6. Don’t Go Into Sales Mode. Think About the Listener’s Experience
There is a major no-no when it comes to building your brand on podcasts: DO NOT SELL.
Many people feel inclined to use the podcast platform as a stage through which to sell their products, services, courses, books, etc. not realizing that going into sales mode on a podcast does way more harm than good. ALSO not realizing that providing value to the audience and being compelling is all the selling they need to do. Let me explain…
There’s an important, unspoken “golden rule” in the podcast space: “It’s all about the listener experience.” When you keep this golden rule front of mind, everything you do to grow your brand on this medium will instinctively change.
Put yourself in the shoes of a listener. When you tune into a podcast, do you want to hear A) compelling, engaging conversation, or B) an infomercial? The vast majority would choose Option A. Very, very few people want to listen to an extended sales pitch. They want to hear stories and perspectives that change their mindset and stimulate growth in their lives!
Going into sales mode will lead to the listener experience suffering AND, for all intents and purposes, cost you sales. On the other hand, if you do your part to bring value to the table, people who resonate with your message will feel compelled to follow your Call To Action and seek out more ways to be impacted by you…thus driving sales. When you provide meaningful, valuable content as a podcast’s featured guest, the hosts will do the selling for you, eagerly and unapologetically telling their listeners why they need to check out your product, service, etc.
When you do this effectively, you position yourself to sell without selling. And that, my friend…is a beautiful thing.
7. Use Podcasts As A Networking Tool
The podcast platform is the greatest digital networking tool on the planet. IF…you utilize it in the proper fashion.
When it comes to elevating your brand as a podcast guest, you have a choice: A) you can be transactional, looking for nothing but the content and any exposure said content may provide. Or B) you can be rooted in value, unselfishly making an impact on every person you meet and placing laser focus on building quality, lucrative relationships.
By now, you should know which way to be leaning. 
When you approach the podcast medium with the right mindset, the relationships you build via podcasting’s built-in networking feature can be game-changing. Not only do you have an opportunity to connect with someone via the interview process, there’s also that ever-so-important time before and after the interview where the real magic can happen. This is known as the “Green Room Effect.”
This is when you get to know one another and discover chemistry.
This is when you learn whether your offer is right for the person you’re connecting with and vice versa.
This is when you can get leads for your business, for more interviews, for more guests, and for more referrals.
This is when you can offer affiliate programs and potentially monetize your guest appearances BEFORE THEY GO LIVE.
This is when you get to make solid connections that can lead to growth you never imagined.
Building your brand on the podcast medium isn’t just about the interview itself. Of course, that’s a major factor…but the people you meet during the process of creating exceptional podcast content can elevate your efforts far and beyond your wildest expectations.
Root everything you do in value and good things will come your way.
8. Share Your Finished Content Proudly
One of the biggest gripes podcasters have when they publish a new episode is their guest goes MIA and does absolutely nothing to acknowledge the interview is live. Personally, I’ll never understand why you wouldn’t want to share your guest appearances with your audience…but to play devil’s advocate, the sharing of content is a two-way street paved by communication and relationship-building.
Podcast producers who do this right understand they need to keep the conversation going with their guest after the interview concludes. They interact with them on social media, share content with them that’s relevant to their previous conversation(s), and keep them in the loop as to when their content will go live. In addition, they provide ample assets to share the episode (imagery, video and audio clips, a link to the show notes, etc). They don’t just record, have zero communication, post the episode, tag the guest, and expect you to bend over backwards to share the content. Some may, but at the end of the day, wise podcasters know it’s up to them to do the heavy lifting when it comes to promotion. And when guests do share their content, they treat it as a bonus.
Now…ALL of that said…on the guest side (which is you), as I said before…why wouldn’t you want to share this content?! If you’re striving to achieve expert status in your field and leveraging podcast guesting to do it, this polished, finished content is the fruits of your labor. And that labor is light considering your contribution came simply from lending your expertise to the show for 30-60 minutes. The creators did all the back-end work to build and produce this piece of content that you can now use to showcase to the world YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT!
As the guest, share your latest interview on your website, with your email subscribers, your social media followers, and anywhere else it makes sense. Your audience is following you because they find value in what you have to say. Ergo, it makes complete sense that they’ll gain even more value when they check out the podcast you just guested on.
Final Thoughts…
Elevating your brand via podcast guesting is dynamic, innovative, and offers an exceptional way to connect with new people. However, it requires a foundation on which to grow, a strategy on which to execute, and a commitment to ensure your skill sets improve and tangible results can be experienced.
To summarize, here are some of the great advantages at your disposal when you build your brand on the podcast medium:
- Build authority and expert status
- Attract ideal clients
- Grow your know/like/trust factor
- Establish thought leadership in your space
- Amplify your brand message across the globe
- Experience high-level networking opportunities
- Make an impact on a new audience with each guest appearance you make
- Welcome new people into your circle
- Have insightful conversations about ideas and philosophies you’re passionate about
- Collaboratively create evergreen content that will serve you and your brand for years
- Generate backlinks to your website, thus enhancing SEO, website authority, and discoverability
- Sell without selling
- It’s a fun way to build your brand
If you want to put your brand on the map, establish your authority, and achieve the expert status in your niche that will take your brand from unknown to undeniable, being a compelling podcast guest is the only way to fly!
It’s Time to Establish YOUR Authority In Your Niche.
Schedule a Free Discovery Session to Take the Next Step!
