When I look back on the last 10 months of podcasting, I realize there are a lot of things that I did right, though early on, I did not really know what I was doing. Having a podcast is one of the easiest and biggest ways that will help you to build a real personal brand. When you put it together right, it can make a huge impact, create the right product and even build the audience to sell it to. You can find a genuine need, build the right product or service and really help people.
Here’s What You Need to Know When You Start:
1. The Space is Crowded:
There are a ton of people in the podcasting space. Many that are just starting out would consider this to be a negative, but it really isn’t that big a deal. The idea this brings up is the need for better branding and differentiation. You need to really create something different because everyone is doing the exact same thing, the power is in differentiating; fail to rise above the noise and risk being drowned out. If you really create something different, then you have a real opportunity to create a large viable brand.
2. You Need to Take Big Action:
When I started my show, I started with a list of the top 100 people I most admired. In order to have real success you need to think big and dream big. Most podcasters think that certain people are unreachable, some are, but most would love the ability to generate more press coverage. If you are doing a really great job and thinking big, you’d be surprised how much success that you can have. Work on getting every promotion possible to get your show out there, contributor status for publications, guest appearances and even press releases; then your message can’t be missed.
3. You Need to Prep Your Guests:
Too many podcasters say “hello” on their Skype call and jump right into the interview. They’re being rude, but they don’t know any better. It’s easy to do it right, and your prep time with a guest should be minimal, but there’s a few actions that need to be taken. It only takes about 5 minutes: let your guests know the amount of time that the interview will be, things can easily be edited if need be and find out how valuable to them. Then, you’ll be surprised how much the action of conducting an interview will change and how many real networking opportunities will come out of it.
4. People Will Ask for Things:
You need to understand what the purpose of your show is, because there are a ton of people that will try to pull you off of that purpose. Early on, and especially if your show grows, there will be a lot of people that will want to be on your show to get their message out. That’s not a bad thing, and it can create a lot of opportunities, but you have to have an ability to say “no,” but in a very kind way; never cut an opportunity to communicate or network.
5.You Do Not Have to Publish Everything:
When someone hears your show for the first time, you may have one chance to hook them as a new fan. That’s why every piece that you publish has to be the most valuable final product that you can put together. Despite the hard work and preparation that you may do as a host, some episodes will just plain suck. Its harsh, but you can’t always know what to expect; a guest may not have the much to offer or and they just may not mesh well with you. As a host and producer, you need to know when you should not publish an episode; good luck with explaining that to the guest.
Creating a podcast can be the greatest action you can take in your life, and for me, after a lot of entrepreneurial ventures, it was what I needed to get to the next level. You can create a personal brand, create real value and to build a network with people that you real admire. Put these into action and you will not be lumped in with the crowd, but will rise above the noise.
