The Company Show

To derive something valuable from your business podcast you must have a solid reason why you started. Today’s guest has extensive experience in marketing and is here to explain how he helps clients utilize podcasts to build their brand online and become the recognized authority in their field. Alastair McDermott joins me today, on the Business Podcast Blueprint show!

We’re discussing:

What does it mean to be the recognized authority? Alastair’s business and podcast are about guiding experts and consultants to become the recognized authority in their field. He explains that authority in your field is “recognition from people that you're the go-to person on something - you're an authority”.

What are the benefits of being an authority in your field? When you are seen as an authority, you can demand higher fees and choose your clients based on compatibility. Also, you have the liberty to change your business model and your clients will comply.  

How can you establish yourself as a recognized authority in your field? Alastair has some pillars that he recommends to people to build this authority:

Start a podcast. He explains that it is more about formulating ideas on the topic and sharing it with a wider audience. That allows you to have recognition in your field.  

Choose the topic you want to be known for wisely; do extensive research on that topic and become specialized in it, to dominate that area.

To become the recognized authority, you must do constant research through interviews, surveys, observation, and reading – you must be continuously learning about your field. 

Authority marketing allows the sales process to be much smoother as clients will already be interested in your product or service because they trust you, since they listen to your podcast or watch your YouTube videos. 

RESOURCES

One Stone Creative | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website

Alastair McDermott | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram |  The Recognized Authority |  The Recognized Authority Podcast

Creating a podcast and promoting a podcast are two entierly different beasts. Many of us find the former considerably more pleasant than the latter. But if we want people to listen, we need to tell people about our shows. So the team at One Stone Creative has come up with a way to make the promotional part of podcasting a little more fun. It's called the Podcast Social Club - and you are warmly invited. OneStoneCreative.net/PodcastSocialClub Use the code PSCLUB for 50% off for your first three months.

Starting a company podcast can be a solid strategy for improving brand awareness, but it shouldn’t be the only way you derive value from your show. Today’s guest has extensive experience in B2B marketing, and is here to offer his advice on making a podcast an integral part of your marketing strategy. Rob Stevenson joins me today, on the Business Podcast Blueprint show!  

We're discussing:

What makes B2B podcasts different? Rob responds that funding is the main difference. Because B2B shows are funded, they can contribute to a holistic content marketing strategy in a way that most other shows cannot. 

What you should know before starting a company show. Identifying your show’s purpose should be your first priority, because you can’t fix it if you don’t get it right early on. Also, your company CEO should not necessarily host the podcast. Rob clarifies that while it can work in some situations, the biggest thing to consider is your CEO’s availability to record. 

How sales teams can utilize podcast content. Due to the relationships that are created between hosts and featured guests, a podcaster can access an enterprise VP with greater ease than a salesperson. “You can succeed as a podcaster where sales can’t,” Rob says. However, it is crucial for the sales department to be on board with this strategy so they can follow up with these individuals. 

RESOURCES

One Stone Creative | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website

Rob Stevenson | LinkedIn | Twitter

In our show’s debut, I discussed how having high-level podcast goals can help you make decisions about your show. Now, in this episode, I’d like to dive a little deeper and explain how you can factor in the overarching purpose for your podcast when designing episodes, to offer maximum value to your business. That’s that we’re talking about today on the Business Podcast Blueprint Show!  

We're discussing:

Thought leadership shows: The aim here is to increase your reputation in your industry by presenting both your podcast and host as an authority. For a thought leadership show, your conversation with your guest should demonstrate that you are equals. Show notes should include the most important things that your host and company has to say about your topic area - information that you want to be associated with your brand and podcast. Generally, avoid ads and sponsors, unless it’s a company you have a great relationship with, and one that won’t deplete the value of your show. If you include ads, make sure that they are host-read. Promotion assets should be key quotations and insights that illustrate your perspective. Lastly, it’s important that you invest in both production quality and repurposing. 

Business development/Relationship-building shows: This type of podcast is used to get to know other people in your space, and nurture those relationships. The format is almost exclusively interviewing, where you direct the spotlight to your guest and focus on what they bring to the table. The same principle applies to show notes: include guest links, key points that they made, and quotations where they shine. Use ads and sponsors mainly for promoting your guests’ or your own products and services. Promotion-wise, showcase the guest - their content, company, and what else they’ve done that makes them worth listening to. 

Audience engagement shows: These podcasts are about connecting with an audience that you already have. You can produce any kind of content, as long as it is engaging your audience. This type of show requires careful attention to your metrics and traction, to ensure you’re reaching your goals. Consider ways to involve your audience in the show, such as an audience question segment or reading comments. Show notes should be similar to thought leadership podcasts: focus on what your audience needs, like the action steps and key points that you've covered. For audience engagement shows, guests are optional and any type of ads or sponsors are fine. Promotional energy should be directed to disseminating your content, including through paid traffic. 

Content shows: If your main goal is creating content, your show can take any format as long as it is reasonably repurposable and connected to your work. Show notes are a strong pillar of content shows, so make them as detailed and expansive as you can. Guests can be useful to expand the range of topics you create content on, but are totally optional. Any type of ads or sponsorships are fine. Invest in your assets and social content, such as your audio quality and repurposing. 

RESOURCES

One Stone Creative | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website

The White Coat Investor | Blog (Check out the amazing show notes!)

Why Even Podcast?

Turning Business Goals into Content Metrics

In a business where it’s important for people to know, like and trust you to get the job done, a podcast goes a long way. Content that demonstrates your knowledge can be hugely valuable when seeking out new opportunities - not to mention the endless networking possibilities. My guest for this episode is Olivia Cook, a Transformational Success Coach and NLP Practitioner who runs a great podcast, The Empowered Woman - Badass & Unfiltered. She joins me on this episode of the Business Podcast Blueprint Show to talk about podcasting for your business, her experiences podcasting during the pandemic, and an interesting strategy for optimizing your content creation around the monthly cycles may of us have.

We're discussing:

A business-podcast relationship: Olivia reveals that her podcast helps her to expand her clientele, because of the kind of content she produces. Speaking with these high-level individuals provides an extra resource for learning about many different topics. 

Two-part booking: “I like to build relationships with people,” she says. Olivia prefers to give her audience authentic conversation, and enjoys getting to really know her guests in preparation for the podcast episode. 

How podcasts affect public speaking: Olivia does her own editing, allowing her to recognise her weaknesses and work on them quickly. Having all of these insightful conversations with guests also helps her to further expand her market, equipping her with the ability to have something to say in post-pandemic interactions. 

Creating content around your menstrual cycle: Olivia batch-films content on her ovulation day, because that’s when you’re scientifically more attractive and possess greater creative energy. Tracking your cycle can help you out when running your business, allowing you to identify your best and worst days and schedule around them. 

Maintaining consistency with your releases: As a podcaster, knowing your why is crucial. It’s a big commitment that requires time investment, and you must allocate the necessary time to ensure that you are able to execute your ideas the way that you want to. Be honest with both yourself and your listeners, and find what works for you. 

RESOURCES

One Stone Creative | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website

Olivia Cook | Website | LinkedIn | Youtube | Instagram | Facebook 

Your Parenting Mojo

Podcast Lexicon 

Understanding highly specific industry terms can not only provide a fun insider feeling, but can also be handy when facilitating conversations in your career. On the other hand, not knowing industry jargon can make you feel alienated and excluded. It can be difficult to get a sense of what all of the words and phrases mean, especially in an industry like podcasting where new terms are continuously being added and used. No need to fear, that’s what we’re discussing today on the Business Podcast Blueprint. 

We're talking about:

Host: One word with two separate and distinct meanings. The first is the main talent of a show, while the second meaning is the place online where you upload your finished episodes to be distributed to different podcast players. 

RSS/RSS feed: The mechanism by which the host is able to communicate with podcast players. 

Podcast player: These, also known as ‘podcatchers,’ are the services and companies that distribute and play podcasts, e.g. Spotify, Apple Podcasts.  

Sponsor: Someone who pays for some kind of special mention on a podcast. 

DIA (digitally inserted ad)/Dynamic ad: An advertisement that is created in advance and exists as a standalone piece of audio that is inserted into a podcast by way of the host. 

DAW (digital audio workspace): Software like GarageBand and Adobe Audition. 

Podcast levels: Measured in decibels, and essentially refers to how loud the audio is. 

Hook/Sizzle clip/Cold open: Short piece of audio that opens the show and strives to grab the attention of listeners. 

Cadence: Your frequency of release. 

Audiogram: Piece of audio that is extracted from the episode and used to promote the show on social media platforms.

Promotion is one of the most challenging aspects of running a podcast; but, if your show is worth creating, you should be letting people know about it. In this week’s show, I’m talking with Alexandra Cohl - a PR and marketing consultant for podcasters through her company POD.DRALAND - about how to successfully promote your podcast in a way that feels good. She has lots of insights into what makes for quality podcast marketing and PR, planning your strategy, and how to approach podcast promotion from a place of learning.

You’ll hear us discuss:

Podcasting as a space to connect and share free knowledge.

The difference between creating content for reading and content meant to be consumed by hearing.

It’s ok to self promote.

The difference between PR and marketing.

How earned media strategies, such as promo swaps and collaborations, help you build your audience and your reputation as a thought leader.

A big mistake podcasters can make is not being clear about their audience.

What do you have bandwidth for?

Why Alexandra is excited about Pinterest.

Resources

Alexandra Cohl on Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok

Megan Dougherty | LinkedIn | Twitter | One Stone Creative

A podcast producer or editor is a really nice thing to have.

Editing a podcast episode, writing the assets for it, getting is scheduled, making sure it's promoted, managing guests, developing the show over time, improving your audio setup - it's all a lot of work and having help from experts can take a lot of the burden off.

But hiring a third party service provider can be such a THING. Especially if you're not overly familiar with the area you're hiring, and maybe aren't sure how to make the judgment between a great provider and a poor one - or picking a great one whose services just don't end up aligning with what you need. 

So today on the business podcast blueprint show I'm sharing the 8 questions you should ask a podcast editor or producer, and how to evaluate the answers based on your own business needs.

Not everyone needs to have a podcast – even those in businesses where it seems like everyone has one, or you find yourself advising others to go for it. But there is also something to be said for “eating your own dog food” – as stated by today’s guest Mike Ficara. Mike is the host of the Start Down podcast, and author of Like Socks on a Rooster, and he joins Megan Dougherty on the Business Podcast Blueprint Show to talk about how podcasting works in his business, why he treats social media like a content pillar, and the different ways use uses his show – and his appearances as a guest on other people’s shows, to support his client work and audience building efforts.

We talk about:

How podcasts (and books) can dramatically reduce your sales cycle.

The three content pillars you need to build authority as a content marketer.

When podcasting is leading example.

Your podcast is part of your digital legacy.

Mike’s totally open guest booking calendar - right there on his podcast page.

Being a regular podcast guest, and how it compares to hosting a show.

Resources

One Stone Creative | LinkedIn | Twitter 

·      Mike Ficara | LinkedIn | Instagram

·      Start Down Podcast

·      Like Socks on a Rooster (Use Code PODCAST to get the book for $.99)

A business podcast, or even one that you take seriously as a hobby, needs a thoughtful structure. A good podcast episode has anatomy, and understanding the different options for parts can help you to make the best possible choices. That’s what we’re discussing this week on the Business Podcast Blueprint. 

We're talking about:

The hook, aka the sizzle clip: This plays before a produced intro, and can be a clip of the audio that comes later, or written and recorded to open the show. What listeners hear should be interesting and compelling without additional context, so they listen to the rest of the episode. 

The produced intro and welcome: A piece of audio branding that’s the same in each episode. It usually includes theme music and a voice over, and should be concise and very clear. The welcome involves greeting your audience, providing news or updates relevant to your community, and can be used as an opportunity to introduce your guest.

The main body content: This is the meat of your show; it can be an interview, solo, panel discussion or whatever format you want. It takes up most of the time, and delivers the most value.

The closing and outro: The closing is optional, but if you ask for audience engagement or provide final thoughts, this is where they would go. The outro is the bookend to the produced intro, and with a standard goodbye where you might ask for shares and subscribes. 

Incorporating ads: Ads should either be baked in with the main body content, or treated as a separate segment. Either way, you need to pivot to and from it with ad transitions, which indicate that an ad is about to happen, and when you’re back to continue the show. 

Topical segments to include: These are segments that add some important strategic or aesthetic benefit to your show and allow you to showcase your creativity, such as news, QandA, action steps, and reviews and recommendations.

RESOURCES

One Stone Creative | LinkedIn | Twitter

Product Thinking with Melissa Perri