The Company Show

Since 2020 we've been looking at the top 100 business podcasts to find out what they're doing with their shows and what we can learn from them. We discussed this year's results during last week's Podcasting for Business Conference, and are sharing that examination today on the Business Podcast Blueprint Show.

Tune in to hear Tom and I explore:

The State of Business Podcasting report is a collection of data points about the top 100 business podcasts. It’s an overview of the trends in B2B or business podcasting for companies.

For the third year in a row, the average podcast length is 43 minutes, and the most popular type of content is networks focused on a single topic. 

If you are building a business and a brand around being a public original thinker, your name should be in the podcast title because that's the foundation of your brand. If you're not looking to create a named brand like that, use a name that is more topical or relevant to your audience rather than about yourself. 

Assets like show notes really add to the overall SEO; that is the cheapest, most cost effective way to get more information on your show out, Tom shares.

For More Information:

Head to PfBCon.com to grab a copy of the recordings!

RESOURCES

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

Tom Fox | LinkedIn | Twitter | Website | Blog

This week’s guest, Fatima Zaidi, is CEO and founder of Quill Inc, a full-service podcasting hosting platform and production agency. Fatima supports brands in launching their podcast and helps global brands and pro-podcasters distribute, grow, and measure their audio as founder and CEO of CoHost. Today, we’re discussing how podcasts can be used to serve business objectives, the importance of diversity in podcasting, and why having an external host can benefit you.

Tune in to hear Fatima and I explore:

Audio can reach people where other forms of media can’t. You can’t watch Netflix while driving to work, or read an article while walking your dog, but you can do these things and more while listening to a podcast, Fatima shares.

Fatima describes how podcasts help business objectives. Corporate podcasts typically serve to educate or entertain consumers; they often center around brand awareness, thought leadership, lead and sales generation, or telling their brand story.

In being intentional about representation and diversity, you have to unapologetically stick to your guns. It’s a challenge to straddle the line between running a business and supporting positive change where DEI is concerned, but sometimes you have to be “willing to say no to a lot of the powerful people in podcasting who always have the stage,” Fatima explains.

Understanding listener behavior is one of the biggest challenges in podcasting and discoverability metrics.

Question of the Week

Q: How do I become a better storyteller in interviews?

A: Like every other skill, the answer is in practicing. Within business or professional podcasts, there are two high-level types of story that you can use. The first is the bigger, overarching narrative of an episode. People understand and connect with stories and narrative tension caused by not knowing how to solve a problem. As you're planning episodes, think about that gap in knowledge that your listener has, whether it's a solo episode or an interview. 

The other type of story is the kind that you tell to illustrate ideas and create connection with the audience, known as anecdotes. It might feel like a genuine anecdote has to be fresh off the cuff, but the truth is, you can practice them, and a lot of people do. Curate a little library of stories that amuse, delight, and explain. Practice them in front of the mirror, transitioning to and from them in different ways, so that when an appropriate opening comes up in the future, you are ready to go. 

RESOURCES

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

Fatima Zaidi | LinkedIn

Humans think and understand the world through stories and narratives. Creating those stories is one of the best ways to get our messages across effectively as podcasters. A few weeks ago, our client and long-time friend, Gini Dietrich of the Spin Sucks Podcast, released an episode about how to become a better storyteller. Spin Sucks is your one-stop shop for modern communications - an independent communications agency and a community for professional communicators. Gini shares compelling ways we can use storytelling in a professional context.

She also explores:

Some communicators paint a bad image for the PR industry as a whole. “[Most] of us don’t lie for a living,” Gini affirms. “There are some who [do]... and that’s what movies and media focus on. The rest of us are doing the real work.”

Bruce Harrison and his team were interviewed and said that they regret the work that they did, and had they not been young and naive, they never would have participated in the disinformation campaign against climate change.

When telling a story, experts carry great weight.

RESOURCES

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

Spin Sucks | Website | Podcast | Twitter | Instagram

Gini Dietrich | LinkedIn | Twitter

This week’s guest, Dina Behrman, is a former journalist turned PR strategist and publisher. Dina works with entrepreneurs who want to inspire millions, skyrocket their visibility and attract more clients. Today we’re talking about her publishing company and the collaborative books that she creates with entrepreneurs and experts from around the world, as well as how to feel comfortable putting yourself out there, being visible, and engaging in awkward PR activities. 

Tune in to hear Dina and I explore: 

As the face of your brand, you have to put yourself out there so people can see you as an expert in your field. Actively seek out media opportunities to showcase your expertise and to share what motivates you and your journey.

Being a podcast guest is an excellent way to promote your own story. Dina says that the best way to maximize your appearance is to share your story and expertise from the human interest angle. Your message will resonate with the audience.

Once you find your story that attracts your niche audience, use it on all your social media, such as the about page on your website or pinned posts on social media platforms.

Repeating your content can save time, but it can also be harmful. You may be pitching the same story to different media outlets, but tailor your pitch to each platform.

Question of the Week

Q: How should I name my podcast?

A: Naming your podcast is one of the first big decisions that you have to make right after you decide to launch your show. It feels more high stakes than it actually is for most company shows. It's not unimportant: of course, you want a name that communicates what the show is going to be about and who it's for. But it's not the be all and end all: the success or failure of your show doesn’t hang on the name you choose. 

There is a quality you should try to capture with your podcast name and that is stickiness. Stickiness means that it's easy to remember and to say. It's great if you can have it, but not the end of the world if you don't. Easy to remember happens when you're using words, phrases, or names that have meaning for your audience.

RESOURCES

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

Dina Behrman | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Website

One of the things I love most about podcasting is the way you can use it as a vehicle to make connections - something that is very important in the world of business. This week’s guest, Tom Fox, is my partner-in-crime for our upcoming Podcasting for Business Conference. Tom is hailed as the Voice of Compliance, serving and evangelizing for the compliance community for over 15 years. He is the founder and creator of the Compliance Podcast Network. We talk about the value of podcasts for business, how we came up with the idea for the conference, and where you can learn more about the event.

Tune in to hear Tom and I explore:

The Podfest Global Summit is an amazing event, but it wasn’t easy for our clients to attend because of time, money, and resource constraints. Tom and I figured we could host our own conference, but virtually. We started reaching out to people and before long, we had a great line of speakers to join us in November.

A hallmark of the conference is its accessibility. The action-packed, easily digestible presentations are relevant to many parts of your business.

Podcasting allows you to use a variety of strategies to get your message out; for example, repurposing content on various platforms.

Authenticity is fabulous, and that’s how you’ll find your voice: by being you.

Building relationships with guests is one of the benefits of podcasting. If you invite someone to share their story, you will get a response. 

Get the full notes at: https://onestonecreative.net/35

For More Information:

Head to PfBCon.com to register or learn more about the conference.

RESOURCES

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

Tom Fox | LinkedIn | Twitter | Website | Blog

We’ve all heard the old adage “communication is key,” but did you know it also applies to podcasting? This week’s guest Maribel Quezeda-Smith is an expert in all things podcast production, with a demonstrated history working in television, documentary, and social media. She is co-founder of BIPOC Podcast Creators and co-host of the Pulso Podcast. We talk about editing, scripting, recording, and using different mediums for different types of communication. Maribel also shares insider knowledge she has gained from 16 years of experience.

Tune in to hear Maribel and I explore:

Working in podcast production has made Maribel an “audio snob,” she claims. Now that she knows what works and what doesn’t, she’s more sensitive to errors or mistakes in audio. One pet peeve of hers is upspeak; this is when a person's intonation rises at the end of a statement. Done too often, it can give the impression that the speaker isn’t sure of what they’re saying.

Production is all about process and thought. Everything you see on television in a show was predetermined - somebody put it there for a reason. When you're producing a show, you're trying to control the outcome because you know the audience is looking for specific types of outcomes.

You don’t have to deliver every single line perfectly. Even if the conversation doesn’t flow in the way you want, or it’s not synced up right, you can always edit it to improve the quality. 

Having an intro in every episode is important! New listeners are just now chiming in - they need to know who you are and what your podcast is about, and they’re more likely to click the most recent episode. They’re not going to dig through your episode list for an introduction.

Successful productions and content creators all have one thing in common that significantly contributes to their success: consistent creating. 

Question of the Week:

Q: What day of the week should I release my podcast episodes?

A: Almost as soon as you decide to podcast, you need to decide when you want your episodes to be released and if you want to go really high level. The day or time you release doesn't matter as long as you pick a particular schedule and you stick to it. The most important thing is a schedule you and your team can keep to over time. 

RESOURCES

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

Maribel Quezada-Smith | LinkedIn | Twitter

I’ve been to a fair number of podcast conferences over the past few years. I really like them. They are filled with people who are passionate and knowledgeable about the art and craft and business of podcasting. If you ever have a chance to travel to one of the events, it can be a fantastic experience, and you can meet interesting people, learn important skills and strategies, and generally be a part of the scene.

But there is a problem with in-person and big “everyone’s welcome” events, with scores of presentations dealing with all elements of podcasting.

They can be a little hard to work into a schedule when you have a whole business or department to run, and because there are so many people podcasts for different reasons- a lot of the content is going to be great - but not for you. 

That’s why I’m pleased to announce that in about a month from the airing of this episode, we’ll be running the first Podcasting For Business Conference - all virtual and all recorded, in collaboration with Tom Fox of the Compliance Podcast Network. 

Meet the Speakers!

Get the full notes at: https://onestonecreative.net/33

RESOURCES

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

This week’s guest, Deirdre Tshien, is the host of the Grow My Show podcast and the CEO and co-founder of Capsho, a revolutionary AI-powered podcast copywriting tool. She is an influential, recognized authority on growing companies and building communities on the internet. In this week's show, she and I are talking about creating social content, principles of content, and her approach to building an audience. 

Tune in to hear Deirdre and I explore:

Capsho is an AI-powered software that makes promoting your own podcast easy, so that hosts can focus on interviewing, networking, and growing. It helps experts create their episode title, description, show notes, social media posts, and promo emails – by just using the audio file.

Deirdre doesn't believe in repurposing content when promoting her shows. She urges creators to look at what works for successful accounts in their field and apply it to their own work. Otherwise known as content hacking.

Megan asks Deirdre how she plans her podcast episodes and social content. She explains that she has a virtual assistant, who helps her with content creation, recording and editing, publishing, and content hacking. 

What indicates the success of a podcast? Deirdre explains that podcast traffic is a good indicator of success. You have to look at the details of your post itself – its engagement levels and reach. The number of clicks you have on your content is a key performance indicator. 

Question of the Week

Q: What if an interview didn't go well?

A: Maybe they said some things that you would really not be comfortable airing. Or maybe the discussion just fell flat for any of a dozen possible reasons. Sometimes two people can just fail to have an interesting conversation, despite the best efforts of all. As a podcast host, you're faced with a decision. Can you air it? Should you? Here are some guidelines to help you make that decision. If the content was just not good, scrap it. Not every episode needs to see the light of day, and it's your show. You're responsible for the quality of what goes out there. Explaining that to the guests can be a bit of a challenge, especially if you're trying to build a relationship with them. If you do want to give the interview another shot, try to have another conversation that's going to sound better. 

RESOURCES

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

Deirdre Tshien | LinkedIn | Instagram | Capsho

Asking a stranger, especially one that is well-regarded in the industry, to join you on your podcast can be a little nerve-wracking. Imposter syndrome is real, and especially if you haven’t been podcasting very long, it can feel like a big, high-risk ask. 

Most people, most of the time, however, are perfectly willing to join you for a podcast episode, and it’s always flattering to be asked, as long as a little research has been done, and the ask is well-constructed. That’s exactly what we’re talking about today on the Business Podcast Blueprints Show.

Get the full notes at: https://onestonecreative.net/31

This week’s guest Stephanie Feger uses a capsule podcast strategy, and it’s working like a charm! Stephanie’s approach of hyper-specific and thoroughly planned out episodes and seasons to teach and engage current and future clients is exactly the kind of use case we want to see for audience engagement podcasts. Stephanie is also a book marketing strategist and coach for nonfiction authors; she is an author herself, and a keynote speaker. She hosts “The emPowered Author: A Marketing Podcast for Nonfiction Authors” that empowers authors to take their important message and share it with those who desperately need it. We’re also talking about content planning strategies and the value of presentation and speaking skills.

Tune in to hear Stephanie and I explore:

When you come across a hurdle or don’t know what you’re doing, just try something. Too many times we get caught up on the outcome, when we should be focusing on the action. The outcome will come! But the action will help you get there.

The emPower PR Group is a marketing, coaching and support business for nonfiction authors, and its supporting podcast is a part of the business strategy. Each season is based on the type of marketing work they do, and is in alignment with an element that an author may or may not need. It’s meant to add value to the people who are thinking about working with emPower PR.

Stephanie uses the emPower Podcast in the onboarding process. If a client shows interest in a specific tool or strategy, she refers them to the season of the podcast that covers that strategy. That way, the client grasps an idea of the technical side of things that Stephanie and her team handles, and they can talk about the client’s work. 

Stephanie doesn’t get hung up on metrics like downloads. The way she sees it, the success of her show shows itself in her business, which has almost tripled in growth over the year. Those numbers are much more meaningful than downloads, especially for a business podcast.

If you don’t enjoy it, don’t do it, Stephanie advises. People will hear it in your voice, in the content you put out. Even if you have a great message, people won’t want to listen if they can hear that you’re not into it. The best podcasts are relational, not transactional. 

Question of the Week:

Q: How do ads work in podcasts?

A: Lots of podcasts have ads. They can be for your own products and services. For sponsors, they can be ad swaps or promotional exchanges with other podcasters. Whatever the content of your ad, you have to make a few decisions about it. Do you want ads to be baked in as a permanent part of the episode? Or do you want them to be dynamically inserted and subject to change at a later date? Dynamic ads that can be changed later are more popular and, on balance, better for you as a podcast owner. Your podcast host should let you know if you have that capability. For both permanent and dynamic ads, you can have them either be pre-produced and ready to go and be inserted, or host read.

RESOURCES

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

Stephanie Feger | Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | EmPowerPR Group