Let’s talk about low-rise jeans in the early 2000s. Now, wait, before you think “What do low-rise jeans have to do with you launching a podcast?”, hear me out. I don’t know how many times my mom told me when I was a teenager that high-waisted jeans looked better on me than those low-rise jeans of the 2000s. But was I gonna listen to my mom, even though factually she was right? Nuh-huh. No mom jeans for me – literally! Well, until they came back in style, I saw people my age wearing them, decided to give them a try … and now I’d cringe to ever wear low-rise jeans again!
Why am I sharing this story? Because if you’ve thought about starting a podcast – or putting yourself out there in any way really! – this might have crossed your mind: What can I add to the conversation that hasn’t been said a thousand times before much better than I can by people more qualified than me?
I’m here to be real with you: Has someone else said what you’re about to say? Pretty certain. Have they said it like you would? Pretty unlikely. Just like friends could reach me in a way my mom couldn’t, you’ll be able to reach people that might have heard but not clicked with a message before. We all connect with different things and people! You have something valuable to say. Know that, trust that, and go out and say it!
That’s the piece I want to focus on with you in this post: How to go out and say it with a podcast that’ll help you build an audience, make an impact, and grow your business.
Build an audience by defining your dream listener
Think back to the last time you bought something online. Were you standing around your laptop with your mom, partner, and colleague, all together deciding if the sales page convinced you? I’d wager not, and yet when I ask my students who their podcast would appeal to the answer often is “Everyone!” And hey, I’m all about being confident in what you have to offer the world, go you. But here’s the thing: When you’re talking to everybody, you’re talking to nobody.
You might have heard that before, but it’s something we often like to forget – me included! But especially when creating a podcast as part of your business, it’s not something you can afford to forget – literally. Every time you go big and general instead of narrowing down on your dream listener, you leave money on the table. Because just like we don’t make online shopping decisions in a group, we also don’t sit around the radio with the family like we did back in the 1930s. It’s one person, earbuds in, listening to you.
“But wait, Kat! There’s not just one person that could benefit from listening to my podcast,” I can hear you saying. And I get it – it can seem scary to focus on one person. But just because you focus on one person doesn’t mean you won’t attract anyone else. But you will attract the right people.
The great thing is that by attracting a dream listener, you’ll also attract your dream clients and customers. If you want to dive in deeper into this, you can read my post on the 3 ways to define your dream listener.
Make an impact by building trust and real relationships
No matter if you have a solo show or do interviews, the one constant in your podcast is YOU! Which is why it’s key listeners get to know you so you can build a real relationship with them. The importance of getting vulnerable has been a part of my coaching and teaching for years, which is why I am super excited to see podcasters embrace it more and more! There’s something incredibly freeing about speaking into a mic that lets you get personal and connect with your audience on a human level.
Key for that is sharing stories. One of the first questions I ask anyone that wants to start a podcast is: What’s the story you want to tell? And often the answer is very much caught up in the work that they’re doing. But that’s not how we connect with people. We connect with people over shared human experiences. Make it a point to collect stories to share on your podcast. If you get stuck, read my guide to find & own your story.
Grow your business by setting up an organic, evergreen funnel
There are 800k podcasts already out there. Yeah, that can make you feel like a little fish in a big pond! But that doesn’t mean podcasting has reached its peak. Sure, it’s going more mainstream now, with more and more people at least knowing what a podcast is. But that just means there’s a bigger audience out there! Actually, the more people listen to podcasts, the more podcasts they listen to: On average, one person listens to seven podcasts per week. And here’s the most interesting tidbit for business owners: 54% of podcast listeners are likely to buy an advertised product.
As we’ve covered, podcasts are the best way to connect on a human level. And that’s key for your business too – it’s about building up that whole “know, like, and trust” factor. A podcast is like a microwave – it takes someone that has never heard from you before, a cold lead, and transforms them into someone that feels like they could be your friend IRL, a hot lead, in seconds.
Now it’s your job to get them to learn about your business and what you offer. The best way to do that is by setting up an organic, evergreen funnel. What does that look like? Adding in ways to the podcast that a listener can become a subscriber on your email list or sign up for a free training or offer you have.
Bonus: Have fun along the way!
Feel inspired to launch your own podcast to build an audience, make an impact, and grow your business? Awesomesauce! I can’t wait to hear what you create. The main thing I want you to remember though is to enjoy the process. The beauty of podcasting is there is no one right way, you can create something that is uniquely you. Leave space for spontaneity and creativity. And hey, you get to talk to your peeps or chat with other experts while sitting at home in your yoga pants, messy bun, and no makeup on – what’s not to love that?