Why podcasts can lead you straight to success

This is a challenge many business leaders face. What’s more frustrating is that those who are often pushing the boundaries with new ideas and disruptive approaches – a true thought leader - often don’t have time to write their own work. It’s no secret that the higher you go up the professional ladder, the busier you get with other more pressing commitments.

Some CEOs take a month or two out of their schedules and concentrate on nothing else but writing. But how realistic is this for many, really? And with so many ideas clamouring for attention, the question can be; where to start? The most important thing is to get your ideas out of your head in whatever way is most efficient. And, for most people, that’s not typing, it’s speaking.

Just two years ago, Forbes wrote that podcasts were one of the most under-utilised forms of marketing – despite them being one of the most effective channels to be authentic and connect with people.

One of our clients originally promised to spend one hour a month working with us on a blog. The idea was to brainstorm ideas with him, interview him and share new trends, often while he’s travelling in his car to make the most of this ‘dead’ time. It’s taken longer than we originally anticipated because of the usual interruptions and opportunities that come along. And sometimes it is simply a mindset issue – something else to get done, rather than be excited by.

But as an engaging speaker, he soon warmed to the idea of doing a podcast instead as it felt more intuitive and aligned to the approach he takes in business, using videos to bring alive his service and USPs.

It’s like most things - writing a book or creating a podcast series is just a number of steps. Whether it starts out as a series of blogs - which can form the chapters of the book – or a few initial podcasts which can formulate a programme – it helps to make sense of our thoughts and develop the flow of the conversation. The challenge is to drill down and create conciseness about the messages and points that you want to get across.

When you think about it, it’s a no-brainer. We still believe this works best by starting with the initial story – the fundamental message you want to get across. And choosing the right partner to turn that either into a script, a Q&A interview format for example, or written as a blog or opinion article – the point is to extract the knowledge and ideas sitting inside you. As the trusted author and host, people then choose to listen to you for your own expert advice, insight and opinion – jumping over that credibility hurdle to win an engaged and loyal audience. The spoken word can easily be turned into articles to leverage this for even greater results.

When you host a podcast series or write a book as a CEO of a business or a successful entrepreneur, it becomes like a super-charged, super-powerful business card. It has weight and authority to it; it positions you as a thought leader in your area and backs up the fact that you really can do what you say you can. The right share of your podcast or copy of your book in the right hands can easily translate into thousands of pounds’ worth of new business.

Podcasts can be invaluable in building the credibility of your brand and ensuring it creates and demands trust and loyalty. If you need help in choosing the right topic or crafting the message, get in touch – we’d love to help.