How To Grow Your Business Through Podcasting

By: Jon Dwoskin

To know me is to know my love for podcasting, and it’s an essential marketing tool I just grow and grow.

“But, Jon,” some say, “how do you know it’s working? What analytics do you use to track listeners?”

Forget algorithms. I don’t care about views or downloads. I know it’s working because I am constantly attracting new clients, many as a result of the multiple podcasts I do each week.

Coming On Strong

While podcasts seemed somewhat exotic just a few years ago, they are now firmly in the mainstream. Semrush says that in 2018, 12 billion hours were spent listening; this year, that number is expected to hit 15 billion hours — and by 2024, it’s estimated there will be 100 million listeners just in the United States alone. Here’s another staggering stat: Apple lists more than 2 million podcasts, and there are somewhere around 50 million episodes.

Those kinds of daunting numbers may make you feel discouraged before you even begin. With all that content, how on earth do you break through and carve your own niche? It’s actually pretty simple: Whatever the topic, keep it real, keep it sincere and keep it interesting.

Don’t Be ‘That Guy’

We’ve all suffered egotists at a party or business conference. You know the ones; they love to tout their triumphs, drone on about every accomplishment and generally make themselves sound like the most successful person to ever walk the planet. But not once in all that discourse will they ask you a question about yourself or show the slightest bit of interest in your business. It’s safe to say that this kind of blowhard is not exactly burning up the podcast scene.

No, people don’t want to hear from braggarts. They tune in to podcasts to expand their knowledge and horizons. Almost three-quarters of people who partake in podcasts listen to learn new things.

Turn To The Experts

That’s why I almost always interview an expert in my podcasts. On my weekday podcasts, I have featured everyone from digital strategists to investment counselors to real estate moguls to software developers. My name is on the podcast, but it’s not all about me — it’s shining a light on others and sharing useful information that helps everyone raise their awareness. That keeps people listening, and it keeps them calling me for my business coaching services. I keep each episode to 15 to 30 minutes because people have short attention spans and probably won’t tune in for much longer.

In fact, slightly more than half of consumers will listen to only part of a podcast, while 52% stay tuned in for the entire thing, says Edison Research. And, in keeping with our impatient times, about a quarter of listeners will increase the speed of the podcast they are listening to!

I also do a lot of video business tips. In these videos, I host sessions of under 10 minutes with leaders and entrepreneurs that are quick and to the point.

The key is asking lots of questions. Make them open-ended to draw out more than a yes or no response. Instead of just waiting to pounce with your next question, listen — really listen — to the response, which will often require a few follow-up queries. This is what makes for an interesting conversation — and the best podcasts are indeed just that: natural, flowing conversations.

Share With Purpose

And don’t feel like you need to keep reinventing the wheel. Sharing contact is just fine, as long as you put your own stamp on it. I love the advice from a recent podcast chat with Brandi Bernoskie, CEO of website developer Alchemy+Aim. Don’t just copy and paste content, she recommends; personalize it by briefly explaining why it resonated with you. As she puts it, “Bring something to the conversation.”

And always, always keep it real. Be authentic, but don’t toot your own horn. People can smell a phony even over the radio waves. Don’t be that bore at the party; be the one with the crowd around them, the influencer who shares useful information and has a kind word for everyone.

Think Big! Jon Dwoskin