Podcast platforms can and often should be a central part of your marketing. They help you build subject authority and grow awareness of your expertise. This spreads word of your name with the audience.

Let’s talk about why people love podcasting. There’s some interesting benefits from being a guest on many podcasts. Then we’ll end with tips for those out there who are new to being a guest on podcasts.

Why We Create And Listen To Podcasts

Podcasting has experienced a huge increase in relevance during the last decade. The medium gives many people a new way to connect with others they didn’t have before. They can get recognition, tell a story and show their value to the world.

The hosts and guests of a podcast use them to show knowledge and expertise in a subject. They gain trust from their audience, who start to see those people as informed and wise. This becomes a desire to follow their other exploits and learn from them.

Anyone searching for ways to advertise their brand can always start a podcast. The rewards can be bigger than most people expect. One great episode helps you get known by wider audiences who will come check you out.

We tend to first think of big and innovative methods, right? Yet creating those first few episodes requires a small investment. All that most people need is some simple software or an app.

People seek out podcasts that are hyper-focused on a niche or big idea they care about. They listen to stay informed on that area of their interest.

The Call To Action at the end of a podcast is important to give the audience straightforward ways to learn more. These should send listeners to a website where they can get involved. Consider that your audience may want to become dedicated followers.

What people love most is a story. They want a world and people which they can find relevant. They like watching something grow from nothing to become great.

Podcasts create a stage for content to play out on. The hosts and guests are like actors. They each play their part with heroic journeys or supporting roles.

Each episode is like an act, or an episode from a TV show. Small stories get told and larger arcs see movement towards their final resolution.

The most exciting podcasts help fans learn about the guests and what they care about. Consider how morals in a story can help teach people life lessons. The guest may have a product or service which can help the audience with their problem.

Benefits From Being On Podcasts

What you gain from being a guest on many podcasts is an increased authority over your subject or field. This comes from meeting great people and having interesting conversations. Being a guest on a podcast is a lot easier than many people think and can help you learn amazing things.

One great benefit of podcasting today is how people across the world from each other can create them. This is a new method of global network building which helps people connect and learn from each other.

After recording an episode, you will often end up talking with the host for a while and sharing ideas. This can in turn help you or them create more great content.

If they learn about something you love, the host may become interested themselves. They might promote the idea for you in their own unique way.

The more podcasts and show notes you get into, the more places online will have your name. This includes links to your website and info about your personal or business brand. There will be more audio, video and images tied to you.

Search algorithms care about things linked to you. The more there is, the greater visibility you’ll have. Your presence on social media platforms often comes from content with your name.

When people see the authority you wield, they’ll want to get involved. Many people will be coming to you rather than you going to them. You’ll gain experience and learn how to be a great guest on any podcast.

Becoming sought after as a guest allows you to work with people who interest you. That will raise your authority in the world of podcasting.

Many hosts want to help you promote your name and your presence on their podcast. This of course helps them too. They might send you promotional assets, social media content, or whole videos.

Help them spread this content! By doing so, they become more likely to help you in the future. This might include recommendations and professional connections.

After being the guest on a few podcasts, many of us feel like starting our own. You can and should get involved in the creative side.

Tips For Those New To Guesting

Podcast hosts get frustrated with guests who don’t share the promotional material. The content is often sent for release before or after the podcast airs. Not sharing lessens the impact of the episode.

Some guests may end up thinking their time on the podcast didn’t amount to anything. Yet that’s because they didn’t share the material they got.

If you haven’t been a guest on a podcast before, you may go in feeling nervous. There’s an expectation to present yourself in a professional way to others. But all you can do is take the leap and try being a guest a few times.

Get in front of that microphone and know that you might be nervous at first, or even every time. You will get better at being a guest, even if you don’t feel like you are.

Remember that people listen to podcasts because they get some value from what they hear. They want you to talk about something they care about in their own life. You’re there to have a conversation on something you’re the expert on, which should be easy and fun.

The first thing to do is connect with the host. Try to follow and match their rhythm, or bounce off their flow in an interesting way. Always find your best way to be a part of things during your time there.

Don’t dominate the time by making everything about you. Trust that you will rub off on your audience by being a fun guest. Avoid becoming a social annoyance.

Tell the story of who you are and what you care about, then try to have a good conversation. Let the focus flow in natural ways from topic to topic. Keep to a casual back and forth style.  

Don’t go on podcasts to sell your specific thing. Use podcasts to help the audience get to know you. Don’t sound like an infomercial for your product or service.

Over time, your presence on podcasts should become natural for the audience. Becoming interested in you, they’ll soon care about what you might have to offer.

This blog is loosely based on an episode of the Simplifying Entrepreneurship Podcast with my guest as Jason Cercone, a leader at Guest Accelerator.