If you're impatient like I am, go ahead and skip right to what's in it for you.
I am an avid listener of podcasts. I used to work a hybrid job, reporting to the office twice per week. A 150-mile roundtrip, which in Southern California, took anywhere from 3 to 5 1/2 hours. And when I ran my own business I often worked my shop alone all day, with few visitors on slow days. Plenty of time to listen and learn. Business, news, comedy, murder investigations. I've consumed a lot of podcast content, so I'm well aware of how much of it there is. Varying widely in content topics, target audiences, hosts and guests, and production value.
Can you even imagine how much thought I put into just the thought of podcasting? Just about every stand-up comedian launched a podcast in 2020. Just about every marketer has one. Does the world really need another podcast? Before I do anything, I make sure I can add value, and you better believe I did that here too!
I've been reaching out to some folks I know who have great stories to tell. And I can tell that I was right to wonder if this was the correct choice. Nobody hopped on my offer to join a conversation. The nice folks "I'll do it if it will help you." and the skeptical "What are you going to do with this?", have led me to write a bit more about my thought process. And maybe this will help someone make the decision to be featured in an episode, or maybe it will help someone with their own marketing plans.
Small Team, Big Dreams
You might not know, but Rise of Us is a team of one. Doing all the things is a challenge for a number of reasons. What jumps to mind is the need to maximize productivity by focusing on what gets the best results, and also the need to figure out how to do the tasks you're not particularly good at. Leveraging experience gained from a successful corporate career plus recent business ownership, I decided this year to return to a coaching practice, this time striking out on my own and focusing on what I do best - helping people earn more money. Striking out on my own has been great for a number of reasons I won't bore you with right now. The biggest challenge has been finding a way to market the business and sell the services when I feel really icky about marketing and selling myself. Back when I was a corporate leader, I advocated for my team and gave them all the glory. On this team, it's just me, myself, and I. And, uh-oh, I'm a terrible advocate for myself. I like helping, I hate asking for help. So how do I get the word out about my business and how I can help people, without talking ab out myself all the time and pitch-slapping people on LinkedIn?
What Works for some won't work for others
When I am advising B2B small business owners, I'm often working with a team that does not have in-house marketing and we're looking for ways to generate leads without spending a lot of money. I believe that sales professionals shouldn't be afraid to pick up the phone or send an email, but when it takes an average of 17 outreaches to get a response from a prospect and close rates for cold outreaches hover around 2%, we need to look at a variety of tactics. I often recommend an educational webinar series. Not a product demo. Educating, providing value, showcasing expertise by providing free insights. I'm often working with a highly-engaged CEO or owner who is a subject matter expert and this is a powerful tactic to get their message out to their ideal audience. And if you know my content at all, you know I love a series. Keep them coming back for more!
So naturally I looked at webinars for my own business. Practice what you preach. I have a repeatable process for planning, marketing, executing, following up, and making good use of the content produced. I also have a list of topics that will fuel monthly webinars to educate my ideal audience for almost two years without any repeats. I have a list of partners who can guest host and provide additional value. A webinar series made a lot of sense, so I took my process, customized it for my business, and started planning. And that's when things got tough. Finding times that would be convenient for the audience to attend, that both I and a partner were available, also on a regular schedule, was proving to be a logistical nightmare. And then I thought about the audience - my ideal audience is CEOs, owners, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs. In other words, people who are just as busy as my partners and me.
And into my life came content that the universe seemed to have created exclusively for me. I registered for a webinar that interested me, and like I usually do, I got busy and didn't attend live. Not everyone makes recordings available after the fact, but this creator does. I pay attention to their content because I'm the ideal audience - fractional sales leader. I don't always listen to their recordings, but I made sure to listen to this one because the topic had been on my mind. Creating a podcast.
A little backstory - podcasts are my favorite way to learn. It's important to me to learn constantly because that's some of the value I bring to my clients - the strategies that are working now. Books are great, but the challenge is that they take a while to write, edit, publish, and also read. I don't always get actionable insights that relate to very current business challenges. I get outside for a hike or a run every week day and I do yard work on the weekend, always with a podcast episode on. It helps me keep an eye on my time - when the podcast is done, gotta get back to work. I listen to current episodes that feature active business leaders, and my hope is that I come away with a nugget of wisdom that will help me and my clients. I had already been thinking that a podcast might be a better way to provide value to my ideal audience. Meet people where they are!
There are already so many podcasts out there, does the world really need another one? Does it even make sense for a business as small as mine, and one that also works with other small businesses? I bring it back to value - could I provide value going this route?
So enter a webinar about creating a business podcast, which I listened to while running. Here's the episode, the subject matter experts will explain the concept better than I ever could. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zebUlEiMeR0
They addressed my concerns around providing value to people instead of showing up in their inbox asking for them to buy my services. They addressed my uncomfortability with selling myself. And because I was outside on a run, my mind started to get ideas while I listened. There's definitely power in walking meditation!
But Why podcasts?
Let's walk back a little and cover the growing trend of podcasts. I first started tuning in back in 2008 when Adam Carrolla's morning radio show was abruptly cancelled. I was driving 8 whole miles, which of course took more than an hour. I was accustomed to listening to music on the way home, anyone else remember loading playlists onto your iPod and then "streaming" it using basically a blank cassette tape with an AUX cable? But there was something about the morning commute that begged for some sort of talk show, I'd been listening to Kevin & Bean on KROQ since even before I could drive myself to school. Adam started recording his own content and putting it up on his website, so I'd download it and put it on the iPod and listen. Podcasting has come a long way since then! And yet comedy podcasts are still the most popular genre.
Before deciding to do a podcast, I also had to do some research. I have to make sure I'm not an outlier. Here's an article full of helpful stats and another reporting on a survey of US and UK podcast listeners that I will paraphrase:
51% of Americans aged 35-54 are podcast listeners
Most have annual household incomes north of $100k and are decision makers in their company
While there are over 2.5 million podcasts on Apple, only 450k of those are active/current
B2B podcast listeners tend to tune in weekly
Over half of business owners are daily podcast listeners
B2B audiences use podcasts as educational tools
It's a lot of work to produce a podcast. I have put in countless hours and so far the only person I have actually recorded is me. Disctopia tells us that (unsurprisingly) the main killer of a podcast is inconsistency. People record a few episodes, it doesn't take off, and they move on to something else. The audience isn't going to get emotionally invested in something unless they know it has staying power. It kind of reminds me of when my former employer used to enter into new markets. The conferences alone were interesting! People would generally treat you with suspicion until you showed up for the third consecutive year.
If want to tap into the marketing potential of podcasts, but don't have the time, energy or desire to produce your own, guesting is a great way to go. Let someone else do the heavy-lifting. Me? I'm a control freak, so I'll gladly host.
putting your own spin on a popular trend
One of the challenges I sometimes have with podcasts is that the business podcasts get guests from big companies doing big things, which is great. But they don't always have insights or advice that make sense to small businesses. Large companies face different business challenges and work with different budgets. None of my clients are sourcing global talent, for example.
There are also podcasts produced by fractional leaders, and as one might expect, a lot are marketers.
I started to realize that I could do a podcast with a very specific niche. Placing a spotlight on my partners, clients and others in my network. While providing valuable insights that are tailored to my ideal audience, and that are focused on today's business challenges.
And since I am an avid consumer of podcasts, my aim would be to produce content I would consume. So I started researching tools and platforms that I can afford on a startup budget, that will produce good results.
Some things that are important to me:
Decent audio - it doesn't have to be recorded in a professional studio, but if it sounds like it was recorded in the bottom of a swimming pool, I'll shut it off.
Short intro - if it takes more than a minute to get started, I'm out. I'm looking to hear from the expert quickly so I get my learning in while I have time.
Right length - under 10 minutes feels like a YouTube video, not meaty enough. Over an hour is more like a movie. I like 20-40 minutes, doesn't take up too much of my day, but long enough to provide value, context, and insights.
Light structure - a rambling conversation is hard to follow and feels sloppy. And pre-written Q&A feels disingenuous. I like when people know what they're going to talk about ahead of time, but don't like when it feels too forced or planned.
Guidance from the host - I have guested before and had the host tell me to talk about whatever I wanted. Pressure!
Actionable insights - I might get a great idea while I'm on a hike, but when a concept is a little new, I need help. Whether I need it or not, I love when the episode closes with actionable insights.
Audio only - I can't be the only one who listens the way I do. Why bother doing hair and makeup when no one will see it? Let's focus on good content that sounds good.
You can do it (well) on a shoestring budget
Most of the tools I found are feature-packed, and free, so they deserve shout-outs.
Descript recording and editing - audio and/or video, and the editing is easy, great for someone short on time.
Squadcast from Descript is an easily integrated way to do remote recording (when you're not in the same room as your guest).
BuzzSprout for publishing the episodes and creating short clips to promote on social media. Was also very easy to plug it on the website.
Canva for the cover art.
Royalty-free music for intro and outro
Buffer for scheduling social media posts, up to 3 channels on the free plan.
I haven't bought a microphone yet, but I've recorded using the same Plantronics headset I use for online meetings and it's good enough to start out. Sound quality is much better than using the laptop.
Right now, the podcast is produced using only soft costs (my labor), and with the potential to reach people nationwide. As it gains popularity and listeners, I will want to up my game and produce a better product, and will also be looking for more time-saving techniques. And you can bet that I'm not going to be seeking out the time-consuming activity of conducting more research and learning new software. Smart move to offer free basic packages!
Introducing the C-Suite Sidekick
One of the things I like about striking out on my own is that I can work my way. I've been working in B2B professional services for a long time, with a strong focus on SaaS and financial services. A lot of blue and grey logos! Told by managers that I had to behave a certain way, speak a certain way - very buttoned up. Think stereotypical banker from a 1980s movie. Here's the thing - you know who engages with B2B companies? People. The same people who go to the Apple store, go out for pizza and a beer, watch Start Wars movies. Maybe not those specific things. But the same people that are drawn to B2C messaging, you know, the fun stuff. It's like we think that when they get to the office they stop being themselves. I've always thought that B2C style marketing can work in a B2B environment. And my bosses never liked it. Well, I'm calling the shots now.
So we're going to have a little fun with a superhero theme. What's braver than putting yourself out there and starting a company? My small business friends work hard to help their clients defeat their professional villains. And many of them leverage the special skills of factional sidekicks. Revenue stagnation, talent acquisition, product innovation, oh my!
CEOs - you're Batman
Fractional leaders - you're Robin
Common business challenges - the Joker
And I am the narrator, let's tell some cool stories!
I am fascinated by all paths to entrepreneurship. Whether you started your business, bought it, continued a family business, or you're a solo operator. Each story is unique and inspiring and I want to hear and share them. Throughout my corporate leadership career, I aimed to do what I could to make the journey a little easier for the folks that came after. And this is no different.
Let's help you reach a wider audience and inspire entrepreneurs who are earlier in their journey.
What's in it for you?
I'm not one to jump on someone's social media post that says "want to be on my podcast?" nor am I one to respond to the canned, cold email inviting me to guest on a podcast. "It's free!" Eyeroll!
It's important that I bring value, so I'm being strategic about the conversations I invite to the podcast. And, the way I see it, it's mutually-beneficial. Do I need some guests to get this project off the ground? Definitely. But I'm not coming hat in hand, here's how it benefits you:
Leverage someone else's network to grow yours. If you know me, you know I'll promote the heck out of this. Maybe there are people in my network who can be new connections for you.
Your podcast episode won't just sit on Apple and Spotify, I'll post it on social media, promote it in a blog, keep it up on my website, reference your pearls of wisdom later. I recycle and reuse content! You're going to keep showing up in my world.
Get in front of your own network in a different way. This will be something new in your feed, highlighting you as an expert in your field. You show up and talk for 30 minutes +/- and you have a new piece of content to promote.
Remember all that work and the need to stay consistent? Let other people carry that burden, just be the celebrity who guests on podcasts to get your name out there more.
It's easier than a webinar - instead of preparing a PowerPoint, you show up and tell your story, minimal prep time. We're doing audio only, so you can be on your couch in you PJs for all I care.
Your mom will think it's cool. People over 55 are starting to listen to podcasts more than ever!
FAQs
Who's the target audience?
B2B business owners and CEOs, small to mid-sized businesses in growth mode. Primarily professional services companies that are growing organically.
Fractional leaders, consultants and coaches who also focus on B2B.
What's the podcast about?
Entrepreneur origin stories, what do you do to help your clients, how do you overcome your business challenges, what advice do you have for someone getting started?
What am I doing with it?
Placing a spotlight on my partners and business friends, providing value to B2B small business owners, and marketing my business in a non-spammy way.
What do you need to know?
Show up, ready to talk about your journey and your business, for about 30 minutes.
I'm in the planning phases, you will eventually be able to find the C-Suite Sidekick everywhere you get your podcasts. I am looking for a few entrepreneurs to highlight first, when there is a bank of 2-4 episodes recoded, edited and ready to publish, I will officially launch the podcast. Subscribe to emails so you won't miss it. Or connect with me on LinkedIn.
If you or someone you know might make a good guest, email me at theriseofus.success@gmail.com. I will send more detailed information including the questions and topics we would cover in an interview.
P.S. I will feel gratitude and a sense of comradery with my first guests. I can guarantee you that you'll be featured in "best of" articles and republishing of those podcast episodes.
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