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Marketing Yourself With Podcasts

I was recently the guest on a Solutions From The Huddle podcast, which was a lot of fun. I'll pull back the curtain and tell you a little secret of almost all of the podcasts in which  I have been lucky enough to participate. They usually either send you the questions in advance or they let you send in the questions you want to be asked. In this case, neither happened. 

The host, Titus Bartolotta, did an excellent job. We talked for about 10 minutes before the actual recording started so we could go over the general topics to be discussed. He said something like "I'm going to let you do most of the talking" and he was good to his word. We discussed a lot of great information about insurance, my agency, marketing, my book and a few other topics over the course of about 40 minutes. 


This stream of consciousness approach was refreshing to say the least. As Titus was asking questions, I was thinking of other information, and you can hear that coming through. I could actually hear the wheels in my head turning as we had a great conversation covering a myriad of topics.

There are a few advantages to being a guest on someone's podcast. One is that it can give you a lot of exposure that you would not have had otherwise. Not that all podcasts are equal, because I'm sure I have been a guest on a few that had little to no listeners or subscribers. That being said, the link to that podcast episode is usually shareable, so you can put it out there on all of your social media posts and position yourself as an expert in your field.

Another thing to remember is that most podcasts have show notes, which are included on their website. Those show notes can include links to your blog, website or other social media handles. Most all webmasters and SEO people will tell you that backlinks to your site can help tremendously when you need to some SEO traction. 

On the other hand, the podcast host, who is usually trying to promote their own business, gets free publicity by you sharing your appearance on your social media platforms. Titus, for instance, does coaching and business consulting. When my Twitter followers hear the recording (because I want to promote it for my own selfish reasons), they will also learn about Titus and Solutions From The Huddle. All in all, it's a very symbiotic relationship.

As an entrepreneur or business owner, it's important to get out there and promote yourself and your business without having to spend a lot of money. When someone offers you an opportunity to discuss your enterprise, you should take it, especially if there is a chance that people who have never heard of you before can be exposed to your message.

If you have not considered being podcast guest, I highly recommend that you give it a shot. And to be honest, I was not the most confident person, but the bugs got worked out. When I listen to some of my early appearances on podcasts, I cringe at how horrible I sound. The nerves were palpable. My voice was shaky, but eventually I got better at it. 

Even though I still am not the best speaker I have become a decent podcast guest. It's given me some good exposure and it really hasn't cost me a dime. If you have a podcast and need a guest, drop me a note. In the meantime, stay successful!

Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. He's also the author of "You're Going To Be Great At This!", a humorous look at sales. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states.

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