Feb 275 min read

The Simplest And Most Effective Way To Build A Brand In 2024

Updated: Mar 9

If you're not including podcast guesting in your marketing strategy, what are you waiting for??? I'm going to share the why, how, and insider tips to get you started in this article.

Build a formidable brand by reverse engineering your podcast guesting success with these 7 tips.

Before I dive into the tips, I have to emphasise why NOW is the era of being behind the mic, either as a podcast guest or a podcast host.

Why be a fabulous podcast guest???

Unlike the 'social media hamster wheel' and other forms of marketing, once you have an episode out there it keeps being found by people who are interested in that topic. Think about that! Instagram pushes out your content for maybe 48 hours max. TikTok maybe 72 hours. Twitter maybe 24 hours. LinkedIn maybe 7 days. Paid ads are very effective but you know how that goes. The moment you're not paying, nothing is happening... it's crickets. A podcast episode on the other hand can be searched and found months or even years after it's gone live. It keeps working for you with no effort of your own. That's VERY helpful for someone building up their brand, and marketing their business.
It's pure marketing leverage. By being in association with a podcast and the host the perception of the audience is tilted in your favour (if you do this correctly). In essence, you get to borrow their market credibility! There's this assumption that you must be someone that the audience should know.
The most effective way to build that Know-Like-Trust (KLT)Factor is through long-form content. How often do you remember or even think about the person in a TikTok or Instagram post? Not often or at all. Unless it's a well-known name, most of us just keep scrolling mindlessly. People listening to podcasts are seeking that information. They want to hear what is said and are listening for 30 minutes to an hour or more. Do you think that maybe that listener will have a better sense of who you are and what you're about? Definitely, a higher chance of building up the KLT.

Business Success Is A Game Of Chance. Always Be Increasing The Chances Of Being "Lucky"

These 7 simple tips will help you become a podcast guest superstar:

Most podcasts are now both audio and video so be prepared for both.

Make sure you're in a quiet place and have a good microphone. The microphone doesn't need to be expensive but must produce a good quality sound. I recommend the Shure MV7X XLR Podcast Microphone, it's used by big time podcasters and it's fairly affordable. A quiet room with no background noises ensures that the quality of the audio is nice and crisp. Remember listeners are probably wearing earphones and poor quality audio will cause them to move onto another episode.

Wear bright colours even if that's not your thing. The visual of bright colours works well for social media clips and YouTube. It's just more visually appealing! In the online 'war for attention' small things make a huge difference. Success is in the details. Besides, it's just nice to watch someone who looks bright and cheerful. Right?

Prepare a clear message to share through a story.

People remember stories and get lost in good conversations. Share the things you want to say through story, whether it's your own personal experience or those of other people you've observed.

Think about some of the great conversations you've heard: What made them memorable? Perhaps you got your own 'Aha moment' from something that was said. Perhaps you saw yourself in their story. Perhaps they answered something you had often thought about or struggled with. Perhaps it just felt like an authentic conversation. Perhaps the person was just interesting. In short, be yourself but add a little energy (just a little).

Do not be salesy

No host wants their podcast turned into a long advertisement session. It's not the time to go into full sales pitch mode! The goals should be simple: Firstly build up the Know-Like-Trust factor and secondly, show your expertise through the stories you share.

The host's goal is for the audience to share this episode with other people. Allow more people to know of you! They're not going to do that if it's a sales pitch. People can feel energy, and personally I think allow the audience to opt-in to being sold. Which leads to the next tip.

"People don't like to be sold - but they love to buy." ~ Jeffery Gitomer

Provide a clear and concise Call-To-Action

Allow those who want to know more about your offer to opt-in by doing something very specific. For example, send them to a web page where they can enter their email and phone number for a specific lead magnet. That way you can carry on the conversation from there with a warm lead.

Get to know your host

Every artist knows that it's a MUST to be friendly with promoters. Talk to the host and connect with them on social media. They're going to promote your brand to their audience. Keep a spreadsheet with the contact details of podcast hosts you've interacted with and keep in touch. It's important to not come across as transactional. Business is about building relationships.

REMEMBER: As you keep growing your business, they keep growing their platforms. Create community with the people you come up with in business. Hint: They will be worth knowing. The job of marketing your business never ends.

Promote the podcast to your audience.

What can you do to help the host? Always, operate in a Win-Win mentality. The reality is that 6 months down the line, you may have a different offer you want to promote and if you didn't make any effort to support the work, you may not have been impressionable to the host. Try to be remembered. Introduce them to other guests that may fit the profile of their show.

Every artist knows it's critical to stay top of mind with promoters.

Play the long game - Build a brand

Podcast guesting isn't an instant cash cow, play the long game. It's slow and effective marketing that will allow you to build a brand. The offers you have will change. You may even pivot to a different business over the years, but the mission behind your business will remain the same. Spread your mission, create visibility for your brand.

Brand building is a marathon, not a sprint.

Going on podcasts will not only create visibility in your target market, it will help grow your business network, enhance your credibility, grow your influence, improve your ability to communicate your ideas, and create a powerful lead generation machine for your business. Did I also mention lead to other opportunities? Speaker or author possibilities down the road?