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How the Audiobook Publishing Business Can Make You More Money in 2020

Recently I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Dale L. Roberts. We talked about how the audiobook publishing business can make you more money this year

Audiobook Publishing Business - Tina Dietz Twin Flame Studios

Recently I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Dale L. Roberts, an accomplished indie author, self-publishing expert, and host of the very, VERY excellent Self-Publishing with Dale on YouTube. Seriously, his channel is a treasure trove of how-to, super timely and up-to-date info on everything a self-published author could possibly want to know.

In this interview, we talked about how the audiobook publishing business can make you more money this year. I invite you to check it out, and learn more about:

  • Emerging trends in the Audiobook Publishing Industry
  • Some of the best ways to market and advertise your audiobook
  • How to self-promote without feeling uncomfortable
  • Creating emotional safety for yourself when you’re putting your work out into the world
  • Common mistakes indie authors are making today
  • The importance of falling in love with your work over and over again
  • Dealing with the ‘shelf life’ of your books
  • What about podcasting: Is it something you should do? Is it worth it? Is it going to be hard?
  • Where to begin when you want to get into podcasting
  • Bonus gift for the “Self-Publishing with Dale on YouTube” viewers
    • How to Be a Guest On More Podcasts
    • Vocal Leadership Workout

Check out Dale’s and my interview

Interested in learning more about audiobooks and how audio contentcan help your business and career?

Questions to Ask to Evaluate and Manage Your Ideas

Too many ideas? Shiny ball syndrome? Ask yourself these questions to evaluate and manage your ideas and find the right actions to take to ensure success

Evaluate and Manage Your Ideas - Tina Dietz

I’m a creative person, as many of you are, and I have always dealt with the problem of having a large number of ideas all the time. I call it a problem because that’s what it was before I really learned how to start wrangling all my thoughts and turning them into productive ideas rather than getting caught in the “shiny ball syndrome” that takes us away from the things we need to be focusing on in order to produce the results that we keep saying we want.  

When we’re looking at any idea, we have to bring it outside of ourselves. Examine it like you’re examining a physical object. Look at all the parts: What do you like about it?  What about it has you absolutely enamored? What parts of it are causing you to hold onto it? What do you see about it that connects with the things that you’re thinking about doing or that you’re already doing? Will it slide in easily or take you in another direction? Is it a missing-piece-idea that fits in perfectly with what you have going on, or will it come into play later in the plan?

Asking the Right Questions

Ask yourself these questions to evaluate and manage your ideas and find the right actions to take to ensure productivity and a serene and calm approach to your projects:

  • Will it make a current part of your plan easier?
  • Will it make something better?
  • Will it make something faster?
  • Will it make something more profitable?
  • Will it make it more enjoyable?

If the answer to any—or all—of those questions is “yes,” put it into your plan. This is why I always recommend having a very flexible, creative, and strategic vision plan so that you can slide pieces in and incorporate them into what you’re already doing without throwing a big wrench into the plan.

If the answer to those questions were all “no,” but it’s a good idea, it might just be a good fit for later in the process. Slide it later into the plan, stop thinking about it right now, and use that as a holding center for your idea. It’s not going anywhere, and you can get to it at the appropriate time in the plan without distracting yourself now.

Putting Things into a GeoSync Folder

If the idea is one that you really don’t want to get rid of, but it doesn’t really fit into anything, you can put it into what I call a GeoSync folder. Think of yourself like a satellite, and you have ideas orbiting all around you. Turn this into a concrete idea, and create a GeoSync folder on your computer, Google Drive, or where ever you store your files. Keep track of your ideas, and review them every couple of months when you review your strategic vision plan. This way, they’re not taking up brain space or creating anxiety, but they’re also not disappearing into the ether that is lost thoughts and ideas.

Capture & Release…of Ideas?

It’s important to start an Idea Capture and Release Program. We all know that ideas don’t always come to us at the most convenient times. If we’re being honest with ourselves, we realize that our best ideas usually don’t come to us when we're sitting behind a desk in an office, but rather when we’re using other parts of our brains and allowing our brains to be a little more free-thinking and creative. Where we get ideas is different for all of us, but the important part is to have a way to capture these ideas and not let them slip away.  

This is where habit-building comes in handy. Most of us having our phones with us nearly all the time. Use that to your advantage, and have a spot on your phone—either in your email or a note app—where you have a running list of ideas. Sync this with your GeoSync folder to bring your short-term thoughts of in-the-moment ideas that were captured, and combine them with your long-term stored ideas in GeoSync.

Bill Gates famously said, “I keep my plate full at 60%.” The first time I heard this, it really surprised me because of the amazing enterprises he built. He left 40% of his time for thinking and creative time, reading, or writing. Although these things seem like idle activities on the surface, they are actually the life-blood of creativity and allow your plans and actions to be more streamlined and better aligned with one another. We have a tendency to get really caught up in the hamster wheel of day-to-day life and all the busyness that comes with it, so we will have to be really intentional about scheduling this Think Time into our calendar. When we allow ourselves time to let our brains get into a different mode, we can get a whole new set of ideas that we never would have thought of before.  

Need support for your ideas and help bringing them into reality? Some great resources are:

  • Facebook Group: Online Creators Launchpad
  • Podcasts: Podcasters Hangout or She Podcasts (for us ladies with big ideas)
  • Book Groups: Check out the groups that I belong to on Facebook and also check out Florida Writers Association if you’re in Florida

Use Facebook for good, and get involved in the conversation and in-depth discussions on specific topics if you want to take all these big ideas and bring them into reality. Get out there, and StartSomething Creative! I go over all of this and more in this video, and if you watch it, you’ll even find out how I almost ended up being an emu farmer in Montana.

Want some help evaluating and managing your ideas?

How to Use Audio to Get Your Kids to Learn

Why using audio to get your kids to learn is an easy and convenient way to give them opportunities to become even more well-rounded and well-educated.

Audio Marketing Get Your Kids to Learn - Tina Dietz - audiobook expert

In a world full of distractions like YouTube, thousands of different video games, social media, toys, sports, etc., it’s not always easy to get our kids to learn, much less develop and cultivate their interests and skills. But school is enough, right? Wrong. Everyone learns differently-some visually, some are more hands-on learners, and some learn best through audio, which provides a large variety of ways for kids to learn.

With the rise in popularity of podcasts and audiobooks, more and more ways to help kids get get excited about learning and discover new interests are popping up every day. Using audio to help kids learn is an easy and convenient way to give our kids opportunities to become even more well-rounded and well-educated, hopefully resulting in a young person who grows up to love learning.

Here are some ways you can use audio to get your kids to learn so that you can get started right away. They’ll thank you for it!

Using audiobooks to get kids to learn is different from reading with them and is also very different from just sitting them in front of the TV and allowing them to watch shows (even if they are educational). Listening to audiobooks forces children to use different skills than reading and allows for much more imagination than the TV. Children who find reading difficult can also find great relief in being able to listen to a book. Audiobooks are great for car rides, time when children are self-entertaining while you’re cooking dinner, or even for you to listen to together and discuss after. Some ideas of ways to use audiobooks for children’s learning are:

  • Find fun stories for themThere are tons of audiobooks for children of fun, engaging stories with colorful language for them to use their imaginations, learn words, get excited about listening to the stories, and want to talk about them after.  These can be great conversation starters, so make sure to engage with your child about what you listen to together!
  • Provide sketchbooks and crayons or pencilsThis helps them to further utilize their imagination. While they’re listening, they can draw what they think their favorite characters might look like, strengthening their creativity and encouraging them to use a part of their brain that looking at pictures in books doesn’t activate.
  • In the case of children who find reading difficult, audiobooks can be a tremendous reliefKids can keep up with their schoolwork easier and also become more confident in their reading abilities by listening to an audiobook at the same time that they’re following along with a print or digital version of the book. By engaging more than one of their learning senses at the same time, the brain can integrate the information with more ease.
  • Be close by to answer any questionsIn order for an audiobook to really be engaging and educational, you’ll want to make sure you can define unknown words for them, answer questions about the story as it unfolds, or even just listen to their excitement as they tell you all about what they’re listening to.

More than half of people in the US listen to podcasts weekly, and yes, they can be used for children as well. Many people think that podcasts are always about business or politics, but there are a ton of different podcasts that exist, and many of them are for children! Some teachers utilize podcasts in their classrooms, and you can use them at home to get your kids to learn, too. There are book club podcasts for kids, science ones, fictional stories, and so much more. Podcasts can be utilized similarly to audiobooks to help kids learn, but they can also be used in the following ways:

  • Podcasts offer the advantage of being shorter, and once your child finds one they particularly like, there are usually a whole slew of episodes from that one podcaster from which they can choose.
  • You can have them create their own podcasts! – Free podcast recording software might not be good enough quality to publish, but it IS good enough to encourage your kids to research topics they like or write their own story. Help them record it, have fun with it, and listen to it as a family (or with friends) later. They’ll have something they’re proud of, and it will encourage them to delve further into their interests and passions. It also encourages a use of words that children usually aren’t otherwise engaging.
  • Podcasts are free and easy to download. Put them on your phone, tablet, or even on your computer.

Long story short, there are SO many options when it comes to using audio to help children to learn, and create the beautiful “side effect” of giving you and your kids great conversation topics to explore together. While we still greatly encourage and recommend that you read with your kids and have them read any and all types of books, podcasts and audiobooks are a great addition to any child’s learning and language skills. They’re also an excellent resource for children with learning challenges. Audio teaches all kids to listen for things to talk about later, to develop their imaginations, and develop the ability to ask engaging questions.

Do you have a favorite audiobook or podcast that would be great for kids or families?Please share in the comments, and have fun learning!

Have thought of publishing your audiobook?

Become a Great Podcast Guest with Tina Dietz [Podcast]

​When Tina Dietz was handed a tape recorded at 2 years old, that was that, she developed a life long love affair with speaking.(Podcast on Inner Dominatrix, August 15, 2018)

Great Podcast Guest - Tina Dietz

When Tina Dietz was handed a tape recorded at 2 years old, that was that, she developed a life long love affair with speaking. Today she is a speaker, audio-book publisher, podcast producer, and an internationally acclaimed business coach who has been featured on ABC, Inc.com, Forbes and Huffington Post. Her company, Start Something Creative Business Solutions works with authors, experts and entrepreneurs who want more than just a business and more than a routine life. They want a business oasis.

Summary

Tina discusses being a podcast guest, and the difference between being an average guest, and a good guest. She also talks about showing up to have a real conversation, instead of just to promote something.

She shares the single easiest way to get onto a podcast, and how simple it really is. She also stresses the importance of making sure the shows you appear on are the right fit for you.

Dana and Tina talk about evergreen content, and how it's very beneficial when it comes to sharing and promoting podcast episodes. They also discuss strategic hiring and how it can help immensely, even early on.

Tina gets into the key pieces and takeaways for someone who is looking into being a podcast guest. She gives practical tips, as well as insights to keep in mind as you move into being a guest.

Quotes

  • “There's being a guest, and then there's being a good guest.”
  • “People come for the topic, but they stay for the host.”
  • “It's not all about you, it's about you getting involved with that hosts' community.”
  • “Every interview you do is a marketing asset.”
  • “Show up prepared.”
  • “Having a podcast means that you have a platform to share influence with other people.”

Links

https://twinflamesstudios.com/

Want to learn more aboutpodcasting for your business?

How to Speak Up Powerfully When You Want Things to Change GUEST: Tina Dietz [Podcast]

​What stops you from speaking up? Strategies to help you be confident, assertive, and clear. It is time to speak up powerfully(Podcast on Emotional Savvy: The Relationship Help Show, Jun 19, 2018)

Speak Up Powerfully - Tina Dietz & Dr. Rhoberta Shaler

EMOTIONAL SAVVY: The Relationship Help Showwith Rhoberta Shaler, PhD, The Relationship Help DoctorHow to Speak Up Powerfully When You Want Things to Change – Episode 44GUEST: Tina Dietz, Speaker, Audiobook Publisher, Podcast Producer, Content Marketing ExpertDR. RHOBERTA SHALER:In today's episode, Dr. Shaler shares compelling ideas about how you can be keeping yourself from having the life and relationships you most want.What's getting in your way? What's stopping you? Do you know? Stop and think about it…seriously.How are you with reasons, rationalizations, justifications, and plain ol' excuses? Maybe, it's time to think them through and see how they are serving you. Listen in for insights and inspiration for moving forward more powerfully.You deserve to take up space and draw breath, so, why not take stock and see if you're making the most of it? There is norightway to be, and you are at your best when you are examining, and re-examining your focus, your goals, and your desired results. Rhoberta will help you think that through today. Listen in and be inspired to move in the direction of the life and love you want.GUEST: Tina Dietz, Speaker, Audiobook Publisher, Podcast Producer, Content Marketing ExpertTina Dietz is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed speaker, audiobook publisher, podcast producer, and content marketing expert who has been featured on media outlets including ABC. Inc.com, Huffington Post, and Forbes. Tina's podcast, The Start Something Show, was named by INC magazine as one of the top 35 podcasts for entrepreneurs. Tina's company, StartSomething Creative Business Solutions, connects leaders, entrepreneurs and experts with larger audiences, resulting in expanded influence and income. Tina divides her time between the US and Cost Rica, where she is part of a leadership team building a conscious community called Vista Mundo.Tina knows some big things about speaking up! In fact, you could say she's outspoken…lol! With her support, so many people have found their voice and created their businesses, including podcasts. She helps them to become outspoken, too, to give the world the power of their insights, learning, and strategies for growth.How does someone's voice affect you? Are you aware of its effect on you? You actually are calibrating another person's voice without even realizing…and so is everyone else!How does your voice affect others? Your voice speaks volume–even before the impact of your words!

Your early life set you up for how you listen, what you pick up, and what you ignore or deny. What did you take on, and how is it serving me now?Tina Dietz help people express themselves in the world through audio publishing. In Part Two of today's episode, Tina shared her entrepreneurial journey, and how she came to her current work. She is an international expert at helping her clients turn their books and ideas, into audio books and products.How to ask good questions is imperative to interviewing others. Big talking points about this today!

So many turns and twists in this episode through life stories, Hijackals, and creating a wonderful business. You'll enjoy this, I think!

Here's some interview highlights:

  • Do you realize how you use your listening to navigate your life and relationships?
  • Are you in tune with it?
  • Why is it that you can hear your name spoken, even in a crowded room?
  • What did you learn early in life about who you are, and how intuitive you are?

Tina gives you insights into why this is and what the impact of it is on how you create your life, relationships, and business.

In this week’s powerful podcast episode “How to Create a Great Audiobook” you will discover …

  • How necessary it is for you to have an audiobook
  • What are some audiobook basics you need to understand
  • What audiobook trends you need to know about
  • Who is the best person to read your book
  • The importance of using an oral edit
  • Top mistakes to avoid when creating a great audiobook
  • And much, much more…

This episode features practical tools and techniques to help listeners who want to market a book. It provides invaluable and powerful information listeners will want to know to supercharge a book marketing strategy.

HER FREE GIFT: Tina's ebook, Launch Your Audio Book. Get it HERE.

Wondering how you can easily speak up powerfully?

5 Free Ways Nonfiction Authors Can Boost Their Online Presence

Have you ever wondered how to have a launch that reaches tens of thousands of people or more? Here are 5 very friendly and quite un-technical ways nonfiction authors can use to boost your online presence by making simple, authentic ‘asks.’

Nonfiction Authors - Tina Dietz audiobook expert

No matter how technical and digital our world becomes, many of the best book and audiobook marketing comes down to simply asking. Have you ever wondered how to have a launch that reaches tens of thousands of people or more? I participate in those book launches all the time, and the key isn’t the technology used or some magic email formula.

Asking is what makes the difference, and in particular, having the relationships where asking is even possible. Your friends, colleagues, and fans want to put their words where more people can see them. It’s up to you to lead them and let them know what actions they can take that will make the biggest difference.

Here are 5 very friendly and quite un-technical ways you can use to boost your online presence by making simple, authentic ‘asks.’

1. Ask friends, colleagues and fans to post their reviews on Amazon and Goodreads 

Here’s an important tip when asking for reviews – pre-write samples of reviews to give your tribe an idea of what to write. Many people (including myself) often want to help but deal with a shortage of time and attention. If you help shortcut the process, you’ll get better results and you’re also showing that you respect people’s time and energy in helping you.

2. Create a testimonial page on your website

Any testimonials or reviews that you get on LinkedIn, Amazon, Goodreads, or other places you can collect into one space, and then sprinkle generously around your website as little eye-catching quotes.

3. Get friendlier with Goodreads

Even I sometimes forget what a cool resource Goodreads is. Spend a little time each week connecting on Goodreads, and make sure your profile is fully fleshed out in detail, and that you also add your own list of books that you love. Goodreads is for people who LOVE books, who hunger for books, and you can connect with bloggers and reviewers through this platform as well.

4. Offer bloggers in your niche that you respect advanced reading copies of your book

Let the blogger know why you chose to reach out to them, and ask if they’d like to offer feedback and/or a review of your book. And, for goodness sake, share some of their blog posts with YOUR tribe via social media or email as an act of goodwill and relationship building.

5. Go on an online book tour via podcast interviews

One in every 3 people in North America listens to podcasts. That’s over 65 million people! Seek out shows and hosts that resonate with your message and topic, and, in the immortal words of Bill and Ted, “BE EXCELLENT.” Also make sure the host gets a copy of your Audiobook’s 5 minute retail sample to share when you do get an interview on a podcast.  You can listen to some of our author’s 5 minute retail samples here to get an idea of what they sound like. Click here and scroll down the page.

Marketing your book isn’t a “one time and done” proposition. You can always use your book to continually build your audience, your brand, and your platform as an expert. One of the biggest mistakes that authors make is getting bored with their book and thinking that they need to move on to the next big thing, when what’s really needed is persistence, creativity, and small steps every day rather than grand gestures.

What has worked well for you in getting the word out about your work, or, if you’re already an author, your book? Which of these strategies would you like to add next? Make sure to leave your comments below!

Ready to explore audiobooks, podcasting, and creative content marketing for your book?

How to Expand Your Audience, Influence and Income with Tina Dietz [Podcast]

​Podcast interview from The Entrepreneur Way where we talked about how you can expand your audience, influence and increase your income(Podcast on The Entrepreneur Way, Mar 28, 2018)

Expand Your Audience - Tina Dietz & The Entrepreneur Way

Tina Dietz is an internationally acclaimed speaker, podcast producer, audiobook publisher, and creative business expert who has been featured on ABC, Inc.com, Huffington Post and Forbes. Her podcast, The StartSomething Show, was named by Inc magazine as one of the top 35 podcasts for entrepreneurs, and her company, StartSomething Creative Business Solutions, connects experts, authors, and entrepreneurs all around the world with their ideal audiences through podcasting, audiobooks, and thought leadership marketing. Tina splits her time between the US and Costa Rica where she’s part of a team building a community of entrepreneurs and conscious leaders.

Entrepreneurial Role Models: 

Pitchmen

When business started difficulties overcame: 

“Surrendering to the fact that I was an entrepreneur. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the godfather movies but it was in the godfather 3, the least interesting of all the movies, Al Pacino has this moment where he goes they keep bringing me back, and that is what it felt like to me becoming an entrepreneur, I really resisted it for a long time” …[Listen for More] 

Favourite Books: 

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear Book by Elizabeth Gilbert

Favourite Quote: 

“I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” 

Recommended Online Resources:

  • Webinar Ninja – Run better webinars with no worries with the best webinar software ever Create a live evergreen webinars in 10 seconds Get started for free today!
  • Title Generator – create 700 headlines with ONE CLICK, Content Ideas, Catchy Headlines, Ad Campaign E mail Subject Lines, Emotional Titles, Simple, Efficient, One Click
  • Words to Time Calculator – Use Edge Studio’s words to time calculator as a script timer to give accurate estimates and invoices of your voice over scripts to your customers

Best Advice to Other Entrepreneurs: 

“Engage your curiosity. Curiosity will get you through a lot. We get so fixed sometimes on how something looks or how something should be or we worry about if something is going to turn out a certain way, what other people are going to think about us it goes on and on and on. Whatever circumstance that you’re in if you can shift from whatever state of being you’re in that has you feeling diminished or concerned or angry or upset or any of those states of being, if you can shift yourself into curiosity then that is a bridge to be much more positive and making decisions from a place that’s not based in fear or anger”…[Listen for More] 

More About Tina Dietz: 

StartSomething Creative Business Solutions

Neil’s Quote at the Beginning: 

“Adult life is dealing with an enormous amount of questions that don’t have answers. So I let the mystery settle into my music. I don’t deny anything, I don’t advocate anything, I just live with it.” Bruce Springsteen 

Other Quotes From the Chat with Tina Dietz: 

  • “I don’t know if there are secrets, there’s just stuff you haven’t learned yet”
  • “Setting ideas aside, I don’t have to act on all the ideas”
  • “It’s a little bit like the matrix, are you going to take the blue pill or the red pill because if you take that blue pill you’re going to go down a road that you’re going to follow for some time”

Did you like what you heard? 

If you liked this podcast, please leave a review on iTunes! Visit to discover the iTunes page. If you found value in this episode why don't you help a friend out and share this episode on Social Media

Learn how how you can expand your audience, influence andincrease your income

Audio/Video Tips for Perfectly Imperfect People

I’ve put together some audio and video production tips and techniques for you to help you get started using audio and video so that you can experiment with getting yourself and your message out into the world in a bigger way.

Audio and Video Production Tips - Tina Dietz

There are few things more frustrating than having a great idea and then getting bogged down, slowed down, or flat out stopped by the learning curve of dealing with technology.

Got a great idea for a show…but you don’t know how to set up a podcast.

Want to try out Facebook Live…but you don’t want your lighting or background to look bad on camera.

Well, guess what?

One of the most valuable pieces of coaching I ever received, and I also pass this on to all my clients, is simply this.

The main reason my company is called “Start Something” is because where most people get stopped with bringing their ideas, dreams, and goals into reality is in the STARTING. Once you start taking steps, momentum takes over and it’s easier to move forward and see your path. 

It’s the first steps that are the most shaky – particularly when it comes to getting yourself out into the public eye with audio and video.

I’m not a highly technical person, and at the same time I like to get things DONE and done well. I also don’t have an unlimited well of patience. Not.Even.Close.

​If this sounds a bit like you too, I’ve put together some tips and techniques for you to help you get started using audio and video so that you can experiment with getting yourself and your message out into the world in a bigger way.

​Audio and video need to be demonstrated rather than talked about, and in the 5 minute video you’ll see today…

  • What microphone I use
  • What you can ‘get away with’ depending on if you’re doing video or audio only
  • How to record audio ‘on the road’
  • My super easy, portable ‘recording studio’ setup
  • Setting up a video background when your room is a mess
  • Ideas for natural, easy video backgrounds
  • The most important element of producing your audio and video messages.

I invite you to experiment this week and try doing a short video, audio, or Facebook Live using these tips – if you do, TAG ME on social media or send me the clip so I can acknowledge you for taking steps towards living the life of your dreams and making the world a better place.

Got more audio/video tips? Let’s chat in the comments!

125 Tina Dietz | The Magic and Intimacy of Podcasting and Overcoming Your Fears To Find Success [Podcast]

​Since practically the age of two, Tina Dietz has always felt comfortable with a microphone in her hands and that easiness and her background as a therapist has since led her to become a very regarded interviewer, coach, consultant, and podcaster.(Podcast on Podcast Junkies, April, 2017)

Podcasting

She is the founder of Start Something Creative Business Solutions where she helps people launch businesses, podcasts and audio books. We cover a lot of great topics that is sure to enlighten even the most seasoned podcasters and entrepreneurs.

What We Covered:

  • 05:33 – Why she loves going to podcasting conferences
  • 06:04 – The Messengers – A Podcast Documentary and how she is involved
  • 10:51 – Podcasts and podcasting as a means of therapy
  • 12:51 – What the impetus for starting her podcast was
  • 16:01 – Her early childhood recordings
  • 16:32 – What she did the first time someone handed her a microphone
  • 17:41 – How she became so comfortable behind a microphone
  • 18:15 – Performance Anxiety
  • 19:35 – How to use your complaints and upsets to quickly and creatively solve issues
  • 25:57 – Who she was grateful for and surprised to have on her podcast
  • 29:20 – The price one pays for being famous
  • 29:54 – Realizing there is an audience who wants to hear great conversations
  • 32:11 – How she helps her clients face their fears of starting a new business venture
  • 36:42 – Best practices you can implement to find success
  • 38:05 – Business plans
  • 39:38 – The Nayada Institute of Massage and a new massage modality
  • 42:22 – What she’s changed her mind about recently
  • 44:39 – The one most misunderstood thing about her
  • 45:18 – The books she’s reading/listening to now
  • 46:26 – Her vision of 10,000 thriving businesses
Click to tune in to the podcast “The Magic and Intimacy of Podcasting and Overcoming Your Fears To Find Success.”

Links Mentioned

The New Expert Platform: Using Podcast Interviews For Thought Leadership Marketing

Podcasting is one of the fastest and easiest ways to establish authority – Let me show you how you can leverage it for thought leadership marketing.

Originally published on ForbesThought Leadership Marketing

It’s no longer only insider knowledge — podcasting is one of the fastest and easiest ways to establish authority. Whether you’re just starting to build a business or you and your company have long-established credentials, this online audio platform can catapult your influence beyond the capabilities of many other expert-building marketing platforms. Since there are now 65 million people in the U.S. listening to podcasts every month, thought leaders have an exciting opportunity before them to engage new audiences and build their brand.

Getting featured on TV or publishing a book still serve as gold standards for having achieved expert status, but podcasting has made it possible for even budding business owners to share their knowledge and expertise with a wide audience.

The advantage of this modern platform is that it’s open publicity — meaning the host has the freedom to generate the message and control the content. Podcasting also requires fewer resources and is more accessible because audio is available to consumers when text and video are not. The convenience of listening to downloadable audio files on smartphones or tablets has allowed for a new wave of attentive, on-the-go listeners.

The opportunity to reach your target market by using your personal voice offers an additional layer of communication to convey your company values and brand authenticity. Doing so deepens trust and develops loyalty. By using a conversational format, leaders have the freedom to articulate what makes their business unique, without using typical marketing jargon.   

As you may have gathered, podcasting isn’t just for entrepreneurs. Bigger brands, industry leaders and corporations often miss a big opportunity by not taking advantage of this trend.

Below, we’ll focus on leaders who are looking to establish themselves as experts and develop their spheres of influence.

How Can You Get Started With Podcasting?

You don’t need to be a host yourself. One of the best ways to introduce yourself to a new market is as a guest. Hosts are hungry for content. They are searching for people like you to feature on their podcasts to keep their shows fresh and to provide value to their audience. Libsyn, one of the largest commercial podcast hosting companies, reports an increase from 16,000 hosted shows in 2013 to 22,000 shows in 2014 to 28,000 shows in 2015. These numbers are expected to continue to increase as more people become exposed to the platform.

The key is to connect with the hosts of shows most appropriate for your subject niche, and to do so in a way that’s personal — your chance of getting a response lowers dramatically if you have an assistant send an email.

Podcast hosts want a good fit on their show; if they decide to have you on as a guest, they will take the time to give you ideas on how you can most effectively reach their audience. One way to find podcasts that are looking for guests is to do a keyword search in iTunes or Google for shows with topics that appeal to your ideal clients or target market. iTunes is to podcasts as what Amazon is to books; it is the premier platform for broadcasting your audio message to an eager audience.

You don’t have to start with cold leads, however. The easiest opportunities for guest spots may exist under your nose, via your colleagues. Ask people you know who have been podcast guests to introduce you to the hosts of those shows. Referrals can go a long way in establishing credibility and building relationships.

If you have the resources, you can also use a booking service to acquire guest spots; there are several excellent companies that can take care of placing you on the perfect shows.

How To Leverage Podcast Interviews

Once you’ve secured a podcast spot, there are an extraordinary number of ways you can use, and re-use, this valuable material. You can now post audio clips on your website or blog; include audio clips in your media kit or feature them on your company profile page or LinkedIn page. You can share the audio across social media, or use the transcribed content for new articles or blog posts. A wealth of marketing assets is available at your fingertips when you have podcast content.

As thought leaders, experts and business owners, we’re always looking for ways to increase our exposure and to grow our communities of loyal followers. Podcasts are free to access, there are so many shows to choose from, and it takes virtually no technical know-how to get started as a guest. These characteristics make being featured on podcast interviews one of the best “New Expert Platforms” available today.

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