Make Marketing Suck Less

How Podcast Interviews Grow Your Speaking Platform

You know that have to be visible in order to make a difference in the world.

A movement was never started by hiding out behind your computer.

A speaking career is never launched by posting on Facebook and Instagram alone.

People must know about you and your message in order to grow your network and build relationships that grow your speaking platform.

You need the help of other people. Specifically, you need the help of other people's audiences.

You can't do this alone. You have to enlist others in helping you spread your message.

In my opinion, one of the best and easiest ways to be exposed to other people's audience is to do podcast interviews.

Why? Well according to my friend and founder of B, the PR agency, Brigitte Lyons, in the past two years podcasts have emerged as the newest media disruptor.

Everyone from major brands to indie businesses to speakers is flocking to get their message out through a podcast.

As a speaker, you should be doing this too. You can get known for your message when you appear on a podcast.

Let's face it, getting on a podcast is much faster and easier than landing a speaking gig.

In fact, Bridget's agency saw that her clients were getting 20 to 50 times the traffic from podcast interviews than they got from any other type of media coverage.

So let's get you on some podcasts.

Let's dive in and discuss how podcast interviews can grow your speaking platform and get you known.

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The Data Shows that Podcast Interviews are Great Strategy for Visibility

First, let's look at the data that proves that podcast interviews are a great way for speakers to reach their audience.

This data comes from Edison Research, and they found that podcast audiences are growing 20% year over year.

Right now, 15% of Americans are listening to podcasts, and that number is steadily rising. 85% of listeners hear all or most of every interview.

Imagine you have 45 minutes to an hour to talk to your ideal audience at their own convenience. That's what you get with podcasts.

In fact, just over half of podcast listeners listen at home, not in the car. That means it's easy for someone to hear an episode and take action

I know from my own podcast listening behaviors that I do take action on what the hosts are telling me, from framing my pictures using Framebridge to using the Cash App to pay my sound editor, for instance, of this very podcast.

The best thing about podcasts is you don't have to make the major time investment in launching your own show to tap into these audiences.

The best bang for your buck is to borrow an existing podcaster's audience by appearing as a guest on their show.

In fact, Bridget Lyons and I will be discussing how to use podcast interviews to build relationships with the decision-makers who hire you to speak and get known for your message on an upcoming training on March 22nd at 10 a.m. Pacific. You can go to drmichellemazur.com/pod to find out more information.

More Reasons to Book Podcast Interviews

Here is why podcasts are particularly useful for building your speaking career.

Number one, growing your audience helps you command more dollars as a speaker. The more name recognition you have, the more people who are following you, who are participating in your movement, the more you will get paid for your talks.

You need followers. You need people talking about you.

You need to be changing those people right now, and podcasts can help you do that.

You don't need to speak for exposure if you're already being exposed to other audiences on podcast interviews.

The more you attract people to your speaking and to your message, the more lives you get to change, and better yet, the more people will talk about you.

Raise your Profile

Second, you can raise your profile among the people who are booking speakers.

My speakers have gotten speaking requests because they have appeared on podcasts.

I know that my client, Tara Gentile, has had that experience. She has appeared on a podcast and has gotten a speaking request.

My coach and mentor, Tanya Geisler, talked about this on an episode of Tara's podcast, Power, Profit, & Pursuit, that she can trace all of her speaking opportunities back to appearing on podcasts.

Podcasts can get you gigs, and your job is to figure out what podcasts are the decision-makers in your industry tuning into.

Showcase Your Style

The third reason you should be on podcast interviews is you can provide the podcast interview as samples to show organizations your tone and style.

This is especially effective if you don't have a speaking reel yet.

Podcast interviews are a great way to showcase your style, the way that you think, the way that you speak, the stories that you tell, and most importantly, the results that you get for your audience.

Use your interviews to help you land those speaking gigs and show that you've got the goods.

[Tweet “Podcasts Interviews = more followers, more visibility, more speaking gigs”]

Vital Real-time Feedback

The final benefit or the final reason is it's also an opportunity to work out your message and get real-time feedback from the host on what's landing well.

You can pay attention to where that host wants to dig in and ask more questions, and if there are any points where they start to lose interests.

Podcast interviews is a major part of my visibility strategy this year. And recently I noticed that a story that I tell about how I mastered speaking was getting a lot of traction.

It was basically the story of how I figured out, very young, that communication changes the world, and I wanted to master speaking, except I really sucked at it.

I spent week after week going to speech and debate tournaments and losing.

In the interviews, the podcast interviewers dig in on that question. They want to know, why did I keep going? Why didn't I just quit? What made me so resilient to get to the point of mastery?

That was great feedback for me.

Podcasts can help you get feedback on your message now so you can rock it on the stage later.

Now that you are sold on the idea of podcasting as a great way to spread the word about your message, game, name, recognition, and even book gigs, you might be wondering: How the heck do I get started?

I want to share my message on podcasts, but how?

Don't worry, as I mentioned earlier, Bridget Lyons and I have you covered.

Join us on March 22nd at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern, for the How to Use Podcast Interviews to Build Relationships and Get Known as a Speaker. You can go to drmichellemazur.com/pod and sign up now.

Remember, it's easier and quicker to get booked on podcasts than for a speaking gig.

Be visible. Get your message out now so that people know about you, are impacted by you and your message, and you start getting speaking gigs.

What are you waiting for? Go get visible.