How to Use a Podcast in Your Business

Are you thinking about starting a podcast for your business, but are stuck on how to truly use it as a tool in your business (or even your profession)?

In this episode of Clocking In, I’m sharing a few potential ways you can use a podcast to serve your audience, grow your business, and make more money. Listen in as I share a few ways that I’ll be using my podcast to serve my business as well!

Clocking In with Haylee Gaffin is produced and brought to you by Gaffin Creative, a podcast production company for creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about our services at Gaffincreative.com, plus you’ll also find resources, show notes, and more for the Clocking In Podcast.

As many of you know, I launched this podcast for a few reasons. After a couple of years of being a podcast manager and producer, I’ve learned much about the benefits of podcasting based on the type of business you run.
Many of my listeners are likely entrepreneurs, professionals, or people interested in podcasting! While there are so many reasons for starting a podcast nowadays, most of my clients are using it in their business for education.

With that, a common question I get asked by potential podcast clients is how can I use a podcast to serve not only my audience but my business?

Set yourself up as an Industry Expert

It’s my favorite question and it really changes based on the person I’m talking to. Every business is different, with different services and products, but today I’m going to share a few ways a podcast can benefit your business:

You’ve probably heard about the importance of being seen as an expert in your industry or field. In my industry, there are countless educators, service providers, and more competing to be “the person” in their respective industry to go to for their services.

You don’t have to be on a path to being an educator to start a podcast. You can simply want to share information with your audience.

For example, I have no desire to get on stage and be a speaker at conferences. It honestly scares the crap out of me to think about getting on a stage in front of even 50 people. BUT I do want to share my knowledge with my potential clients to set myself apart as an expert.

While this podcast isn’t going to be solely focused on educating my audience about the podcast world, it will be a big topic of conversation around here.

Grow your audience on multiple platforms.

Having a podcast doesn’t immediately convert into major numbers. The famous phrase, if you build it, they will come DOES NOT apply here.

One major strategy that podcast hosts will include in their podcast plan is to grow their email list. Imagine that you, as an entrepreneur, educator, or professional, have free resources that you want to drive your audience to. You can simply create a podcast episode related directly to your free resource a drive listeners there to sign up and download your content – putting them directly on your email list.

For example, you’re likely listening to this particular episode because you have an interest in starting a podcast… cool. Here’s my free resource: you can either head to the show notes for this episode or head to gaffincreative.com/scripting to grab your free worksheet for scripting the intro outro and trailer for your podcast!

You can pause this episode and go do that real fast. I’ll wait.

Now that you’ve done that, you’re on my email list! If you downloaded that free scripting worksheet, in less than X minutes you likely went from being a listener who didn’t know I had an email list to a subscriber that I’ve given free content.

Sounds cool right? It gets even better!

There are so many other ways you can utilize this new traffic to your website. This is where big strategies come in for your advertising efforts. I won’t dive too deep, but imagine that workflow, accompanied by a Facebook Advertising campaign, where you’re now remarketing to those people who either downloaded your freebie OR they checked out the show notes, but didn’t quite convert yet. With the Facebook pixel installed, you can now retarget those same people with other services and products you sell.

Let that sink in for a moment. Again, you can grow your audience on multiple platforms, PLUS add even more opportunities for your marketing and advertising strategy in your business.

Network with industry leaders through guest appearances.

Another way you can use a podcast in your business is to network. Whether you’re looking to network with industry leaders or put yourself in front of their audience, a podcast is a great way to approach that opportunity.

While I think there is a strategy to be considered in who and how you invite people onto your platform, the invitation that you were missing to have that professional conversation is now there.

When I say strategy, I’m not speaking about the idea of using another person’s voice to grow your platform. I think you need to be able to bring value to any conversation you have on your podcast. Strategy comes into play when you are making sure that you’re building out relationships before you’re pitching big names.

I’ll cover pitching in another episode, but cold pitches are becoming a thing of the past. People want to support people they know. They’re also vetting podcasts now in a way they weren’t a couple of years ago.

Make sure that your intentions with podcast guests aren’t one-sided. Then use your podcast network in the industry.

Sell your products or services.

A fourth way is to sell your products and services through your podcast—but be careful not to just create a sales pitch out of every episode. I know you’re likely thinking, about how I sell without being salesy.

Provide value.

That’s all there is to it. It goes directly back to being an industry expert or a thought leader. There are a few ways to go about doing that as well.

First, you can associate yourself with your service. For example, you won’t find me pitching my podcast services in any of my episodes that aren’t related to podcasting. BUT if you downloaded my podcast scripting worksheet earlier in the episode, you’ve already told me that you’re interested in launching a podcast. You’ve now become a warm lead.

Now don’t worry, I’m not going to annoy you in your inbox with my services, but I will continue to provide value in your inbox by pointing you to the latest episodes of my podcast, my newest podcasting blog posts, and new free resources I’m sharing.

When you’re ready to launch your podcast, I want to make sure that you think of me when you think about outsourcing that work.

Additionally, you can make your company or service, or product a sponsor of your show. Here’s how I do it in every episode. When you first hear my podcast, you hear an intro that tells you that my company produces this podcast. Listen here:

This podcast is produced and brought to you by Gaffin Creative, a podcast production company for creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about our services at Gaffincreative.com, plus you’ll also find resources, show notes, and more for the Clocking In Podcast.

It wasn’t selling you, but it reminds you that I do this work for a living. And if you listen to the intro of every episode, you’re reminded. It’s a soft pitch, but it’s there.

Lastly (not that it’s the final way), you can create content specific to a product or service launch that provides enough value to let your audience know they can trust that you know what you’re talking about, but not enough to give them all the answers they need.

This allows you to tease them with the content, provide a little value, but then convince them that the service you offer will change their lives.

Now those are just four simple ways that adding a podcast to your business can be beneficial to you and your audience.

Review the Show Notes

Set yourself up as an Industry Expert (1:39)

Grow your audience on multiple platforms. (2:38)
Grow Your Email List (2:55)
Facebook Ad Campaigns (4:02)

Network with Industry Leaders (4:55)

Sell Your Products or Services. (6:00)
1. Associate yourself with your services (6:21)
2. Sponsor your own show (7:13)
3. Create content specific to your service or product launch (8:08)

Links
gaffincreative.com/scripting
instagram.com/hayleegaffin

Review the Transcript:

Hey y’all. Welcome to the Clocking In Podcast, the podcast for entrepreneurs and professionals making their way in the working world.

I’m your host, Haylee Gaffin!

This podcast is produced and brought to you by Gaffin Creative, a podcast production company for creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about our services at Gaffincreative.com, plus you’ll also find resources, show notes, and more for the Clocking In Podcast.

So, let’s clock in and get to work.

Hey y’all welcome to another episode of the Clocking In Podcast! In today’s episode, I want to share a little about podcast launching and what it can do for your business.

Many of my listeners are likely entrepreneurs, professionals, or people interested in podcasting! While there are so many reasons for starting a podcast nowadays, most of my clients are using it in their business for education.

With that, a common question I get asked by potential podcast clients is how can I use a podcast to serve not only my audience, but my business?

Set yourself up as an Industry Expert

You’ve probably heard about the importance of being seen as an expert in your industry or field. In my industry, there are countless educators, service providers and more competing to be “the person” in their respective industry to go to for their services.

You don’t have to be on a path to being an educator to start a podcast. You can simply want to share information to your audience.

For example, I have no desire to get on stages and be a speaker at conferences. It honestly scares the crap out me to think about getting on a stage in front of even 50 people. BUT I do want to share my knowledge with my potential clients to set myself apart as an expert.

While this podcast isn’t going to be solely focused on educating my audience about the podcast world, it will be a big topic of conversation around here.

Grow your audience on multiple platforms.

Having a podcast doesn’t immediately convert into major numbers. The famous phrase, if you build it, they will come DOES NOT apply here.

You can pause this episode and go do that real fast. I’ll wait.

Now that you’ve done that, you’re on my email list! If you downloaded that free scripting worksheet, in less that X minutes you likely went from being a listener who didn’t know I had an email list to a subscriber that I’ve given free content to.

Sounds cool right? It gets even better!

There are so many other ways you can utilize this new traffic to your website. This is where big strategies come in for your advertising efforts. I won’t dive too deep, but imagine that workflow, accompanied by a Facebook Advertising campaign, where you’re now remarketing to those people who either downloaded your freebie OR they checked out the show notes, but didn’t quit convert yet. With the facebook pixel installed, you can now retarget those same people with other services and products you sell.

LEt that sink in for a moment. Again, you can grow your audience on multiple platforms, PLUS add even more opportunity for your marketing and advertising strategy in your business.

Network with industry leaders through guest appearances.

While I think there is a strategy to be considered in who and how you invite people onto your platform, the invitation that you were missing to have that professional conversation is now there.

When I say strategy, I’m not speaking to the idea of using another person’s voice to grow your platform. I think you need to be able to bring value to any conversation you have on your podcast. Strategy comes into play when you are making sure that you’re building out relationships before you’re pitching big names.

I’ll cover pitching in another episode, but cold pitches are becoming a thing of the past. People want to support people they know. They’re also vetting podcast now in a way they weren’t a couple of years ago.

Make sure that your intentions with podcast guests aren’t one-sided. Then use your podcast network in the industry.

Sell your products or services.

A fourth way is to sell your products and services through your podcast—but be careful not to just create a sales pitch out of every episode. I know you’re likely thinking, how I sell without being salesy.

Provide value.

That’s all there is too it. It goes directly back to being an industry expert or a thought leader. There are a few ways to go about doing that as well.

First, you can associate yourself with your service. For example, you won’t find me pitching my podcast services in any of my episodes that isn’t related to podcasting. BUT if you downloaded my podcast scripting worksheet earlier in the episode, you’ve already told me that you’re interested in launch a podcast. You’ve now become a warm lead.

When you’re ready to launch your podcast, I want to make sure that you think of me when you think about outsourcing that work.

Additionally, you can make your company or service or product a sponsor of your show. Here’s how I do it in every episode. When you first hear my podcast, you hear an intro that tells you that my company produces this podcast. Listen here:

It wasn’t selling you, but it reminds you that I do this work for a living. And if you listen to the intro of every episode, you’re reminded. It’s a soft pitch, but it’s there.

Lastly (not that it’s the final way), but you can create content specific to a product or service launch that provides enough value to let your audience know they can trust that you know what you’re talking about, but not enough to give them all the answers they need.

This allows you to tease them with the content, provide a little value, but then convince them that the service you offer will change their lives.

Now those are just four simple ways that adding a podcast to your business can be beneficial to you and your audience.

This has been another episode of the Clocking In Podcast. You can find the show notes for this episode and more at gaffincreative.com. Thank you so much for your listenership and support! If you loved this episode, I’d be so honored if you’d leave me a review in the Apple Podcast App. Until next time, I’m your host, Haylee Gaffin, clocking out.