These days, everyone with an idea and a microphone has a podcast. And while it is fantastic that so many people are given a platform and a community to share their ideas, the means of creating a following for your podcast can still remain unclear. Gavin Lira is the founder of The Empathy Firm and host of the Future Millionaires Podcast. Which he describes as a podcast that is centered around helping people learn from notable business leaders.
Lira cares greatly about forming relationships and developing a brand. Podcasting, specifically, is a valuable platform through which you can develop your brand and build relationship capital. There are many advantages to starting a podcast, the least of which are that it gives you a reason to interview like-minded professionals in your field. A guest that you have on your show can turn into a friend, mentor, client, or even an investor. It gives you a platform to start building your network quickly and providing value to this network by introducing your guests to each other when it’s mutually beneficial.
Podcasts are also a sign of authority, and indicate that you have information worth listening to. The guests you have on your podcast can also contribute to that sense of authority. Having a well-respected individual as a guest on your show indicates that you have more authority through association. Moreso, every potential guest has their own following. Lira recommends that after you host someone on your show, you should provide them with content which will give them a way to share the podcast so they can promote themselves while also promoting your show as well.
Podcasts are an excellent way to develop your online brand, but it isn’t the only way to share information with your audience. Lira always recommends leveraging other social channels to build your podcasts audience as well. He says, “Podcasting is a great tool that allows you to gain more depth with your audience. Where else can you get 30-60 minutes of someone’s attention online? However, it often helps to use platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube to drive more listeners to your show. Podcasts don’t typically have great organic growth, so it’s important to use other platforms to drive attention to your podcast. Once you get these people to your podcast, the value which they are able to receive is much greater compared to a lot of these other social platforms. The reason is because they get to hear the real in depth answers to questions, and not just a out of content 30 second Instagram video”.
Whatever your podcast, the beauty of the internet is that there are people out there waiting for exactly what you have to offer. And while reaching them may seem a daunting task, Lira has developed strategies that help you create your community, and make you a valued member. Happy podcasting!