Podcasting to build your persona brand

Written by Megan MacNeill

Podcasting to Build your Personal Brand
June 22, 2020

It takes no more than a good look around to realise that the age of podcasting is swiftly encroaching us all.

There are a number of factors to this growth but one of the strongest ones is the fact that podcasting is one of the best tools for personal branding. Why?

Because few things are personal and direct like the human voice, in other words, podcasting lifts the veil and shows the people behind the business for all to see. This was one of the deciding factors when I decided to start Personal Branding Exposed.

Of course, that alone is not enough to achieve a strong personal brand through podcasting but fear not, for you can find a wealth of other tips in this article.

The Eight-Second Rule

If the age of podcasting is approaching its dawn, the age of distraction is at its dawn, and people’s attention span is shorter than ever.

As a rule of thumb, assume that the first eight seconds of your podcast is the place for winning or losing the majority of your audience.

Having assumed so, don’t spend these golden seconds on music or flashy intros, give a concise report on what your podcast is going to cover, who are you, and what the name of your show is.

The Appropriate Length

Sometimes when we think of a podcast, our first thoughts go directly to episodes that go anywhere from one to three hours, and though these can be enjoyed well enough, there is no rule that says your podcast has to be this long.

In fact, there is a clear advantage in making a podcast that is ten to thirty minutes long that can be consumed like tic-tacs, one after the other.

Doing so will not only allow your listeners to consume a wider variety of themes but also makes it easier for them to get to know you, further strengthening your personal brand.

You should have a good idea of who your audience is. In which case you will know where they are consuming your podcast and how long they have.

Where are the most popular places people listen to podcasts? And how long do they have?

  • Commuting to and from work – this can vary and could be in the car or on public transport.
  • During food prep – are they spending Sunday afternoon setting up for the week ahead?
  • Lunch time walks – could be a quick walk around the river before grabbing a sandwich on the go.
  • Getting ready in the morning – think about hair and make-up routines.
  • In the gym – if they aren’t doing cardio they might opt for a podcast.

Adding Value to Content

Think about your favorite podcasts, no matter their theme or genre, now ask yourself “why do I listen to this podcast so much?” More often than not, the answer is going to be something that can be boiled down to “because I get something out of it’ and “I like the host”.

It can be entertainment, commentary on relevant issues, education on complex subjects, people listen to podcasts because most of the time they’re exchanging their attention for something useful on a practical level with someone they feel like they know personally.

Therefore, part of building that bond of trust that comes with a personal brand means establishing the certainty that when your listener puts your podcast on, they’ll be getting something out of it.

Intimacy

We said in the introduction to this article that there is nothing as intimate than the human voice, now allow us to elaborate on this concept.

After all, at its core, podcasting is nothing more than speaking, and when people listen to your podcast they’ll be paying attention exclusively to you, sometimes for hours on end.

In doing so, your audience will begin to know you on a more personal level, learn your opinions and values, identify your speech patterns, and so on.

This is what it means to “peek behind the curtain” of titles and corporate marketing and get to the human being behind the microphone.

This is why it is really important to be relevant, consistent and authentic in order to build familiarity and trust which are the foundations of a strong personal brand.

Letting the Brand build around you

Now, once your audience begins to get acquainted with you, its inevitable for them to create their own impressions of who you are, over which you have very little control.

But you can influence it.

There is no point in fighting it, and if you play your cards right, you won’t even have to, because sometimes, instead of fighting these impressions, you should embrace them.

Take for example the podcasting pioneer Mark Asquith who I interviewed on the Personal Branding Exposed podcast who despite his resistance, became known online as the “that British podcast guy.

At first, he might not have liked the nickname, but after realising that he was the owner of a tech business focused in a medium without many British men, he embraced it and went on to have a really successful personal brand as a result.

Not heard Mark’s story yet? You’ll be happy to know that most of the tips we’ve shared in this article have come directly from our talk with him.

The interview is full of little nuggets of wisdom such as the ones above and there truly is much to learn this podcasting legend.

So, go ahead and listen bellow or on your favorite podcasting app to enjoy an interview full of stories, jokes and advice on podcasting, personal branding, and much more.

I trialled a load of podcasting hosting sites before settling on Captivate for my podcast. Try the 7 day free trial too to see if it is for you.

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