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Top 3 Reasons YOU Should Have A Podcast

by | Jan 29, 2021 | Digital Agency | 0 comments

Article courtesy of Nomad, The Career Musician

Have you contemplated starting a podcast, here’s the top 3 reasons why you should!

When I first started my podcast most of my friends were perplexed as to why I would devote so much time and energy to something that had little perceivable return on investment. My answer was simple – ​I’m doing this podcast because I want to. ​I want to share the knowledge and wisdom gained from my storied career of the past three decades. I want to talk to my colleagues and celebrity-status musician friends about their journey and how they achieved their success. In other words, I had no ulterior motive other than to just chat and learn – which brings me to the first reason why I believe every business owner or entrepreneur should have a podcast!

 

Reason 1 – IT’S ALL ABOUT PERSONAL ENGAGEMENT

Think of a podcast as your very own mini talk show. It is the ​ultimate​ sales tool for any small business, or entrepreneur​. ​It allows you to cast a wide net in a manner that is personal and non-confrontational. It’s your own customized platform where you can broadcast your passions. This gives you the opportunity to bring clients into your world through captivating stories, or discussions. The great thing about having a podcast is that it does NOT have to conform to any standard or guidelines. Your podcast can be whatever you want it to be!

In 2015, I had the wild idea to interview all of my colleagues in the professional music industry. Before this, I had made my career out of playing guitar both in the studio and on stages around the world with some of the biggest celebrity icons! ​Aretha Franklin​, ​Barbra Streisand​, Celine Dion​, ​Babyface​, ​David Foster​, ​Natalie Cole​, and the list goes on…

Being a successful career musician takes a lot of dedication and hard work, but there also tends to be a lot of down-time. A common phrase in show biz is “hurry up and wait.” Wait for soundcheck to begin, wait for the artist to arrive, wait for the plane to board… you get the idea… So in this down-time, I started to interview people around me who were literally in the same boat, bus, plane, or car as myself. Throughout this process, I discovered that I loved to pick people’s brains and find out what made them tick. I wanted to get to the bottom of what made these people pursue music with the vigor that only a professional musician could endure. I ended up with a nice collection of real-life personal stories and conversations about the victories and tribulations of being in the music industry. This one-to-one interfacing was an integral part of building my overall brand.

Reason 2 – BECOME AN AUTHORITATIVE EXPERT IN YOUR FIELD

Enter, ​The Career Musician Podcast​!​ I immediately started interviewing more friends and other pro’s with my iPhone. I wasn’t really concerned about the audio quality because I knew it was the content that was most important. From ​Bernie Boyle​ (legendary tour manager for Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson and beyond), to ​John Powell​ (film composer for Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Happy Feet, Rio and so much more), oh and of course ​Tommy Sims​ (songwriter for “Change The World,” one of Clapton’s biggest hits), it was no surprise that these podcast guests had so much wisdom and crazy stories to share!

The best part? By bringing my colleagues and peers into this project, I was actually establishing myself as an expert in the field. We weren’t just talking about making a living in the music industry, we were actually doing so together! From this position I was able to focus my attention on the guest while interacting with them from our mutual professional experiences. Bam! Immediately I was viewed as an expert without having to brag about myself or solicit my services. Again, no one knows your area of expertise like you do and only you can speak on the experiences you’ve had first hand!

Reason 3 – KEEP EM COMING BACK FOR MORE

Ahh, but the road to success must be paved with consistency. That’s where I dropped the ball at first. I used to release episodes infrequently, maybe occasionally hit a streak of 2-3 at a time, but never really got into a stride. However, it’s important to remember that a production schedule is vital when doing any kind of show, whether it be audio only or audio/visual as it sets a standard for your brand’s message. Think of all your favorite TV or Radio shows growing up. If you knew that it aired every week on the same day at the same time, you were sure to be there with bells on eagerly awaiting! Now ​The Career Musician Podcast​ is on a weekly release schedule and this has been paramount in growing the brand and expanding our audience as a whole.

As we’re all aware, the advent of streaming enables consumers to binge and gobble up content in batches – which creates even more demand for your show. Once your listeners are hooked on your message, they will eagerly await your release. This is why businesses should have their own podcast – To create a sub-culture around your services and/or product that fuels your customer base with a burning desire to engage – and ultimately – ​PURCHASE!

With all of that said, starting a podcast can seem overwhelming and daunting. Perhaps you’re thinking, what gear or software do I need, how do I record and edit the audio files? How do I get the podcast itself on spotify or apple podcasts? What do I talk about? Who will listen? How do I book and interview guests? For a while all of these questions and more were swirling around in my head making the idea of having a podcast very unappealing. Over the years I have grown to love the process of producing my show and with my team have developed an easy DIY Podcast Launch Kit for anyone interested in creating and producing their own podcast!


If you would like to discuss starting a podcast of your own, please contact us and we’ll help you get started!