On this episode of Rhodes to Success we celebrate episode 100! I talk video marketing and reveal why it took me more than a year to record my first podcast. I also share my personal tips on how to get to 100 episodes, the top 5 most downloaded episodes, and the ultimate resource list for podcasters. 

 

Key Lessons Learned:

Video Marketing

• Your first few episodes are going to suck, so accept it, just move through it, and get better.
• For the majority of the videos, a Canon HD is used, and more recently an iPhone 6 without a lapel microphone.
• Use music as your audio branding.
• Get clear on your message.
• Practice getting right to the point.
• Evolve with what works for you and the audience.
• It’s okay to not know the tagline and hashtag on Day One.

 

Tips to Get to 100 Episodes

• Stay committed and keep doing it.   
• Start your podcast with a clear focus on the show.
• Remember, you are doing your show for your listeners but also for yourself.
• If you change the show or branding, let it evolve and just keep going.
• Put yourself out there more and take your marketing seriously.
• Don’t obsess over your stats!
• Not every show needs to have a huge audience. Mine has 200 downloads within the week of release.
• Remember, your listeners are listening for you not your guests. They should like them, but they don’t show up for them.
• If you are bored, seek out someone who is doing a show you like and mastermind with them.

 

The Top 5 Most Downloaded Episodes of Rhodes to Success

1. How to Make a Career Following your Passion (Maura Sweeny) - 745 downloads

2. Video Marketing Made Easy (Mimika Cooney) - 452 downloads

3. How to Work with Millennials (Lee Caraher)

4. Virtual Assistant Support (Lyndsay Philips) - 394 downloads

5. Build Your Business by Appearing as a Guest (Tom Schwab) - 392 downloads

 

Stats

• Stats will tell you what people are coming to your podcast for.
• Look at your download stats and analyze them rather than getting sad, frustrated, or happy for the wrong reasons.

 

Who to Work With in Podcasting

• Nathaniel Boyle
• Chris Ruppert
• Caye Howe
• Podfly
• Podcast Promo Graphics
• Jim Palmer
• BizChix

 

Subscribe to the show in iTunes or Stitcher Radio!

 

The music in today's episode was written by The Danger Os and produced by Nick Palmer. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/thedangerosmakemusic 

On this episode of Rhodes to Success, I speak on how to reach out to podcast hosts to present yourself and get booked as a guest expert.

 

Key Lessons Learned:

Why Podcast Interviews?

• You are speaking to a targeted and engaged audience who is there to learn.
• People will feel like they know you.
• It allows you to create relationships with partners in your industry.
• People spend more time with a podcast than they do with a blog.

 

Are You Ready for the Spotlight?

• Podcasters want guests on the show that have content to share.
• Start creating content on your own platform before going out and getting it on everyone else’s platform.
• The ideal scenario is to do a trade. Be on someone’s show and have them on your show. 
• Personal branding is important. Make sure to position yourself as a celebrity and have a strong social media presence. 
• Have a product or service that people actually want.

 

Pitch the Right Shows

• Be clear on who your target audience is and reverse engineer it by finding podcasts they would be listening to.
• What are the pain points of your target audience?
• Source shows from iTunes, Stitcher, and Google.
• Don’t just aim to be on ‘big shows.’

 

Write a Solid Pitch Letter

• Do your due diligence.
• Figure out who the target audience is and what the goal of the podcast is.
• Listen to the podcast and get to know the host so you can mirror the humor.
• Articulate who you are, what your content is, and how that content will be valuable to the listeners.
• The podcasters’ goal is to bring valuable content to their audience.

 

Contact and Follow Up

• A phone conversation is the most effective way to pitch a podcaster.
• Social media is a great way to get in touch as a first point of call.
• Ask to pitch. It seems counter intuitive, but it builds ‘yeses.’
• When you can get the host to say yes multiple times, they are more likely to say yes.
• Follow up on pitches.

 

Interview Prep

• Make the host’s job as easy as possible.
• Give them everything they need and be a great communicator.
• Include the guest bio in third person, headshot and Skype ID, and your interview talking points or questions.
• Schedule the interview promptly.
• Make sure you have a decent microphone. An ATR2100 is about $50.
• Listen to the podcast before you appear on the show.

 

Deliver Amazing Content

Remember, you are there to add value not pitch.

• You will attract people to you through your free knowledge.
• Thank the host for having you on the show.
• Tailor content to match the audience.
• Use the host’s; name they will like you more and promote you more.
• Incorporate stories into your interview.
• Stories position you as being credible and have experience rather than spouting facts and scenario.
• Don’t hold back; give a lot of value.
• Podcasts are pitch-free zones, so plant seeds instead of sell.
• Compliment and promote the host’s business. Figure out what they are trying to promote.

 

Have a Call to Action

• The goal is to drive targeted traffic to your site and collect emails.
• The best way to do this is deliver an interview with personality and compelling content.
• Ensure your call to action is clear, specific, and easy to remember.
• Have one call to action rather than give too much.
• Ideas include a video series, free call or consultation, webinar, book, and PDFs.
• The call to action must be related to what you were interviewed on.

 

Subscribe to the show in iTunes or Stitcher Radio!

The music in today's episode was written by The Danger Os and produced by Nick Palmer. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/thedangerosmakemusic 

 

Links to Resources Mentioned

Thinkific

Radio Guest List

On this episode of Rhodes to Success, we cover the 5 reasons podcasters will not book you. These tips come from my personal experience booking guests as part of the thousands of bookings completed by the Interview Connections team.

 

Key Lessons Learned:

1. Bad Headshot

• When you are a guest on a show, you become a brand ambassador of that podcast. If you have a bad headshot, it reflects poorly on the host and the show by association.
• You need to look professional.
• It’s nice to have a professional photoshoot, but smart phones such as the iPhone 6 do an amazing job.
• The type of photo you choose is a branding decision. It says a lot about you as a person and signals how you conduct business.
• Make sure your headshot matches your brand.
• When your headshot doesn’t look like you actually look in real life, it builds a level of distrust.

 

2. One Sheet 

• There needs to be an established online presence, which includes social media and a website that confirms your experience and accomplishments.
• The purpose of a one sheet is to provide podcast hosts with all the information they need in one place.
• The one sheet should be designed and branded as an extension of your business.
• Ensure your bio is on your one sheet. This must read in third person so the guest can use it as your introduction.
• Include interview topics and questions on the one sheet as a sample for the host.
• Also have your contact information, socials, and Skype ID on the sheet so the host has all your details in one place.

 

3.Bio

• If your bio is too short, the host won’t have enough information about you to decide if you are credible and a good fit for the podcast.
• If the bio is too long, the host may not read it.
• The best length is 3-5 sentences and written in third person.
• Highlight the best part of your professional life that showcases you as a great guest for the podcast you are pitching.

 

4. How You Communicate Over Email

• If the guest doesn’t reply to emails promptly, hosts will question if the guest is actually interested in being on the show.
• Are you showing gratitude in your email communication?
• Are you being a giver and asking, “What else do you need?”
• Are you showing ‘diva-like’ tendencies and not trying to make the show a success?
• Tone is lost in text, so communicating in email can be lost in text. Be careful with how you communicate with show hosts over email.

 

5. Content

• Having content that is not valuable or relevant to the host’s audience will mean you get rejected.
• Each email you send should be customized to the show you are pitching.
• Spotlight the relevant part of your personality, expertise, or interest according to the show.
• It is not the host’s job to read your bio and figure out how you would fit into their show.
• It is your job to show the host how your content is valuable and relevant to their audience.
• If a show is weekly, then you need to convince the host that you are one of the top 52 people in your industry.

 

Subscribe to the show in iTunes or Stitcher Radio!

 

The music in today's episode was written by The Danger Os and produced by Nick Palmer. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/thedangerosmakemusic 

 

Links to Resources Mentioned

The Nice Guys on Business Podcast

On this episode of Rhodes to Success, I interview Julie Waller, who has been a strategic coach since 1997. She is passionate about the Unique Ability discovery and works with hundreds of entrepreneurs and team members in one-on-one sessions, helping them identify and create a life around their unique ability. During the show, we discuss top 5 strengths, discovering your unique abilities, the four characteristics, and the naming and activity paths.

 

Main Questions Asked:

• What is Unique Ability?
• Do people use Unique Ability in their personal life, work life, or both?
• What are the four characteristics?
• What are the naming and activity paths?

 

Key Lessons Learned:

Jessica’s Top 5

1. Communication

2. Futuristic

3. Achiever

4. Activator

5. Maximizer

 

Unique Ability

• This is what you are naturally good at and passionate about.
• Your Unique Ability shows up in the activities you do every day.
• When you look at your activities, you can assess where the underlying talents are.
• Your Unique Abilities are who you are when at your best.
• Self discovery helps you find the type of work that you do best.
• It often helps looking at your Unique Ability through your business lens before your personal lens. 

 

The Four Characteristics

1. Superior Skill

• When you do an activity in your work or life, assess if you are really good at it.
• Ask yourself and others what your skill level is.
• Superior skills are things that you are naturally good at, and are not necessarily learned.

2. Passion

• This is something you are driven and motivated by and want to do more.

3. Energy

• Your Unique Ability gives other people energy when you are doing it.

4. Never Ending Improvement

• This is when you are already good at something and you want to keep getting better.

 

The Activities Path

• List all the activities you do every day starting with what you do for work.
• Once the activities are listed, ask if each activity meets the four criteria.

 

Excellent Activities:

• You don’t have passion for these activities, but still have a superior skill.

 

Competent Activities:

• You can do this, but are average at it and a lot of people could do it better than you.

 

Incompetent Activities:

• You aren’t good, and experience failure.

• Once you have broken your activities into categories, delegate a percentage to each.
• Figure out how to free yourself up from the energy draining activities.
• Exponential results will come from focusing on the stuff you are really good at.

 

Jessica’s Personal Case Study

• Create your activity inventory.
• Put each of your tasks into the four categories.

 

Jessica’s Primary Tasks

• Bookkeeping.
• Checking emails.
• Checking Slack.
• Client calls.
• Podcast.
• Proofing the blog.
• Training calls.
• Guest booking.
• Get coaching.
• Producing weekly videos.

 

Coaching Tips

• Tell the truth about your skill level.
• If others would agree, you have a superior skill.
• Check your passion level and mark it as your Unique Ability or excellent.
• Keep your feelings about the activities separate, and focus on the skill level.

 

Jessica’s Unique Ability

• Cold calls.
• Podcasting.
• Client training.

 

Jessica’s Excellent Activities

• Slack.
• Pitching and booking interviews.
• Video marketing.

 

Competent Activities

• Emails.
• Blog, editing, and posting.

 

Incompetent Activities

• Bookkeeping. 

 

Subscribe to the show in iTunes or Stitcher Radio!

The music in today's episode was written by The Danger Os and produced by Nick Palmer. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/thedangerosmakemusic 

 

Links to Resources Mentioned

Unique Ability

Strategic Coach