5 Unexpected Ways Podcasting Grows Your Business

When I started podcasting in February of 2015, I did it to get more visibility.

I looked around and saw lots of places to garner marketing attention, but they all cost money. I was still grinding and bootstrapping so I thought, “Why don’t I create my own marketing platform?”

So I did.

First, with my University of Young Entrepreneurs podcast (now called Live to Grind), then with Keys to the Crowd podcast, and now with my Ambitious Adventures podcast and a reality T.V. show (with the same name).

Since I have now published over 300 podcast episodes, I thought it time to share a few ways that podcasting has helped grow my business.

Surprisingly, in many ways I did not anticipate when I started!

These are such great results, you may be wanting to start your own soon!

1. Network of Influence

When I first started podcasting, I thought about creating content and establishing myself as a leader in crowdfunding, business, and motivational speaking. Which I did.

But what I did not realize at first, was that my network quickly grew as a result of podcasting.

I would interview a friend or acquaintance and then close the conversation with, “Thanks for a great interview. My audience will really benefit from what you shared. Know anyone else who would like to share their message with young, ambitious entrepreneurs?”

The guest would say ‘yes’ and then give me a warm introduction to someone else. Soon, I was in contact with influencers I never would have otherwise gotten access to.

You are the average of those you spend the most time with. So, increase your average with podcasting.

2. Cover of a Magazine

Louis Foreman came on the podcast a while back, and we talked about his product design and engineering firm Enventys, his Emmy Award Winning TV Show, licensing, and more.

At the end of the podcast interview, because I had done him a favor by getting him in front of my growing audience, he mentioned that he had a magazine.

I went on to be featured on the cover of Inventors Digest, a 32-year old publication devoted to the topic of American innovation.

Wow!

That cost me $0 but was worth an untold amount of marketing dollars for the credibility and exposure it has brought me.

3. Helps You Write Better

Admittedly, I am not the best writer. It takes effort.

But I love speaking.

And speaking all the time about the topics in my industry by hosting a podcast has helped me get clarity of thought and develop new, creative ideas that have also improved my writing.

And get this!

Last week I drove from Iowa to Florida and recorded audio, which I will have transcribed for my book. I now already have 6 chapters for my next book coming out in 2017! And that audio can be run as podcast episodes too.

You can transcribe your podcasts and repurpose them for blog articles, books, and other content. It is far easier to edit what is already there than to come up with something fresh while staring at a blank computer screen.

4. Free Advice from Legends

Having guests on your podcast is a sneaky way of getting free, targeted advice on anything you want to know! You have total control of the questions you ask and without the platform of a podcast, there would be no way that some of the guests I have had the honor of speaking with would want to sit down and “chat” so that I could “pick their brain.”

High-profile leaders do not have time to waste.

So, under the umbrella of a podcast, I am able to talk with people like Joel Brown, Forbes Riley, Kevin Harrington, Ryan Stewart, Jake Paul, Jay Baer, Caleb Maddix, and more.

I build relationships with them and get free advice most people would kill to get.

You can too if you start a podcast. Convinced yet?

5. Actual Business Deals

I was able to get John Lee Dumas on my podcast. At the end of the interview, I shared the ways that I can help people, and it turned out that he was actually looking for help with crowdfunding. He wanted to launch his Freedom Journal using Kickstarter.

As a result of our conversation after the podcast interview, he went on to hire me to manage his campaign, and we raised almost $500,000 — the 6th largest crowdfunding campaign for a book. Now we are working to launch another campaign in 2017 for the Mastery Journal.

Conclusion

Podcasting has been a game-changer for me and my business. And it can work for yours too.

Want to hear more on my thoughts about podcasting?

Listen to Episode 186: Secret Powers of Podcasting where I was quoted saying, “The value on it? I can’t even put a price on it for what podcasting has done for me and my business.”

And no excuses either! My setup when I got started cost me less than $100.

Hope to see you on the air waves soon!