Until recently, I was a freelancer who hid behind written words. I didn’t realize it until I was offered the opportunity by one of my clients to co-host a podcast in my field. Without expecting to, I found that I was excited by the prospect of speaking my words, rather than only writing them.
Suddenly there was a new outlet to share the message that psychology, or the study of how people operate in the workplace, can help people have more fulfilling and passionate work lives.
What I didn’t expect to occur was that it would also change the way I saw my calling to improve the lives of people at work. Here are four ways podcasting has helped me to rethink how I market myself and my business:
1. Reaching Listeners on the Move
We’re all time-strapped for one reason or another. It may be, like me, you have a young family to manage while working, or perhaps you have a busy full-time job that demands your brainpower day in day out. Whatever is sucking up your time, those 1,440 minutes every day are a scarce resource.
Podcasting means people can listen to your message as they go about their day – whether they’re driving, making dinner, or on their commute. Even if they’re not fully engaged in your content for the whole podcast, they’ll gain the snippets of insight that matter to them, and you’ll make a small difference to that person. Who knows where that could lead?
2. Sharing You’re Human
When I write, I’m sharing one perspective. Mine. When I interview people, I’m getting on-the-spot challenges to my thoughts. These challenges instantly help me grow as a person, and they help me connect with like-minded people more easily.
People find it easier to get to know someone when they have a voice to put to the words, and when they can hear you re-evaluating your position as you discuss, it shows people you’re human.
People can rehearse for live discussions, and edit their words, but they can’t edit their personalities. Realness shines through, and listeners love to know you have vulnerabilities too. It makes them feel human and connects you to your audience.
3. Tapping a Relatively Untapped Market
Podcasting is a fairly new phenomenon that is only recently gaining ground. There is still so much potential to get your name out there as one of the first and most influential people in the market.
Much like blogging, podcasting takes work and persistence, but if you put in the effort, you can reap the rewards of a non-saturated market.
4. Gaining Exposure
I’ve been blogging for years, on and off. I’ve had some successes, but as the number of blogs has grown, I’ve found it harder and harder to sneak into people’s days to get my content read.
With podcasting, I’ve found that my following and connection with potential clients and those I want to support to live more fulfilling work lives is growing exponentially. The potential feels enormous, which is why I’m sharing this message with you. I think now is the time to act!
About the Author
Rebecca Longman is the founder of RedPonder.com, a consulting and content creation business for soft skills HR firms and teams, and psychologists. She’s a native Brit who lives and works just outside of NYC. She has a two-year-old son and another one on the way.
