Episode Summary
Do you need to prepare to be on a podcast? And if preparation is a good idea, where can you get help? In this episode of Recorded Content, Mark Colgan, the Co-Founder of Speak on Podcasts, provides some insights on how to make appearances on podcasts to build credibility in your industry.
Being a perfect (podcast) guest is not a matter of pure talent. Instead, your success as a podcast guest is based on your ability to leverage your strengths and work on your weaknesses.
In this interview, hear why it is essential to build a relationship with a podcast host and understand the types of information you should cover when making an appearance. Here’s a further breakdown of what Mark covers in this episode:
- The importance of being featured on podcasts
- How to get featured as a guest on podcasts related to your industry
- Why it’s essential to diversify from hosting your podcasts and appearing as a guest on other shows
Guest Profile
- Name: Mark Colgan
- What he does: Mark is the Co-Founder of Speak on Podcasts, he’s a B2B SaaS product onboarding specialist at the Product Onboarders and serves as a growth consultant at Yellow O
- Company: Speak on Podcasts
- Noteworthy: Mark is an entrepreneur and revenue leader responsible for a portfolio of companies where he leverages his 13 years of experience in B2B sales, marketing, and recruiting expertise.
Key Insights
- There's nothing wrong with giving away information for free. As Mark explains, today's customers are smarter and have access to almost anything they are interested in. The truth is simple; if you don't share your value freely, a potential client will look for the company that does. ''Back in the day, you used to go to a car lot, and the person would try and sell you the car that they made the most commission on. Now you can go online, look at auto traders in the UK. There are lots of other marketplaces for cars, and you make an informed decision based on yourself. And I think that translates into today's buyer's journey with people who are evaluating software or technology. They're doing a lot of this research themselves. If you're a company that's not giving away your value freely and not helping your potential prospects, then they're just going to have more of an affinity for working with the companies that do. "
- Preparation and research are initial yet crucial steps for anyone who wants to be on a podcast. People should understand topics they want to talk about. Adequate preparation is the key to success. Those who are not sure if they could prepare for the podcast themselves should rely on professionals. ''Oftentimes, the feedback we get from them is that this has been a helpful exercise because they haven't been asked these questions in this way. We often ask what their area of expertise is. What controversial opinions do they have? When I say controversial, it's more ethically controversial, where they go against the grain of what normally is said in the market. And then we work with them and practice interviews with them too, so we know that their delivery is great. But one of the biggest things that we do is suggest that the podcast host has a 15 minute, maybe a pre-interview conversation. "
- We often neglect the relationship-building side of podcasting. According to Mike, being on a podcast allows you to build meaningful relationships. Aside from getting close to your target audience, you also create a relationship with a podcast host, which could mean potential and fruitful collaborations in the future. ''Relationships don't happen overnight. You have to nurture them. We have an Academy which our customers can go through. Should they choose how to nurture the relationships with the podcast host? It starts with the pre-interview chat; starts with the interview. Before the interview starts, after the interview starts, even simple templates just saying, 'Thanks for having me on the podcast.' Those little touchpoints go a long way. We give our customers everything that we would appreciate, and that has worked for us in the past as well.''
“I’ve never seen a press release and then purchased technology. The old way of PR simply does not work anymore.”
Mark Colgan
Co-Founder
Speak on Podcasts
Episode Highlights
What Is More Important for B2B Tech Companies to Have a Podcast or to Be Featured on Podcasts?
”I think both are equally important. When you’re on your podcast, it’s you that’s putting yourself in that position of authority and credibility. That’s a good thing. If you speak on other people’s podcasts, then you also have third-party validation. It’s almost like having social proof on your website.”
Being on Podcasts Is Not the Same as Attending a Trade Show
”It’s not the same as going to a trade show and collecting and scanning people’s business cards. It’s not that tangible. There are ways that you can look at attributes in success. You could be asking people as they fill out a contact form, where did they hear from you? They’ll often say the podcast. Then also, in terms of organic traffic increasing and more people saying, ”Yeah, I’ve heard of you guys, or I know what you do because I heard you on the show or I read the content.”
Speaking on Podcasts Is More of a Brand Awareness Campaign
”We’re working with companies that want to build their brand awareness. They want to be seen everywhere because, as you know, the content that you can repurpose from a 30-minute interview is pretty much endless. When they’re outbound sales reps, if they have that go-to-market strategy, they’re talking to people, people are familiar with the brand and, and they’ve heard the founder, the CMO, or whoever their C-suites are getting on the podcast.”
A Podcast Always Finds Its Way to The Right Audience
”The most genius part about podcasts it’s that you typically talk about overcoming a challenge or how people are overcoming challenges. You point out the solution to a challenge that your ideal customers have. That’s ideal. If you’re speaking on podcasts about those topics, people are going to find that interview when they have that problem.
It’s an evergreen piece of content that, once it’s there, lives in the ecosystem of your buyer’s journey where they’re looking for the solution. And you happen to be positioned yourself as the expert that can solve that.”
If You Want to Get Featured on Podcasts, Start with Research
In the episode, Mark highlights his perspective on getting started, ”Start with the right research. Understand why it is that you want to get on there. And who do you want to speak to? And then reach out via LinkedIn or email to the podcast host. Make sure that you’re demonstrating the value that you can offer their audience. Reach out and start that conversation.”
