The Real Power of Podcasts
Matt Johnson runs a San Diego-based production agency that creates ready-to-launch podcasts for business coaches, consultants, and thought leaders. His job is to make sure his clients connect with the right audience, build influence, and become MicroFamous (which is also the name of his book and podcast).
And during this week’s interview on Stay Paid, Matt explains why he believes smaller is better.
Rather than striving to be an influencer with thousands of followers, Matt advocates being known and followed by a much narrower group of people with money to spend on what you’re selling. And he does it using podcasts, which he calls the “new networking.”
The process used to find the most valuable slice of your niche is simple. You begin by inviting people to be guests on your podcast. Once the interview is over, you ask your guest, “Who is the most important person I can introduce you to?”
Do that enough times and you eventually become the hub of a network of important people. And when you know enough important people, you can begin to exert influence.
Developing your network
A network that can help you to develop influence is not a network of acquaintances. Your network needs to be a collection of people with whom you have genuine relationships. And the best way to begin is to have an authentic conversation with one person you can share your clear and compelling idea with.
If it’s the “right” person—someone who considers what you do valuable and useful—they’ll grab your idea and will immediately know who in their circle they should connect you to. Then you return the favor. Ask if there is anyone they want to meet you can introduce them to.
You might not be able to help right away but keep a list of the people you meet and be on the lookout. Revisit your list frequently. Every couple of weeks, ask yourself if there is someone you’ve recently met to whom you can introduce someone else. Eventually connections begin to form.
This is what Matt has done with his podcast. He uses it as a powerful networking tool by inviting people in his network to be guests on his podcast. After every interview, he asks them who is the most important person he can introduce them to. It’s how he became the influential hub of a network of people that other people want to know.
Should I start a podcast?
You might be considering starting a podcast and using Matt’s idea to build a network. But podcasts aren’t for everyone.
According to Matt, many people who want to start a podcast make the mistake of believing that the general public is going to be engaged by the minutia of their business. They’re not.
Smaller businesses, like independent real estate agents, tend to perform better when they use YouTube and Facebook Live to market their content.
People who need the services of an agent, he says, aren’t interested in the details of real estate. For them, real estate only becomes an interest during the brief period of time, every seven years or so, when they want to buy or sell a home. They want the information they need and that’s it.
That’s why it’s important for agents and similar professionals to market more than their business. They want to be top of mind with their audience for the other nine months of the year or until they need the same service again.
Alternatively, podcasts are best suited for topics conducive to long-form conversation. The topics for which you have a clear and compelling idea tend to attract a specific audience that, while not large, is sufficiently interested to invest in what’s being sold. It’s this idea that is at the heart of being MicroFamous.
The take-away
Even without a podcast, the idea of a highly focused niche that attracts a small but profitable audience is still a viable option. As is the case with any network, it’s based on building and nurturing authentic relationships. Once you meet someone, they key is to always offer to make a connection.
Key Points
- To be MicroFamous means to be famously influential to the right people.
- Take the opportunity to introduce people to each other and eventually you’ll become the highly influential hub of a network of relationships.
- Podcasts are best suited for long-form conversations about topics of interest to a very select audience. Few small businesses fit that bill.
- When you have a clear and compelling idea that resonates with the right people, it becomes obvious to whom they can refer to you.
- Don’t believe you need to force yourself to conform to what works for others. Instead, find systems that will accommodate your style, strengths, preferences, and personality.
Action Item
List the key relationships in your life, and then think about the people you’ve met in the last two to four weeks. Find the connections that will allow you to make introductions among these two groups.
Connect | Resources
Book
MicroFamous: Become Famously Influential to the Right People https://MicroFamousBook.com
Podcast
MicroFamous at https://microfamouspodcast.com
Website
You can find Matt on social media at:
Soundcloud
iHeart Radio
Spotify
Spotify
