Podcasting for the Win.

3 Tips That Will Make Your Podcast Fire.

If you are serious about your podcast, then you want it to be “fire.” You want it to be intentional and powerful. Think about that for a minute. If your podcast, which represents your brand, you, is not intentional or powerful then what is it? Why would anyone want to waste their time or money with it? We are all competing for the same eyes and ears as people with million dollar marketing budgets.  You can win however if your content is what your audience wants.  You have to find your tribe.  Once you do then you must:

• Know Your Why

• Be Intentional

• Be Consistent

One of the things that podcasters struggle with after they start is why they are still doing this. It is really easy to meander through until you realize you are lost. You start asking yourself what I am going to talk about next. Who cares if I miss an episode? And you wonder if you are even being heard. If you know your why then you can chart a course. You can plan your show. You will know who you are trying to reach. The why of your podcast is the audio version of your brand.

Knowing your why will help others find you. There are people looking to hear what you know, hear the people you know, laugh, cry, groan, disagree and agree with the stuff you know.

A critical component of this is the intent.  You have to be focused and purposeful on this stand.  There is power in the niche.

Enter the Black Man with a Gun Show Podcast.  I had the name Black Man With A Gun trademarked.  It evoked a viewpoint/perception.

I misread my audience in the beginning.  My first podcast was my best.  I picked the niche of gun rights.  It is polarizing.  It is evergreen. I did somethings right and some things not.

I thought my audience was going to be exclusively gun owners of color but I was wrong.  It was larger. My audience were the people that owned the gun clubs, businesses and organizations that wanted my demographic.  I stumbled into a 300 year old debate and became a symbol for change.  Not everyone wants change.  Not everyone wants what you are selling.  I didn’t always like what I saw or heard. I found out that I wasn’t as monolithic as my show name.  I had a hard time being that hard all the time.

It was then that I learned about the business of the Second Amendment.  There were people and organizations that lived and breathed gun rights, and gun reviews. I got a call every time there was a shooting involving an African American, veteran or child.  I could have been the Second Amendments version of Rev. Al Sharpton but I didn’t want it. There is power in the niche.

Think of all the bombastic talking heads today.  People love to argue and debate.  I was unaware of the millions spent to influence politicians, the media and consumers.  I became the de facto representative for the African American race in 1991 to about 2015.

People will put you on a side whether you take one or not by perception. Embrace it. Be critical of something, so others can either agree or disagree with you. It will mean intensity. Don’t be boring. Don’t talk them to sleep. Have some energy in your show. Don’t scream at them but keep their attention. Podcasting almost has no rules. The main one is be trustworthy. If they take the time to listen to you, don’t make them sorry that they did.

Once you have their attention and they now like you, they are going to fit you into their schedule. Your goal is to be consistent in every way once you find what formula works for them.  The successful podcasters don’t quit after seven shows. They know who they are talking to, even though they don’t see them. They are talking to friends. They are talking to people from X. People just like them all over the world. If you say you are going to be somewhere every week on Thursday, be there. Consistency is a good thing. They can listen to your show anytime they want but it should come out and be available the same day of the week. I know it’s tough. It’s a commitment. Podcasting is dope but it ain’t easy.

Podcasting as a medium is less than twenty years old but is reminiscent of old time radio programs when people gathered to hear their favorite people. Now they do it individually on earbuds. As a content creator you have the opportunity to talk directly into the head of your potential customer, fan and friend.

The good news is someone is looking for you. They are looking for a tribe to belong to where the people are like them. They are most likely not next door. You may have to search to find them but they exist. They are looking for the niche you represent and if you can, your authentic self.

On a stage (your podcast) you can act like someone you are not. We have all done it. One of the problems with that is that you may not be able to sustain it.  Being yourself is important because you will not be happy otherwise.