It’s time to jump on the podcasting bandwagon, people.

Or is it?

There are more than 200,000 English speaking podcasts today and over a billion subscriptions to podcasting on iTunes alone. Add to the hundreds of millions of people walking around with smartphones –all podcast-enabled– and you have yourself a pretty big reason to join the podcasting trend. As a business owner, you’d be a fool NOT TO.

The evolution of small business marketing and the onslaught of podcasting as a medium allows you to reach a far larger audience, but with so many podcasts popping up these days — let’s face it— the competition has gotten steep.

Instead of creating your own podcast, consider being a valued guest for others.

Why not? They need guests and you need exposure. Being a podcasting guest can potentially generate more subscribers and sales leads, as well as improve upon your own message and brand.
While this is a terrific way to take advantage of someone else’s dime and platform, you must be sure that you are bringing something of value to the table, or you will be rejected by the podcast community.

Be of service to the podcasting community.

You MUST prove to be in alignment with the podcaster’s mission. Don’t just blindly submit yourself with ego. No one owes you an appearance on their show especially if they think all you want to do is obnoxiously tout your products and plug your website. However, if you can convince them that your appearance is one that will benefit them– either with valuable industry insight for their audience or with the number of listeners that will follow you to their show– you will become a trusted podcasting guest and get booked more often.

Provide value and be remembered.

Overall, this should be your number one focus. It’ll guarantee your brand will grow through your messaging and you’ll become a big hit in the podcasting community. Once you establish yourself as a leader in your field (a go-to person, expert or whatever you want to call yourself!), podcasters will start to refer you to one another, and you’ll soon find yourself with a packed schedule of public appearances.

Be sure to promote your appearance.

The podcasting hosts will adore you for this one. Every podcaster needs to grow their following and many are strategic in booking guests with a large sphere of influence. Be happily willing to jump in and help out with the promotion of your appearance! Mention your appearance on Facebook and Twitter as well as your blog, website, and subscriber list. This gives you more opportunities to reach out to your audience, as well as the opportunityfor them to connect with you as a live caller on the show.

Be creative.

You need to be memorable, exciting and full of fresh ideas.This will include everything from how you are introduced as a guest on a podcast to your talking points and interview questions. You should have a “Podcast Packet” ready to submit, complete with a headshot, business logo, bio and list of topics you are ready to discuss at a moments notice.

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On This show…

Podcasting. It’s all about eliminating the middle man and having the broadcaster talk directly to the audience. There are no filters, no gatekeepers, and no rules. Just the talent and the audience. My guest,Chris Mancini is one of the founders of L.A Podfest, and will be sharing with us some ways that small business owners can take advantage of the podcasting trends.

About Our Guest

Meet Chris Mancini!

Chris Mancini is a comic, author, filmmaker, and parent, which also makes him very tired.
He has written on everything from soap operas to parenting books to horror films, which are all more closely related than you think. He has screened and spoken at various prestigious festivals and conventions including Slamdance and Comic-Con in San Diego.

His book Pacify Me: A Handbook for the Freaked Out New Dad is out now from Simon and Schuster. It tells of the harrowing tale of a guy overcoming his fear of actually procreating and offers helpful advice for freaked out new dads everywhere.

A strong advocate of podcasting, Chris is also the co-founder ofcomedyfilmnerds.com with Graham Elwood. The site features a podcast with over 3 million downloads and features comedians and filmmakers talking about movies. Chris is also one of the founders of the Los Angeles Podcast Festival.