With a wealth of information available at our fingertips, it can be challenging for brands to stand out in their industry as true experts and thought leaders.
With many brands and individuals relying on blog posts, articles, and LinkedIn posts, there’s a lot available to read. However, if you really want to catch people’s attention, it’s worth taking a different approach. This is where podcasting comes in. We’ll look at why it can make all the difference, and how to effectively leverage podcasting for thought leadership.
What is thought leadership?
Before we delve into the details, it’s important to establish exactly what ‘thought leadership’ means.
Not to be confused with subject matter expertise, thought leadership can be described as a person or brand’s unique insights, knowledge and perspective which can influence and shape the direction of the industry.
Thought leadership takes time to develop, and requires experts to continually share their insights and expertise. Brands wishing to develop thought leadership need to invest in their subject matter experts by providing coaching, training and development opportunities as well as giving them a platform to share their ideas.
This is where podcasting comes in.
Why choose podcasting for thought leadership?
The podcast industry has grown rapidly over the past few years and more and more of the population actively and regularly listen to podcasts. In fact, a recent survey found that regular podcast listeners listen to an average of 9 podcasts a week.
Consistently publishing a high-quality podcast can help thought leaders build their audience, establish credibility and set themselves apart from others in their industry. Additionally, their unique format - audio - means people can listen on their commute, or while engaged in another task. This is easier than dedicating time to read up on the latest insights, giving you an edge.
Image sourced from The Infinite Dial
How to leverage podcasting for thought leadership
But how exactly do you go about leveraging podcasting for thought leadership? We’ve got a few key tips to get you started.
Have a compelling point of view or niche
To be a thought leader, you need to have a clearly defined niche or a particular point of view. Depth of knowledge is key, and trying to cover too much will spread you too thinly and make it more difficult to find an audience.
When deciding what your topic or niche will be for your podcast, you may wish to consider the following questions:
- -- What are the interests of our target audience?
- -- What problems do our audience face and how can our brand help to solve them?
- -- What unique perspectives or knowledge can we share that sets us apart from others?
- -- What topics are aligned with our brand objectives and expertise?
Answering these questions will help you to develop podcast content which is relevant to your audience and is naturally aligned with your brand. For example, a brand offering an international call service may want to engage with companies operating remotely and globally.
Thought leadership isn’t developed overnight, but consistently sharing valuable messages and engaging with your listeners can ensure you are recognized as a thought leader within your industry.
Highlight the expertise of your team
In order to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry, it is essential that you draw upon the expertise of your team. Highlight team members who are knowledgeable about your company or industry and invite them to share their knowledge, experience and insights on your podcast. This could include:
-- Interviews with members of your team
-- Case studies
-- Q&A sessions
In doing so, you not only give your audience an insight into the people behind your brand, but you can demonstrate the valuable expertise you hold within your company. Plus, your team members will get the opportunity to develop their own professional communication and thought leadership skills.
Free to use image from Unsplash
Invite industry experts and respected thought leaders as guests
As well as leveraging the expertise within your company, consider inviting guests onto your podcast. Finding podcast guests from outside your organization allows you to position yourself as an equal alongside notable industry figures.
If you can pitch how appearing as a guest will benefit them too, they are more likely to accept your invitation. Having these meaningful conversations with industry leaders on your podcast can be hugely beneficial as it makes your podcast more appealing and can attract new listeners.
Showcase your brand
Of course, podcasts can be a great way to showcase what your company has to offer. Use your podcast as a platform to share information about your products and services, but make sure that it doesn’t feel too pushy.
The best way to showcase your brand through your podcast is to naturally incorporate your products or services into your content. For example, thought leaders in the tech industry might discuss employee productivity and how their visual voicemail app has transformed the way their employees work. Alternatively, you could invite guests to share real life examples of how they have benefitted from your products or services.
Consistently publish new content
As we mentioned earlier, thought leadership doesn’t happen overnight. You won’t share one valuable insight and suddenly be viewed as a thought leader in your field.
The key to developing and maintaining your position as a thought leader comes with consistently sharing your expertise and evolving with your industry over time. That means it’s vital to publish content regularly.
Plan ahead, and maintain a consistent publishing schedule so that your audience knows when to expect new content.
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Promote your podcast effectively
It’s all well and good creating an excellent podcast, but without a podcast advertising strategy and a regular audience, it won’t help. Some tips for promoting your podcast are:
-- Create a dedicated page on your website related to your podcast. You can also include any resources, links or extra materials here
-- Create a separate social media page for your podcast content. This can help your podcast reach a wider audience
-- Regularly signpost your audience to your podcast. For example, use call-to-action buttons on your website, and mention it in your email marketing campaigns.
The effective promotion of your podcast can hugely increase your regular listeners and therefore help to establish thought leadership for your brand.
Final thoughts
Thought leadership requires developing unique, interesting and thought-provoking perspectives on industry trends and topics. But without a proper forum to share these ideas, it can be hard to establish yourself.
With podcasting continuing to grow in popularity, it’s a great way to connect with an audience and build brand credibility. So, if you want to stand out from your competitors and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry, it might be time to reassess your strategy and start a podcast!
