When it comes to marketing your podcast, you need to be everywhere. Being omnipresent online is the key to drawing listeners to your show. But building your online presence isn’t just about posting random content willy nilly. You need to post with a purpose.
On a recent episode of Should I Start a Podcast, we heard Trevor Young speak about the importance of building an online presence for your podcast. Trevor knows what he’s talking about, and has used his substantial online presence to create a successful career mentoring and speaking to others about doing the same.
When you’re navigating the world of social media and networking, it’s easy to post too much or not enough. It’s essential to network with intent and show your depth of character through your content. “Trust is the social currency of today,” Trevor says, and with authenticity comes trust. Among the many different ways he says you can build your online presence, these are the most crucial.
Find Your Narrative
Think of your narrative as the outline to your online presence strategy. What kind of impact do you want to make in your industry or niche? How do you want to change people’s lives?
Answering these questions will help you shape your content. It’s not just about sharing your own original content. Finding your narrative will help you narrow down the things you want to share from others as well. When everything you post sends the same kind of message, your brand begins to take shape. People start to rely on you and even look forward to your content. Trust builds credibility. And credibility is how you build your audience.
Let Your Personality Shine
Becoming relevant online is not about shaping who you are around your content, it’s about shaping your content around who you are. Be authentic, and let your personality be your strength. It’s easy to sniff out phoniness on social media. If people aren’t buying your act, they’re not going to be buying your product or listening to your podcast. So, be you! Let your personality shine! Once people begin to connect with you, you’re on your way to success.
Be Consistent
Consistency is probably the most important thing when it comes to online content. You have to stay on message. Everything you post should share the same underlying message and tone. Random posts confuse people, and the more people question your motives, the more credibility you lose. It’s hard to build trust back once you’ve lost it. So don’t get overzealous- stick to your gut and post what moves you, what speaks to you and what goes along with your narrative. If something doesn’t pass the smell test, don’t post it.
Once you’ve gotten into the groove, found your narrative and trust your instincts, bring people into the conversation. Respond to comments on your blog, your social media posts or pictures. Responding to questions or comments helps you become a real person to your listeners, instead of just a name and a smiling face on a page. Remember, your content doesn’t just represent you, it is you. And amazing content is the key to building your online presence, but don’t feel discouraged if it takes you a while to get there. There’s no set path. Like Trevor says “It’s a squiggly line, it comes through in all kinds of different ways”. One post at a time.
Listen to the entire podcast episode here.
Author: Ronsley Vaz
Ronsley is the founder & chief day dreamer at AMPLIFY. He is an author, speaker & serial entrepreneur.
He has a Masters’ degree in Software Engineering and an MBA in Psychology and Leadership. He is known as the creator of We Are Podcast – the first Podcasting Conference in the Southern Hemisphere, and the host of The Bond Appetit Podcast and Should I Start a Podcast. He has an audience of over 3 million in 133 countries.