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Podcasting is an excellent way for leaders to build their brands, but given that the medium can be new to many, podcast coaching for leaders with an actual podcast coach is worth considering.
In this article, I discuss the following:
- Why podcasting is such a great way for leaders to build their brand and company
- Podcast coaching for leaders
- The qualities of a good podcast coach
Why podcasting is such a great strategy for leaders
Podcasting is a great way to build your personal brand and move business objectives forward. Given the personal and intimate nature of podcasts, listeners and viewers – if you do a video podcast – will see your personality, expertise, and rapport with guests. Inviting industry leaders (and potential prospects) can be especially beneficial.
It also gets your name and expertise out there. Finally, when the podcast is tied to a company and marketing goal, it will help the company and the leader.
Podcast coaching for leaders
I grew up in media and journalism and now have done recorded and live podcasts for years. I’ve learned as I went. This mic works better than that one. What kind of lighting do I need? How do you have a podcast conversation that people want to listen to? What do I do when there are tech issues? The list goes on.
Leaders in companies launching their branded podcasts don’t have time to learn as they go. Sure, there are things to understand and improve on over time and from episode to episode, but the more the learning process for leaders turned podcast hosts can be accelerated, the better.
That’s where a podcast coach comes in. A good podcast coach has launched podcasts and likely has hosted many episodes. Sure, not all professional football coaches have also been professional football players, but it helps to work with a podcast coach who talks the talk and can also walk the walk. And that means they’ve learned how to get better as hosts and – more importantly – can help you understand the steps too!
What podcast host Jenn Mancusi said about my podcast coaching:
Each week we collaborated on new podcast episodes, and his feedback was always kind, respectful, and constructive. I am a better podcast host, marketer, and leader as a direct result of what I learned from him.
Identify the specific needs
A podcast coach understands what precisely the high-impact coaching areas are for you! They have conversations with you to help you with specifics that apply to you. Maybe you struggle with eye contact, want to make things more conversational, or want to ensure better and more strategic questions. (Side note: Somebody else on the team can probably handle the question scripting and episode outline, but it should all tie back to a strategy and preferably a Create Once, Publish Everywhere publishing approach). The leader is the person on the podcast, so alignment across the board here is essential. Good follow-up questions aligned with the strategy and creating a better podcast episode can also be learned.
The critical point here is: A good podcast coach helps you with what you need help with. They don’t just send you a cookie-cutter worksheet that may or may not apply to you. They know how to make YOU a better podcast host.
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Initial coaching
It all starts with an initial kickoff or discovery call, which usually covers a discussion around questions like these:
- What’s the goal of the podcast?
- Have you defined the content pillars that will be covered, and if yes, what are they?
- What prior experience do you have in broadcast media – if any?
- From your perspective, what pieces are you most worried about and need help with?
From there, the podcast coach may have some answers handy already based on their experience. Even if it needs further discussion, they’ll structure the consulting sessions so that there’s always something that can be taken away, learned from, and implemented.
Ongoing coaching with an end in sight
Who likes listening to their podcast episodes after the fact? I don’t, and I know what was said. Ha. But your podcast coach will listen to the next episode after consulting sessions and provide further feedback based on what worked and what could be improved in the latest episode.
At some point, if the podcast coach does a good job and their services can be stopped once the host’s skills are in a good spot.
The qualities of a good podcast coach
In a nutshell, a good podcast coach:
- actively listens to you
- understands your strategy or helps you flush it out as it relates to your goals
- has ideas for solutions for your specific areas of improvements
- provides valuable feedback that you can work on implementing
- works well with you
At the end of the day, hosting a podcast can help you build your personal brand and advance business goals. It’s a great way to connect with industry leaders, raise awareness and drive results through good content and connection. But to do that well, it can help to work with a podcast coach.