Profiting with Podcasts for Network & Affiliate Marketers

Hosting your own podcast is easy and it’s a great way to position yourself as a trusted authority without spending hours studying and becoming an expert, and without spending tons of money.

If you can talk and ask questions you can have a great podcast.

And if you’re camera shy, you never have to show your beautiful face.

The 3-Step CEC Formula for Profiting with Podcasts

There are 3 things you need to get going with your podcast.

1.   Content

2.   Equipment

3.   Consistency

Content That Sells

You podcast needs to provide tons of great value in the form of tools, tips, techniques, and expert information.

All of this will of course lead to an offer, but the value must come first and foremost.

There are two basic formats for podcasts.

• The solo show, where you do all the talking.
• Or the interview/discussion format where you interview a guest or guests

There’s no doubt about it, the solo show requires quite a bit of time invested in preparing content and writing the “script” for the show. 

I spend 3 hours or more on preparing the content for each of my podcasts. I research information from various sources. I often include data, statistics, and outside resources that I’ve researched.

The interview format is a fantastic way to start and it requires much less time and very little, if any research. 

It’s easy to find guests for your podcasts. You might be surprised at who will accept invitations to be a guest on your show.

Your guest will provide you with their bio and head shot for social media posts. And most of the time, if you ask, guests will also provide you with questions they would like you to ask them.

How do you find guests for your show?

These are usually great guests, and they want to share their message, knowledge, and expertise.

• Authors
• Other podcasters
• People who have a YouTube Channel
• Leaders in network marketing companies
• People on leaderboards in affiliate marketing programs
• Coaches, trainers, people who have their own courses
• Technical experts
• Dietitians
• Naturopaths
• Holistic practitioners
• Anyone who you see constantly on social media providing lots of value

Let’s say you’ve got a product that is in the keto weight loss space. Here are some ways you can find great guests for your podcast.

Check out YouTube for “keto diets”. Find people you like. Comment on their video and send them a message inviting them to be a guest on your podcast. You don’t always have to agree 100% with their message or philosophy. It can make for a good discussion or debate if you have differing points of view.

Google “keto diets” find people who have written articles on ketosis.

Go to Amazon to find keto cookbooks. Invite the authors to be guests on your show.

Find personal trainers who can talk about the importance of exercise in combination with a keto diet.

Your guests will most likely share your podcast with their audience which is going to give you much more exposure to a whole new range of people.

At the end of each podcast you need to give your guest an opportunity to share their product, service, or a way to find them. 

AND… you’ll want to provide your audience with a way to connect with you. Ideally you want to be able to provide a free gift or guide that the listener will be able to get in exchange for their email address so that you’re building your list. Or at the very least, you want to get them to follow you on social media or tune in to the next episode of your podcast.

EXPERT TIP: Use your podcast as much as possible to grow your email list. Then convert listeners into buyers through follow-up emails.

Length of Your Podcast Show

Your podcast does NOT have to be the same length of time for every show.

The sweet spot is 20 – 30 minutes. 

They can be as long as an hour, however I don’t recommend this length unless you’re a total pro and have a massive following that’s dying to hear every word you say.

Podcast Intro

To give your podcast, and you, an added profession touch, it’s great to pre-record an brief 15 – 30 second intro that tells your listeners who you are and what to expect on your podcast.

You can use your intro to give your listeners information on how to follow you, just don’t turn it into a sales pitch.

You’ll want to put music behind this intro. I use https://AudioJungle.net for royalty free music.

You can also use the same music at the end of your podcast to finish it off.

EXPERT TIP: Listen to five or more podcasts in your niche, or a variety of niches, to see how other people are doing their intros. Take ideas from the ones you like.

Equipment & Technology for Your Podcast

You don’t have to spend any money on equipment to get started. 

However, having a good microphone does make a substantial difference. You’ll also need a mic adjustable boom arm to hold the microphone, and a shock mount.

This is the equipment I have and recommend:

• Microphone – Samson Technologies Samson Q2UUSB/XLR – $99.99 Get it here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Samson-Microphone-Recording-Podcasting-Accessory/dp/B071FLM3QB/ref=sr_1_3
• Boom – Neewer Adjustable Boom Arm for Your Podcasting Mic - $13.29 Get it here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Microphone-Suspension-Broadcasting-Voice-Over/dp/B00DY1F2CS/ref=sr_1_3
• Shock mount – Knox Microphone Shock Mount for Samson Q2U mic - $13.99 Get it here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Microphone-Suspension-Broadcasting-Voice-over/dp/B00C86FA0E/ref=sr_1_8

Audacity is the editing software I use for my podcast. It’s super simple to use and it’s FREE! 

You can download it here: https://www.audacityteam.org

You can record your podcasts using zoom, or record a Facebook live, like I do, or you can use Squad Cast for better quality. Check it out here: https://squadcast.fm

There’s a 7-day free trial, then the pricing ranges from $110/yr. to $450/yr.

My favorite resource for learning more about podcasting is Pat Flynn. Here’s a link to his YouTube video on How to Start a Podcast: https://youtu.be/PIJpOcFf5h4

Pat gives you tons of easy practical tools and tips and step-by-step instructions on how to do things.

Hosting Your Podcast

You need a platform for hosting your podcast. After quite a bit of research I chose Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com )

There’s a free version where you can upload 2 hours of content each month. The downside of this is that your episodes will only stay on the platform for 90 days. For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend the free version.

RECOMMENDED: For $12/mo. you can upload 3 hours of audio each month and your episodes will be hosted indefinitely.

After you host your podcast on a platform you then list it in directories to help people find and listen to it.

I submit my podcast to:

• Apple Podcasts – when you list on Apple Podcasts your podcast will automatically be available in other popular apps including Overcast, Castro, Castbox, and Pocket Casts
• Spotify
• Google
• Stitcher

Additional options are:

• Amazon Music
• iHeart Radio
• Pandora
• TuneIn + Alexa
• Podcast Addict
• Podchaser
• Deezer
• Listen Notes
• Player FM

Consistency

As with just about anything in your business, consistency is the key to podcasting.

Ideally you want to create a podcast once a week and always publish it on the same day.

I recommend publishing your podcast Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.

You can pre-record your podcast any time. If you wanted to, you could record 4 podcasts in one day, then publish them once a week on Wednesdays for the next four weeks, for example.

Even if you know you can only commit to one podcast a month it’s better than nothing. Decide that you’ll publish your podcast on maybe the 2nd Tuesday of each month.

Remember… starting is always better than perfect!

Get started. And have FUN!

Celebrating Your Success!

Gloria