Podcasting in a Social Media World

Posting to social media fills me with about as much excitement as a trip to the dentist. That may surprise those of you who know and follow me but it’s the truth on more days than I care to admit.

I know it’s important, some may argue it's essential even, for building a brand and growing a podcast audience. Yet, every time many of us are about to hit that 'publish' button, a little voice whispers, “Is this really worth it?” It feels like every post is a reminder of the mountain we're trying to scale, armed with nothing but a microphone and a desire to connect.

Like I said, many podcasters grapple with this love-hate relationship with social media, feeling the pressure to constantly be 'on' when all we really want is to focus on our craft and/or business.

The world of likes, comments, and fleeting attention spans can seem a million miles away from the intimate, deep-dive conversations we love having on our podcasts. So, what if I told you there's a way to bridge that gap? A method to make social media less of a chore and more of a powerful tool to engage and grow your audience. That’s the road we traveled today on my podcast, the Podcasting Morning Chat.? Here are just a few insights that came from today’s episode:

The Heart of Engagement: Authenticity and Strategy

First off, let's talk mindset and goals. Sid Meadows, CPC really hit the nail on the head when he talked about knowing the clarity of purpose in your social media game. You’ve got to know what you're aiming for, right? Otherwise, you're just shooting arrows in the dark. Having that clear goal(s) in mind makes all the difference, cutting through the overwhelm and really honing in on what matters to you and your audience.

Simona Costantini admitted that she can't stand posting to social media (which surprised a lot of people, too!) and shared how she's now making social media work smarter, not harder. She mainly takes bits and pieces from her podcast and spins them into different content formats. Some may call this ‘genius’. (because it is.) Others call it, repurposing content. Whether it’s audio or video clips, blog posts, quote cards or listicles, using your podcast's content keeps your feed fresh without you having to camp out behind your camera every day. It's about working with what you've got and making it shine across platforms.

Nicholas Nalbach shared about the magic of engagement. He explained that the more he’s mixing it up on social media, commenting thoughtfully, and engaging with other people's content, the more engagement his content receives. So instead of just throwing content at the wall and seeing what sticks (aka posting and ghosting), he’s found that being part of the conversations converts people into followers and followers into community.

Embracing the Challenge

Now, here's where we turn insight into action. John Jay Wiley joined us this morning and threw down the gauntlet with an awesome challenge: create a 15-second host-read ad for your own podcast focusing on promoting just one of the social media profiles you’re looking to grow. It's about getting clear, concise, and connecting with your audience on a level that resonates.

I loved this idea so much that I decided to sweeten the deal AND I’m extending the challenge to YOU. Anyone who takes on this challenge and shares their promo spot with me gets a free "Podcasting Morning Chat" t-shirt. It's my way of saying, "Hey, we're in this together, let's make some waves."

Social media engagement for us podcasters is about so much more than frequency. It's about authenticity, strategy, and, most importantly, community.

I can't wait to see what you all come up with for the challenge. Feel free to share an episode link AND timecode in the comments, and I’ll send you that free t-shirt! You’ve got one week to make it happen so bookmark this article and meet me back here when you’re ready to share!

Oh and check the link in the comments to catch the full episode of other podcasters' personal struggles of growing a social media presence and solutions for those struggles!