Learn How to Podcast for Business with Travis Chappell

September 7, 2021 By EJ Niemczyk

Travis Chappell is no stranger to creating a successful podcast. As of this article, his Build Your Network podcast is on its 688th episode and consistently ranks on the top charts. After sharing his experiences with GLO, we have compiled a list of the basic “How to…” questions that reflect his advice for business podcasts for entrepreneurs. Chappell offers key insights into the world of podcasting and the mindset one should have to achieve success.

Why is a Business Podcast Useful?

Before getting into the “How to…” questions, Chappell explains why he believes everyone needs a podcast. His attitude focuses on “all the other things that come along with having a show” rather than the downloads or the marketing opportunities. A podcast provides you with the luxury to learn and expand your network. The podcast can do just as much for your individual improvement as it can for your business, if not more. When you create a podcast, you take responsibility for your audience and the deadlines set in place. You must continuously grow to provide content for the show. Bring this mindset into your podcast to get better value out of it.

How do I Start the Podcast?

For some, the most you should do is hire someone to make the podcast. There are plenty of skillful individuals out there who specialize in building a podcast for your business. If you have the money but not the time, utilize those people.

For those who want to do the heavy lifting themselves, your first concern is to choose an industry or topic. Stick with the industry. Do not deviate from the one you choose. You want a consistent theme across the podcast to create a constant audience. Next comes generating content. While only your imagination determines how much content you create, focus first on interview-based content.

Interviews are a great way to simultaneously generate high-quality content, expand your network, and establish credibility. Chappell recommends starting with a list of at least 100 names in your targeted industry. Now is not the time to be humble, but certainly realistic. We are far from the perfect world where everyone on your list responds. But that should not stop you from going after the big fish. If you cannot get their attention now, use the accumulating list of past, present, and future guests to reel them in later. You are aiming for volume with this list. The more people you reach out to, the more content you generate.

How to Find People?

Making a list is challenging, but getting your foot in the door with those 100 plus people will likely prove more difficult. Be personable when reaching out. Copying and pasting the same message 100 times will surely land you in the spam folder. Find out their likes, dislikes, even what they are doing this year. You need to reach out to each individual with the knowledge of what content they can generate for you and how you can help them. Once armed with that knowledge, get that foot in the door. A discouraging first response should not be the reason you cross a name off that list. If the front door does not budge, get creative and kick down the side door. You will likely need to kick a few side doors to get the high-profile people.

How to Market My Podcast?

Once you have the content, all that remains is finding an audience. Chappell found that the most successful method of marketing was doing guest appearances on other podcasts. In comparison to other media, podcasts have a much smaller audience, and the market is far less saturated. Podcast listeners are the ones who listen to podcasts. It may sound redundant, but that makes it no less accurate. Effectively using your time and money means grabbing the attention of people who already listen to podcasts.

A successful podcast does not appear overnight, but ensuring you begin the right way is crucial. GLO members are a great place to start collecting names for that list of at least 100 people. There are plenty of doors waiting to be kicked down in the GLO community.