How to position yourself as an authority in your field through podcasting

Thought leadership.
Authority in your industry.

These are very desirable traits that most business owners and executives wish for themselves and their companies.

But “how to become a thought leader” is an ongoing question…

In this article, we are going to share how podcasting is one of the fastest routes to becoming a thought leader in your industry.

What makes someone thought leader?

For a brief moment, I would like you to think about who the thought leaders & authorities are in your industry. Chances are a few big names come to mind.

Now… what makes them a thought leader / authority? Why do they come to mind?

While many factors make someone a thought leader, there is one that is an absolute must…

Thought leaders publish content.

To be a thought leader, you must put your thoughts and ideas out into the world OR facilitate thought provoking conversations with others.

Podcasting positions you as an authority & thought leader

When you begin podcasting, you immediately begin establishing yourself as an authority and thought leader in your industry.

You start having thought provoking conversations with others.
You are choosing to publish content and put your own ideas out into the world.
You are are a “Podcast Host” which is something more than 99% of the others in your industry are doing.

By taking the step to host a podcast, you are putting yourself at the epicenter of your industry.

Reach out to prospects & partners as an industry authority

When you have a podcast, others will begin to look at you as an industry authority. While you may feel some “imposter syndrome” for those first 10 episodes… eventually that will fade.

By the time you reach 10-20 episodes, things start to change. You get comfortable with interviewing. You will have had some big name guests on your show.

And then the shift begins… your industry begins reaching out to you. Other companies in your space will start pitching you to come on your podcast.

It sounds crazy at first, but it makes sense. Appearing on others podcasts is considered a great marketing and PR channel for many companies.

In fact there are entire companies with a core business model of booking you to appear on podcasts. As your podcast grows, you will be seen as an influencer and soon the industry will start becoming attracted toward you. 

Starting a business relationship as an influencer is powerful

Imagine for a moment that you reach out to someone with a cold sales pitch. In that moment, you are perceived as a sales person trying to get them to buy something. Your perception is not great.

With a podcast, you reach out as an industry authority and you are wanting to interview this individual. The entire perception changes with this approach. Instead of being viewed as “trying to sell me something” you are being viewed as a trustworthy industry authority.

It is likely that the guest may be interested in figuring out how to collaborate with you. They want you to like them since you carry weight and authority in the industry.

It’s a powerful dynamic that helps create strong relationships and great revenue potential.

Case Study: Diana becomes a startup influencer

A great example of this is Diana Chen, host of the Startup Happy Hour Podcast. When Diana started the podcast, she wasn’t a pro or influencer in the Startup space. She was an ex-attorney looking to make a career shift into the startup industry.

Yet, after just 3-6 months running her podcast, she started having people reaching out… Startup founders were now asking to be on her show. 

These were credible guests and the exact personas of the types of people she was trying to network with and interview. 

In just a few months, Diana went from an entry level person in the Startup industry to being an authority & influencer who is attracting Startup Founders to her. 

As a result of this show, Diana landed a position as Head of Content Marketing for a VC backed startup with a six figure salary.

In just 6 months, Diana completely changed her career trajectory and perception of herself in the startup industry.

If you want to be seen as an influencer or authority in your industry, then starting a podcast is a great way to do that.

How would being a thought leader impact your business

Imagine for a moment that you are 6-months into your podcast and have 25+ podcasts under your belt.

You now have people in your industry reaching out to you wanting to be on your show. You’ve interviewed some big name guests with name credibility.

You now have a platform to reach out to nearly anyone in your industry and ask them to be on your podcast.

You have a tool that let’s you network with the top leaders and influencers in your industry.

What kind of impact would that make on your business?

Ready to launch your B2B podcast?

Content Allies helps B2B companies launch revenue-generating podcasts. We schedule interviews between your ideal prospects & strategic partners. You show up and have engaging conversations, we handle everything else.

Contact us to discuss podcasting for your business.