It’s Social Media, Not Sales Media
By Cheval John
You receive an invitation from someone to be your friend on a social media platform (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn,etc).
You accept the invitation and feel good about it.
Immediately, you receive a message talking about liking their Facebook page, visiting their website or buying their product.
All of a sudden, you feel like another number and realize the person does not care about you.
The problem is many businesses or salespersons are really quick to go for the closing sale.
Just because it worked pre-social media does not mean it will work now.
You must be very authentic and build relationships if you want to be successful in this day and age.
It is why most businesses are reluctant to embrace social media because they understand you must be vulnerable and also show they really care about the customers.
If you can show your customers that you care, you and your business will be way ahead of your competition.
On the other hand, if you are the person who are going for a quick sale after connecting with a person, your reputation will be ruined because people will be talking about you in a negative light.
Have you dealt with someone who tried to go for the sale on social media quickly?
You can share your comments below.
Video courtesy of Common Craft
Second Lesson In Podcasting: Choose Your Niche
By Cheval John
This post is the second lesson (chapter) of my second book “8 Lessons Every Podcaster Needs To Learn” that I am blogging as part of Nina Amir’s “Write NonFiction In November Challenge, #NaNonFiWriMo.”
Though the challenge already began, it is not too late to join in on the fun of blogging a book in a month.
If you want to participate in #NaNonWriMo, visit the website at www.writenonfictionnow.com
Hope you enjoy this post below.
You might be wondering if you should aim for a general audience or go for a niche market.
You would think that it is easier to go after a general audience because you want to show that you are well rounded and also want to cater to everyone.
In a lot of ways, it might work if you want to display your experiences to a potential employer or in the case of a freelancer, a client.
However, that can cause you to lose your audience because you are trying to please everyone and are stretching yourself thin.
The best thing to do when you are starting a podcast is to go for a niche market.
Whether it is marketing, sports, self-help, etc., you are solving a specific need and in the process, creating a loyal following.
Dori DeCarlo, a seasoned entrepreneur, first got into podcasting after launching the show, “The Three Wise Girls” with co-hosts Debbie Barth and Linda Alexander.
During one of the shows, Dori did a two part segment on Mompreneurs, a woman who is a mom and is an entrepreneur.
In the process of that segment, Dori found her niche.
With the encouragement from her co-hosts, Dori launched her own show called “Word of Mom” which evolved into the network, “Word of Mom Radio.”
In the four years since launching, the network has received over 70,000 downloads in 2013 and is continuing to grow.
So if you want to grow your podcast, focus on a niche market because you will separate yourself from the crowd.
Video Courtesy of Tom Corson-Knowles
Introduction To Podcasting
By Cheval John
As promised in my last post, “The Process of Writing A Book,” I will be sharing each chapter of the book “8 Lessons Every Podcaster Needs To Learn.”
This will be my way of letting the readers of this site get to see my writing process in creating a book and also I want to be as real and transparent as possible.
I want the readers to be a part of the book writing process and share their feedback with me on whether this book will be beneficial for those who are looking to create their own podcast.
So without further ado, here is the “Introduction” to the book.
Podcasting has made a resurgence in the last 10 years.
It was a once forgotten medium because the technology was only available on computers.
After Apple created the iPod in 2005, many flocked back to podcasting because they believed that they could reach a wider audience.
They are signs that podcasting will continue to grow in the near future.
The reason is because Apple has led the way in innovation again with their new product, the Apple Carplay.
Carplay allows anyone to connect their iPhone to their cars.
It was released this year on selected car models like Ferrari, Honda, and Hyundia and will be available on all newer models with the rest of the big name brands in 2015.
One might think this is all great, but what all this have to do with podcasting?
The answer is everything because the iPhone has given people the capability to download their favorite podcasts and listen to it anywhere.
That means that if you are small business owner, freelance writer, a college student who are trying to showcase their expertise in order to land their dream job, etc, starting a podcast will allow you to reach your target audience and establish your credibility.
And it gets even better with Carplay because podcasters are able to reach people who have to commute to work on a weekly basis.
So you might still wonder why I should journey into podcasting when the medium is the 11th social media platform used by 6% of marketers according to the 2014 industry report by Social Media Examiner?
The reason is because that same report has indicated that 21% of marketers are going to create their own podcasts this year and 24% are thinking of the possibility of having a podcast.
So if you are convinced and are ready to have your very own podcast, I salute you.
As you are thinking about what platform will best fit your podcasting needs, the third chapter, “Start A Podcast” in my first book, “8 Things You Need To Do Before Quitting Your Job” explains what platform will work for the newbie podcaster.
When you come to the decision on which platform you feel comfortable with in creating your podcast,
more questions will enter your mind like how do I secure my first guest?
Should I reach out to that A-Lister or should I start local with the people I know?
This book, “8 Lessons Every Podcaster Needs To Learn” will be the step-by-step guide to grow your podcast the right way.
It is based on the lessons I learned the hard way while hosting my very own online radio show/podcast, “What’s The Word?” on BlogTalkRadio.
My hope is that you will avoid the same mistakes as a podcaster and that you will grow your personal brand and establish yourself as a thought leader whether you are a business owner, freelance writer, college student or even an employee.
Let the lessons begin.
Video courtesy of Cliff Ravenscraft
The Process of Writing A Book
By Cheval John
I had made a commitment that 2014 was going to be a break out year.
Along the way, I had a strong desire to write a book because it was a worthy challenge.
I can see why that is.
According to a New York Times article by Joseph Epstein, 81% of Americans dream of writing a book.
Only a few fulfill their book writing goals and I wanted to be among them.
So I made a commitment to Suitcase Entrepreneur, Natalie Sisson in her workshop that I was going to have a book written by the summer of 2014.
I was able to fulfill my promise and released the book, “8 Things You Need To Do Before Quitting Your Job” in April of this year.
Though it was a huge accomplishment to become an author, the book did not do well because I failed to do a book launch and market the book.
I even got a brutal feedback by a publicist who said that the book was not ready for prime time.
To make sure that I do not experience that failure again, I decided to take part in Nina Amir’s “Write NonFiction In November Challenge.”
A person who takes part in the challenge will have to blog their manuscript of their book and get it finished by November 30th.
Though I am a couple of days late to the challenge, I can get the book done because I have already written the manuscript on paper called, “8 Lessons Every Podcaster Needs To Learn.”
I will be starting the challenge tomorrow with the introduction of the book and you will be seeing “chapters” every Thursday, Friday and Saturday in addition to the posts relating to sports and travel.
I feel that it will be fun to let the readers see the process of writing a book and also leave their feedback on the book.
Have you ever thought about writing a book?
Sixth Lesson In Podcasting: Be A Good Listener
By Cheval John
This post is the sixth lesson (chapter) on podcasting.
It is part of a series of posts for my second book “8 Lessons Every Podcaster Needs To Learn.”
To read the back story on why I decided to blog the book, you can click here.
Here is the 6th lesson below, short and sweet.
One of the most important things a person can do during a podcast is listening carefully to what their guest are saying.
Most of the time, the interviewer will ask a question and then focus on what they are going to ask next.
When a person only focus on what they are going to ask instead of listening to their guest, they miss out on an answer so insightful that can benefit the listener.
If you don’t listen, the guest will believe that you do not care about what they have to share with you and your audience.
When that happens, your podcast might suffer and it will be hard to build it back up again.
So if you want to gain insightful information during your podcast that will benefit your audience, be a good listener.
Your guest will appreciate it so much that they will give you praise when they are showcasing their appearance on your podcast.
Video courtesy of Psyche Truth
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