There was a time when convincing clients that podcast appearances had any value at all was an important part of my job. These days, however, hardly anyone needs convincing: in a world in which the top podcasts command listenership counts that rival and even exceed network TV, I’m more likely to find myself defending the value of a TV spot. Podcasts are just that powerful. The right appearance can be positively transformative for thought leaders and brands.
However, what the “right” appearance actually amounts to is not always a simple calculation. When it comes to building genuine, lasting authority, biggest does not always mean best.
If you want to use podcasts to get known, the best place to start is by getting to know the podcasts.
The Real Value of Chart-Topping Shows
Most clients’ initial goal when it comes to podcasts is, understandably, quite simple: they want to get their message in front of the biggest possible audience. This naturally means–or so the logic goes–that they ought to be seeking out the biggest possible shows. If you’re an entrepreneur, you want to be on Diary of a CEO. If you’re in psychology or medicine, you want to be on Huberman Labs. After all, numbers don’t lie.
And, to be fair, they don’t. They just don’t tell the whole story.
There’s a crucial fact that these numbers omit: when it comes to building authority, what you really want is to get in front of an audience where your message will actually land. If only a vanishingly small percentage of those millions of listeners will actually engage with your work, is it really that much of a victory?
One of the things that podcasts allow brands and thought leaders to do, more effectively than almost any other medium, is to actively shape conversations. Podcasts allow you to get your message not just in front of listeners, but in front of communities. This is where real, deep, ongoing engagement comes from.
And this is where the value of targeting niche opportunities becomes clear.
Get In Where You Fit In: The Value of Niche Podcasts
Let me establish this right off the bat: 2k monthly listeners is nothing to sneeze at. Our number-crunching brains immediately see this listener count and think “Well, this show must be 1000 times less impactful than this one with 2 million listeners.”
When it comes to podcasts, the calculation is actually not so simple. One of the beautiful things about the current podcast landscape is that, for every major category we think of, there are dozens, even hundreds of sub-categories to drill down into. There is “Entrepreneurship,” yes, but then there are mindset- and wellness-focused shows for entrepreneurs interested in self-optimization. There are tech-focused shows drilling deep into the specific tools that entrepreneurs are using in their industries. I can’t say I’ve confirmed this myself, but I would not be surprised in the slightest if there were a show out there aimed at left-handed brown-eyed Gemini entrepreneurs in the heavy manufacturing industries born between the years of 1970-1989.
And if you’re a left-handed brown-eyed Gemini entrepreneur in the heavy manufacturing industry born between the years of 1970-1989, this latter show would provide even more direct value than a general-interest entrepreneurial one. These are the kinds of conversation that lead to ongoing industry connections even after the mics have been turned off.
A long-running show with a consistent audience frequently delivers much more tangible results than a popular show that is an awkward fit. Even better if that show has an engaged Patreon community or other associated social media groups: these help ensure that the conversation remains ongoing and leads to real connections that drive genuine business value.
Keeping The Discussion Going
None of this is to say that it isn’t worth shooting for big-time opportunities. They can be transformative if you land them.
However, it’s crucial to remember that even much smaller opportunities can be just as transformative. Highly targeted appearances that deliver actionable insights to an engaged, niche audience translate to the kind of authority that truly means something to your audience. Niche podcasts allow you the joy of nerding out alongside others who are in the know while also making a meaningful mark on the conversations that mean the most to your audience.
This is when authority becomes impact.