e-ttraction podcasts - Business Essentials: The power of audio in your brand
Recently I was contacted by the team at Business Essentials to record a podcast about Personal Branding which made me think about the leverage that audio can have in your personal brand.
I get contacted to do podcasts quite often and enjoy doing them so was happy to share some knowledge and made a time to head out to their Hawthorn studios here in Melbourne.
On arrival, with my son in tow, as it was during school holidays, I was impressed with their full soundbooth and gigantic mixing desk. I realised it wasn't like my podcast which is a Skype interview or in my meeting room in the office recorded on my laptop. This was professional!
The interviewer, Heather Dawson, was very organised and had read my entire book in preparation and had prepared questions relevant to my business. The sound engineer even made me repeat some phrases as they were not 100% clear. This was a quality business and very professionally run. Qudos to Nick for his leadership in attracting good talent.
The real connection with the business, however, was when I read about the company background and discovered that Nick had taken over the business when his father, the well-known journalist, Michael Schildberger, passed away. The personal story touched me and I remembered my advice to my clients to share their personal stories as it connects on a deeper level than business advice.
That's why I was so pleased to be chosen to be on the cover of the March edition for the publication. Great people and respected company, just the type of people I like to be associated with. As I always say, you work best with people who share your values (see my values blog here).
So how does this help you in your personal brand strategy? Just think about the opportunity I have been given. I got it by being a thought leader in personal branding, through my assets like a book, quality LinkedIn profile and personal website. I provided 2 hours of time to be positioned as an expert to over 2,000 of my target market. To get that many people to attend a presentation from me would cost tens of thousands of marketing dollars.
My advice to any small business owner out there is to build your brand and create e-ttraction or inbound opportunities. It takes time and some setup costs, but the benefits far outweigh the effort.
If you would like me to personally review your brand and give you some feedback on how to become influential in your market, just message me on LinkedIn or click here.
You can read the Business Essentials story below...
"Business Essentials Media Production was established in 1984 by acclaimed journalist and broadcaster, the late Michael Schildberger who, together with the highly regarded economist Professor Neville Norman, had a vision to take high quality business information to a wider range of businesses than just the large corporate clients who could afford to pay for personal briefings.
Hence the birth of the monthly Business Essentials audio series - the first subscription-based audio business magazine in the world designed for small and medium-sized businesses. After a first attempt at offering the series in video, Michael and Neville quickly switched to audio. This was what the market told them was needed as a more convenient format for busy business people on the move. Often people would listen in the car.
For 30 years, the Business Essentials audio program has delivered succinct, practical and timely advice and tips to thousands of business operators. Subscribers have described this audio series as "inspirational", "invaluable" and "addictive". Many say their businesses have grown as a direct result of ideas and advice they've received from Business Essentials.
From the original audio cassette format, the Business Essentials audio program moved to CD and is now also available online.
Like most businesses over the years, the company has expanded, contracted and moved with the times. Business Essentials has had operations in the United States and in the UK. For a short while in the 90s, the business became a publicly listed company Infosentials, returning to its grass-roots expertise in audio and video production as the tech boom crashed. Recently, to re-emphasise its media production expertise, it has emerged from a friendly alliance under the Business Essentials banner to become Business Essentials Media Production Pty Ltd.
Clients over the years have included the major banks, insurance groups, accounting firms, software companies, building contractors, mining companies, medical colleges and pharmacy groups. We’ve helped Australia’s largest brands – and small businesses looking for greater recognition and growth.
Professor Neville Norman continues to deliver his valuable economic forecasts to Business Essentials members, and Michael's son, Nick Schildberger, is now Managing Director. The business supports a team of highly experienced journalists, producers and directors. This experience guarantees that every product we create lives up to Business Essentials Media Production's reputation for the highest quality standards, reliability, attention to detail and ability to deliver within budget every time."