Converting Attention

For a long time, I’ve been hesitant to really engage in social media and even post much publicly.

All of the “brand” work I did was in my podcasts, Rogue Startups and Seeking Scale.

But the thing I’m realizing in working more closely with some of our most successful brands at Castos Productions is that podcasting is just one of the content channels that really great personal brands engage in.

To be honest, if you want to be a 10/10 personal brand, you have to have a thriving:

• Social Media
• Podcast
• YouTube Channel
• Email newsletter
• Blog

But that’s a ton of freaking work.

Even for me with a team like Castos Productions who can produce as much audio and video content as I can create, it’s hard for me to stay consistent with creating that much content each week in that wide variety of media (media here being the plural of medium).

To take a step back, though, the reason I put social media at the top of that list is that it is the leading edge of most new exposure of your brand.

See, I break down marketing into a very simple framework:

Get attention on Borrowed Channels, and convert it to Owned Channels.

It’s really that simple.

Notice I didn’t say it’s Easy, but it is Simple.

To move attention from Borrowed Channels like social media to Owned Channels like your podcast, website, or email list means asking the audience to take the next step with you.

This is where the beauty of podcasting as a medium comes in. If you publish a post on Twitter and someone likes it, they very likely could listen to your podcast.

If they then listen to your podcast, they will hear what you have to say for the next hour (or 2 or 3 if they start binging!).

Just the total amount of exposure to you, your way of thinking, your values, and your experience are orders of magnitude longer in podcasting than any other format.

Imagine how long the Tweet would be that recaps the same 45 minute podcast episode?! Nobody would read it.

But they’d love to hear you talk through your thoughts on recent development in your space, your hot take on Threads, or just give a personal update.

In no other medium can you share the amount of information that you do in podcast. It’s great.

But ultimately, whether it’s converting the borrowed attention you get from social media to your podcast, your blog, or your email newsletter that should be the overall goal of social media.

Post interesting, helpful, and insightful content on social so that people want more from you, and give them the opportunity to do that on Owned Channels like podcasting, email, or your blog.

So, how are you crafting your social media campaigns not just to get more followers but bringing those new eyeballs into your world where you can really share what you’re all about with them?