On this episode of Rhodes to Success I interview Frank Sardella who uses his podcast Will Work 4 Patience a way to market his chiropractic business. This episode is another in the case study series as Frank and I discuss how important your backstory is in positioning yourself as an expert, the importance of the niche, whether or not to create a pilot episode, predictability and evolution, and monetization.
Main Questions Asked
- What is your business and how do you make money?
- Who are your clients and when did you start your business?
- What was the turning point of getting into podcasting?
- What were your expectations going in and how did your perspective change the longer you podcasted?
- Why did you create a pilot episode and do you think it's a good idea?
- Do you see as podcast sponsors as distracting the audience from what you do?
Key Lessons Learned
Getting Into Chiropractics
- Frank got started in chiropractics after a chiropractor saved his live more than 20 years ago.
- Within 3 months of taking a job at the chiropractor chain he was promoted to the role of director of marketing and learned the ropes of the industry.
- Frank decided to help thousands of chiropractor help their patience in order to have a bigger impact and help millions of people.
- He connected his art, advocacy and public speaking and expanded to modern wellness professionals.
- Frank has a system of face-to-face marketing and e-marketing, which is the model of his business on how he generated revenue.
- In 2011 Frank discovered online conferencing, which revolutionized the business and enabled him to work with people globally.
Backstory and Creditability
- When you use a podcast as a marketing tool you need to position yourself as an expert and let people know what you do.
- When people consider working with you they want to know who you are as a host, your backstory and if you are credible.
- In order to have credibility you need to put some of yourself into your show and demonstrate passion and purpose to the listener.
Your Niche
- Its not enough to say you just want to do a podcast you have to have something to give.
- You have to have a niche and avoid being general.
Podcasting
- In radio you do a live broadcast and it’s gone forever. With a podcast, you do an episode and it’s there forever.
- Many podcasters use elements from different media in each show.
- It took Frank 2-3 years of recording 20-30 episodes to just get the show well and truly rolling.
- The podcast isn’t about getting coaching clients first, its about getting listeners and readers of the blog.
- Podcasting is about providing so much value that it brings people into your community.
Expectations, Patience and Pilot Episodes
- From the time you start to when you see the results could be an obscenely amount of time.
- Pilot episodes help create the platform and enable you to figure out where you want to go from there.
- Glean format from other podcast rather than content.
Format: Predictability & Evolution
- After about 5 episodes you need to get into a rhythm and be consistent with the format.
- Every episode should be predictable.
- It’s important to evolve and let the show go where it will go.
- The biggest evolution should be due to feedback.
- You have to be okay with testing something and it not being a good idea.
Monetization & Affiliate Marketing
- Frank had the idea of affiliate marketing before he had the idea of the podcast.
- The types of affiliate relationships you want to build are those that come through you but build the relationship you already have.
- If the client wins then you win.
- Can you expand on your niche and make it valuable to the sponsors?
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The music in today's episode was written by The Danger Os and produced by Nick Palmer. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/thedangerosmakemusic
Links to Resources Mentioned
Chiropractic Marketing Advice (Podcast)
Ready Fire Aim (Book)
