#108 – Melanie Benson on How to Create Your Podcast Book Tour

Melanie Benson, host of the Amplify Your Success Podcast, is the Expert-preneur’s Authority Amplifier.

For over 20 years, online business owners, course creators, authors, speakers, and service professionals have used her proven strategies to STAND OUT in a crowded market, create a magnetic message that generates a flood of ideal leads and exponentially increase revenues by leveraging their Unique Profit Amplifier.

Melanie is author of Rewired for Wealth, co-author of Voices of the 21st Century and Entrepreneur.com’s Start Up Guide to Starting an Information Marketing Business, and her success tips are featured in Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Woman’s Day, and Parenting Magazine. Melanie serves on the Women Speaker’s Association Executive Team and is a member of the Association of Transformational Leaders.

Melanie combines her extensive traditional education (she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management) with multiple advanced certifications in Project Management, Results Coaching, Neuro-Linguistic Programming and even a license as a Spiritual Counselor to get her clients past their obstacles and into impacting the world in a fulfilling, and profitable, way.

Melanie lives just outside of the Los Angeles area with her husband and bonus children who she practices her hobby on – being a closet gourmet paleo chef. As an avid lifestyle enthusiast she spends her free time in search of the best spas and beaches in the world.

Tips:

What I find so exciting about podcasting is that podcasts are literally available 24/7. So whether you’re walking the dog, running on the treadmill at the gym, or driving across the country on your summer vacation, you can listen to a podcast. That means there are enormous opportunities to bond and connect with a listener when you are a featured guest expert.
There are over a million active podcasts. That means leaders of communities you have never been exposed to are actively searching for great content. That creates opportunities for authors.
The more popular podcasters, especially those who are good at batching their time, have episodes lined up for 12 weeks to six months. When planning a book tour or a launch, I think it’s really important to plan ahead. You want to line up your podcasts a minimum of 90 days out, if not six months out.
One of the mistakes authors make that just cuts the energy on the podcast is they don’t have a magnetic title. They’ve got a title that’s so vanilla or so generic that it doesn’t pop.
To get on a top podcast, pay attention to what the podcast is about. Craft a version of your key concept that your book refers to. Pitch that to the guests or the host. Make it fit their model of the world.
Don’t tell long-winded stories that don’t build momentum. Stories need to teach, to inspire, and to get somebody so intrigued that they become invested in wanting to buy your book, get your freebie, or book a consult with you.
It’s up to you to create the long-term buzz and momentum from a podcast. Post the podcast on your media page with a link. Put it into your social media rotation.
Your social media followers are often dormant connections. When you share your authority-boosting podcast episode with your social media followers, they say, “Oh, I didn’t know Dan did this,” or “I didn’t know Melanie was an expert in this.” They see a topic that’s relevant, listen, and then wake up and become intrigued. They tune in to you and your message and usually will become a hot prospect.