Being A Center Of Influence Podcast Media Maven With Christina Nicholson of the Become a Media Maven Show

Wish you were one of those influencers with raving fans who binge on your every word, consume all your content, buy everything you have to sell, and demand even more. Then stay tuned while Authority magazine columnist and buzzfeed contributor Tracy Hazzard shares strategies, tips, and tactics from top videocasters, podcasters, authors, and social influencers on creating that bingeable factor. Now let's join Tracy as she explores how to rise above all noise with the binge factor.

Hey, everyone.

Welcome to Feed you'd Brand center of Influence. I'm Tracy Hazzard, and I'm excited today to bring you a media maven, Christina Nicholson. I love that. Become a Media Maven is her podcast and she is a publicist. She helps clients get media. She helps media train. She's got a ton of things under her belt and she's got a lot of TV experience, too. So her business is called Media Maven and her podcast Become a Media Maven. And she's a TV host who helps bloggers and business owners grow by reaching thousands, even millions of their ideal customers or clients in minutes rather than months through the power of traditional and new media without spending big bucks on advertising. You can see her in front of the camera as a host on Lifetime TV in national commercials, and read her work online in Huffington Post, Thrive Global Inc. Magazine, and Fast Company. I was really excited to have her on the show. This got pushed back a couple of times because she had a baby. And so I'm super excited to have her on, though, because she's got a really great perspective of what it's like to book people, to pitch people, to get booked to have them on our show. And she's personally doing this, and she's been doing this for a year and a half. The other reason I'm excited to have her on the show is she's a student of Pat Flynn, and so everyone out there knows he's. I mean, we consider him sort of the godfather of podcasting along with John Lee Dumas. And so she learned directly from him as well. So love to share what she has to say and how you can become a media maven through podcasting.

Christina, thank you so much for joining me today. I'm really excited to talk Media Maven.

Thank you. I'm so excited to chat with you. Yeah.

So how long have you been podcasting now?

I've been podcasting now for about a year and a half.

Oh, that's all. It seems like you've been doing it for quite some time because your show has.

I'VE been a guest on podcasts for about four years, and I started my own a year and a half ago.

So now I understand you are a student of and fan of and friend of Pat Flynn, who we talk about on our show a lot, so. And is he. How is he why you got started?

Actually, his podcast was the first one I was a guest on, like, four years ago. I didn't even have a public relations agency then. I actually listened to him because I started a lifestyle blog after I left TV news, and I was like, oh, my gosh, this Pat guy, he's so cool. I want to be on his podcast. And then fast forward a couple more years. I had a PR agency. I started working with him in his mastermind. I took his podcasting course and launched my podcast. And then I had him as a guest on my show for, you know, helping me get it all set up. I figured I should have him on. Yeah, why not, right? And then I was on his show again. Smart, passive income. Around the same time as well, so. And then he came back on my show a second time. So he's been on my show twice, and I've been on his show twice. That's awesome.

Well, I did. As I was prepping for our interview today, listen to his episode on his book, Super Fans, which I read, and it's a great book, and I love the process of it. So in some ways, though, you know that sort of super fan model of you promoting him, him promoting you. You got a little drafting going on for the launch of your show.

Yeah, no, it was good. I mean, there's nobody better to learn from than Pat when it comes to podcasting, building super fans, the whole thing. I remember when he came on my podcast the second time, I thought, oh, my gosh, no pressure. The man who taught me everything about podcasting is on my show. And he was like, yeah, Christina, don't mess up.

Yeah, don't scare me. Please make it easy on me. Well, I love that. That's really great. Now, did you find when you started, though, that there were things that you expected would be easy and then they weren't, or things you thought were going to be really hard, and then they were so easy?

I think for me, something that comes easier to me is, like, the actual process of editing. And I think this is for a couple of reasons. I come from a TV news background where we are on tight deadlines, and I was editing audio and video, like, in no time to make, you know, the five o' clock news, so I can Edit a podcast real quickly. And I think the other reason I can do it so fast is because I don't cut out. I mean, there's people who. They will cut out breath and they will cut out likes and ums. And I'm like, that's just how you talk and you breathe. Like, everybody breathes. You don't need to cut that stuff out.

That doesn't get cut on tv, so.

Right, exactly. That's how I think of it. So I still edit my own podcast, and people are surprised to hear that. And I'm like, yeah, I do it. You know, watching the Real Housewives, it's just like mindless, busy work to me. Something that is hard, I would say. And this, you know, kind of goes into my PR world a little bit, is being consistent with pitching yourself to be a guest on other people's podcasts. It's the best way to grow your own podcast. Because podcast listeners, they don't just listen to one, they listen to multiple podcasts. So it's so important to be making the podcast rounds and, you know, looking at all of the different categories, maybe you have an angle that works with parenting, the entrepreneurship category, the marketing category. Like, there's so many different categories and so many different things that you can speak to regarding your industry and your expertise. And there's so many podcasts out there that you should be making the rounds and pitching yourself and being a guest on other people's podcasts. And that is something that I'm going to focus on more in 2020. I was pretty good at pitching myself on a regular basis, but, you know, then other things get in the way and you don't make it a priority after you're on a few podcasts. So I think that's probably the hardest part is just being consistent with pitching yourself to be a guest on other podcasts.

Well, you know, it's really interesting because those in the marketing PR world and all of that have actually the. Are the least consistent with podcasting. I found over time. Like, out of all of our 300 plus clients that we have here that we have, our marketing people are the worst at producing regular shows. They get really busy, things shift on them, and they stop for a while and then they lose interest. And then they were like, oh, my gosh, I have to pick it back up again. And it's so interesting because you've been pretty consistent with your show.

Yeah, I'm very consistent. You know, it's funny, my show, it does come out once a week every Tuesday, and I Think I've only missed an episode twice. And the first time was this last August. I was at Podcast Movement, and I just didn't plan ahead. And I was like, look, I'm at Podcast movement right now. I can miss a podcast episode for that reason. And then the other time, I was actually through the birth of my third child, which just happened in October. I was pretty good. I planned in advance for that one, and then I just planned to actually skip on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. I just figured, hey, it's the holidays. Whatever, I'll just take a break. So I'm pretty consistent with launching my own episodes. And I think I just stopped pitching myself because with my PR agency, we had a lot of growth last year, and we brought on a lot of new team members and created some new SOPs. So I was working a little bit more in my business than on my business, but now it's back to working on the business, and that is me treating myself as a client. And I think one of the best ways to build your brand and build your thought leadership is by being a guest on other people's podcast. I do the traditional media thing still. That is more something that comes to me just from my background being a TV news reporter and contributing to different online outlets, but pitching myself as a guest to podcasts, it's definitely a priority. This year, the goal is four podcast interviews a month and quality podcasts. You know, like, I want to be on good ones. I want to talk to people that I like about topics that people care about.

That's one of my favorite things that you talk about. You talk about the statistics that people get, all vanity metrics as you refer to them. And, you know, this is so true. All I get is requests from PR firms who really don't understand podcasting. And they say, oh, we want any of your shows that are, you know, a million downloads or more. I'd be like, are you sure you want those shows? They're not converting. I've got some great shows that do 10,000amonth. They're amazing. Their conversion rates are off the chart. Wouldn't you rather be on those? Oh, no, our client insists on this. And I was like, I don't really think your client understands.

And then you try to explain it, and they don't care. They don't want to understand. Like, they like the vanity metrics.

Exactly.

Yeah, it's annoying.

It's really annoying. So, yeah, so, you know, it's really interesting. So we're just about to do this big event. It's the super bowl, pre super bowl event. And it's marketing and sports, obviously athletes. And I was able to convince them, as cause we're in charge of podcast row, that I was not going to follow any of the rules, that I was going to just select those shows that had the most relevance. And they let me. So we're excited about that. I was like, finally somebody gets it.

Yeah, it's so true. And I feel like maybe more people are going to be getting it as time goes on because podcasting is just getting bigger and more popular and the media industry in general is changing. So I hope that people understand the value of who is listening and not numbers. And I kind of go back and forth on how I. I'd like to hear your opinion on this, on the fact that download numbers are not easy to find and you really just have to ask the host to share a screen grab of their dashboard to see how many episodes are downloaded every time they they release a new episode. You kind of have to look for other signs like their social media or their ratings or the reviews. And sometimes I'm like, well, it'd be nice to know. But then it's like it's just a number and you don't know really who's behind that number.

Absolutely. So here's what we do. Over here we have our podcast statistics and our website statistics side by side. So if your website's not growing, then you're doing something wrong. So if it's not driving traffic back to your website from your podcast, then you're not doing it right. And so your organic growth on your website is really apparent. You can check, anyone can check. Semrush, I know that you mentioned that I don't know if they're sponsored, but you've mentioned them before on your show and that's what we use here. But there are lots of other ones you can check and anyone can check on a site. It doesn't matter. So that's what I do. I look at that and say, is their blog pages growing? Is their podcast pages growing? Is their Google ranking growing at the end of the day? And if those things aren't happening, then they're not the right fit for us or for our clients in terms of guesting. And that's how we look at it.

That's a great way to see. Yeah, that's a really good idea.

We just had this really interesting thing happen. So my very first podcast is on 3D printing. It's called WTFF.

Really geeky.

And we were reached out to by HP late last year and they asked us to do a special season with them, like a series. And I said, well, you know, we haven't published in 10 months or something because we stopped the show. And they said, it doesn't matter. Your Google ranking dominates the first 10 pages of Google for 3D print podcasts. He's like, there's no unseating you, so we might as well work with you. Even though we weren't currently publishing.

Wow.

Yeah, so that's how we look at it. Because that is publicly available information. Because I, yeah, I've seen it and you can ask for screen grabs, but at the end of the day, what you don't know is, is that audience doing something, are they going to buy, are they going to listen, are they going to convert? You don't know that even from the downloads.

Well, and something else too is, is this being shared not only on the podcast host side but on the guest side? Because I find this struggle with clients. No matter how many times I tell them, like, look, whether you're a guest on a podcast or you were just featured in an online article, like, you need to be sharing that on social media. Tag the podcast host, tag the writer, share it multiple times, send an email out to your list, put it on your marketing materials. I feel like so many people, they jump on these podcasts as a guest and then they do nothing with it. They just assume that they're going to be the next big thing and everybody heard it and that is not the case. Like this is podcasting, especially when you, you're a host and you bring somebody on as a guest and vice versa. Like it is a two way street. You need to support each other and help build each other up and give each other publicity.

Yeah, that's exactly the case. So you talk about it because, I mean, your show is called Become a Media Maven. Like being a media maven isn't just about getting the media placement. Right, it's about what you do with it after.

Exactly. I mean, I feel like that's where you turn the publicity into profit. And so many people don't understand that. And I also think so many people are just getting impatient because it's getting harder and harder to stand out and build a brand because we just have so many messages in our face all the time that people, they just want to go straight to being a big deal when really, like, there's stepping stones to get there. You need to start small and work your way up and people just don't have the patience for it. And they don't want to take the time to be strategic. And it's a shame because the people who do take the time say it'll take them five years to become a household name. They're still five years ahead of that person who just wants everything to just fall into place and happen magically or go viral right away.

Right?

Absolutely.

Early on, I did 12 guest placements on some shows just to test out the marketplace before we even started our show. And if you look at that, even back then, I still made about a thousand bucks an hour for my consulting time. And so $12,000 worth of my time, 12 hours. And it turned in by the end of the year because I wasn't pushy about it. I didn't really even care if the show had a lot of downloads. I only cared that they fit the audience was a fit. And I screened them myself. That at the end of the year I discovered that I'd done $120,000 worth of business. So I amazing 10xing of those guest placements. And so that's amazing. Yeah. So I think of that. That's what people don't consider. They're so impatient. They want it to have an immediate gratification, needs an immediate boost. Sell some books, you know, whatever that is. But if you really trace it back over time, it has a residual effect. Yeah.

Oh, for sure. And I. There's different ways you can track that with like opt ins and things like that. But it's also sometimes hard to put an ROI on building a brand.

It really is.

Yeah. Like, everybody asks like, oh, what's my ROI going to be? How much money am I going to make for this? And it's like, it's not about like a direct. Like, this isn't like a pay per click thing where you can see the numbers and the analytics like that. This is building a brand and being a household name and just being top of mind when people talk about you and your expertise. And I just feel like everybody needs to, like, take a deep breath and remember patience. Like, it takes patience to build things that are worthwhile. And not everything can be tracked with analytics. Like, this is a reputation. This is a word of mouth type of business.

So that's another funny thing I was just thinking about. So I was working with a marketing firm and I was training them on what the podcasts are about, how to look at them, how to consider them. And they said, we have clients who come to us and say they just want to do a podcast test of 10 episodes. And I say, well, that's the reason we have so much pod fading, because people are going in saying, I want to test it, which will be about 11 episodes, which is where the pod fading, like, lowest cutoff is. Most people quit at 11 or 23.

That's crazy.

I know. And I was like. First I looked at them and I was like. And you said it was okay. Like, why would you say yes to that? I mean, just the time, the money, and setting up a show and doing all that for you to only do 10 is a waste of time and money. Why wouldn't you at least say, do at least 25? At least I will get a return on investment. It's a full catalog worth. It'd be like all the chapters in a book. It'd be like only writing half a book.

That's like those people who start a blog or they open up a new Instagram account and they're like, okay, I have a blog. I can start charging people and making money. Like, no, it doesn't work that way. You have to give people a reason to pay you. Like, let people find you and listen to you and then pay you. Like, it's crazy. People, they don't. They only see what happens on the outside to other people who are hosting podcasts, but they don't see the behind the scenes of, like, the 10 years it took to be an overnight success.

That's right. Absolutely. Well, you know, there's something you're an expert in that I'd love to have you talk to our audience about. And that is the difference between paid pr, which is what we see a lot of going on in certain brands and bigger companies, and what you've earned and owned.

Yeah. So this is something that's, like, changing a lot. Things are becoming more pay to play in the industry, for sure. And it's very frustrating because a lot of these outlets are getting clever, for lack of a better word, at hiding that some of these things are advertisements. So I think you still need earned media. Like, you still need something that's like, you deserve to be here. And when I see something or I hear something and I know that person or that business is just paying to be there, they lose all credibility with me. It's like, okay, you're just there because you're paying for it. You're not actually an expert because if you were, you wouldn't have to pay for it. Like, that's honestly what I think. And then as far as, like, your own media, you should constantly Be sharing content. You should constantly be adding value, sharing those media hits, and then paid. Obviously, ads are nice. It's a way you can guarantee coverage. But ads should come last. And ads should come if you have a big budget for ads. I just think that people go the advertising route because they want something quick and they want to guarantee and they want to control the message. And it's a lot easier to pay for an ad than it is to spend all day, every day, pitching yourself to be a guest on podcast, to have a segment on tv, to write an article for Inc. Magazine. Like, it takes time and it takes strategy, and people just don't want to do that. But when it lands, it means so much more than any ad that you can pay for.

It always shocked me when I would write a really great profile of a company or I do something in my ink column, how few of them used it as ads.

It's the best ad.

Yeah, it is. Because it's not you saying that about you. And so I was always shocked at that.

I was like, what?

Why aren't they doing that? They're spending ad dollars. Why aren't they doing it with that?

And my frustration comes from me telling them to do it. Like, after they get this amazing publicity, I'm like, okay, take this, turn it into an ad, or take this and share it. And they don't. They do nothing with it. And I'm like, okay, you're really defeating the purposes of paying for my services if you're not listening to me. Because I'm telling you how you can turn this publicity into profit. But all I can do is keep on telling you like you do you. But yeah, that's definitely how that works.

Well, I so appreciate you giving your perspective here. Well, let's go back to a little bit more about podcasting and do you have some advice for someone who wants to start out and start one right now?

Yeah, I mean, just do it. Like, I feel like there's so much overthinking that happens and people will say things like, oh, I don't like hearing my voice. Well, I was a TV reporter for over 10 years. I didn't like hearing my voice either. But guess what? It's my frickin voice. And if I want to be a TV reporter, I'm going to have to hear it every once in a while. Like, stop overanalyzing and just do it. And it's not about you. Right. Like, people do this stuff with video too. I know a lot of people, they incorporate video with their podcasts as well. And they say, oh, I just don't like the way I look on video. Well, it's not about you. It's about the person watching or it's about the person listening. You know, not everybody's going to love you. And also, good news, not everybody's going to hate you either. So I think if you are thinking about starting a podcast, then just do it. But you have to commit to it. You can't be one of those people that has a podcast and they launch 11 episodes or 23 episodes, however many it is. Tracy. And then be like, oh, not enough downloads. I don't have any sponsors. I'm going to quit. You have to really change your mindset and know this is a long term strategy. So if you're willing to commit to it, then you should totally go ahead and start. I would also suggest hiring some help. Tracy, I know you help people in this industry and you don't want to go into it blind because then you're just going to waste a bunch of time soaking up a whole bunch of free content and doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Like, you need a roadmap. Like, first do this, then do this, then do this. So you are like super organized and you're actually doing it the right way. Get rid of all the trial and error, get rid of all the frustration and have fun with it. Like, if it's not fun and you're not enjoying the process, then you shouldn't do it.

Oh, I so agree about the fun too. But you know, and this is the thing, a lot of the free information out there is old. That's what my clients find. They've made mistakes or they have issues and they were following old rules that work three years ago, but don't work today. So that is another reason to get someone to help you get someone who's currently doing it day after day, today, today and tomorrow. And they will still be there doing it because they'll have support to keep you going because it's just, you know, the rules change.

Yeah, exactly, Agree.

Let's touch on some of the other tips that we do with everyone who we bring on the center of influence. So share lessons, experiences, stories, anything about the best ways to do these things. So the best ways to book great guests.

Yeah, so I would say first, don't make it about yourself. And this applies to all forms of media. Podcasting included many people, when they pitch to be a guest, they only pitch to promote themselves. It's not my job as A podcast host to give you a free commercial. I can give you a quick story of somebody who, I think she was a publicist, actually, and she was pitching her client who had a book coming out. And I actually liked the pitch. It was a good pitch. And I was like, okay, great, let's book this person to talk about this topic. And then between that conversation and the actual date we were going to record, this publicist probably sent me like, three emails talking about her client's book. And make sure you talk about this book and the book is released on this day. Can you release the podcast interview on this day? And, like, that would work for me if I knew you personally or if you were less pushy about your request. But I'm talking like, multiple emails from a stranger made it very, very clear we were only going to talk about the book and we were going to promote the book and this and that. And I just said, you know what? On my podcast, I don't do book promotions. Like, happy to talk about what is in the book by default. I'm sure she's going to mention she's got a book and where we could get it and whatever else. But, like, you're coming on a little too strong, and I just, like, canceled the interview.

Good for you.

Good for you.

Because your listeners don't want that. That's what you're so right. It's not about you as a host, it's about those listeners.

Yeah. So when you do pitch to be a guest on a podcast or you are a host, like, just keep the selling and the self promotion to a minimum because people don't want to hear about that. So that's one of my tips.

Wonderful. I love that.

Another tip I think would just be conversational. Like, you get on some podcasts and they sound like robots or it's very clear they're reading from a script. Like, it's okay to slip up every once in a while. You don't have to sound perfect. So just be conversational and don't worry about being perfect or sounding perfect. Like, don't edit out your breaths. We all breathe.

Well, another publicist out there. Please don't over prep your clients because we don't want people to say the same thing again and again and again.

Yeah, like, it's just not. It's just not conversational.

That's right.

I love that.

So what are some of the best ways to increase listeners?

I think the best way for podcasts is just to be a guest on other people's podcasts, because Most people, they. I don't know what the stats are. You probably know more than me. They subscribe to more than one podcast.

It's like a seven, I think is the average.

Yeah, that's a lot. So. And if you are listening to one podcast and you hear a guest and they mentioned that they have their own podcast, you're probably going to search it and subscribe. So I think that's the best way to grow your listener base. And then also mentioning it in Facebook groups is helpful. Something that I just did, for example, Dirty John, popular podcast. It was a Bravo TV series based on a true story. So I am going to interview Tara Newell, who was. She was the daughter of the woman who was dating Dirty John, married to Dirty John. And he, he attacked her daughter and then she fought back and killed him in self defense. Sorry if this is a spoiler, but y', all, it's been out for over two years. Okay.

You should already know how it is.

You should already know this. So anyway, I'm gonna interview her on my podcast. So I posted in a couple of Facebook groups that I'm in, like, hey, I'm going to interview this person on my podcast. Do any of you guys have questions for her? And people in the comments are asking questions and saying, oh, I can't wait to listen to this. So then after I record this interview and I get the podcast episode up, I'm going to go back in that Facebook group and share it. So those people who maybe didn't know about my podcast before know about it now. And then something else that I do in every episode, I always ask people to subscribe, leave a rating and leave a review. And this can sound like super repetitive, but if you don't ask people to do that, then they're probably not going to do that. You just need to like remind them. And I don't think there's any harm in asking people to subscribe or leave a rating or a review because if they like you and they like your content, they're like more than happy to do it. And then I also explain, like the ratings and reviews help, like move me up in the search in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher, wherever you find me. Just because it shows that you're liking what you're hearing. I'm getting more downloads. I have a lot of reviews or I have good ratings. So it influences my perception of how people are liking the show. You know, if you see I have a lot of five star reviews and you're like, okay, it must be good, I'LL listen too.

I love that. That's great. I mean, people do forget to ask, why are you not doing that? So you mentioned before that you edit your own show, which is amazing, but what else do you find helps you produce it in a professional way?

Okay, so something that I do actually like when I'm doing the interview, I am taking notes as we're talking. So this is something that I did in tv and it just really, like, speeds up the process of editing. I'll like to find a tease, you know, that I like. Like a quick little sound bite that I'll put at the beginning or I'll use for my social media teases. So as I'm talking to you, I'm writing down the time codes. Like, I can see that rolling. And if you say something really cool, I'll note that time code. If, like, Amazon is ringing my doorbell or my baby starts crying, I'll write down that time code so I know exactly where to go to edit that out. So I never listen to my entire show when I'm editing. Instead, I just look at the notes that I've taken during the interview and I'll just go straight to that time code to either cut something out or pull a sound bite. And that just speeds up the process.

Oh, he would be a dream client for us because our clients don't tell us. So we do have to go through the whole show and listen to it for them and find the bells and the dog barking and all those things for them. But you would be a dream client if you put that down.

You should request that for them. Well, we have it.

It just they don't use it. That's why they hire us.

Oh, damn clients.

I know. Really? So how are some of the ways that you've encouraged engagement? So now you got these listeners, you've got some people around. How are you encouraging them to engage with you?

I think it's really just asking, like, asking for that engagement and then something else that I do and you're going to have to tell me, like, because, you know, I'm a newer podcast host. I've been at it for a year and a half. I think podcast hosts like having other podcast hosts on just because we kind of get the industry. So sometimes if I'm pitching myself to be on a podcast and I think this person's got a cool story or my audience would like to hear from them, then I will also ask them to be a guest on my podcast. So I don't know if people call it podcast swapping. Or whatever it is. And I don't know what the etiquette is. Like, do I pitch myself and invite you on in the same email? Should I do it in different emails? I don't know.

I have people who do do that. Like, I mean, it is that. Let's do a swap. And then, you know, the whole thing is. It feels a little weird. And so I am always a fan of. I just rather invite the people I'm interested in and like the most. And if they ask me on, great. If they don't, oh, no, you know.

Maybe it's not a fit.

If we didn't establish a relationship and rapport, then I'm probably not going to establish a relationship and a rapport with their audience either.

Yeah, or like, after you have them on, then be like, oh, well, I'd love to be on your show too, or whatever. But I think that's another good way to boost engagement. It's a great way to build relationships with people, that's for sure.

Well, I want you to mention here, because you do an ask me anything style show. Is it just once a month you do it.

Oh, so once a month I do a solo show where. So I have no filter and I just kind of talk and I say crazy things sometimes. But I did do an ask me anything show, and I got so many questions that, like, my episode was going like 45 minutes, and I was like, okay, people, we got to do a part two, because this is taking too long.

Well, that's what I want to know. So how do you get questions? Because I get that from a lot of podcasters who ask me and they're like, we got crickets. We didn't get any questions. I don't know what to do. And my answer is, you said you were going to do one, so make the questions up, but. And assign them to people. Because that's how I did it in my very first show. I mean, because you can't start a show with an ask me anything kind of model and expect people to have questions when they don't even know you have a show yet. So, you know, you have to find another way.

I did my first ask me anything just a few months ago. So I was already podcasting for over a year, probably about a year. And I asked on social media, and then I asked my email list. I asked more than once. So I asked specifically just for that podcast episode. But a lot of the other solo episodes that I do, like, it could literally be a question that, like, a client asked me once and I'll do a whole episode on it. Like, I have an episode. I think it's like 35 things to do after you earn media exposure. Like, we talked about that today. Like, I took a whole episode.

We're definitely linking to that here in our blog post. So, you know, don't worry about that, everybody. We will be linking to that one.

So even if it's just like one question that somebody asked you like three months ago, like, turn that into a whole episode, because I'm sure you could find things to talk about. And then the way I just kind of plan those out is every episode is a folder in my Google Drive and I just kind of write bullet notes just so I can stay on topic. And you know, it has some kind of organization to it. I don't really write a whole lot out. It's like, okay, first point, talk about this. Second point, talk about this.

I like that. I like that method too. So have you found that those solo shows do better than your interview shows?

It depends. Like, some interview shows do better than solo shows and it kind of go back and forth. And I'm gonna be completely honest to you. I honestly, I don't look at my stats a whole lot. Me neither. Yeah. So I don't know, like the specifics of what are the best episodes. This and that. I do know one of my most popular episodes I did have a guest on and it was about like using social media in a way where you actually make money. And I think that just because, you know, everybody thinks they just post one thing on Facebook and then their business is going to blow up. So we kind of set the record straight on that one. But I think it's more the topic and the headline of it than whether or not it's a solo episode or there's a guest on.

So. Well, speaking of, many my last tips that we do are the best way to monetize your show. And it could be alternative monetization. We're not talking just ads here.

Okay. Yeah. So yeah, I mean, obviously there's a sponsored route, but you have to have a lot of listeners to do that. For me, again, I focus on long term. So if I'm a guest on somebody's podcast or if even if it's my own and it's relevant, I'll tell people to go to pitch publicity. Profit.com. that's my free three day video media class. And that is my, I think my highest quality lead magnet. I just tell people to go there and then they get on my Email list. And then if they want to buy something down the road, then cool, they could buy something down the road. But I don't do sponsors. And then I also. I don't really sell anything. I just give away a whole bunch of free stuff. And I don't really sell to my email list a lot either. Like, the last time I think I tried to sell something to them, it was like, six, seven, eight months ago. Yeah, usually people, like, I just want people to, like, come into my orbit, and then I just want to give them a bunch of free value, and then if they want something from me, I feel like they'll ask me, and then I sell it. And that's usually how it's been going for the last few years.

That's wonderful. Do you find you have binge listeners?

I don't know if I do or not. I mean, if people binge, nobody's told me, so. Yeah, I don't know if I have binge listeners or not.

I suspect you do, just because if someone's looking for a lot of advice, I suspect you do. But then you'll probably see it mostly on your solo episodes, where you'll see, like, a whole bunch of spikes happening in a day on all of those episodes. Episodes.

Okay, well, I have to look at my stats then.

You'll have to check that out. Yeah, I suspect that you do, though, because you do have a lot of free things that you're teaching and your advice you're giving. So I would suspect almost every podcast that has that sort of educational side to it seems to have binge listeners in some way shape or form. Interview episodes, just straight ones don't always. But the education ones.

Yeah, no, that makes sense.

Yeah. So you already were a person of really high authority. I mean, you had a lot of TV spots and other things, but have you found the podcast leading to anything? You know, that unexpected, some kind of authority boost that you're like, wow, I didn't know that that podcast hosts were in such demand.

I think the only thing that I could think of is, like, when people say, oh, I listen to your podcast, like, if I'm at an event. Or like, I was speaking last year at the Mom 2.0 summit in Austin, and I was just talking about how mom bloggers could get media exposure, and somebody was like, oh, I listen to your podcast. I love your podcast. So I think just being, like, recognized by people who you don't know, or I think the best thing. And this goes both with my podcast and my YouTube channel. Like, I'll just get emails out of the blue from people and be like, oh, my gosh, I did exactly what you told me to do. And look, I'm in this publication or I just got featured here and I'm like, oh, my gosh, I don't even know you. And you've been listening to my stuff and not telling me, and you've been, like, doing what I'm telling you to do. And then you just email me and be like, look, I'm in the media. Like, that's really cool because it's like, oh, I didn't know you existed. And here you are telling me that you've been executing what I've been teaching and it's working. So that's really cool.

You know what, that's so true, though, that so often we think that, you know, especially people who are very concerned about, you know, is this converting for me, when they don't hear back from people right away, they think, oh, it must not be working. They must not be listening. And then all of a sudden you meet someone as, oh, I've been listening to you for months and I've done all this stuff you said to do, and now I'm ready to be your client.

Yeah, that's really. I mean, it's like. I mean, I guess that's the power of media, right? Like, you're reaching so many people and you don't even know it unless they tell you.

Yeah, I have that happen to me with my columns sometimes. Some people will say, I did exactly what you asked and it got me into Best Buy or it got me into Walmart. And I'd be like, it did. Well, why didn't you tell me sooner? I know, which in my column, there's not really, unlike our podcast, where we can actually say, hey, if you had a success story, I'd like to hear it. Where you can invite that in with a column. You can't.

So, yeah, that's so cool, though. I mean, that's like the best thing to hear.

Yeah. So have you had more fan interactions that really surprised you?

I think last year I probably got it more than usual because I did a lot of different events, whether I was speaking at one or attending one. And then other than that, they just come in through email. Since having a baby in October, I've just kind of been like, laying low, not leaving my house. But thank goodness for Wi Fi. I'm still, like, connected to everybody. So I think, like, my fan interactions, like, somebody will see me post something in a Facebook group and Be like, hey, were you. This happened last week. I posted something in a Facebook group and somebody commented, were you on John Lee Dumas EOG Fire? And I was like, yeah. He was like, oh, yeah, I remember that episode. I remember you. Like, they recognize my name or something. And I'm like, oh, well, that's cool. Like, I made an impression.

Well, we're starting out the 2020 here, and I would love to know what's on your media agenda for the year.

What.

What do you want to accomplish this year?

I mean, honestly, it really is, and I'm not just saying this because I'm talking to you, but it really is podcast focused this year. I want to get on four podcasts or book four podcasts a month and really work on my business and not in my business. And podcast is a big part of that. I'm bringing on publicists on my team to focus solely on podcast pitching in addition to traditional media pitching, just because I think it's so important and it's only getting bigger and more popular.

I love that. Well, I'm so glad you are doing that. So become a media maven. Comes out on Tuesdays, right?

It comes out on Tuesdays.

Yep, Tuesdays every week. Christina Nicholson, you are amazing, and I am so glad you came on our show to talk to us about how we can all become a media maven.

Well, thank you so much for having me. It was nice chatting with you.

Christina Nicholson is just so amazing, what she has to say about the focus of media not being about you as the featured person, but as the readers, the listeners, the viewers. That's an amazing insight that you need to take to heart. We really need to be focused on outside. What's in it for the media that wants to cover us, what's in it for our podcast listeners? Looking at it from that focus, I think that's the most brilliant thing she said today. She said tons of different brilliant things and gave us great tips. I just love that one, though, because that really highlights her focus and how she trains and how she teaches and how she coaches and consults for her clients. I love everything that she's doing with that focus in mind because it's shifting the way that media is shifting. It's shifting the focus of how things get pitched and. And how people come on shows. And when we start to think about that in a different way, that's the kind of publicists we want to work with. We want to work with the publicists who get what it's like today, who deeply understand podcasting. Who deeply understand TV and streaming and how all of these new media is working today. And by doing, you have a deeper insight. And that's exactly what Christina Nicholson brings to the table. So don't forget, become a media maven. Tuesdays. Every Tuesday. I'm excited to keep bringing you more center of Influence features this year, but what I have right now is not as many people applying. So I'm going to ask my audience out there, those of you who are podcast hosts, you need to apply to me. You need to let me know you want to be on the show. And for those of you who are listening to podcasts, urge your podcast host, urge the person you're listening to to come and be on my show, to come and be featured in Authority magazine and to be featured in Thrive Global and buzzfeed. All of those things come from this. This is free media. This is not paid media here. But I find it so interesting that people aren't reaching out and they aren't finding and asking. And it takes a lot for me to book up these shows. So I want to make sure that I'm reaching out to as many people and listening to as many diverse voices as possible. So, hey, apply this year. I'd love to feature you. So thanks everyone for listening and there's going to be a lot of retooling to feed your brand this year. So we really appreciate it and we'd love your suggestions. And you can do that@feedyourbrand.co, where you can also find the blog post for this episode and all the links that we mentioned, including the 35 things that Christina mentioned. So we'll definitely have that in the blog post as well. So remember, featurebrand.co and everywhere on Social Eat yourbrand. Thanks again for listening, everyone. This is Tracee Hazzard on Feed. You'd brand.

You've been listening to the Binge Factor podcast. For more information on podcasting and videocasting success tips and tactics, please go to thebingefactor.com and be sure to listen to our other show for podcasters called Feed you'd Brand. If you'd like to be interviewed on this show as well as featured in Tracy's comment column, please go to thebingefactor. Com Guest and apply.