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As a professional, continuing to develop yourself is critical to success. We attend conferences to listen to expert speakers; read articles and pour over case studies; and follow the advice influencers share in books and online.
One of the most efficient tools in our arsenal of growing our knowledge is podcasting. Many of experienced thought leaders we learn from share their tips, strategy, and advice through podcasts. It’s an extremely effective tool to reach millions of listeners quickly and efficiently. Unless working with a media outlet, podcasters typically have full control over the branding and content shared in their podcast – allowing them to be their most authentic selves.
The best part about podcasts? You can listen to them virtually anywhere at any time, whether it’s in your car, at your desk, on the treadmill… You get the idea. And if you miss one, it’s saved in the feed and you can always go back.
There are thousands of shows on hundreds of topics available across multiple streaming outlets like Apple, Podcast One, and Stitcher. When you’re in the business world, where does one begin? Here are my Elite 8 of podcasts to try out, ranging from social media marketing to leadership to entrepreneurship:
This podcast delivers exactly what its title is – online marketing made easy. Host Amy Porterfield delivers bite-size, applicable online marketing strategies applicable to every business and entrepreneur. Podcasts typically run 30-45 minutes and are centered around one main idea, and a guest is typically brought on to help share their ideas and strategies surrounding that one main idea.
Suggested Episode: How to Plan Your Promotional Calendar Like a Boss
Leading social media experts share their tips and tricks in a weekly 45-minute podcast with host Michael Stelzner. It’s a deep dive that includes suggested tools to utilize for your business, and Stelzner even provides show notes with links to tools, action items, and the big ideas shared in the podcast on his website.
Suggested Episode: Live Video and Marketing: Where the Industry is Heading
Short on time? Then check out The $100 MBA Show, hosted by Omar Zenhom. It’s a 10-minute podcast that cuts through the fluff and gets right to the point. It’s a bite-sized podcast that gives you tactics and ideas you can put to practice right away.
Suggested Episode: How to Know When It’s Time to Make a Change
This podcast is all about the realness – real people doing real work in social media sharing their real insights. It’s hosted by Convince and Convert’s Jay Baer and Salesforce’s Adam Brown. They take a deep look into just how major companies like Johnson & Johnson, The Coca-Cola Company, and more make social media tick for them.
Suggested Episode: 5 Unmistakable Lessons from 50 Social Media Leaders
This podcast is fantastic in that everything shared is extremely relevant to today’s business world. It’s a lot less storytelling and a lot more strategizing, so you don’t need to listen to them in a row to stay current with the story.
Suggested Episode: The Science Behind Customer Loyalty and How to Start Increasing It Now
This is another podcast to listen to when you’re short on time. This 15-30 minute show, hosted by Byran Orr, specializes in covering small business topics. However, small business topics still apply to big businesses, too. Not only does it cover professional topics like office management, project management, or human resources advice, but he and his guests also cover personal topics – like how to stay driven and motivated when everything is going wrong.
Suggested Episode: Finding Success and Significance
Host Jon Buscall does a fantastic job of packing a great amount of information into a 20-minute podcast, on topics outside of the normal realm of business. For example, in one episode, he goes beyond website strategies and dives into WordPress security specifically. From conversion tactics to usability to automation, Moondog Marketing Podcast covers it all.
Suggested Episode: LinkedIn Contact Requests as a Marketing Technique
Where many podcasts dig into nuggets of actionable items, Duct Tape Marketing stays fairly high level with bigger, more robust topics. Host John Jantsch and guests cover topics such as storytelling, networking, and productivity, to name a few. It’s a podcast to listen to from start-to-finish to truly get the most from it.
Suggested Episode: Are You Born for This, with special guest Chris Guillebeau
If you’re looking for more, I recommend checking out Proven’s list of 40+ Best Small Business Podcasts on the Planet. Are there other podcasts that make it into your Elite 8 that weren’t mentioned?
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Stephanie Duncan is the Communication Coordinator for Veterinary Hospitals Association, a member-driven association organized to represent the interests of their over 345 members and the veterinary community. She also blogs irregularly atOh So Sociable. Follow Stephanie and VHA on Twitter at @theStephDuncan and @VetsHospAssoc.
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