A question we're frequently asked is, Will podcast interviews help me to sell copies of my book? If you lean into the strategy of being a guest we've seen this work really well. We look at:The importance of setting clear goalsHaving a good call to actionMaking your interviews work hard for youKey TakeawaysBefore you begin booking podcast interviews be clear on your goals as a guestConsider the different ways you could see a return on your investmentThink of your podcast interview as the beginning of your relationship with the listenerIf you’re consistently showing up on podcasts the listener has several opportunities to hear you on different shows and get to know you, increasing those touch points that will help them decide to buy from youIt’s really important to have a good call to action at the end of the podcast. Your call to action will align with your goals for being a guestYou'll get the exposure to the host's wider community - on social media and to their newsletter subscribers - when you're a guestMake your podcast interviews work hard for you by repurposing them across your different channelsQuoteView your podcast interview as the start of a beautiful relationship with a listener rather than a wham bam transaction.Mentioned in This EpisodeRupal Patel from CIA to CEODave McKeown The Self-Evolved LeaderAdam Robarts - NineteenConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Today we welcome the founder of the Poet Life, Christoph Jenkins to the podcast. We talk about:How to use poetry for team buildingWhy poets don't need to be starving artistsPoet Life's work to help young people express themselvesKey TakeawaysKeynote poets can engage your audience with word playPoetry has taught all of us to readWe can use poetry as a tool to flush out your emotions and express yourselfYou can have a career as a poetDon't ask your children what they want to be when they grow up. Ask what they want to create right nowOpen mic is a great way to team buildIt's effective to give your employees a platform to express themselves creativelyPoetry can help employees find common groundQuoteIt's not about just giving [our children] examples. It's about becoming one.Mentioned in This EpisodeObie WestConnect with Christoph JenkinsWebsiteFacebookInstagramTwitterConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

A strong one sheet will help you book more podcasts. This week on The Best Guest we're talking about:How to create a one sheet that stands outWhy a strong one sheet is helpful to a podcast hostSetting up a media kitKey TakeawaysYour one sheet will give hosts a picture of what an interview with you could sound likeYour one sheet is the place to show what's unique about you, how you're different from others in your nicheA one sheet should not be selly. It should not be all about your product or serviceYour one sheet should include your biography (written in third person), suggested topics and questions, your head shot, your contact detailsIt's a nice touch to match the fonts and colours of your one sheet to your branding. It helps hosts make that connection when they look you up and know they have the right personA good one sheet builds trust with a host and creates the right impression of youTo make sure you stand out from the crowd question, what makes you you, what sets you on fire? What have you helped your clients achieve? Why do they come to you? How is your approach different from others in your industry?Create a media kit folder. You could do this on Google Drive. Add everything a host is likely to ask for such as your headshot, different length biographies, and one sheet. If you're an author add your book blurb and different renderings of your book coverMentioned in This EpisodeGet your free professionally-designed One Sheet template here.Connect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Today Jake Thomas joins us to talk about How to Create You Tube titles that people click. Jake is the author of the popular Creator Hooks newsletter. We talk about:Finding title inspiration from other industriesThe difference between writing titles for Google and YouTubeSplit testing your titlesHow to create curiosityThe importance of modelling titles that workKey TakeawaysIf you don't have a good title no one is going to click your videoGoogle likes positivity - desire and curiosity rather than negativityGive the audience what they want and how they want it. Think about why they're searching.It's a mistake making content that's not for your audience eg if you have a channel about running, your audience aren't coming to you for nutrition tipsIf people follow you for your personality you have more flexibility on topicsDon't write long and complicated titlesIt's worth split testing titles and thumbnails but not at the same timeOpen loops to build curiosityTaking things to the extreme can work well eg The best cameraQuoteIf you don't have a good title no one is going to click your videoMentioned in This EpisodeJake asked some of the best YouTubers, "How do you write such great titles?"And they all say the same thing: "I just model what's proven to work on YouTube."They're not better than you.They're not smarter than you.They just model successful videos.The Creator Hooks email shows you 5 videos worth modelling to help you write great titles and save time.Subscribe to the Creator Hooks Newsletter hereConnect with Jake ThomasTwitterConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Today I want to encourage you to be more visible this year. Grab that imposter syndrome by the horns and wrestle it to the ground. We reflect on wisdom shared by some of our wonderful guests over the last year and talk about:The witch woundThe importance of self-beliefHow to reframe the idea of self-promotionWhy you should show your faceNot worrying about bothering people by emailing themMentioned in This EpisodeEpisode 41 - Kelly WeekesEpisode 40 - Rupal PatelEpisode 33 - Catherine BerryEpisode 6 - Teresa Heath-WareingConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

In episode 65 we welcome 100k+ Creator, Keynote Speaker & Coach, Travis Brown to the podcast. We talk about:The most important part of video creation (not what you think)How to make videos 5 times as fastHow to get viewers with the sound off to engage!About Travis BrownTravis Brown is a 100k+ Creator, Keynote Speaker & Coach taking hundreds of creators to 10,000+ Followers, Millions of Views, and 5 Figure Months FAST. He’s the co-founder of Social Boom where he teaches creators how to grow a massive following and monetize it. After starting several successful side hustles, he’s now helping others build their own empire so they can fire their boss! Travis has over 10 million reels views in the last 6 months by creating high value no BS videos for his audience (and none of the videos are trendy). His goal is to share this method so more creators can beat the ALGO and share their message and impact with the world regardless of their niche.Key TakeawaysYou do not need a fancy camera to get started with Reels. Your phone is more than enough.Nobody doing more than you will ever criticise you.If someone criticises you remember someone has probably done that to them and they're trying to pass the hurt on to you.If you compare yourself to your favourite creator today, and you're at your beginning point, that's not a fair comparison.You do Zoom calls and Facetimes all day so you're used to video.Carry out research on YouTube and TikTok before you create your video.It's important to have a hook so that you can capture attention in the first three seconds so that people stop and look.Don't try to memorise the whole script. You can film line by line and piece it together.It's important to use captions so people without sound can follow along and for accessibility.You have to make your own process that fits your life whether that's creating videos every day or batching content.Don't let any gurus tell you that you have to post three times a day and you have to put a cover and you have to use trending audio. None of that is true. You have to show up with a good idea that you're talking about something people are interested in and deliver it in the best way possible.You should make the content you wish existed or something you'd enjoy watching.When you find something that works, do it again.You need to be somewhat predictable so people know what to expect.QuoteVideo isn't the future, it's the presentMentioned in This EpisodeFinal Cut ProCap CutSony ZV1 CameraCanva10x Video ChallengeConnect with Travis BrownInstagramJoin Travis and Dan's video challenge hereConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

As 2023 approaches and you're considering your goals for the coming year I'd urge you to consider a podcast interview strategy if you really want to make an impact. With that in mind this week I share five tips for getting booked as a guest on podcasts. We look at:Auditing your Online PresencePutting Together a one sheetMaking a List of Potential PodcastsEvaluating the Podcasts you findHow to Pitch a PodcastMentioned in This EpisodeFree One Sheet Canva TemplateConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Do you want to increase your domain authority? Are you looking to build backlinks to improve your SEO and drive more traffic to your website? Did you know that podcast interviews are a top way to do this? On this week's episode we talk about:What are backlinks and why do we need them?How podcast interviews help you to build backlinksHow to get maximum SEO benefits from your podcast interviewsKey TakeawaysEvery site has a domain authority - a number between 0 and 100 and this is based on how important Google thinks your site is.A backlink is a link from another site to yours and Google sees this as a vote for your site.A backlink from BBC News has more weighting than a small unknown random site.By building backlinks you improve your SEO and your domain authority.Most podcasts have show notes and you get at least one back link here.Most hosts will ask which links you want them to include in the show notes. If they don't, ask.If you're asked to provide a title for your episode make sure it includes one of your keywords.Transcribe your episodes and turn them into optimized blog posts on your website.Connect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

In episode 62 of The Best Guest we welcome Your Nope Coach, Suzanne Culberg back to the podcast. We talk about:Moving from 1:1 clients to a group programA membership vs a programThe size of Suzanne's audience when she launched her programAbout Suzanne CulbergSUZANNE CULBERG is a coach and author, who helps over-givers and people pleasers learn to set boundaries and say ‘No’ in a way that feels good.Through her signature online program Why W8? Suzanne has helped hundreds of women break the cycle of putting themselves last and instead build the confidence to set boundaries.Suzanne’s passion for helping women is fueled by her own experiences of over-giving, over-consuming, and over-doing everything. She’s on a mission to not only help women set boundaries for themselves but also to make boundaries normal. We should be saying ‘No’ more often.Suzanne is a Certified Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic programming (NLP) and holds a Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours). Suzanne also has Certificates III and IV in Fitness,and is a Certified Sacred Depths Practitioner.Suzanne lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband Jeremy and her two young children who keep her both busy and entertained. When she’s not coaching her clients, running her programs, sharing her latest wisdom on Facebook Live, podcasting or writing her popular newsletter, she can be found reading, enjoying Diamond Dotz, or burlesque dancing. She is also a big fan of Yoga.Key TakeawaysIf you're an introvert podcasts interviews are great because you're having a one to one conversationIf you struggle with boundaries it can feel hard to leave a membershipWhen you're not clear on your boundaries how do you expect your clients to beEverybody has Facebook. It's wonderful for running a programEliminate your Facebook newsfeed with Newsfeed Eradicator so you don't get distractedThe learning curve of running a program can be steep - the tech, managing a group dynamicIf you're early on in your business hire support on a contract basisBy teaching live you can shape the program to each cohortSuzanne did not have a large audience when she launched Why W8? Her list was 280 and 50 people signed up. The beta round of the course was only $97Having a large list adds to your costs so you want your subscribers to be engagedIf you're planning to do a program don't do a beta and offer huge discounts as you won't attract the right peopleIf you're going to continue with your 1:1 clients be clear about the difference in service between your 1:1 and the group programQuoteWhen you are not clear on your boundaries, how do you expect your clients to be?Mentioned in This EpisodeWhy W8?Newsfeed EradicatorConnect with Suzanne CulbergWebsiteFacebookInstagramNewsletterConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

This week's episode is for you if you don't have a solid, uninterrupted 8 hours to focus on your business, have various demands on your time and are struggling to fit everything in. We talk about:How to choose which tasks to do whenThe joy of focus sessionsWhy it's important not to overschedule your dayKey TakeawaysWork out what time slots you have available in the day but don't timetable every second. You need a buffer in case unexpected things come upTry out Microsoft focus sessions. Set the timer and the do not disturb will go on. You won't see notifications popping up so you can give your task your undivided attentionDo not work all the hours trying to squeeze everything in. If you're working late don't work early as wellIt's important to look after yourself. Don't give up everything such as Netflix. You need time to recharge as well.Outsource what you can and ask your team members to support you with client work and other tasksMentioned in This EpisodeThe 10x Rule by Grant CardoneMicrosoft Focus SessionsEpisode 58 with Kris Ward - Win the Hour, Win the DayConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

In episode 60 of The Best Guest we welcome Donna Kendrick, the author of A Guide to Widowhood: Navigating the First Three Years, to the show. We talk about:What you can do to prepare for an unexpected lossThe best ways for friends and family to support a widow or widowerThe stages of navigating your finances in widowhoodAbout Donna KendrickDonna Kendrick will never forget that “Omgosh, what just happened?!?!” moment when she discovered her husband Greg passed away suddenly in November 2013. During her time of grieving Donna quickly realized that she had stepped into a new role overnight, one where she had to take control of her family’s finances in order to keep life consistent for her and her kids. Important family decisions came on real soon and real quick, and Donna had to figure out how to navigate this new season in her life, which meant finding the professional resources to help. Donna has made it her life’s work to help other widows and widowers navigate their own financial decisions in the first days, weeks and months of widowhood... and the years to follow. She is the author of A Guide to Widowhood: Navigating the First Three Years (pub. Epic Author July 22) which is here to help through the first days, weeks and months of widowhood… and the years to follow. Donna is also the host of the Widow, Wisdom and Wealth ™ podcast, which aims to remove the intimidation out of financial planning, so families can handle any transitions that come their way. Donna is an avid long-distance runner who turns her passion into an ability to raise funds for local causes such as Safe Harbor, a grief counselling program. In 2022 Donna married her husband Jim and between them, they have six children. Together with their Newfoundland and English bulldog, they enjoy living in the community of Springfield Township, Wyndmoor, PA.Key TakeawaysIf the worst happens make sure you take a moment to breatheSurround yourself with trusted peopleGet your state documents doneMake sure you have enough life insuranceDon't wait for widowhood to get preparedHave someone come to meetings with you to take notesIf someone you know has recently lost a partner think what you can do to make their life easierQuoteIt's okay to take the quiet time. Don't be scared of it.Mentioned in This EpisodeA Guide to Widowhood: Navigating the First Three YearsConnect with Donna KendrickSephton Financial WebsiteWidow and Wisdom WebsiteWidow and Wisdom FacebookWidow and Wisdom InstagramWidow Wisdom and Wealth PodcastConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Do you ever fall into the trap of thinking bigger is better? In our experience of booking guests on podcasts this just isn't true. There are so many benefits of talking to a small audience consisting of the right people. We talk about:Why small audiences are powerfulHow talking to a small audience can help you with your messagingServing the right people over everyoneKey TakeawaysThe fact that podcasts typically have small, niche audiences is actually one of the reasons they’re so powerful.We’ve seen some really great results from our clients being guests on smaller shows and that comes from the intimacy of the medium and the connectivity through sharing stories and giving the audience the chance to know, like and trust you.With a small audience you can develop a group of loyal fansSmall audiences are really powerful. They're more likely to buy from youThe more you understand who your audience is they more specific you can be with your marketing, your messages"The goal isn't to serve everyone. The goal is to serve the right people." Seth Godin.Quote Conversions are way higher when you have a smaller audience.– Stu MclarenMentioned in This EpisodeSeth GodinC S LewisConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

In episode 58 of The Best Guest we welcome Team Building And Systems Strategist, Kris Ward. We talk about:The Lack of Pillars in Most BusinessesThe Importance of Outsourcing and Building a TeamHow to Avoid Shiny Object SyndromeAbout Kris WardKris Ward is the leading authority in scaling your business. Kris is the founder of the Win The Hour, Win the Day philosophy. She helps entrepreneurs create their W.I.N Team (what is next) team using her signature Super Tool Kits so you can get your Idea to execution! After the loss of her husband, Kris returned full-time to her work as a marketing strategist. She was thankful to see that her business had not only survived her absence but was growing. Now, Kris has completely changed the landscape for entrepreneurs by sharing the successful practices that allowed her absence.Kris has been interviewed by one of the original sharks from Shark Tank, Kevin Harrington, and ABC’s The Secret Millionaire – James Malinchak. She has been featured on award winning podcasts, radio and TV shows throughout the world.You can hear Kris on her own podcast – Win The Hour Win The Day, where she has engaging conversations with dynamic guests covering a variety of business topics so you can get to your next win now!Key TakeawaysYour team, your time and your toolkits are the biggest misunderstandings and the lack of pillars in most businesses.Think of your calendar as your time bank account. If you're not putting everything into it, like answering your emails, you may think you have eight hours available when you actually have six.The two big things that people miss are outsourcing and building a team.With the Win Formula you should always be 60% execution mode and only 40% adminBusinesses do not run on memory. You cannot keep everything in your head.When your calendar is laid out if eliminates shiny object syndrome as you know how much time you've got.You should be able to handle anything, otherwise it's not a proper businessQuoteYou can tell a lot about a business just by looking at their calendar.Connect with Kris WardGet Your Free Gift from Kris hereWebsiteInstagramFacebookLinkedInConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

As Halloween approaches and we're busy picking out scary costumes I thought it would be an ideal time to talk about common fears that can come up when you're thinking about being a guest on a podcast and look at how you can deal with them.Key TakeawaysPodcast interviews are not the same as public speaking. They are a one-on-one conversation. It's you and the host talking, so it can be really helpful to think of it that way. Forget the hundreds or thousands of people that might listen to this episode when you're recording it. Be in the now in your conversation with the host.Take time to research shows properly before pitching and take time over your pitch to ensure the best result possible.If you're asked something you don't know, you can handle it like a politician and say, the real question is or say, that's an interesting question. I'll have to get back to you on thatShare what you've seen and you can never be wrong.As Denise Duffield-Thomas says, you don't have to be the only voice in a space, you can be one of a number of voices talking about a topic, bring your thoughts, knowledge and experience. That's enough.Mentioned in This EpisodeAndrew and Pete - AtomicGlossophobiaConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

If you're looking to be a guest on podcasts make sure you're maximising your efforts and not making common pitching mistakes. Today we talk about 10 podcast pitch mistakes to avoid.Key TakeawaysPodcast Pitch Mistakes to Avoid:Saying you’ve listened to the show and connected with something discussed when you’ve just picked something out of the show notes. Starting every paragraph with ‘I’ and solely talking about how fantastic you are.Sending a pitch that’s vague and wishy washy.Getting the host’s name wrong. (This should be number one.)Pitching to a show that doesn’t have guests or to a show that only has women, for example.Pitching to a show that’s not recording any more.Not identifying the show you want to pitch to in your outreach. Some hosts have more than one. Be specific.Ignoring how hosts ask to be pitched to.Going on and on and on and on. You need to cover the essentials but don't write an essay.Following up aggressively (but do follow up.)Connect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

The podcast hosts you connect with when you're a guest on shows are often your ideal client. Let that sink in for a moment. This week we had an email from a client telling us that a host had asked to work with her directly after her first interview. This isn't unusual and is a valuable aspect of a podcast interview strategy. Today we talk about:How to make a good impression with podcast hostsWays to build relationships with podcast hostsKey TakeawaysMake a good impression - schedule your interview without delay, send the host everything they need for the interview and show up earlyConnect with hosts before your interviews on social mediaAdd value during your conversation. Don't be salesyContinue your conversation after the recording has stoppedBuild your relationship after your interview - send a thank you note/ join a host's communityShare your podcast episode when it's liveMentioned in This EpisodeImproving Business Efficiency with Yvonne HeimannConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Stories build an emotional connection and make listeners stick around longer. They lower our defences and they enable us to teach principles in a much more engaging way than sharing a list of bullet points. Today we talk about:Why telling stories is so powerfulWhat elements to include in your storiesKey TakeawaysWhen we hear a story our brain lights up, the neurons wire together which triggers us to remember more of the information we're hearingA good story consists of a 5 act structure set out by John Yorke in Into the WoodsWell told stories release chemicals in the brain. They give the listener a hit of dopamine, oxytocin and PEA which make them feel generous, trusting and in a good moodYour stories don't have to be long and they don't have to be perfectThe more you practise telling stories the better you'll getMentioned in This EpisodeExpert EmpiresMarie ForleoTim SchmoyerPaul MortLiv ConlonTess CopeJohn YorkeConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Today we welcome leading ClickUp YouTuber and Business Efficiency Consultant, Yvonne Heimann to the podcast. We talk about:Efficient ways to manage your podcast interviewsWhy focusing on efficiency over productivity is importantHow to ensure your business can handle major growthAbout Yvonne HeimannYvonne Heimann is not only the leading ClickUp YouTuber, but also a highly valued Consultant to its developers, as well as a passionate Business Efficiency Consultant & Mindset Coach to Live Streamers, Social Media Managers, YouTubers, and Coaches.Using her knowledge of over 12 years running multiple businesses, she helps her clients organize, strengthen, and streamline their businesses into profitability and success.Yvonne is a force to be reckoned with. When her husband died, she was determined to not only resume her passion for building “bulletproof businesses” but also to make sure that those who go through something similar can find the same solace and excitement in entrepreneurship that she did.She wants everyone who goes through a life-changing challenge to know they can come out on top too – even if it takes time.Her work is driven by a vision of a world where digital entrepreneurs not only make a living doing what they are passionate about but thrive and wear their passions as badges of honor.“A world where no one is ever faced with the decision of having to put business and making money over family and loved ones.”That is Yvonne’s mission.Key TakeawaysMake sure your podcast interviews are in your calendarLogin to the podcast 15 minutes before the interview is due to start so you're readySchedule your podcast promotions so you're always promoting one interviewReview the tasks on your list and ask if each one really needs to happen. Will it have an impact? If not get rid of itAutomate as much as possible in your business so that you can focus on your geniusQuoteTo me, the word productive and what's behind it connects to this hustle mentality of we have to work 24/7. People seem to be getting really tired of this and wanting to make more educated and smart decisions based on data, which is where efficiency comes in.Mentioned in This EpisodeClick UpAgorapulseAirTableConnect with Yvonne HeimannWebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagramYouTubeConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

In today's episode of The Best Guest we welcome Elen Sentier a best-selling author of British native shamanism who describes herself as a quirky, wilderness woman who is deeply connected with nature. We talk about:What it means to rewild yourselfHow to stop people pleasingWhat happens when you're true to yourselfAbout Elen SentierElen Sentier comes from a long family lineage of Cunning Folk and was brought up as awenydd (spirit keeper) in the old magical traditions of Britain.Elen trained as a transpersonal psychotherapist with Ian Gordon-Brown and Barbara Sommers when health issues led her to retire from her career at the MOD. Elen was thrilled to discover how the transpersonal perspective integrates the personal with spiritual and transcendent aspects of being human, which meshed with the old magical ways she’d been brought up in.Elen initially opened a practice in London but always more at home in the wilderness, she and her husband, a particle physicist, left London for the Welsh Marches. Here, Elen continued to develop her practice using transpersonal psychology and witchyness to help clients become their true selves, rewild their hearts and find what makes their hearts sing.Elen has also taught her work through an apprenticeship and three-year advanced course for over 30 years. Her students, from all walks of life such as policemen, poets, stock brokers and doctors, go on to take the work into their own specialisms.To date, Elen has published 12 books with the Moon Books imprint of John Hunt Publishing, three of which are bestsellers. Her bragging rights include dancing for Arlene Philips; taking contemporary dance class with Robert Cohen; flying in Jaguar fighter aircraft; doing plasma-physics at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy; and being kissed by Mick Jagger! She loves cats, and eats paleo, and her tag-line is “If the cat and the boyfriend disagree, get rid of the boyfriend!”Key TakeawaysIt's important to be able to say, I can't buy in to thatDigestive problems can be about repressed emotions and stressSaying no gets easier when you feel your wild selfIt's important to get to the roots of why you people pleaseRealise you don't have to keep playing other people's scriptsQuoteWe mostly people please because we don't feel safeMentioned in This EpisodeWanderland by Jini ReddyConnect with Elen SentierWebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedInConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

In today's episode of The Best Guest we welcome former specialist school headteacher and author Ange Anderson. Listen as we talk about:The challenges of setting up and leading a specialist schoolTechnological and therapeutic interventions for children with learning differencesJuggling different writing projectsAbout Ange AndersonAnge Anderson M.Ed opened and led an innovative specialist school in North Wales for 10 years introducing over 25 different therapeutic/technological interventions to support pupils with learning differences. She edited and co-wrote The Future of Special Schools and Therapeutic Interventions and is author of VR,AR & AI in SEN; Trampolining for Children & Young People with SEN; Music, Sound and Vibration in SEN; and Learning through Play for SEN, all published by Routledge.Ange has written several educational articles, some of which were for the Times Educational Supplement (TES) and she contributes regularly to special education magazines. In addition Ange presents internationally on topics related to special education, such as supporting children and adults with Neurodiversity. She is also the special educational needs (SEN) advisor for a global VR company.Ange believes continuing professional development (CPD) for staff holds the key to being an excellent school and has supported schools in finding the most appropriate therapeutic and technological innovations for their school.  Ange also writes children’s books under the name Angela Morgan. As well as writing, Ange enjoys going to the ballet, classical music, walking her dog, reading and home decorating.Key TakeawaysAnything where a condition affects the brain means you're neurodivergentYou have to do a sensory profile on every child who comes into school and that will inform which therapies may helpInstead of thinking some students have behavioural issues, it might actually be that we need to teach the way those children learnQuoteNeurodivergent people experience, interact and interpret the world in unique waysMentioned in This EpisodeSnowdoniaMendiBinaural BeatsVenture into PlayTobii Eye Gaze Berard AITConnect with Ange AndersonWebsiteFacebookTwitterLinkedInYouTubeSEN Books by Ange AndersonVR,AR & AI in SENTherapeutic Trampolining for Children &

Today we're celebrating the 50th episode of The Best Guest. Woohoo! We're talking about:How I got the podcast startedLessons learned about podcasting in the last yearHow you can win a power hour and professionally-designed one sheet to kick start your podcast interview strategyKey TakeawaysYou'll get used to the sound of your voice (I promise)Free isn't always bestEditing - surprisingly enjoyable but can take agesThe Rode NT1-a microphone is fabulous and the Blue Yeti's pretty OK tooJust because your tell people you're recording a podcast does not mean they'll be quietYour podcast can provide you with so much content for your channelsAsk your guest to also record your conversation so you have a back upIf using Zoom to record your podcast don't press End click stop recordingGiveawayAs a thank you for listening and to celebrate this 50 episode milestone we’re doing another giveaway. The prizes are:A Power Hour with Victoria to kickstart your podcast outreachand a Professionally-Designed One Sheet to send out to hostsWe’ll help you craft solid content and our designer will put together an eye-catchingdesign using your branding. All you have to do to enter is leave a review with on Apple podcasts or Spotify, screen shot it and send it to [email protected] before midnight BST on Monday 12th September.Mentioned in This EpisodeCharlotte Foster PodcastsRob Moore - DisruptorsCaptivate.fmConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Podcast interviews truly have the ability to transform your business but how can you track your success? How can you tell what impact your interviews are really having? Listen in as we talk about:The importance of setting clear goalsThe different ways to track successKey TakeawaysBe clear about your goals and what you hope to achieve from a podcast interview strategy.Choose a call to action that aligns with your goals.Track your success against your call to action. For example if your CTA is an incentive to get listeners to subscribe to your list, did you see an increase in subscribers when your episode went live?Remember to also look at the other opportunities you've experienced as a result of your podcast interviews. For example, our clients have been asked to speak at conferences, deliver webinars and workshops, write features and articles.The full impact isn't necessarily going to be obvious the day or week your episode goes live. Remember content can be discovered down the line - months after you recorded the show. Your podcast interviews are assets.Connect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

If you're an author with a book coming out, when is the right time to get started with podcast interviews? Listen in as we talk about:Starting sooner rather than laterHow to talk about your book on your podcast interviewsKey TakeawaysPodcasts have different lead times so bear this in mind when booking showsYou always need to be working to increase your visibilityDon't stress about getting the timings perfectPodcasts are evergreen so you'll see benefits from your interviews down the lineAppearing on podcast shows in your niche can have a powerful impactShare your knowledge generously on your podcast interviewsMentioned in This EpisodeMeg Van Deusen - Stressed in the USAdam Robarts - Nineteen - 19 Insights Learned from a 19-Year-Old with CancerConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

As the saying goes, 'You only get one chance to make a first impression so you want to make sure it’s a good one.' Today we're looking at the importance of first impressions and how you can make sure you're making a good first impression with podcast hosts. We talk about:The importance of a good websiteAuditing your social media accountsHow to make good impression at your interviewMentioned in This EpisodeCreate a Brand and Website that Stand Out with Liz Rochester ShaddockPhotographer Catherine BerryHow to be an Excellent Guest ChecklistConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Recently I was interviewed for a Byte the Book event by the fabulous founder Justine Solomons. If you haven’t heard of Byte the Book, it has been described as the number one networking organisation in publishing. Byte the Book offers consultancy, runs events and offers lots of benefits to members.When we spoke, Justine asked all about How to Get Booked as a Guest on podcasts so I thought it would be useful to share an edited down version of our conversation with you today. We talk about:Why should you want to be a guest on podcastsThe equipment you needHow to be a great guestHow to find the right podcastsPutting together a great pitchKey TakeawaysBecause podcasts have niche audiences you can reach the right peopleShow up to your interviews with the mindset to add valueIt's better to talk to a small number of the right peopleThere are podcasts looking for guests like youAlways follow-upIt's important to promote your podcast interviewsMentioned in This EpisodeByte the BookConnect with Justine Solomons and Byte the BookFacebookTwitterLinkedInInstagramConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Good quality audio is so important when you're recording a podcast interview. There's no faster way to make someone stop listening than horrendous sound quality. Our clients get an audio consultation with Zack the Podcast Man to make sure they're sounding fantastic before they start their podcast interviews and on today's episode I share Zack's top tips for killer audio.Key TakeawaysEssential equipment - Headphones or earbuds, an external microphone and ideally a webcamIt's important to kill the echo before you recordTurn off the notifications on all your devicesTurn off heaters and fans and close windows and doorsKeep hydrated to avoid unwanted mouth soundsIf you live in a busy household put a sign to say, Recording in ProgressDon't eat, fidget or multitask during your interviewUse your microphone correctly - stay six inches away from it and turn it slightly to the sideMake sure all your equipment is working before your interview.Mentioned in This EpisodeZack The Podcast ManConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

On today's episode of The Best Guest we're talking about choosing your call to action for podcast interviews. We cover:What is a call to action?How do you choose the right call to action?Examples of great calls to actionKey TakeawaysThe call to action you choose depends on your goalsIf you send a listener to join your email list or to your social media, make sure you're active thereToo many options could confuse the listenerMake your URL easy to remember. Keep it simple.Welcome places are a great option for your call to actionYour call to action could be a free consultation or callMentioned in This EpisodeJeremy Enns' Welcome Page for his Appearance on The Best Guest.Connect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

What the heck is a One Sheet? That was my reaction when I started pitching my first client and was asked for his One Sheet by a host. Thank goodness for Google! Today we talk about:What is a One Sheet?Why you need one?What should you include?Key TakeawaysA One Sheet is an interactive PDFIt's a place to showcase what's unique about you.This is the place to be specific not generalHighlight your expertise in your One SheetYour topics and questions will set you apart from others talking about similar thingsQuoteYour One Sheet is the place to highlight what's unique about youMentioned in This EpisodeGet your free professionally-designed One Sheet template here.Connect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

In today's episode of The Best Guest we welcome SEO specialist, Sarah McDowell. Listen as we talk about:&nbsp;The importance of SEOHow being a guest on podcasts is good for your SEOThe ways you can maximise the SEO benefits from being a guest on podcasts&nbsp;About Sarah McDowellSarah is based in the UK and has around 10 years of experience in Digital Marketing, specialising in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). She is currently the SEO Manager at Captivate, a growth-orientated podcast hosting platform, which is part of Global Media &amp; Entertainment. She has worked both inhouse and agency side, meaning she has experience in working in a range of different sectors and industries. Before joining Captivate she was part of the SEO team at Holland &amp; Barrett.Sarah’s early career plans didn’t involve marketing, let alone SEO. After graduating with a 2:1 in Dance &amp; Culture from the University of Surrey, Sarah was unsure as to what career she should pursue. She enjoyed dance but knew she didn’t want a career in it. After applying for a range of different roles, Sarah accepted a job at a web design and marketing agency, and it was here that she fell in love with SEO. The rest as you could say is history… cheesy right?Using data, customer insights and her understanding of how search engines work, such as Google, she implements SEO strategies to best optimise websites, with the end goal of increasing relevant traffic, conversion and improving user experience.Sarah is also a podcaster, conference speaker, previous judge of the Drum Search Awards, trainer and co-author (book yet to be published). In her current role at Captivate, she is combining her two passions which are SEO and podcasting. She has four podcasts under her belt, mainly about SEO, with the latest one only launched a few months ago, called The SEO Mindset podcast.Key TakeawaysSEO is a channel for discoverability of your brandThe better visibility you have in Google, the better chance you have to attract prospective customers.Every time a website links to your website this is a back link. Back links help Google to trust your websiteUse tools such as SEM Rush to see what links you have to your site and what backlinks your competitors have.Appearing on podcasts is a good way to build back linksWhenever you appear on a podcast you are getting links to your websitePodcasts are evergreen. People can always come across it and find you.You're targeting a new and engaged source of traffic. You're tapping into other people's audiencesPodcast interviews feed into EAT - Expertise, Authority and Trust. Google looks at this when ranking pages and websites. Podcast interviews help with EAT because you're seen as authoritative by GoogleTo maximise your podcast appearances for SEO - Suggest a topic, do some keyword research to see what people are searching for and base your episode on that topicYou'll receive backlinks in the show notesMake sure you share your episodeRepurpose your podcast content. Transcribe it and turn it into a blogTurn your podcast interviews into social media contentEmbed your podcast interviews on your website but add some text for context. This is good quality content for your website and Google is going to see this.Make your page different from the podcast show's site so you're not competing. Find a different angleQuoteSetting up a website and leaving it is not good enough. It's like buying a lovely plant for your house and not watering it. Even a cactus needs a bit of water. So if you don't nurture it, it will die. It's the same with your website.Mentioned in This EpisodeSEM Rush<a...

Today we welcome author coach and marketing mentor Kelly Weekes to the podcast. We talk about:Ways to reframe comparisonitisHow to tackle overwhelmWhy it's important for authors to prioritise self-careHow to deal with rejection and criticismAbout Kelly WeekesKelly has been involved with books and publishing for almost her whole working life from when she first started out as a bookseller through to senior marketing roles at HarperCollins and Hodder&amp;Stoughton where she oversaw the marketing across the adult list. She has worked with household brand name authors like Stephen King and Jodi Picoult, launched debut authors and has worked on a broad selection of non-fiction authors.Since starting her own business, Kelly’s focus has been to mentor authors (and some book related organisations) through the process of marketing themselves and their books.Being an author presents all sorts of mindset and confidence challenges that Kelly became more and more aware of through her marketing work with authors. Common challenges are a fear of being visible, how to handle rejection and comparisonitis, lack of self belief, loss of confidence, overwhelm, burnout and procrastination.Through working with a coach herself for a number of years, Kelly recognised the power of coaching to transform people’s performance through working with their mindset. She wanted to take the power of coaching and use it to support authors.Last year she became an accredited coach (Institute of leadership and Management) and now works with her coaching clients to help them past any challenges they face in their author careers.Her real passion is helping existing authors who have been writing and published for a while, but have fallen out of love with their careers for whatever reason and are feeling really negative, reignite their passion for their writing again and to move forward. Nothing beats the satisfaction of seeing an author client who has been feeling burnout and overwhelmed, or has stopped writing altogether, start writing again with ease and positivity.Kelly has delivered workshops and talks on marketing and mindset for organisations like The Independent Publishers Guild, The London Writers Cafe, Byte the Book, The Novelry and Bookmachine. She is a member of the Institute of Leadership and Development.When she is not working, or has her head in a book, Kelly is often running around after her young sons. In the last year she has also started Kickboxing and has fallen in love with sea swimming, managing to swim almost every week throughout the winter.Key TakeawaysPressure on ourselves is constraining for our creativityIf you're suffering from comparisonitis think about what is triggering you. There's often a message there. Flip it to show you what's possible for you too.The time you spend worrying about what other people are doing is a wasteDealing with criticism - Know from the outset that not everyone is going to like you and that's OKIt's important to take negative reviews with a pinch of saltQuoteIf we don't have self-belief and confidence it's hard to put ourselves out there and be visible and talk about our books and projectsConnect with Kelly WeekesWebsiteInstagramCreating Confident Authors Facebook GroupConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit <a href="https://victoriabennion.com/"...

On today's episode of the podcast we welcome agent-turned-entrepreneur Rupal Patel. We talk about:Rupal's journey from the CIA to becoming a CEOWriting From CIA to CEOYour Personal Energy MapReframing the idea of Self-PromotionAbout Rupal PatelRupal Patel’s high-octane career has taken her from jungles and war zones to boardrooms and international stages. After a thrilling career at the CIA, she earned her MBA from London Business School and started her first award-winning business 10 years ago.Called a ‘Power Woman’ by Harper's Bazaar Magazine, Rupal is a sought-after international speaker and business consultant who has spoken in front of thousands. As a sitting CEO, author, executive advisor, coach and mentor, Rupal helps founders, leaders, and next generation change-makers reset their mindset and make the impossible possible.Her new book From CIA to CEO (Bonnier Books, May 2022) provides a powerful new toolkit for leaders and entrepreneurs that reveals how the techniques of the CIA can help anyone find their voice and thrive in the world of business without conforming to stale stereotypes or dated “best practice”.Rupal shares the unique skills she developed as a woman and field agent in the high-stakes, alpha-male world of the CIA, and combines those clandestine insights with her experiences as a CEO and business advisor. She brings tools and tips from the top-secret world of the CIA into everyday living and leading: methods like Profiling and Situational Awareness that help uncover and amplify strengths, and game-changing new frameworks such as Identity-Driven Leadership and Personal Energy Mapping that unlock performance, develop mental toughness, and build steel-core confidence.With motivating stories and truly unique exercises, Rupal helps her audiences leverage the CIA mindset to remake the rules of success and become unstoppable.Key TakeawaysFrom CIA to CEO is a book fundamentally for living and leading based on your values. What's important to you, setting yourself bold, big dreams, ambitions, goals, and then it contains a very practical toolkit for how you do it. You can explore and experiment. Take some of those CIA tools that I was trained in and adapt them.Discover your Personal Energy Map - Consciously map what your energy ebbs and flows are in the course of a day, week, month, season and where possible align the activities you do in your life and career with where your energy is ebbing and flowing.It's so important to put ourselves out there. People talk about it as self-promotion, as if it's somehow this in your face endeavour, where you're in people's faces. I would like to flip that and reframe it for people. It's not about being self-promoty. It's about being more visible. It's about sharing with the world, what you do, how good you are at doing that thing, the service you provide, the product. You've got this amazing idea that you want to bring attention to. If you don't, in a way it's being very selfish.QuoteWe are all leaders of our own lives.Mentioned in This EpisodeFrom CIA to CEOConnect with Rupal PatelRupalypatel.comConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Today we welcome Danae Shell to the podcast. Danae is Co-founder and CEO of Valla, the UK's first legal platform for employees. We talk about:How to scale your businessWhat to consider when building a teamWhere to find help if you're having problems at workAbout Danae ShellDanae Shell, originally an immigrant from the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, taught herself to code on a computer her family bought at a garage sale.&nbsp;With these skills she built websites to fund her college education then immigrated to Scotland to work as a programmer and social researcher. On the side, she created Knickers, a lingerie blog that became the #1 online publication for lingerie in Europe and ranked #1 for the term “knickers” on Google for five years.Danae put her newfound marketing skills to use as a digital marketer at a number of startups, helping to scale successful startups like FreeAgent and Care Sourcer, running award-winning campaigns and helping to raise £1.2m in an equity crowdfunding round.&nbsp;In her work, Danae saw far too many examples of workplace discrimination and harassment, and experienced a few herself. She and her friend Kate Ho got fed up with people having no power to fight back, so they created Valla, the UK’s first legal platform for employees. As Valla’s CEO, Danae has been awarded as a “Disruptive Innovator” and “Rising Star” in the tech industry, and most recently launched Valla’s new Discrimination First Aid training course, a first in the UK.&nbsp;Key TakeawaysIf you're a founder in an early stage company you have to be close to the coalface. You have to be close to your customers. You can't outsource things like sales and marketing. You can have them on board but you need to have the picture of the whole processHow to build a team - Look at what experience and skillsets you have and what you need to bring in to the teamChoose people for your business who can innovate over people who have just done it beforeFocus on process, innovation and collaboration within a teamNetworking and introductions are the key things to do to find investorsTreat seeking investors like a pipelineThe highest performing teams are the teams that feel comfortable sharing their mistakes with each other without fear of being punishedBringing up issues is almost the raw material of innovationThe more representation you have in a company, the higher performing the company isQuoteThe smallest unit we should be thinking about when we're thinking about innovating through uncertainty is a teamMentioned in This EpisodeVenture DealsFundraising BootcampLunch ClubThe Fearless OrganisationConnect with Danae ShellValla - A New Platform for Getting Your Employment Issue Sorted<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/danaeyshell/"...

Mentioned in this EpisodeTim Lewis and Christelle Lerryn - Oh No Not Another Live ShowMake a Connection with Catherine BerryConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Have you ever asked or been asked how many downloads a podcast has? Download numbers are only part of the picture when looking at a podcast interview strategy. In episode 37 of The Best Guest we look at average podcast download numbers and where the benefits from being a guest on podcasts truly come from.Connect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

How do you create a successful podcast? Perhaps a show that enables you to quit your current job? And how do you even make money from a podcast? If you're planning to start your own show, listen in to episode 36 to hear key takeaways from the experts at the Podcast Show London 2022.Mentioned in this episodeRedhanded PodcastSecond Captains PodcastSaturn Returns Podcast with Caggie DunlopMark Asquith and Captivate FMConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Key TakeawaysIt's Sinead's belief that almost every woman we know in the workplace isn't getting paid what she deserves.Pretty much every women needs to make what they do more visible and needs to build great relationshipsWomen put pressure on themselves to be all things to everyone and to be amazing and fail to live up to these expectations. It's important to work on your mindset and recognise you are enoughCold water swimming is invigorating. It's like a reset buttonThe biggest changes Sinead has experienced in her business are when she's gone and sort coaching or a mastermind, finding the right person to help with the next stage.Sinead's goal is to elevate at least 1 million women's careers.Top Two Lessons Sinead has Learned1. To treat fear differently"If I'm feeling afraid of something, it's probably worth pursuing because the best things in life require you to push outside your box."2. If you don't know, go and askQuoteFear is like a excited friend saying, 'You've got to do this. It's amazing!'Mentioned in this EpisodeAndrew and Pete's Rebels ProgrammeJodie The Systems AlchemistConnect with Sinead Sharkey-SteensonLinkedInWebsiteConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

This week on The Best Guest we're talking about when is the right time to get started with a podcast interview strategy.Connect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Today we welcome brand photographer Catherine Berry to the podcast to talk to us about why it's so important to show ourselves in our marketing and how we can take better photos.Key TakeawaysShow your face to make a better connection in your marketingOur brains process 11 million pieces of information every second but only 40 are likely to be consciousThree main triggers that will draw our attention - Food, sex, faces. We link to faces in an emotional senseBe more confident to bring those emotions to your visual content. Anything we can do to make a better connectionWhere is the personality? Where is the emotional link?This is our shop window. What is making people want to come in to your shop?Selfies are a quick and easy way to connect with your audienceVirtual photoshoots are a great way to batch up content if you don't have time for a full brand shootCatherine's Top Tips for Taking Better PhotosGet a selfie stick that can turn into a tripod and has a remote triggerPlan your outfit, introduce props, move about, take full body shots, make different expressions and take a batch of photos which you can edit and you will have a lot of visual contentDon't go too crazy with filters. You don't want to hide behind themTurn your photos into videos with Inshot. Algorithms love videoQuoteThere needs to be a point of difference and we the people are that difference. So stand out. Be more you.Mentioned in this EpisodePhotoshop ExpressInshotSnapseedCatherine's Selfies MasterclassCreate a Brand and Website That Stand Out with Liz Rochester ShaddockConnect with Catherine BerryWebsiteInstagramConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Our guest this week is international mindset coach, Suzanne Culberg who transforms bodies and minds. She is also a speaker and author of The Beginning is Sh*t, an unapologetic weightloss memoir.Suzanne believes women often gain weight because they give too much to others. They over eat because they over give. Suzanne’s passion for helping women is fueled by her own weight loss journey, going from 150kg (330lbs) to maintaining the healthy 72kg (158lbs) she is now.Suzanne helps her clients deal with negative patterns of behaviour, build confidence, and create lasting change, like she has experienced with her own incredible body transformation.Suzanne is a Certified Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic programming (NLP) and holds a Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours). Suzanne also has Certificates III and IV in Fitness, and is a Certified Sacred Depths Practitioner.Suzanne lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband Jeremy and her two young children who keep her both busy and entertained. When she’s not coaching her clients, running her programs, sharing her latest wisdom on Facebook Live, podcasting or writing her popular newsletter, she can be found reading, enjoying Diamond Dotz, or burlesque dancing. She is also a big fan of Yoga.Key TakeawaysGiving and receiving are like inhaling and exhaling. You can't have one without the other. People who overgive end up overconsuming in some wayLearn to say no in a way that feels good to others so that you can say yes to yourselfOvergivers are often really bad receivers. We need to retrain ourselves to be good receivers.We think when we lose weight we'll be magically happy and confident but you're still you. You just take up less spaceIf you don't address what's driving your overconsuming you will switch your overconsuming to something elseHow we do anything is how we do most thingsPeople appreciate good clear boundariesQuoteClear is Kind - Brené BrownConnect with Suzanne CulbergWebsiteFacebookConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Welcome to part 3 of our mini-series, Booking Guests for your Podcast.In part one we looked at finding potential guests for your podcast. In part two we talked about how to pitch guests for your show.Today we're focusing on making sure your guest episode is a success - from scheduling your guest, to preparing for your interview, sharing and repurposing the episode.Mentioned in this episodePodcastrelease.comEpisode 19 - Successful Speaking with Perdita AndrewsPat FlynnCaptivate.fmRob MooreBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

In the last episode we looked at how to find guests for your podcast. In Part 2 of the mini-series, Booking Guests for your podcast, we talk about the different ways to pitch guests to be on your show.Connect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Recently we've been asked about booking guests for your own podcast, so we've put together a three-part mini series looking at how to find podcast guests for your show, how to pitch potential guests and when you get a yes how to schedule your guests, prepare for your interview, share and repurpose the episode.In part one we share our tips and tricks for finding guests for your show.Connect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Our guest this week is brand and website designer Liz Rochester Shaddock. Liz specialises in delivering professional, bespoke and highly converting websites in 30 days.Liz talks about how you can create a brand and website for your business that stand out from the crowd.Key Takeaways- Branding is the experience that you're giving to people- Think outside the box. Ask yourself, if my business were an animal what would it be? This will bring up further ideas- Make it clear what you do on your website so visitors can see straightaway- Make sure the content on your website is up to date- Keep your website clean and clear and make sure your call to action buttons stand out with contrasting colours- Put together brand guidelines and stick to them on your website- Don't use too much jargon on your website- If you're using a text and image together make sure you can read the text- Don't be afraid of white spaceQuoteBranding isn't what you say it is. It's what they say it isConnect with Liz Rochester ShaddockBit2Flash WebsiteWebsite in 30 DaysFacebookInstagramConnect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Not everyone will be ready to buy from you after hearing you on a podcast. Today we talk about how you can build and nurture your relationships with podcast listeners.Book your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

In this episode of The Best Guest Victoria shares her key takeaways from the sessions and workshops she attended live at Social Media Marketing World 2022 delivered by Michael Stelzner, Chris Rudolph, Jessika Phillips, Rachel Miller, Tim Schmoyer, Fallon Zoe, Nicky Saunders, Mari Smith and Pat Flynn.Mentioned in this episodeMichael Stelzner - Social Media ExaminerChris RudolphJessika PhillipsRachel MillerTim SchmoyerFallon ZoeNicky SaundersMari SmithPat FlynnBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

How do you feel about live events? In this episode we talk about Victoria's upcoming trip to Social Media Marketing World in San Diego and the benefits of attending live events for your business.Book your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Once you’ve booked your podcast interview there are a few things that can trip you up if you’re not careful and I want to run through the checks you can put in place to increase the chances that your interview is going to go off without a hitch.Some of this comes down to your processes but there’s a big dash of attitude in there too that I want to cover.Book your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Our guest this week is Ross Davies, owner of Strafe Creative, a digital design agency focused on conversion led design. Growing up alongside the web led Ross to be fascinated by technology and design yet he started his career as an ergonomics engineer in the automotive industry. The culmination of both Ross’ experience and passions led to his realisation that his skills were transferable, and thus Strafe Creative was born.Strafe Creative’s clients include Experian, NHS and London Tobacco Dock Event Centre. Recently, Strafe has been listed on the prestigious ‘Drum Recommends’ agency database and they won Best Website in the UK Business Awards for their work with Adventure Base. Other award accolades include CSS Awards, RAR, Digital Entrepreneur Awards and the British Business Awards.Ross loves to find new and innovative ways to improve processes, whether that’s in the way he runs his business or in the design process with clients. Identifying objections and issues in any process can help streamline it and it’s this systematic approach that has led to some fantastic client results.In 2020, Ross was hired as a systems architect and advisor for ‘Open Kitchens’ a not-for-profit helping to redistribute food throughout the pandemic. He helped to plan and create user flows, wireframes, digital components and CRM that brought the platform to life and to date has enabled over 250,000 meals to reach those in need.Ross is also the author of a book, Paper Plane Plan which delves into growth hacking for the service industry. He’s a proud husband and father, a huge basketball fan and loves Thai food.Ross and Victoria discuss the importance of setting business goals, how to increase the likelihood a user will buy from us and the ways we can improve our ROI on marketing by only updating our website.Key TakeawaysRoss sets a yearly goal, however, it's quite easy to put off a yearly goal, so he breaks this down into 90 day goals and then breaks them down further into individual tasks which makes the goal more achievable.Parkinson's Law - A task will take the time you give it.Write out your goals and put them somewhere you can see them every day.Ways to increase your website conversions: Add testimonials for social proofing, creating large numbers, feature any accreditations, reference your client list, make it obvious what your service isMake sure your web pages are digestible. Avoid big blocks of text.QuoteWork out what is your business's Kit KatMentioned in this EpisodeOpen KitchensConnect with Ross DaviesStrafe Creative WebsiteTwitterFill in Strafe Creative's project planner for a free audit of your website. Mention Victoria and that you are a listener of The Best Guest and a member of the team will give you a 5 minute video audit of how you can improve conversions on your website. No strings attached.Connect with Victoria BennionBook your free podcast guesting strategy session today.To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/