Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Tosi Ufodike,@Dare2Aspire. Tosi is the CEO of HairYum™, a vegan haircare company for naturals, the creator of Dare 2 Aspire Conference, an annual conference for women & Moms in business and the founder of My Good Nanny Agency. She hosts the ever-popular MGN Radio show, a podcast highlighting primarily Mom small business owners doing great things. MGN Radio was created as a way to spread parenting & business information to the masses. Her podcasts reach a global audience of over 30,000 listeners. Tosi uses her podcast as a tool to share business opportunities, ignite conversations and foster relationships that result in business growth.
SmallBizLady: WHAT IS BLOGTALKRADIO?
Tosi Ufodike: BlogTalkRadio is the largest online talk radio network with millions of listeners and thousands of hosts covering politics, technology, entrepreneurship, entertainment, health, family information, and so much more. Listeners tune in by listening via phone, the web, or iTunes. Shows are recorded live or podcast & reach listeners anywhere in the world by using just a phone and computer.
SmallBizLady: HOW CAN A SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS UTILIZE BLOGTALKRADIO?
Tosi Ufodike: With BlogTalkRadio, you can really build and expand your brand by hosting a live or recorded podcast show that reaches your target audience. By hosting a show, it is a great way to highlight your expertise and have a two-way conversation with your customers and business partners. While on air, they have a live chat feature, where listeners can interact with you and other guests via a live chat room.
SmallBizLady: DO SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE TO REGISTER OR PAY A FEE TO USE BLOGTALKRADIO?
Tosi Ufodike: BlogTalkRadio has different account types ranging from free to pro. The pro account is their most expensive and runs bout $249 per month. There is also a premium account, for $39 per month, and a plus package for $99 per month. I recommend small businesses start with the free account option first, then upgrade as appropriate. All one has to do is visit www.blogtalkradio.com and register by choosing the account type, set up their show format, and click go live. Small business owners can use their social media accounts, facebook, google, twitter to log in & sign up as well.
SmallBizLady: HOW DOES ONE DEVELOP GOOD CONTENT FOR THEIR SHOW?
Tosi Ufodike: I always encourage show hosts to stick to topics that align with their business and expertise. Your show should be an extension of your business and brand. Your content or show topics should be those that interest your customers and target audience. Additionally, you can research and utilize industry magazines and/or newspapers to stay connected with the hot topics within your industry.
SmallBizLady: CAN I GET METRICS OR REPORTS FOR MY SHOWS?
Tosi Ufodike: Yes, here is where you see some of the added features of upgrading your membership.
With the premium account type, you can view your most important metrics and performance reports for your shows. Simply log in, go to My Account, and on the right-hand side, under the My Account grouping, you’ll see a link for “View Show Reports.” These reports can be exported to Excel or CVS. And can be sent to sponsors or used for future show planning. Hosts can still get their per-episode listener numbers by going to My Account/Schedule-Edit a Show/and then Archives. Next to each episode is the current listener numbers for live, archive and callers. It is literally viewed via a click of a button.
SmallBizLady: HOW CAN SMALL BUSINESSES MAKE MONEY WITH BLOGTALKRADIO?
Tosi Ufodike: There are three main ways small businesses should use BlogTalkRadio to make money. First, they have a revenue sharing program which you receive 35% of the ad revenue for advertising impressions (video, audio, banner) displayed to your BlogTalkRadio show. You are paid based on the number of listeners that visit your profile or episode pages. The more visitors you can bring to your show, the more revenue you can generate for yourself. Additionally, they have an affiliate program where each time you refer a premium customer — you make money. Finally, once you build your audience, you can charge companies to advertise on your show or sponsor a show episode for a fee.
SmallBizLady: HOW SHOULD A SMALL BUSINESSES OWNER PROMOTE THEIR SHOW?
Tosi Ufodike: You can promote your show by sharing it on all the social media sites; Facebook, Twitter, etc. They offer website links that can be sent out to mailing lists. BlogTalkRadio has an online learning center with a ton of resources, such as the “BlogTalkShow University,” where they offer tips and valuable advice on many topics including promoting and building your listener base.
SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE THE GREATEST ADVANTAGES YOU SEE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES WITH BLOGTALKRADIO?
Tosi Ufodike: The greatest advantage for a small business is the direct engagement with a targeted audience. There is not many platforms where small business owners can connect with their customers and/or targeted audiences on regular basic for such an affordable price. Also, I appreciate the fact that no fancy equipment is required to broadcast the show. Each show has the potential of reaching millions of listeners globally.
SmallBizLady: HOW DO YOU GET SPONSORS FOR YOUR SHOW?
Tosi Ufodike: You will attract sponsors for your show by having good content and being passionate about each topic you present to your audience. Once you have good content that makes listeners tune in, then you build your listener base. Significant numbers of listeners will help improve your metrics. Once you have a following, sponsors would love to be apart of your show. Corporations want to have access to your audience to learn from them, understand them better, and make them into happy customers. With each show, you gain a deeper connection to your audience and it is a great platform you can leverage.
SmallBizLady: DO YOU NEED TO BE A TRAINED JOURNALIST TO HAVE A GOOD SHOW?
Tosi Ufodike: No. I really think you have expertise in something to have a good show. Know your business and your expertise with gives you the ability to articulate well and share valuable information with your audience. There is no perfect show, you just have to be positive and learn to listen to your audience and guests. Also, preparation is very important. As a host, you have to research and follow-up with your guests to ensure both parties are prepared. Don’t ever try to just wing it. It won’t work and your show will not do well.
SmallBizLady: WHY SHOULD SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS UTILIZE BLOGTALKRADIO TO LEVERAGE THEIR BRAND?
Tosi Ufodike: Small businesses should utilize BlogTalkRadio if they want to share their expertise, passion, or brand with the world. It is a great way for small businesses to connect with their target audience locally and around the globe.
SmallBizLady: IF SOMEONE WANTS TO START A BLOGTALKRADIO SHOW, WHAT IS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THEY SHOULD DO?
Tosi Ufodike: I would strongly recommend hosts to defining the purpose of the show. Answers these questions, Why are you creating a show? What do you hope to achieve? Who is the target audience? It does not have to be a two-page paper, just some high-level bullets to make sure you are framing the show expectations. Then, I would also suggest going out to blogtalkradio site and listening to some of their featured shows. Consistency is very important to show success, so make sure have the determination and patience to see your show through even when you may have only a few listeners at the beginning. Don’t give up, the next great show is on its way.
If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter. Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz
For more tips on how to start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.
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