Why you should turn your book into a podcast

Turn your book into a podcast show and grow your audience, or turn your podcast show into a book

If you’re an entrepreneur-author with a good nonfiction book and you’re reading this, you're probably already wondering if you should turn your book into a podcast.

You also know that podcasting is big and—in most countries—reaches an affluent audience that can be hard to reach via other channels. These listeners tend to look for content on demand.

Why turn your book into a podcast show

Even if your book was published some years ago, getting it into podcast format is a win for you and a win for a whole new audience that likely isn't familiar with you or your book.

Here are the reasons why you should capture the most important parts of your book in a podcast show. In my next blog post, I’ll explore the ROI on this type of creative venture.

Win new clients

By creating a show around your book’s content, you’re opening your business to a potential pool of clients you may not connect with otherwise. (You’ll likely sell more copies of your book, too).

Amplify your reputation

Your reputation will be amplified beyond your network and the social media channels on which you’re active. Put simply, you’ll increase your brand and name exposure.

You will further establish yourself as a knowledgeable and passionate professional who shares information and resources. You'll be known as someone who gives value and delivers solutions to client pain points.

Establish yourself as a thought leader

There are few thought leaders without a podcast show. If thought leadership is something towards which you aspire, a podcast is a logical next step. It will allow you to introduce yourself, your way of thinking, and your solutions to a wider world. Those who gravitate towards your way of thinking will become hooked and want more of your solutions and wisdom.

Impress listeners and clients with your skills

You can impress listeners with strong content and a well-produced show. If, for example, storytelling is something you do really well, showcasing this in a podcast is a more persuasive way of illustrating this than writing about it. (If you’re busy, or don’t know where to start, use a podcast production firm like communicateinfluence.com).

Be responsive to listener questions and pain points

For the most part, a book is a one-way channel allowing you to share your knowledge and experience with your readers. A podcast is very different. It can be used as a two-way information flow. Encourage listeners to ask questions and find out what their pain points are. This can help you plan future episodes and may even provide you with ideas or content for your next book.

Gather information for the next edition of your book

Linked to the point above about dialogue, you may find that some listeners ask questions that allow you to expand upon the ideas in the first edition of your book. This material can be very useful if you want to update your book and release a new edition.

Develop a new revenue stream

Create a new revenue stream for your business through your podcast. After a few episodes and with a group of loyal listeners, businesses in your industry will be interested in sponsoring your show.

A chapter per episode, or expanded content?

Turning your book into a podcast requires solid planning around the episode content. Usually, authors have one chapter per episode, although especially long chapters may need two episodes.

However, don’t allow your podcast show to be limited by your book’s content. If you interviewed people for your book, dedicating a whole episode to them and their newly acquired knowledge and experience will result in a strong episode. 

There may even be instances where you want to bring in a co-host, or explore some of the source material you used to write your book. If it’s relevant and brings value to your audience, go for it! 

Impress listeners with how you interpret what you know

Colleen Stewart is an author, speaker, and founder of Perfect Pitch, a firm that helps businesses with presentations, storytelling, and leadership communication.

In a recent podcast interview Colleen shared a quote that illustrates why podcasting is the perfect medium consultants who intend to grow their businesses and establish themselves as thought leaders.

"Your audience doesn’t want to know everything you know. They don’t have the time or the attention span for that. What they want to hear is how you interpret what you know into something meaningful for their world. How are you going to solve the problem with them and for them with what you know?"