Do you ever look at the world’s top brands and think, how do they do it? Matt Lyles believes that it’s because they provide customers with one thing that most brands don’t: simplicity. Matt is the Chief Experience Officer at Brand Builders Group, and he joins us today to discuss the success of his globally-ranked SIMPLE Brand Podcast, where he hosts some of the smartest minds in business to help listeners simplify their customer and employee experience.
In this episode, Matt shares his launch story and tells us why spending time in a cabin in the woods was all the inspiration he needed. He offers amazing advice for new podcasters, tools to help you make big decisions, and insight into his process for securing guests. He also takes us through his strategies for analyzing his podcast metrics and reminds us that qualitative metrics are more valuable than quantitative metrics in the long run. To learn how to bring simplicity into every aspect of your podcasting process, tune in today!
Takeaways From This Episode:
A great first step if you’re looking to start a podcast is to work out what you’re passionate about. Matt realized that the throughline in his corporate, coaching, and consulting careers was simplicity and customer experience, and he used that passion as a foundation to build his brand and his podcast.
Sometimes, you just need time to think. Getting away to a literal cabin in the woods during the early days of the 2020 pandemic allowed Matt to pause, hone in on his vision, and figure out a way to leverage the fact that big-name thought leaders, bestselling authors, and sought-after speakers who would normally be traveling to share their message were all stuck at home. Simple! Invite them to share that message on his podcast.
There are so many things to consider when starting a podcast that it can feel overwhelming. Matt decided to lean on the tools and resources he had available to him, including other podcasts in the space and online courses about podcasting. He shares some of those resources, reflects on the things he wished he knew before he started his show, and speaks about how he has since achieved the goal he had when he started it.
Who you choose to have on your show and the experience you create for your podcast guests are crucial elements of building a successful brand. Matt highlights the importance of over-communicating and simplifying the process as much as possible for your guests. He also shares his thoughts on finding the right people for your show, from securing your “gettables” early on to building your roster (and your credibility) to establishing relationships with agencies that will pitch guests to you and more!
There are a few different metrics to consider when assessing the performance and impact of your podcast. Matt says that he prefers qualitative data like listener feedback over quantitative data like downloads because it’s a better indicator of a community that engages, not just an audience that listens.
Before we finish the episode strong with our quick-fire questions, Matt has an amazing selection of practical tips to share when it comes to monetization, joining a podcast network, and more. Stay tuned to find out how podcasting changed his life, the tools that are a non-negotiable part of his podcast, and the biggest takeaways from his podcasting journey!
Quotes:
“For the guy who preaches simplicity, I should have known from the start: you need to make sure it’s a simple process.” — @MattLyles [0:09:06]
“If I’m preaching customer experience, then I’ve got to [deliver] a great experience and a simple experience to everyone I interact with, especially my podcast guests.” — @MattLyles [0:12:21]
“A number can only tell you so much but an individual who is engaging with you, sharing their thoughts, being excited about what you’re doing gives you that extra skip in your step to – keep providing the credible content that you’re already putting out there.” — @carlivanheerden [0:20:30]
“Your first is always your worst but you always get better from there. Don’t worry about what – your first few episodes are going to sound like. Just get them out there, get them done, and know that you’ve got the opportunity to improve with each episode over time.” — @MattLyles [0:29:44]
Resources from Today’s Episode:
Power-Up Podcasting® with Patt Flynn
Connect with Carli:
Business Beyond The Mic on Spotify
Business Beyond The Mic on Apple Podcasts
