“How to Become the Center of Influence Through Motivational Podcasting” with John Di Lemme of the Motivation Plus Marketing Podcast
As part of my series of interviews about “How to Become a Center of Influence Through Podcasting”, I had the pleasure of interviewing John Di Lemme, President & CEO of DDG, Inc. (aka GiantGoals.com).
For over 18 years, he has been influential in the growth of entrepreneurs and companies as a strategic business coach and turn-around specialist. With tens of thousands of listeners across the globe, John hosts a daily podcast called Motivation Plus Marketing.
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Can you tell us the “backstory” about why or how you got started as a podcaster?
I started the Motivation Plus Marketing podcast, because I wanted to add value and communicate with my clients by sharing the most up to date, cutting edge content in my area of expertise in business, entrepreneurship, and marketing. Plus, provide real motivation to keep people committed long-term and not be a victim of procrastination and quitting on their dreams. Additionally, I’m communicating daily with my listeners so that they not only stay empowered, but also don’t get distracted and lose focus on their ultimate goals. Podcasting gives me the opportunity to build irrevocable trusting relationships with my audience while providing highly valuable content.
Can you share a story about the most interesting thing that has happened to you since you started podcasting?
It’s the overall realization that it’s not just a daily podcast. My coaching clients and online followers have let me know these podcasts have become invaluable in their day-to-day lives. Many have said they actually depend on the podcasts every single day to assist them with moving forward on their success journey and overcoming obstacles that stand in their way. As you can imagine, this is humbling for me to serve them in this capacity.
Can you share a story about the biggest or funniest mistake you made when you were first starting?
My Motivation Plus Marketing Podcast is one of the top 30 marketing podcasts in the world due to the marketing strategies and business tips that I share on a daily basis. My listeners love it when I tie in real world examples with the marketing. Their favorites are my personal stories especially ones that include my wife, Christie, who is the sweet Southern girl behind this loud New Yorker. During one of my podcasts, I shared a story that included a reference to a dessert recipe that Christie made the night before. Without much thought, I gave out Christie’s email and told my listeners to email her directly for the recipe and cooking instructions. However, it slipped my mind to share this nugget of information with Christie. When she got up the next morning, she had hundreds of requests for her recipe and cooking instructions in her inbox. Not a big deal right? It wouldn’t have been IF the recipe wasn’t a secret family recipe that wasn’t even written down anywhere. Needless to say, Christie wasn’t revealing that secret, and I had some explaining to do.
Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Real simple…ask my wife before I share any of her secrets on the podcast so she’s prepared for the bombardment of emails!
How long have you been podcasting and how many shows have you aired?
I’ve been podcasting daily since 2004 and have aired over 5,400 shows.
What are the main takeaways or lessons you want your listeners to walk away with?
From the very second that my listeners click “play” to the last word that they hear when the audio ends, my goal is for them to walk away with a daily motivational marketing lesson that they can implement immediately in their life and/or business. I want every podcast to help move my listeners closer to the achievement of their goals.
Check out the full interview in Tracy Hazzard’s Authority Magazine article about John Di Lemme!
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Podcaster Influencer, John Di Lemme of the Motivation Plus Marketing Podcast shares the best ways to:
1) Book Great Guests. Don’t be intimidated to interview high-profile guests or concerned about discussing controversial topics. Do your homework so you will be confident in your ability to find well-known guests with interviews that will bring real value to your listeners. One of my top guests on the Motivation Plus Marketing podcast was Jason Redman, a retired United States Navy SEAL and author of the book, The Trident: The Forging and Reforging of a Navy SEAL Leader. He joined the podcast soon after the tragic shooting in Las Vegas at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival. During this interview, I asked Jason what everyone should know on how to survive a mass shooting. This was (and is) life-changing content that every single one of my listeners appreciated and have told me they shared with their family and friends.
2) Increase Listeners. My listeners want to hear about Real People with Real Results so that’s exactly what I give them. In addition to interviewing phenomenal guests, I also feature my clients to share who they are and what they’ve done to achieve record-breaking results in their lives and businesses. This is very appealing to the average person, because they can relate to someone that has similar life experiences and has overcome adversity and achieved their goals. They make real connections when they hear these true client stories and are motivated to share the podcast links with others, and they too will often sign-up to receive the podcasts for themselves which increases my audience. At the beginning and end of each show, every host should remind listeners if they like what they heard to share the podcast with others in their communities.
3) Produce in a Professional Way. Don’t overcomplicate it but do it right! Your audience and guests deserve that. I use a professional production-studio headset that allows me to record crystal clear audio that can easily be heard by any listener. I dial into a conference line, record the audio file, save it, and my team uploads it to our hosting account.
4) Encourage Engagement. Remind your audience how they can comment on each podcast, ask questions or request discussion points for the next time. Make sure all social handles and emails can be seen on the podcast page and remind them, at least one time during each show, that you welcome comments and questions about this show and any requests they may have for future podcasts.
5) Monetize. As a strategic business coach, turn-around specialist, and high-end business consultant, I take my own advice and make revenue generating offers on my podcast for my services. The offers that I’ve made live on the podcast range from $17 to upwards of $25,000 depending on the content being discussed and the product/service that I’m marketing. One of the greatest mistakes podcasters make is not recognizing their listeners are also potential customers so they don’t have a plan in place to drive new business or generate income with their podcasts. Hearing yourself talk does nothing for your business. You must have a plan of action to monetize your podcast.
What makes your podcast binge-listenable? What do you think makes your podcast unique from the others in your category? What do you think is special about you as a host, your guests, or the content itself?
Check out the full interview in Tracy Hazzard’s Authority Magazine article about John Di Lemme!
