5 Best Podcast Episodes for Small-Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, and Start-Up Founders
As any startup founder I am constantly on the lookout for the next big thing: a new industry trend, social media update, or growth hack we can try at GlobeIn. So I thought it'd be useful to share my favorite podcast episodes that can help my fellow entrepreneurs. What to expect: best podcast episodes on fashion and retail, digital marketing, PR, and sales.
Ever since I started commuting six months ago, I quickly became an avid podcast listener: my commute can be up to two hours per day so in a week I can listen anywhere between 5 and 12 episodes. Here my top 5 picks for the week:
1) Instagram Growth & Marketing
Instagram is the prime social media channel for many lifestyle and most fashion brands both in terms of brand awareness and sales. Instagram marketing is also an affordable solution for lean, one-person businesses: if you do Instagram right and organically grow this channel you can build a true community around your brand and later turn them into customers.
Soulful PR with Janet Murray: How to use Instagram to Promote Your Business
WHY YOU WILL LOVE IT: the episode is jam-packed with actionable tips from how to stage your Instagram photos to which photo-editor app to choose for your "filtering" needs.
BONUS: Soulful PR with Janet Murray: How To Get Engagement on Your Instagram
WHY YOU WILL LOVE IT: Janet digs into the nitty-gritty of building your Instagram following from scratch. Key takeaway: when starting your Instagram account, spend MORE time on OTHER people's profiles than your own.
PRO-TIP: If you are just thinking of starting your own company, go ahead and create your Instagram handle before even launching the product. Start building your community early-on so that when you are ready to sell, you will already have brand ambassadors and early adaptors !
2) SEO
With the rise of social media, it's easy to forget about the importance of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) that makes your site (and products) discoverable on search engines. Yet without good SEO strategy your potential customers won't be able to find you on Google that can get you many more clicks than your Instagram profile.
Soulful PR with Janet Murray: SEO Made Simple with Martin Huntbach
WHY YOU WILL LOVE IT: I am a fan of practical, ready-to-implement tips and this is exactly what Martin, SEO expert and consultant, delivers. Key takeaway: content is king and you can use it to significantly improve your SEO and increase traffic to site!
3) Retail Insights: Wholesale & Industry Trends
Spirit of 608: Knowing Your Why and Wholesale's Past Present & Future
WHY I LOVE IT: Lorraine Sanders, the host of the podcast, is an expert in all things FEST (Fashion, Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, and Tech). In this episode she digs into the wholesale vs. retail debate, how the landscape is changing and what retailers can expect in the future. Key takeaway: it has never been easier to start a wholesale business. If you are looking for buyers, your Instagram might be a better tool than your cold emails.
BONUS: How Retailers Are Evolving with Technology to Keep up with Amazon
4) PR for Startups
Loose Threads with Richie Siegel: The Evolution of Influence
WHY YOU WILL LOVE IT: As a true industry expert, In every episode Richie delves into the intricacies of building successful fashion brands, from picking specific colors for the collection to using pop-ups as a source of sales and early traction. This episode is a good primer on PR field in general and how you as a brand-owner might want to work with agencies (and what you can expect.)
5) Fashion Industry Overview & Trends
Loose Threads Podcast: The Fashion Industry Is Not Exactly Broken
WHY YOU WILL LOVE IT: Marc Bain, the fashion reporter at Quartz has recently been recognized by Glossy.co as one of the top influencers "contributing to the transformation of fashion, luxury, beauty and technology." In this episode Richie and Marc discuss where the fashion industry is right now and where it is going: wholesale vs. retail, the rise of ethical fashion, and how brands are adapting to the "age of Amazon".