21. Building a Supportive Podcast Community with Sarah Thomson

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Laura: Welcome to Podcasting for Business Owners. I’m Your host, Laura McRae, a podcast consultant, educator, and self confessed podcast nerd. If you’re thinking of launching a podcast or want to grow the one you have, you’re in the right place. Hold on to your headphones and let’s go. Welcome back to Podcasting for Business Owners, the podcast that helps you share your story, lead your industry, and grow your network through podcasting. Today I’m, um, excited to introduce Sarah Thompson, a digital marketing coach and the driving force behind online social Butterfly. With over a decade of experience, Sarah is passionate about making digital marketing approachable and empowering small business owners to thrive in the ever changing online space. In this episode, we’ll be talking about how Sarah uses her podcast to give her clients a platform to share their stories, boost their confidence, and step into new opportunities. Plus, she shares her approach to creating an inclusive and supportive podcast environment. If you’ve ever wondered how podcasting can grow your business and your community, you’re in for a treat. Now, let’s get started. So, hello, Sarah, and welcome to the show.

Sarah: Oh, thank you, Laura. I’m so excited to be here talking with you today on, uh, me too.

Laura: And, uh, so can you tell us a bit about what you do as a business and marketing coach and how you support your clients?

Sarah: Oh, I need a PowerPoint in 20 minutes for that, but the abridged version is I’m a digital marketing coach and trainer, and I spend most of my time helping my clients to show up on digital marketing, particularly social media, and to use the tools that are available online to help them grow their business. And that’s. That’s the short answer.

Laura: And so what inspired you to start inviting your clients onto your podcast? Your podcast is called the Social Circus. And how has that impacted your community?

Sarah: So my podcast, when I started it, I’m, um, well over a hundred episodes into my podcast now, and very early into my podcast, I knew that I wanted to have it be not just a Sarah show, but a show where I had guests come on really regularly. And I also feel really passionate about putting people on podcasts. That’s often their first time on their podcast. So that’s been a really big focus for me, is popping their podcast cherry, I call it. And that’s been a really important part of my podcast is shining a light, particularly on my clients and women that I work with, to have them come on and speak and sort of step through that fear that a lot of us have about being on a podcast, that it’s terrifying. And, you know, without exception, every single one of them is said at the end of the recording. That was way less scary than I thought it was going to be, and I love that. So that is what kind of inspired me was to help shine a light on women. And the second part of that question was, how has it grown my community? I’m not sure it has. But from my perspective, my community, which is, uh, centred around my mastermind and my membership, I know that, particularly my mastermind, a lot of the women in that have been on my podcast, and I guess it’s probably created some loyalty around those women, but I think it’s more about me helping build them up than building my business. If that sounds like an okay answer, yes, that’s what I am about.

Laura: And it was the same for me. You were the first podcast I’d ever been a guest on, and I really appreciate that. And you helped me come out of my shell and you made it such a welcoming space. And I got a couple of clients who listened to that podcast episode, so thank you again for that too.

Sarah: Oh, uh, that makes me so happy to hear, because I think when you have, I guess I have an audience and a stage, and I feel like when you’re an established business, it’s a really nice gesture to help lift up your community as you lift yourself up. And that’s something that I feel like I’ve done along the way. Ah.

Laura: Uh, thank you. And it’s great what you do. We all appreciate it.

Sarah: Aw.

Laura: Uh, so how do you think giving clients a platform to share their stories helps them grow both personally and professionally?

Sarah: Oh, such a juicy question. I would say personally, it helps them grow because it makes them step through their fear. So a lot of us, particularly women, are afraid of being visible, afraid of being seen, afraid of speaking and feeling like we maybe sound silly or stupid or like we don’t know what we’re talking about. And that has never been the case with anyone that I’ve had on my podcast. And so I think that what it has done is allowed them to see, yes, I am an expert. Yes, I know how to talk about my business, and yes, I can do it. So I think from a, ah, very much a personal perspective, it really gives them that confidence to step forward and say, this is me. And then from a business perspective, I think it’s probably a bit like going to networking events, Laura, where you kind of, you know, hone your craft, giving your elevator pitch and talking about your business and understanding how to communicate what is it your business does and how do you help people? And I think that the more we speak about our business, like the more we go to networking events or the more we guest on podcasts, the better we’ve become at that.

Laura: Yeah, totally agree with you there. And what

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Laura: advice would you give to other podcasters who want to use their podcast to build a supportive community like yours?

Sarah: I would say you don’t have to hog the limelight. I listen to a few podcasts and some of them have a guest every single episode, and some of them have never have a guest. And I think my preference to listen to, which is probably how my podcast is delivered, is a, um, combination of, like, solo episodes and guest episodes. And I think that’s what makes podcasts interesting is that variety. And I think if you haven’t had people on your podcast before, you’re missing a trick, because having guests creates variety and interest for your audience and allows you to talk about things with a completely different perspective. And I love that. I enjoy that. So I would say if you have a podcast and you haven’t had guests, you need to do it.

Laura: Yeah, I agree. It’s good to mix it up. The solo episodes are good for letting your audience know about you, but it’s good to have guests on, um, because also there’s things that your audience might be interested in that you aren’t an expert in. So it’s great to get those experts in to fill that hole.

Sarah: Absolutely. And in digital marketing, it’s such a huge space and I have a really broad range of skills, but I’m not an expert in everything. Absolutely. And I know my limitations and I’m so happy to bring people on to talk about their area of expertise. I think that just grows all of us.

Laura: Oh, I don’t know. You’re pretty expert in a, uh, lot of things.

Sarah: I am, but I know what I’m not.

Laura: So how do you balance promoting your clients, businesses and providing valuable content for your listeners?

Sarah: So I guess whenever I have a guest on, my intention is always to shine a light on them. So I’m always promoting their business. That’s why they’re on there. But they’re quite often there to share very specific skills. But what I have found over the, you know, a hundred plus episodes that I’ve done on M. My podcast is the feedback that I get is always about the story. So whilst all of my guests will come and deliver some value. And like when you came on, Laura, you talked a lot about creating a podcast and I think we talked about guesting, but I Know that people want to hear your journey. And that’s been really, really interesting for my development to kind of go, well, I don’t just want to get Laura on because she’s an expert in creating and growing a successful podcast. People actually want to hear what your journey is to starting your business. And that’s been one of the most interesting things, is that people are drawn to other people’s stories. And for me, I know that when I first started my podcast, I had a couple of guests on, and all we did was talk about their story. And I was kind of like, oh, that didn’t go how I wanted it to go. And then I kind of. I trust the process, and I trust podcast episodes will evolve as they need to. So I was like, no, I’m going to put it out there and, you know, see what happens. And mostly, when I release an episode on a Wednesday, people tune in regularly and then they will message me. Usually they insta me and say, I love that episode. And when this episode went out, which I didn’t think was a very good one, which didn’t do any delivery of information or hard facts or tips, it just shone a light on their story. The feedback was phenomenal. So that’s been really, really interesting, is that I think we are all drawn to other people’s stories as much as we’re drawn to learning new things.

Laura: Isn’t that funny? You never know what’s going to be a hit, do you?

Sarah: No. And like I said, these two episodes, I nearly contacted the guests and said I want to rerecord them because they didn’t go how I wanted them to go, and that’s totally my own thing. And then letting them go out into the world and see how people responded has been a very big learning lesson for me. To say. People want to hear someone’s story and journey into entrepreneurship as much as they want to hear. Here’s the skills that we’re here to talk about today. You know, like, if it’s something like SEO or Google Ads or something technical, sure, they want the tips, but they love hearing people’s stories.

Laura: Yeah, I guess that’s something people can relate to, can’t they? The story?

Sarah: Absolutely. And I think it’s really wherever you are in your journey in entrepreneurship, whether, uh, you’re a new startup or you’ve been going a year or two, or like me, you’re well over a decade into this journey, all of our stories are unique, and people opt into certain parts of them. And that’s always a reminder that People want to hear, how did you get to where you are? And I often forget now because I look like I’m very polished and I’m very successful. And when I started, I had no idea what I was doing, like, none. And so it’s always nice to hear that, because you think, oh, I could be her, because she started where I am. She doesn’t understand it, and she’s new and now look at her. And I feel like that’s always inspiring to see someone’s journey.

Laura: Yeah. And you do a lot of that on your podcast as well. You talk about the mistakes you’ve made and where you’ve come from, and they’re always really interesting and relatable, I find.

Sarah: Oh, uh, thank you. And I feel like one of the things I don’t like about the online space is we always talk about, look at me, I’m so great and I’m so polished and I’ve got all this happening. And, um, we don’t talk about, what did it take to get there? And one of my very dear friends and mentors, Jenny, she kind of called me out on why did I struggle with people telling me that I’m successful? And I said, I really dislike that label. I

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Sarah: feel. I feel embarrassed when people say that to me. And I feel like. I feel like it’s the public facing Sarah that they imagine successful, and behind the scenes, I don’t perceive myself as successful. And she said to me, why is it that you feel like that? And I said, because I do so many things that fail. But she said, it’s your tenacity and resilience that makes you successful, because all successful entrepreneurs have failures, but it’s how they respond to those. And I was like, oh, so I am successful because I keep picking myself up and trying. And so then I was able to lean into that success. But I feel like when you share the things that didn’t go well, people again go, okay, so I’m allowed to fail, and I’m allowed to try things, and I’m allowed to experiment, I’m allowed to test. And I really want to give permission to people to do that in their business, because it’s the only way you become successful.

Laura: Yeah. I was actually listening to a book just the other day. I can’t remember the name of the author, but he was saying, like, we do a thing around the dinner table with the kids. What was your most favourite part of the day? To talk about good things in life rather than the bad things. And he also said, another thing you should Put in your day when you’re sitting at the dinner table, what did you fail at today? So that you can think about that and where you learned from that failure. So that’s another thing we just started doing this week.

Sarah: Oh, uh, I love that. And I’m wondering if it’s the book the Gap and the Gain. That’s one of my favourite business books, and it talks about ending your day with three successful things that went in your day and focusing on the gratitude for success and things like that. That’s such a great book. So it might be that, but if not, I love the idea of talking about what didn’t go well. And I call failures the gift wrapped in sandpaper. So there’s still a lesson inside it, but we have to unpack it and work out what that is. And to me, that’s the joy of failure and that’s the joy of mist, is that if you unwrap the lesson inside them, you’d be like, oh, okay, Good to know.

Laura: Yeah. I just looked up the book. It’s called the Millionaire Success Habits by Dean Graziosi.

Sarah: Oh, nice. I’ve not read that. I’m gonna have to cheque it out.

Laura: Yeah, it’s pretty good.

Sarah: Awesome.

Laura: How has featuring clients on your podcast changed your relationship with them or strengthened their connection in your community?

Sarah: I would say that most of the people that have been on my podcast, and this is for 2024, my focus has been having people on my podcast who I work with, because I get pitched daily via email for people to come and guest on my podcast. And in the earlier days of my podcast, I had lots of people on that I didn’t particularly know very well. And what I really wanted to focus on was, like I said, shining a light on people who I work with and shining a light on their business and what it is that they offer. And I guess it’s really hard for me to say what it looks like from their perspective, but I know that for many of them, there is so much gratitude that I said, please come on my podcast, because I encourage them to step out. And I know that for many of them, particularly my mastermind, they’ve gone on, um, to guest on other people’s podcasts, having seen how easy it was to be on mine, and, uh, kind of given them that confidence boost to say, oh, I actually can do this. This is great. I’m going to do more. So I like to think that it’s kind of given them the courage to step out a little bit further outside of the security blanket of Sarah’s world and into the big world of podcasting. And I certainly hope that I’ve given them that. That’s what my hope is and that’s the feedback that I’ve got. So let’s go with that.

Laura: Well, you’re right, because it definitely worked for me because look at me now. I’ve got my own podcast. And you’re. My first podcast interview was with you.

Sarah: Oh, that’s so cool. I love that.

Laura: So can you share any tips on creating a, uh, welcoming, inclusive environment on your podcast that encourages people to step out of their comfort zones?

Sarah: I think when your people are guesting on your podcast, and I will give a shout out to my wonderful va, Claire from Pen and Paper Girl, because she does all this, not me, is giving people clarity on what to expect. So we get them to fill out a form which is really, really clear, and we also let them know that we only have two questions that we ask and then the rest is a conversation. We let them know, like the length. So my podcasts are typically 20 to 30 minutes. And so this is the length. We say things like, it’s going to be videoed so people don’t show up, you know, with no makeup on and then get all upset that you’re videoing it. So, uh, that preparation before they show up is really, really important. And I know that people will still come back to Claire and go, what questions is Sarah likely to ask? And we always say, go back and listen to some episodes with guests in it, because every episode is different and it’s very conversational. So that kind of gives people comfort. And I always say, when we started and I probably said this to you, the conversation will go where it wants to go. So let’s not be wedded to. We have to hit these touch points or we have to answer these questions. I always have a couple of questions to start them off and then I just see where it goes and I just keep my eye on the time. And I think that’s actually a really nice way of having people as guests because it’s quite nerve wracking to have a tonne of questions to ask, particularly if you’re a chatterbox like me and you kind of think this is going to be a two hour episode.

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Sarah: So I think when you give people that clarity around, these are the only two questions I’m going to ask. This is the length, please go and listen to some past episodes. And all of that kind of preparation to make sure people show up. Feeling confident is probably what sets us up for success. And like I said, a lot of that has to do with our, uh, systems that we have in place that I think have definitely refined over the hundred odd episodes we’ve had out. So.

Laura: So it’s about making it easy for them and that they know what to expect.

Sarah: Absolutely. And I even know, coming on your podcast, the fact that you sent over questions, I was like, oh, good, okay, I need to have a little think about how I would answer those questions and what does that look like? And all of that makes people feel more comfortable because not everyone, like my husband, jokingly says that I could speak underwater facing a brick wall. And I could speak for now if you gave me one question, because I’m very chatty. Not everybody is like that. And so when you can give people that reassurance that it’s going to be okay, and I always say to people, and you said this to me, Laura, if something goes wrong today, don’t worry, you can edit it out. We can fix all that. And I always say that to people. And the interesting thing about that is when we’re recording it, I think people get so relaxed, we very rarely need a lot of editing to go, oh, that didn’t answer that well. Or. And I guess my style, my podcast is very conversational. I’m very relaxed, and I don’t want a polished podcast where I sound perfect and my guests sound perfect. I’m okay if I fall over a couple of words, or they do, as long as everyone feels that’s okay. And I think that makes people feel comfortable when they hear it. They’re like, oh, she’s just her. She’s just doing her thing. And yes, it does sound good, but it doesn’t sound perfect. And that was never my intent.

Laura: Yeah, that’s excellent. Taking a break over the summer is something you’re passionate about. How does that time off contribute to the health and growth of your podcast community?

Sarah: So this year is my third year of running my podcast, and we always have a season break of four weeks. And from a business perspective, I know that you know how hard it is to create a podcast. So having a break from weekly episodes is really important for myself and my team. But from my community’s perspective, I think that over Christmas is a very busy time of year for people, and they’re probably not keeping up with episodes anyway. So I think if you were dropping out content. Cause mine always comes out on a Wednesday, it would be weird to have a. If, say, Christmas was on a Wednesday, and dropping an episode that day would be Strange. So I love having that break. The interesting thing from my community’s perspective is the last two episodes of the year, about a month after the end of the year, let’s say the end of January, they will be the best performing, uh, episodes for the whole year. And it’s because people didn’t have new content that they just thought, well, we’ll just go and listen to that and obviously you pick up new listeners. And those two episodes are always such important episodes. And so, uh, I know that people like listening to those and I like to give juicy things for them to do. Like my last episode of the year is what I’m going to do on my month off and how I’m going to spend that in my business. And I know that that should inspire people to do some, hopefully take some action themselves. But from a community perspective, I still keep sending out emails to say, no new episode today, but this is one of my favourite episodes of the year. And then I’ll share like this was my most popular episode, like my most listened to. So I still keep in touch with people to let them know what to catch up on. And I know that there are episodes that people will have missed that I’d love them to go back to. So I keep the momentum without creating new content, I guess is the answer.

Laura: Yeah, that’s what I recommend too. Like if you go on a break, it’s fine, just let people know you’re having a break. And if you’re repurposing those good popular episodes, I recommend just like maybe saying a little bit at the beginning or writing it in the show notes or the episode description that it’s a repeat. It’s a good way to, yeah, just repurpose those great episodes, isn’t it?

Sarah: Yeah, I love that. I’m gonna pick out my favourite guest, my favourite solo, and then my most popular episode. So I kind of pick out three to give us one each week while I’m off the air.

Laura: That’s such a good idea. I can’t wait to have recorded that many episodes where I can do that. I’m still too early yet.

Sarah: Oh, uh. But the fascinating thing about it is it goes really fast. So in March 2025, my podcast will have been going for three years, which seems insane because I still have moments thinking, oh, I love my podcast, as if it’s new and exciting, but it’s actually had a lot of momentum behind it and it soon quickly gathers. You soon get a bank of episodes. Like I was thinking the other day, I wonder who was it some of my first guests and what did we talk about? I’d love to go back and listen to them and maybe share them again this year because you tend to just share that year and when you have lots of back episodes, it’s really fun to kind of look back and see what else was there.

Laura: Yeah, that’s amazing. And so how has the podcast helped you expand your community? And in what ways do you feel it’s different from other forms of marketing?

Sarah: From a marketing perspective, the podcast for me has been a game changer because I’m so consistent with it. So podcasts fit into long form content. So things like your blogs, articles, that kind of thing is all long form content. And I always struggled with that. Like I so sporadic with blogging,

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Sarah: so inconsistent publishing articles on LinkedIn and when I started my podcast, and to be fair, my husband is the slave driver because he does the tech stuff. He’s like, well, you can’t miss a week. And so I’ve been so committed and have never missed a week of podcasting in three years. And so it’s been very consistent and I think that’s been fantastic. I know for a fact that it has brought new people into my world. It has brought new clients and customers into my world. It has brought people into my world that I would never have found through, you know, Facebook ads or traditional social media marketing. And I’ve had people book me who have said, I’ve been listening to your podcast and you’re amazing. And they’ve never worked with me and they booked like my biggest thing, like a VIP day with me. So it has definitely been expansive for my business. From a personal perspective, I feel like it’s given me a lot of confidence in who I am and what it is that I do. And I know that sounds silly because I’ve been in business 13 years, I should know that. But every time I speak and talk about it, I’m like, oh, yeah, I’m smart. I do know what I’m doing and I have lots of advice to give. And the podcast reminds me of that every single week that I have lots of knowledge to share. So I feel like it has done lots to consolidate me as an expert in my industry. And I love that because I enjoy podcasting. Like, I wouldn’t have stayed with it if I didn’t enjoy it. It is the right format for me.

Laura: That’s brilliant. Yeah, you can just repurpose it in so many ways, can’t you? And because you’re doing it every week, yeah, it pushes you to do those blog posts, those newsletters every week too.

Sarah: I know. I love it.

Laura: Yeah. And yes, you’re an inspiration to me. I absolutely love your podcast. I recommend you go out and listen to that. It’s called the Social Circus and I’ll put the links to that in the show notes. So thank you, Sarah. And lastly, where can we find and connect with you?

Sarah: So I am online Social Butterfly everywhere online. So the only platform I’m not on is X. I have a conscientious objection to X, but I’m on every other platform and I’m under there under Online Social Butterfly. And I’m also under Sarah Thompson, but it’s a very common name, so you may not find me, but I’m online Social butterfly everywhere. My favourite platform is Instagram, so if you want to search me up on there, send me a little DM and say, hey, I heard you on Laura’s podcast. I love that.

Laura: Amazing. Thank you so much.

Sarah: Um, my absolute pleasure, Laura. I have loved being on your podcast. Thank you for inviting me.

Laura: Thank you. Bye. What an inspiring conversation with Sarah. I love how she highlighted the importance of storytelling, not just for connecting with your audience, but also for helping your guests grow personally and professionally. One thing that stood out for me was Sarah’s focus on creating a, uh, welcoming space for her guests, especially those new to podcasting. It’s such a simple way to build confidence and create connection. Her approach to podcasting as a tool for community building and marketing is something I really align with. I completely agree with her point about balancing solo episodes and guest interviews. It’s all about variety and keeping things fresh for your listeners. And Sarah’s openness about her own journey and the lessons learned along the way is such a refreshing reminder that we all start somewhere. If this episode gave you some valuable takeaways for your own podcast or inspired you to start one, I’d love to hear about it. Connect with me on Instagram at, uh, podcast support Services. And don’t forget to cheque out Sarah’s podcast. It’s called the Social Circus. I’ll put the links in the show notes. Thanks for tuning in to Podcasting for Business Owners. Until next time, keep sharing your story, leading your industry and growing your network through podcasting. If you found value in this podcast, please leave. A five star rating and a review would be even better. Your support shows that this is a good show which will attract high profile guests and in turn deliver greater value to you. This podcast is produced and edited by me. Don’t waste your time on editing. Let me help you with your podcast. Cheque out the links in the show notes to get in touch.

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