How to Purchase Podcast Thought Leadership

Podcasts are an ideal medium to establish thought leadership. Did you know that you can purchase this thought leadership, and bypass the work and dedication most people put into it?

Can you Purchase Podcast Thought Leadership?

Before we can address whether or not thought leadership can be purchased, we first need to understand exactly what it is.

Thought leadership is the expression of expertise on a specific topic, field, or area. A thought leader then, is an individual who has become an expert by researching and learning about a niche inside and out.

Can thought leadership on a podcast be purchased? The answer is yes and no.

What we mean by that is you can purchase a podcast that has gained popularity and established itself as an authority on a specific topic, and you by extension, become a thought leader as the new host/owner of the show.

When Is a Good Time to Purchase a Podcast to Expand Your Thought Leadership?

If you are considering investing in a podcast as a means to add credibility as a thought leader in your area of expertise, there are a few key questions to ask yourself.

First - Are you qualified to speak on the subject?

For example, if you are in the insurance space and want to establish thought leadership, acquiring an insurance podcast with an established audience can be a good way to establish or expand your existing authority.

However, if you don’t already have knowledge of the subject of insurance, you will look more like a wolf in sheep’s clothing than a bona fide thought leader.

Here’s the thing - people can tell pretty quickly if someone is actually an expert on a subject or if they are just playing a role. So buying a podcast won’t help you bypass the time it takes to become an expert. However, it will help you bypass the time it takes to build an audience to prove your expertise.

Second - If you are not qualified to call yourself an expert, can you step into the role of host and become one as a result?

Absolutely! Anyone can become a thought leader on a subject if they are willing to put in the time and energy required to become knowledgeable on it.

Let’s say you want to buy an established podcast to extend your authority, but you don’t yet feel qualified to step into being the sole host of the show. No problem! As you continue learning, you can retain the show’s host to continue hosting the podcast in the interim. In the meantime, you should begin co-hosting/joint producing the episodes with the current host.

This will do two things for you - first, it will introduce you to the world as a thought leader in training. Second, it will give you an audience to grow with which will help you gain your authority much faster.

When we immerse ourselves in a topic by being a co-host, we effectively are hitting the gas on our education about a subject. As anyone who has ever interned at a company will tell you, you’ll learn a lot more while “on the job” than you would reading theories and case studies.

Finally - When can you take over as the official host and thought leader?

The answer to this one will vary. For some people, when they purchase a podcast, the transition will be quick and painless. This is especially true if you are already knowledgeable about the subject of the podcast.

For others, it could take a significant amount of time. If you feel like an imposter, or like you have a long way to go before you feel like an expert in the topic, you might need to be a co-host for a while before taking over completely.

The good news is neither way is wrong. You have to do what feels best for you and your niche.

Whichever option you choose though, one thing remains constant - purchasing a podcast within your industry can create credibility.

Purchasing a podcast that already has an established audience can be helpful if you are an organization, educational institution, trade association, or business looking to be seen as a thought leader. You might not be one yet, but purchasing a thought leadership platform can certainly make you a thought leader in your own right much faster than if you tried to build a podcast and audience from scratch.

Click here to learn more about buying an established podcast that has an engaged audience.