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The Power of the Podcast in the Age of Digital Evangelization
In 1960, 65 years ago, the first televised Presidential Debate aired.
This event changed history – and changed the course of the Presidential election.
Nixon’s knee pain made him sweat and affected his appearance, Kennedy’s youth and attractive features impacted voters nationwide.
This televised debate swayed public opinion enough to impact the election. Kennedy won by a very narrow margin, and many historians point to this first presidential debate as a major factor in his victory.
In 2024, podcasting had an impact on history much like the television did.
The two presidential debates that Trump participated in had left two very different impressions. In my opinion, one of the best decisions Trump made after his debate with Kamala Harris was to decline a second televised debate and embark on a podcast tour that came to a climax with his 3-hour interview on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
It’s possible that podcasting impacted the 2024 Presidential election the same way television impacted the 1960 Presidential election.
Being a guest on a podcast and/or hosting a podcast can help your ministry and be an extremely powerful evangelization tool.
And you don’t have to be Father Mike Schmitz to prove it.
However, the example of the Bible in a Year Podcast, as well as it’s successors Catechism in a Year and Rosary in a Year topping the charts above secular ones might be another reason to take this message seriously.
If God has placed a mission on your heart, take that mission on a podcast tour.
At every point, the One who came as light into darkness continues to shine. BUT THE EXTENT OF THAT LIGHT AND THE WAY IT SHEDS IT RAYS changes.
(inspired by From Christendom to Apostolic Mission: Pastoral Strategies for an Apostolic Age)
We live in an age that uses podcasts to share missions and messages.
Make sure you share yours.
Being on a podcast is one way to use networking to grow you ministry or business, find out how to network more with this free guide!!!
You are welcome to join this group!
How do I know I’m ready to be a podcast guest?
Do you have a topic you speak passionately about? Not necessarily on stage – just when it comes up in a conversation?
Chances are if you run a ministry, if you are a content creator or you love the idea of the New Evangelization, you are ready to be on a podcast.
If you feel passionate about a topic and are taking action to help others, you are ready to be a podcast guest.
A couple years ago I heard about the Catholic Sports Radio podcast. I listened to Bruce the host talk about how he shares stories of how Catholics notice their athletic careers and their faith life intersect, and I just shook my head yes.
I’ve shared in a blog post and in the book, Be Yourself: a Journal for Catholic Boys how my own experience as a runner really was due to my faith and provided many opportunities to think about Jesus, His Sacrifice and the talent God had given me. When I heard about this podcast, I just had to share my story – so I reached out to Bruce and asked if I could be a guest.
He said yes.
My passion for my faith and my opinion that his podcast was truly an incredible idea, led me to reaching out and getting scheduled as a guest.
What eventually happened with this podcast episode and it’s timing makes me smile every time I think of it.
It was during the time that Mark Wahlberg was promoting Father Stu that I recorded my conversation with the CSR host Bruce.
Mark Wahlberg, who is an A list celebrity and has a net worth of $400 million dollars, used a podcast tour as part if his marketing plan for the motion picture Father Stu.
Mark Wahlberg was Bruce’s guest the week after I was his guest.
The week before I shared my story on Catholic Sports Radio, Mario Andretti shared his story.
My headshot was in between Mario Andretti and Mark Wahlberg on this podcast’s website.
I mean . . .that’s kinda cool, right?
My point here is not that I am so cool.
On the contrary, if you know me, you know I’m not!
My point here is this: Mark Wahlberg, who has a budget for his projects that most of us only dream of, still saw the power of a podcast tour and the worth of a Catholic podcast to share his message.
Being on a podcast is one way to use networking to grow you ministry or business, find out how to network more with this free guide!!!
How do I get to be a guest on a Catholic podcast?
One of the first times I was on a podcast was with Leah Darrow. Leah Darrow had a podcast called Do Something Beautiful and I was super blessed to be a guest. How I ended up being a guest has everything do with the Catholics Online Community (all the people listed on our directory here). Leah Darrow asked on her Facebook page “Who should I invite on the podcast” and I asked some people to write my name since my book Be Yourself: A Journal for Catholic Girls had recently been published.
Many of the members of our community were so generous and wrote my name. I talked with Leah and she had me on as a guest. You can listen to that whole episode here!
Having a community who understands trying to share our unique mission from God is so important and helpful. Sometimes, asking others for help can definitely benefit.
There have been other times that I have been on a guest on a podcast simply because I reached out and asked if I could be a guest (that is how I was on Catholic Sports Radio!!!)
If you are not sure where to begin, but you know you want to share your specific mission with the world and you are willing to be a guest on a podcast, join this FREE Facebook group: Catholic Podcast/YouTube Collaboration: Find a Guest, Be a Guest.
Once you join, post in it. Introduce yourself and state, “I am looking to be a guest on a few podcasts to share my mission . . . .” and share your mission.
You can also see about 30 Catholic podcast hosts by looking here on our directory
A third tip, make a list of podcasts you listen to, Catholic content creators you follow, Catholic ministries you support, etc. and reach out to them.
Ask them if they have a podcast or if they have been a guest on any podcasts, and ask them how that came about.
Pursue, persist and pray! You can do this!
Don’t worry about how popular the podcast is – Mark Wahlberg and I were on the same podcast!!?? Trump didn’t go right on Joe Rogan . . . start being a guest and be a good one – who knows where it will lead you!
Being on a podcast is one way to use networking to grow you ministry or business, find out how to network more with this free guide!!!
Why be on a podcast?
I wish I could I remember where I heard this, but a podcast is a place where you can share the backstory, the hopes you have for your mission – a podcast gives you room to, “weave”. Being on a radio show is still a good idea, but the radio guest and the podcast guest are different.
A radio guest needs to be quick and concise. If you can be on a radio show, great – but be ready to share what you do, why you do it and how people can get involved in a short amount of time.
A podcast guest usually has the time to be more relaxed and share more of the whole story.
If you google, “why be on a podcast” you will read “being on a podcast will allow you to reach a wider audience and expand your visibility and exposure”.
As I have observed from both Mark Wahlberg and President Trump, being on a podcast can help you reach people.
How do I start a Catholic podcast?
This is an adventure I am only in the baby stages of, BUT, because I belong to the Catholics Online community, I know of someone who can help!
Sophia Lebano (who actually designed this website) has a FREE resource for you! Find out how to get your FREE PODCAST MINI-COURSE here!.
Sophia and her lovely mother, Heather Lebano, host the Hear and Now podcast together.
Being on a podcast is one way to use networking to grow you ministry or business, find out how to network more with this free guide!!!
Will a podcast really help?
Several members of our community shared that being on a podcast or starting one has been LIFE CHANGING!
Karen Estep, host of Stand, Kneel, Now What? says that her podcast has “completely changed my life!”
Kylene Wesner said a podcast was the “aha moment that led me to realizing I was being called to be an entrepreneur”.
Claire Dwyer stated, “it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that being on an influential podcast changed my life!” I asked her what podcast, she said it was the Abiding Together Podcast.
Will a podcast help your ministry, apostolate, business, book or platform? Yes! The answer is yes! The more you share your mission, the more people will know it exists and how to help you reach the goals you have set!
Now go get started!
Join Catholics Online today and we can help!
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