I have been marketing my business for more than two decades, and I can say without hesitation that nothing has helped build my brand quite like podcasting.
Not networking groups. Not speaking alone. Not articles by themselves. The podcast has created access, authority, visibility, relationships, and content at a level that no single marketing activity could touch.
That does not mean every lawyer should run out and start a show tomorrow. In fact, most should not, unless they are prepared to treat it like a serious business development asset instead of a random hobby with a microphone.
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A good podcast can open doors. A weak podcast can burn time, money, and energy without much to show for it. The difference comes down to strategy.
Start With the Concept, Not the Equipment
Too many people start with the wrong question. They ask, “What microphone should I buy?” or “What platform should I use?” Those things matter, but not first.
The first question is much more important: What is the show?
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Who is it for? Why would they listen? What problem does it solve? What conversations will it create? What do you want it to do for your practice?
If the purpose is business development, then the show should help you build relationships with referral partners, prospects, influencers, clients, or industry leaders. If the purpose is branding, then the show should reinforce your authority in a narrow space. If the purpose is education, then the show should answer the questions your best clients and referral sources already ask.
The title matters too. Clever is fine, but clear usually wins. A searchable title gives people a better chance to find you on Google, YouTube, Spotify, and Apple. If your show name sounds interesting but tells the market nothing, you may have made the job harder than it needs to be.
A lawyer who handles commercial real estate does not need a show title that sounds like a mystery novel. A better title might speak directly to real estate deals, development, investment, finance, zoning, or whatever lane that lawyer wants to own.
Your show should answer one simple question before the first episode ever records: Why this show, why this audience, and why now?
Get Help Before You Create a Second Job
Podcasting looks simple from the outside. Record a conversation, upload it somewhere, and move on. That is not how it works if you want the show to look and sound professional to support your business development efforts.
Someone has to schedule guests, prep questions, manage recording links, edit audio, edit video, create graphics, review show notes, publish the episode, upload it to the hosting platform, post it on YouTube, create clips, write social posts, update the website, manage transcripts, and help promote it.
That does not mean you need a huge budget. A full-service podcast production company can handle the heavy lifting, but a smaller team can work too. You might use a freelance editor, a virtual assistant, a college student, someone from Upwork, or a virtual assistant overseas. The key is not the size of the team. The key is to delegate EVERYTHING you can, to ensure it doesn’t eat away at your time.
If you are the lawyer, your highest value role is not editing waveforms or formatting show notes. Your job is to host great conversations, build relationships, share strong ideas, and follow up with the right people after the episode.
Podcasting should not become another administrative burden. If it does, you will resent it, delay it, or quit.
Launch With Intention
The launch does not need to be perfect, but it does need to be planned.
Before you release the first episode, record a few shows. Five is good. Ten is better. This lets you get comfortable, test the format, fix sound issues, refine your opening, improve your questions, and avoid the pressure of recording week to week with no cushion.
You may want a short trailer episode that explains who the show is for and why it exists. You may also want a press release, LinkedIn announcement, email campaign, website page, YouTube channel setup, and guest promotion plan.
Guests should not be treated like one time content sources. They are relationships. If you interview the right people, the real value often comes before and after the episode. You get to meet them, learn from them, promote them, deepen trust, and potentially move the relationship forward.
That is where many lawyers miss the boat. They record the show, say thank you, publish it, and move on. That is not business development. That is content production.
The better play is to use the podcast as a relationship platform.
Repurpose Everything
A podcast episode should never live in only one place.
Yes, it should be on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and live on your website. A hosting tool or another podcast platform can help distribute the episode across major listening channels. But that is only the beginning.
Each episode can be broken down or repurposed to become a blogcast, LinkedIn post, short video clip, email newsletter, quote graphic, YouTube video, article idea, and follow up message to clients or referral partners.
This is where the leverage lives. In my case, I actually used the Blogcasts (truncated transcripts) to write my latest book “BE THAT LAWYER: 101 Top Rainmakers Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice,” which is my bestselling book of the five I’ve written.
Lawyers already struggle with consistency in marketing. Podcasting gives you a content engine. Instead of staring at a blank screen each week, you have conversations, insights, stories, and expert commentary ready to convert into usable content.
The guest should also help. Give them clips. Tag them. Make it easy for them to share. Encourage them to comment and repost. A good guest promotion plan can multiply the reach of every episode.
Review What Is Working
After the show launches, do not just keep producing episodes without reviewing the results.
Look at the data, but do not obsess over downloads alone. For lawyers, the best podcast metrics may not be massive audience numbers. The more important questions are these: Are you meeting the right people? Are referral partners engaging? Are clients mentioning the show? Are guests sharing it? Are clips getting attention? Are episodes helping your website and YouTube presence? Are conversations turning into opportunities?
Study other shows too. What do you like about their openings? Their thumbnails? Their clips? Their interview style? Their guest selection? You do not need to copy anyone, but you should pay attention to what works.
Then adjust.
Your first 10 episodes will not be your best. They should not be. The point is to get started, stay committed, and improve over time.
Podcasting Rewards the Lawyer Who Stays with It
The lawyers who win with podcasting are not always the best speakers, the most polished hosts, or the biggest personalities. They are the ones who understand the purpose and stay consistent.
A podcast can build your brand. It can create relationships. It can position you as a thought leader. It can give you a reason to reach out to people you otherwise may never meet. It can give you content for months and open conversations that lead to real business.
But it will not work if it is random.
Start with the concept. Build the right support team. Launch with a plan. Repurpose every episode. Review what works. Improve as you go.
That is how a lawyer turns a podcast from another marketing idea into a serious business development asset. For me, 70% of my business now comes from my BE THAT LAWYER and Future Rainmaker podcasts (and the assets we create from and around them). Not too shabby in only six years’ time.
To discuss podcasting and other business development topics to grow a successful law practice, email steve at [email protected] or visit our website www.bethatlawyer.com.
Steve Fretzin is a five-time bestselling author, host of the BE THAT LAWYER and Future Rainmakers podcasts, and a business development coach who works exclusively with attorneys. For more than 18 years, he has helped lawyers build strong books of business without selling, pitching, or chasing, using his proven Sales-Free Selling™ approach. His clients consistently become top rainmakers and credit his coaching and systems for driving meaningful, measurable growth. Steve can be reached directly at [email protected], or through his website at bethatlawyer.com. Connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefretzin. His ALL NEW BE THAT LAWYER Community is changing how lawyers develop the skills never taught in law school. Learn more at bethatlawyer.com/community.