So Hot Right Now
If you’re thinking about starting a podcast with the goal of generating leads and getting your brand in front of your target audience, now could be prime time. With the success of Serial, Sarah Koenig’s spin-off of This American Life, which broke records as it became the fastest podcast to reach 5M downloads and streams in itunes history, more of your audience is becoming interested in this medium than ever before.
Podcasts are Easy to Consume
Even complex or lengthy content can be easily consumed via podcasting. If your audience is made up of busy people, they’re probably looking for a way to multitask. Since podcasts can be listened to while doing something else (driving, public transportation, cleaning, exercising) there is a higher chance that your busy audience will spend their precious time consuming your content.
In addition to being a time saver, podcasts are also easy to consume because of their story-like format. By nature, many podcasts include anecdotes or interweave the speakers’ own opinions and insights. People can really connect and relate to content presented this way vs. a whitepaper or something less “human.”
Podcasts Make It Easy to Connect To Industry Influencers
Been waiting for a way to get introduced to a potential all-star client? Inviting them to join you as a thought leader on your podcast could be the way to make that connection. Not only will it benefit your influencer of choice by giving them exposure to your audience, you’ll also be exposed to theirs. This sharing of audiences is what makes podcasting so very mutually beneficial.
Additionally, by interviewing your potential future client, they can get a better sense of who you are and better understand how working together in the future may be a great idea!
“When you experience someone asking good questions…. it positions me and my company as a real leader in the field…” (Why Marketers Are Betting on Podcasts, 15:30 source).
Podcasts Create Quality, Sharable Content
When you’re really focusing on podcasting as a content creation strategy, it generates double, or even triple the amount of content that a normal, text focused blog post alone would.
Blogs. Not only can you put the audio version of your podcast on itunes or your podcast search engine of choice, you can also have a text version which is great for SEO. By turning your podcast transcript into a blog post, your audience can both follow along while listening, click links related to what you’re discussing, and perhaps share the blog post to their social networks. While they could also share only the podcast itself, someone who isn’t familiar with your podcast may want to read through first before listening.
Make quote graphics. Another way to reuse podcast content is to take quotes from the podcast and turn them into sharable graphics.
Video. Film yourself doing the podcast, even if just for some behind the scenes shots. Your audience wants to see what you’re up to and find out more about you. Allowing audience members to make this connection can be a highly beneficial asset down the road.
This strategy of catering to the varying wants and needs of your audience members allows for more engagement than one type of content alone.
Podcasts Allow for a Better Connection to Your Audience
People really enjoy learning all about the person behind the brand. Allowing your audience to see behind the scenes, to get inside your head and to feel like they really know you as a person, they’ll be more likely to do as you ask in future marketing campaigns.
Eventually…you want action from your audience members…they will be way more likely to do it if they have a connection…if they trust you… “It is the total jab-jab-jab-right hook move” (Why Marketers Are Betting on Podcasts, 25:15 source).
This trust that is developed when your audience spends hours per month listening to you could be their motivator to work with you, share your content, and really just buy in to what you’re trying to market to them.
The Time is Now
If you’ve been thinking about it and you’ve been weighing the pros and cons, the time to start a podcast for your business really is now. As more and more people start to explore what types of podcasts are out there, your target audience who spends time listening to podcasts will grow. If your competitors are meeting your audience through this medium and you are not, you could be missing out on a very valuable way to connect to your audience.
What are your thoughts on podcasting for business? Share them in the comments section below!
