Podcasting 101
In today’s increasingly interconnected world, listening to one another is now more important than ever. Listening creates connections, and it is how we gain perspective on new ideas. And for many trying to reduce television time or for those who may not be fans of reading – listening is an increasingly favorable alternative. From a business perspective, podcasting utilizes the power of listening in several ways that are likely to benefit you and your business through increased customer connection.
Why should my business start a podcast?
1. Multitasking and Convenience
Podcasts are easy to put on and listen to while walking on the treadmill or driving to the store. Unlike reading a book or a blog post about a company’s services, listeners can consume information about a brand with little effort. Not to mention, there were an estimated 120 million podcast listeners in the United States in 2021!
2. Power of Listening
Tone of voice exhibits passion. When a listener hears an expert, who speaks passionately about their product, service or topic, the listener is more likely to trust the expert and what their company’s purpose is.
3. Engaging and Interactive
Podcasts are unique from other media platforms because their format affords
diversity between episodes, while keeping the overall message brand consistent.
Competitions, one-on-one interviews, and Q&A episodes are just a few of the ways experts can diversify their episodes, while keeping listeners involved and interested.
4. Ad Revenue
As more people listen to your podcast, more opportunities to benefit from advertising will arise. Ad revenue for podcasts continues to skyrocket each year. 60% of podcast listeners searched for a product after hearing about it in a podcast. Such podcast ads can become a new revenue stream for your business.
5. Increases Audience Traffic and Conversion Rates
As long as your message is consistent with your brand across each episode, listeners
will keep listening! And loyal customers are more likely to recommend your podcast to new customers, increasing the overall awareness of your company.
6. Onboarding
Educating prospective customers about your brand can be simplified through
podcasting. A listener hearing an expert go in depth about the services they offer helps them to learn about what really makes the company special and why it is worth investing in.
7. Brand Awareness
Include your brand logo in the artwork for your podcast, and make sure your company name shines through in the introduction jingle! This way, the basics of your brand identity become more familiar in listeners minds. When they come across a need or want, it will be your company that now comes to mind.
8. Free!
Podcasts are just as free to create and they are to listen to. It’s a win-win, so why not give it a try?!
Now that you know how your company can benefit from introducing itself to a listener platform, below are some ways to get started with the process.
1. Brand Alignment
Brand alignment across all platforms is vital for a business. First, identify your company’s purpose. Then, ensure that your podcast and everything about the content you choose to produce aligns with that purpose.
Example: Madhappy started as a sweatshirt/leisure-wear brand centralized around the purpose of promoting mental health awareness through the colors and style of their clothing. In 2021, Madhappy created their own podcast that is centered around mental health. Through recording conversations between Madhappy experts and individuals who have endured mental battles of their own, their podcast works for listeners because it aligns with the purpose of their brand!
2. Start Basic
Podcasting is as simple as recording an episode with your smartphone. But, using a headset with a microphone is recommended for high-quality voice capture. If your podcast skyrockets, you can invest in more high-tech equipment later!
3. Research Competing Podcasts in your Brand Genre
Start to research competing podcasts produced by companies in your industry. That way, you can ensure your podcast holds points of differentiation, inviting listeners into the unique and important content you produce.
4. Include Keywords
Given that many podcasts are found via search engines, include keywords within your podcast description to ensure that your podcast ranks highly and is found by as many listeners as possible.
5. Schedule and Keep Consistent
Not to overuse the word “consistency”, but consistency really is key. Create a schedule for content, and keep track of which episodes are most successful in terms of theme and content. Produce more episodes at the right times, and you’ll be golden.
The nature of podcasts makes it easy for listeners to interact with the information they hear and feel they can trust. Thus, taking the time to create a podcast is a sure fire way to benefit your business and expand its influence.
Looking to expand your brand awareness, generate content in a new way, and potentially increase revenue stream to your business? Get started on your very own podcast today.