Podcasts are a great option to boost your brand marketing and can set you apart from your competitors. Podcasts are most-often arranged as a radio show format where the host(s) discusses different topics, often featuring a guest.
Here are a few reasons why podcasts are an excellent form of marketing:
Podcasts are easily accessible
While podcasts are mostly listened to at home (48%), many people also like to listen from their car (26%) or at work (12%). People appreciate the on-demand nature of podcasts and a majority of podcast consumers use a smartphone, tablet, or other portable device for listening. Podcasts are very popular for on-the-go listening and multitasking.Podcasts are inexpensive
Starting or producing a podcast is often cheaper than many other forms of marketing. The essential tools for creating a podcast are a microphone and (simple) editing software usually available at little or no cost (consider Audacity). You'll of course still have to invest time in writing, recording, and editing your podcast. You can later upgrade to a higher quality microphone and editing software once you're more experienced and the effort shows dividends. However, you should usually focus on the quality of your content before looking into advanced equipment.Podcasts help you stand out from your competitors
Podcasts have been highly popular within the last few years, but are still a viable way to market your brand and spread your message differently than your competitors. It's great to have a variety of platforms to reach potential consumers and podcasts can be very effective depending on the audience you’re targeting. In addition, podcasts can help build your brand. Your brand is more reachable when you're putting out valuable and detailed content. It also shows how your brand is willing to adopt new forms of content in order to connect with audiences, which increases your reach to additional potential consumers.Related Article: 6 Reasons Why You Should Invest in Podcasts
Now that you know why podcasts are an excellent marketing strategy, here are 4 tips on creating a podcast for marketing your brand.
- Include content that interests people, like current trends When choosing content for your podcast, pick topics that consumers are interested in and that are relevant to your brand. You can look into any hot topics, techniques, or insider knowledge within your brand's niche. If you can share any unique information from your brand and perspective, the more valuable your podcast will be.
- Establish your brand as a credible source & build trust with your consumers You'll gradually become more reputable as you create more podcasts with a variety of useful content. One way to establish yourself as a credible source is to feature guests who are experts on current topics. This is a strong method for developing your brand's credibility and makes it easier to have a larger amount of content to choose from when editing your podcast. Brand credibility also helps with building trust with your audience. People will want to support your brand and revisit your content if your brand is deemed to be a reliable source of information.
- Add a call to action for consumers to contribute their thoughts & check out your services It's important to create and expand discussion on current trends. Podcasts provide a great environment for consumers to be part of the conversation. You can ask consumers to review the podcast (usually through iTunes) and visit your website (if they're not already streaming or downloading from your website) at the end of your podcast. Call to actions like these are effective in engaging existing and potential consumers alike.
- Post your podcast on regular schedule Consumers are already faced with an excessive amount of marketing content. Your podcast will be more accessible if you post on a regular schedule. Consumers will be aware that you do have an ongoing podcast series and they can expect when you will post. Many listeners subscribe to receive notifications when new podcasts in a series are released. You can also track how well your podcast is doing through downloads. These and other metrics will inform you with what topics are resonating with consumers.
If you're confused about the process of publishing a podcast, The Podcast Host has a detailed article on hosting and uploading a podcast. Many hosting sites offer limited free storage, so you can produce a few podcasts before committing to a media host. We Edit Podcasts provides an extensive list on the top podcast hosting companies. Some popular hosting sites are Libsyn, PodBean, and BuzzSprout. These sites will allow you to host your files with them and create a podcast website if needed. Then you can add your podcast to your own website if you wanted or you can list your podcast through popular directories such as iTunes, Spotify or Stitcher to grow your listenership. Listeners today are more likely to own smart speakers such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home and listing your podcast through popular directories will help draw in listeners as smart speakers become more prevalent in homes.
Overall podcasts are a still a unique and inexpensive way to market your brand. You'll be able to share knowledge with your consumers directly. In turn, consumers are more likely to support a brand when they connect with a brand’s message and when a brand provides valuable content.
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