Podcasting is one of the latest marketing tools that has been growing exponentially in popularity in recent years. While most people think of podcasts as regular radio programming, which may include shows like “Serial” and NPR, in reality, podcasting is much more than that.
These days any small business or marketer can start a podcast and reap the rewards without making a big investment. While this medium is still fairly new, some marketers are already using podcasting with great success to promote themselves. There are many great benefits of using podcasting to enhance digital marketing. If done correctly it can grow the brand, increase traffic and help businesses connect with their audience.
If podcasting sounds like something you might want to try, follow these tips for starting a successful podcast and making it part of your marketing strategy.
Keep It Simple
Basic podcasting can be fairly easy to set up. You don’t need a professional, soundproofed studio to get started. At the same time, you’re going to need a little more than just your laptop. Consider getting a quality microphone and investing in decent audio editing software. While neither of these is necessary for getting started, the audience will notice the difference and some might be turned off by the low quality of your production. So invest in good equipment if you can, but don’t let the lack of budget or high-quality equipment stop you from starting. You can always purchase better tools as your podcast grows and gains popularity.
Make Your Content Relevant to Your Brand
The topics you discuss on your podcast should directly relate to what you’re already producing and marketing and what your brand is known for. If you’re a marketer you should talk about marketing, if you’re a web designer you should focus on discussing web design and development. Take the topics you cover in your blog and on your website and convert them to audio friendly format. Podcasting is simply another way to reach your audience and spread your ideas. Consider looking through what you’ve done in the past and find the most popular topics. Then take these posts and recap top points covered in these articles while recording the audio.
Learn from Other Podcasts
If you’re having trouble figuring out how to format your podcast, you should spend time listening to other successful podcasts that are in the same niche as you. For example, here are popular marketing podcasts and design podcasts you can check out. Take notes on what topics they cover, how long is the show, that is the tone of the show – is it lighthearted? Serious? Informative? Entertaining? Then, review and see what can you do to improve on them and try to make your podcast even better.
Invite Guests To Your Show
Inviting guests to your show can have many benefits. If this person is an authority in their field, they will help grow your audience, and in effect, your brand. In addition, there’s an aspect of cross-promotion at play as well. Your guest gets to appear on the show and market their expertise and in exchange, they will bring a new audience to your show that you might not have been able to reach before. Much like a guest post on a blog, having guests is a win-win for everyone. A note of warning. Make sure to do the research before inviting a guest on your show. You want someone who is entertaining and knowledgeable at the same time and also an expert in the topics your podcast covers.
Consider Ways To Monetize Your Podcast
If you listen to a wide range of podcasts, you’ll notice that many include ads. The best part about advertising on a podcast is that, because podcasting is still fairly new, listeners haven’t yet quite found a way to block ads. This means that if you can attract many listeners, you have the potential to reach many people with an advertising message, which advertisers love. In addition, many digital marketing companies offer affiliate opportunities such as discount codes that you can share with your audience. Not only can a podcast be used as a marketing tool, but it can also be a way to generate extra income. People like Tim Ferris, Joe Rogaine make millions of dollars with their podcasts and are a great example of podcasting done right.
Get Listed on Podcast Directories
The content of your podcast will depend on your brand and your industry. Once you decide on a format and start recording your show you half way there. The other crucial part of any successful podcast is promotion! Besides promoting the podcast on your website, you need to use other channels to get the word out. One way is by getting listed in as many podcast directories as possible. Consider adding it iTunes, Stitcher, and Pocket Casts. The more places you’re listed in, the better the chances of attracting a bigger audience.
While getting the podcast off the ground can be easy, succeeding, in the long run, will require a lot of work and patience. But don’t sweat, with diligence and know how the rewards of successful podcasting can be enormous. Many marketers and brands recognized the amazing potential of this medium and are already using it to grow their businesses and marketing efforts.
Author: Usman Raza is a marketing specialist at PSDtoWPService.com and co-founder of Christian Marketing Experts. He has been writing for magazines and newspapers since 2001, and editing and managing websites since 2006. A generalist, his most covered topics are business and technology. Follow him on Twitter @usmanintrotech.
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