What could a podcast do for your business?
You might be wondering what exactly it is about a podcast that has called so many businesses to jump on the bandwagon. Well, it’s pretty simple to be honest. Podcasts are a genius marketing tool.
Every time I hear that someone has launched a new podcast I get super excited, because there’s room for everyone! I’ve never listened to a show that sounds exactly like someone else’s, or an episode or interview that feels like déjà vu.
Podcasts offer you an opportunity to reach a completely different level of client or customer. Along with so many others, I am now testament to the fact that you can really broaden your audience by starting a podcast. Especially if you do one with a business buddy or colleague.
Read on to find out more about how podcasts can revolutionise your business!
Show off your expertise
By becoming a podcaster you’re sending a message to the people listening that you know what you’re talking about. Not only are you an expert, but you’re confident enough to share your knowledge with the world via the medium of the air waves.
Talking about your own journey and how you help people automatically puts you in the position of expert. And when you start to have conversations with other experts on your podcast it really brings out and emphasises your brilliance.
People listen to all the free advice and knowledge you’re sharing in each episode, and they begin to wonder what you’d be able to do for them if they worked with you.
Build your authority
And by showing off your expertise, you’re demonstrating authority. You are seen by people within your industry and beyond as someone to call upon for advice. Podcast hosts are regularly asked to speak to news outlets and the media, as a reliable source of information or opinion.
Putting your podcast out there and growing your authority can only be a good thing for your business! It’s a great way of building trust, because by telling your story and showcasing your expertise, you’re creating an entry level way of getting to know you.
Create a podcast community
People love to feel like they’re part of something. Like they belong. Podcast listeners aren’t like radio listeners. They don’t dip in and out. They nearly always listen to a whole episode and sometimes binge lots! And they spend a hell of a lot longer listening to you talk than they do reading your blogs. Trust me!
Essentially what this mean is that you can begin to create a sort of community for your brand that you can warm up and help to take that first step into becoming loyal customers. You’re building trust and reciprocity with them.
There’s the chance to reward your listeners with offers only they will hear about. And - depending on the kind of podcast you decide to produce - there’s potential to invite listeners to join in the fun by sending you questions or even asking them to record messages for you to play on air.
You’ll start to get rave reviews and receive feedback that will help you to further develop your business. Your audience is worth making every effort for, because creating a community around your podcast will be repaid in loyalty. And if people love listening to you, they’re highly likely to buy from you (and to tell their friends!)
Subscribers look forward to new episodes of your your podcast, because they’ve signed up to hear more. To keep them hooked, be consistent. Ideally, you want to be their favourite! Which means you’re the first thing they want to hear when they head out on that dog walk, or bike ride. Podcasts offer the chance for you to nurture clients into super fans of your brand.
Build brand loyalty
According to Ofcom, around 7.1 million people in the UK now listen to podcasts each week! That’s a gigantic one in eight people! And that’s increase by nearly one quarter over the last year. So, in terms of reaching new audiences, your podcast has massive potential for your brand.
One of the great things about having your very own podcast is that it is just that: YOURS. Unlike being a guest on TV or radio, this is your space. You are in total control. So make the most of it! Be strategic, and get your brand’s message across so that you can position yourself in the industry in exactly the way you want to be seen!
Podcasts feel personal
It doesn’t matter what kind of podcast you opt for: interviews with guests; a fireside chat; going through industry news or something else … the key to an awesome podcast is making the listener feel like they’re included. They are in your gang, part of the chat and in on the jokes. However you choose do it, demonstrating that relevance for your audience and speaking to them directly is a huge part of why more than 12.5% of the population love listening to podcasts!
It’s a pretty intimate method of marketing really, when you stop and think about it isn’t it? You’re speaking directly into their ears so what you say has power and is incredibly personal. Although you will no doubt have a strategy and have planned out your content well in advance (right?!) there’s still a casual and chatty element to podcasting that’s missing from standard marketing channels. You can express your brand’s personality in a way that truly connects and resonates, with an authenticity that other mediums can often lack. And those more traditional communications often sound over-scripted and forced in comparison.
It’s strange to think that just a few years ago, no one knew what a podcast was, but now they’re a part of daily life! We listen on our mobiles, on the commute or while we’re busy multi-tasking at home, sometimes as part of a ritual - during your morning shower or bedtime moisturising, while out running, driving or putting your make-up on. It’s a really personal thing, listening to podcasts, and this is your chance to create something really special that connects and brings joy to your audience, in a way that suits them.
You can quite literally become a household name. Now that doesn’t sound too bad really, does it?!
So, have you thought about starting a podcast?
I’d love to hear from you if you’re starting one because I know from personal experience how much it can help grow a business. My business has gone from strength to strength since launching mine, and I’m reaching more people that ever before, making sales with new customers I’m unlikely to have captured via an email sequence or a Facebook ad.
And - while you’re here - don’t forget to listen (and subscribe!) to our latest episode of The Business and Beyond Podcast where you can learn tons from two marketing and business experts (Emma and me!). Oh, and if you like what you hear, don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes, it can really make a world of difference.