PODCASTS ARE A GROWING OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESS

by Ben Anderson, Sound Rebel

 

Nowadays, the way in which people consume television programmes has changed dramatically, with the rise in popularity of on-demand services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Now TV.

Until the recent warnings to stay home, the number of people listening to live radio had been dropping steadily and the same trend is expected to pick back up once the crisis has settled. Meanwhile, podcasts have become increasingly popular, with almost a quarter of 15 to 34-year-olds listening regularly, according to recent RAJAR data.

Podcasts are a set of digital audio files that are made available for people to listen to immediately or download for later use. Following a consistent and familiar format, these podcasts encourage users to subscribe, so they can engage with each instalment as soon as it comes out.

Currently, some of the biggest brands in the world are using podcasts to communicate with an engaged and captive audience, while enhancing their own brand awareness by sharing important company information.

 

Projecting your authority

Podcasts are used for a variety of purposes, whether it’s sharing information about new products, company updates or general industry-related insights. Some podcasts may only be suitable for the ears of employees due to the nature of the content.

Incorporating podcasts into your marketing strategy offers numerous benefits for your business and there’s never been a better time to get started.

Acting as a platform for your business to share its experience and expertise, these podcasts offer a different alternative to the written word, allowing you to present personality and enthusiasm for what you do.

Regular podcasts offering information, opinion and new ideas for discussion help establish you and your business as a leading authority, to be trusted by customers and new prospects alike.

Inviting similar respected individuals from within your business or from across your sector to help create the podcasts, will only add to your credibility and generate further trust from the audience, whilst expanding the number of likely listeners.

 

Building a stronger connection

Hearing people present sector news or discussing topics creates a stronger connection with the audience than them simply reading the information on a web page. When your podcasts are regular, listeners recognise your voice and presentation style, hopefully finding it a pleasant experience.

Listening to you explain in person helps the audience better understand your values and the way you run the business. You become a companion voice, a source for interesting news to be listened to whilst they undertake other tasks; unlike video or reading, which requires their undivided attention.

And if you’re good, there is the added benefit of your podcast being recommend to others who may be interested in what you have to say and sell.

In a survey conducted with 300,000 podcast listeners in the US, around 63% of respondents indicated they had bought what the host had been promoting, which demonstrates the power of podcasts to positively influence the buying decisions of the audience.

 

Creating a memorable podcast

A podcast may be relatively easy to produce, but the content is critical to the success and longevity of your activity. The mechanics are easy enough, requiring just a good microphone connected to your computer to make the recording and a way of editing the finished sound files.

However, whilst it is often lauded as a DIY project, it is easy to make a podcast that only you want to listen to and professional producers will enhance the quality of the output considerably.

The producer is also helpful for handling the transition between speakers, asking the questions, requesting clarification of unclear points or jargon and ultimately editing the hours of chat into a professional and efficient 25-minute sector specific podcast that thousands will enjoy.

The content can cover current events, changes in the sector, news specific to your business, a discussion around sector-specific topics, trends, legislation etc., but it must be interesting to the target audience and delivered in short sections.

 

Content is key

Thirty minutes on a single topic might bore the average listener, it’s easy to break the topic up into pieces and deliver several podcasts that revisit the subject. It’s also good to point listeners to your website if you have more detail on a topic, like a guide or catalogue they can download.

You don’t have to be funny or try hard to entertain. You just need to use your experience and imagination to deliver short bursts of interesting chat or discussion, in a professional manner, with the content tailored to your audience. And the more you do, the easier it will become.

Once finished, you can start promoting your podcast to increase its exposure to a larger audience. You would need to make the podcasts available on a variety of distribution channels, or enlist the help of a podcast producer, who will know the best channels to choose.

If you want to talk in detail about sensitive information only for your employees, perhaps explaining strategic decisions, or current lockdown policy, a private podcast can be created and a link emailed to specific recipients – it can be password protected if necessary.

 

And finally…

Remember, your podcasts can be tailored to meet the unique requirements of your business, whether you prefer to follow an informal or structured format is up to you.

It’s not all about well-edited scripts or carefully crafted questions, but about researching the topics carefully, agreeing what’s to be covered and then talking with friends as you would in the pub, not the boardroom – it’s where the authenticity comes from.

Everyone involved can be in a separate location, which at the time of writing makes podcasts the perfect tool for bringing people together to create memorable content that an engaged audience will find truly valuable, particularly when it comes to buying decisions.

 

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