If you have been keeping abreast of the latest business and business and marketing trends, then you are familiar with the current buzz around podcasts.
Recent studies conducted by Ofcom indicate that podcasts are now a flourishing online platform, which is attracting an ever-expanding audience. It has been suggested that around six million adults tune each week.
Compared to other platforms, podcasting is increasingly becoming popular as it is one of the most personal mediums for customer communications. As such, it allows the personality of the brand to shine through. Unlike on Twitter or Facebook where people often skim-read posts, in podcasting, the listeners willingly choose to listen to the content and thus go the extra mile to interact with the brand.
In case you are planning on diving into the world of podcasting but are stuck on where to start, then you should continue reading.
Understand business mediums
Even before dipping your feet into the waters of podcasting, ensure that you are committed. Keep in mind that podcasting is a very engaging type of business marketing, hence, you need to have a strategic plan in order to be successful.
First and foremost, you need to evaluate your current business marketing platforms. Does your business have an appealing website? Do you have an effective SEO strategy and active social media channels? Do you follow other marketing strategies that are included in your business, for example, blogs, PPC, and videos? You need to assess all these prior to taking this next step.
Understanding the necessity of the above discussed is crucial before branching into new territory. In case you don’t know how to analyze the strategy that will produce the best results for your business, then you should take some time to do some additional learning on the side at this phase. It is crucial to ensure that you are fully competent before undertaking a new tactic.
There are a lot of online courses in topics related to business that you can take as you continue to run your business. This helps to provide you with more in-depth knowledge of business analytics and strategy.
After you have mastered those skills, you will have a better understanding of how other types of marketing can be included in your business growth plan. You can begin by considering courses like this one: https://online.suffolk.edu/programs/ms-business-analytics. With this course, you can learn important business analytic skills while online, which gives you flexibility.
The basics and initial steps
Even if you are running on a small marketing budget, you’ll be happy to learn that to start podcasting is quite cheap and simple.
For a successful podcast having high-quality equipment is a must, however, if you are just getting started, you just need a recording device, a microphone, and of course, editing skills and a platform for your episodes.
According to research, the best duration length of podcasts is about 22 minutes, therefore, take this into account when recording to gain the highest level of engagement.
The key factor to keep in mind when starting your podcast is that content is always king. Ensure that your content is both relevant and engaging. Considering the fact that podcasting is rapidly growing, it is highly likely that your competitors are taking notice if they haven’t adopted it already.
Choose your topic and determine how you can differentiate it from the rest with regards to your delivery. Maybe you want to provide expert opinions or bring to the show interesting guests. Regardless of what you want to do, ensure it is unique.
At this stage, you’ll want to ensure that your podcast is listed in all major podcast directories present. This way, your potential listeners will be able to find you, download and even subscribe. You can begin with iTunes, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, and Stitcher.
Maximizing ROI
When podcasting is done correctly, it can be a very effective time-saving marketing method. It offers a safe way of getting back to your marketing spend. A lot of podcasting platforms usually provide insights and analytics regarding your podcast and they let you view your download and listener figures. Record these while frequently making plans on how to best grow the numbers.
The main goal here is to improve the number of subscribers, therefore, always keep this in mind when recording and publishing your podcast content.
Enjoy yourself!
One amazing thing about podcasts is that you don’t have to deal with the complicated aspects associated with video and Youtube content. You can express your enthusiasm with your voice without feeling too much pressure.
However, before you immerse yourself, focus on being unique. Podcasts usually appeal to both wide audiences and niche areas. Therefore, you have to choose what audience your podcast will attract and the available competition. Your podcast should be enjoyable and different from the million other podcasts.
The takeaway here is that you need to do your research. If you feel like there a gap for you to fill, then do it. It is time to allow your brand’s personality to glow and also find pleasure in previously unexplored territory. Your podcast might just fulfill someone’s life.
