The podcast world is expanding fast as more people discover the power of podcasts for entertaining, informing and helping them grow as people and professionals. And more businesses than ever are discovering the unique power that podcasts have to help them build their brands and create a customer base both for the near- and long-term.
Okay, but what exactly is a podcast?
In case you haven’t checked them out yet, podcasts are bite-sized digital audio files ranging from 1-90 minutes long that can be downloaded from the web (or your smartphone). These audio files are often part of a larger series, enticing listeners to tune in again for the next show.
The questions we’re exploring today are these: Should you start a company podcast? And if you do, is it really worth it?
Well, stats show that at the end of 2017, 50% of US homes listened to podcasts–and that number is only expected to grow. Today, there are more than 48 million weekly listeners. With such a wide, eager listener base, creating a thematic podcast for your brand can help you expand your customer base and highlight your expertise.
Here are 5 benefits that a company podcast can have on your business.
Benefits of podcasting for your business
Traffic generation
If you’ve been looking for a way to drive traffic to content on your website, a podcast could be just the tool you need. Providing useful, engaging content can hook your audience and entice people to check out your business, your services or your other content.
Highlight your brand’s expertise
You probably aren’t just doing a podcast for the heck of it. You have a bottom line: build your brand, increase your customer base and make more sales. Podcasts offer a great way to showcase the expertise and personality of your brand. Whether you are the sole speaker, or you bring guests on to talk about topics your target audience cares about, you can shape yourself into a brand that people trust for information they care about.
Builds relationships with audiences
Keep in mind that your podcast isn’t your chance to be an infomercial. If you take that approach, you likely won’t have much of an audience except for a whimpering puppy being soothed by your podcast playing in the background. Focus on providing real and valuable information and content to your listeners and you’ll help lock your brand into their minds–without the sales gimmicks.
Simple to do
Whether or not you are technologically savvy doesn’t even matter when it comes to podcasts because they are relatively easy to do on your own no matter what level of techie you are (or aren’t). For a small investment in a good microphone and headphones, you can get started almost immediately.
Budget-friendly (and trending) alternative to video
In 2018, videos saw a major upswing from 63% to 81% of businesses using them as a marketing tool. And a vast majority of those who don’t use it yet intend to start using it soon. Why is it trending? Well, 76% of marketers cite video as helping them increase sales. And isn’t that the dream of every business? But the fact is, not every business has the resources to create the videos that people want to watch. But all is not lost because podcasts provide a valuable alternative to traditional video marketing. It might be too soon to say podcasting is the new video, but they’re definitely giving videos a run for their money. Oh, and editing software doesn’t have to cost you a dime because you can find it online for free.
So should you start a podcast? If you can create a thematic podcast that supports your brand’s positioning and both engages your audience and adds real value to their lives, you most certainly should. There’s not much to lose, and the price is exactly right.
