Podcasting serves as a medium through which people have the ability to let their voices be heard, whether it’s for purposes of education, entertainment, health and wellness, or even comedy. Now what exactly is a podcast? Podcasts are simply digital audio files that distribute information and ideas, They are typically made available as a series with episodes for download on the internet.
In recent years podcasts are becoming increasingly popular, as they offer flexibility for audiences to listen at any time and any place, usually on their mobile devices. The best part about podcasting is that anyone can create them! Whether you’re an entrepreneur wanting to publicly communicate your revolutionary ideas to the world or you’re a small business looking to form connections with consumers, clients, or other businesses, podcasting can add great value to your company. If you’re still not convinced, by the end of this article I guarantee starting a podcast will become the only thing on your mind today.
Now without further ado, here are 10 ways starting a podcast can further your success as a business!
Podcasts Build Influence
That’s right! By starting a podcast you can build a brand for your business that sets you apart by expanding your platform beyond the basic social media marketing such as your company’s Instagram or Twitter pages. With podcasting you can extend your influence in a way that is next to impossible in more competitive outlets like blogging or Youtube. The best part is you don’t have to be a big name to start a podcast! Although many people who are already famous start podcasts, all you really need to build influence with your podcast is engaging content, interesting topics centered around your podcast’s focus to capture a specific target audience, and quality recording equipment.
Creating Connections
By starting a podcast, you can form a more personal connection and build trust with your target audience by giving your business authority and credibility. Consumers gravitate toward businesses that are knowledgeable about their industry, so podcasting serves as the perfect platform for your business to demonstrate its knowledge and provide deeper insight into a particular field. Although this could just be done in a written format, there is something more personal about using your actual voice to communicate with your audience. Podcasts utilize audio to create a unique familiarity between you and your listeners, fostering a meaningful relationship that benefits your business.
Networking Opportunities
Podcasts come with a variety of opportunities to network and form partnerships by inviting guests on your podcasteven prospects you normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to connect with. Whether your guests are possible business leads or just interesting people with profound stories or advice to share, it’s still a connection that could benefit you in the long run. This can foster a positive relationship between your business and the businesses around you. According to well-known entrepreneur and podcaster Garry Vanerchuk, “Much bigger business owners than you will be interested in being on your podcast. Through that you will build general awareness in your region and you will build reputation as a top of the funnel lead gen to what you actually do.” Who knows? Maybe once your podcast has grown, you’ll get invited to speak on another business podcast, giving you the opportunity to reach their audience too.
Money, Money, Money!
If this reason doesn’t grab your attention, I don’t know what will. Podcasts can open up an avenue for you to make more money! Not only do podcasts allow you to connect with your audience of consumers so that they feel more compelled to buy your products or services, but they also give your company a new way to make money if your podcast gains enough popularity. When you have a large following, advertisers and sponsors are willing to pay you for promoting them with commercials or mentions in your podcast episodes. You may even be able to have paid interview slots for your podcast where people pay for an interview on your podcast to get more exposure for their business. While paid sponsorships are more of a long-term outcome, publishing consistently with ever-improving quality and growing your audience can open up amazing possibilities. So if your business is looking for a way to make more money (and what business isn’t?) podcasting is just for you!
Furthering Relations With Your Current Clients
I’ve already addressed making personal connections with potential new customers, but what about your existing customers? Your current clients could greatly benefit from getting to know your business and its experiences on a deeper level. Podcasting can help people see your brand as more than a business. When you speak about your experiences (as well as your guest’s experiences) on your podcast, you’re giving your clients a different perception of you not just as a company, but as a real person. This authenticity can create a stronger bond that makes current customers even more loyal to your business, and as a result more devoted to buying your products in the future. The key is to deliver content that your listeners find interesting, relevant, and most importantly HELPFUL.
Easy peasy… mostly
The good thing about podcasts is that they’re relatively cheap and easy to set up. While blogs like this one involve lots of drafting and editing before publishing, podcast editing is far less tedious, followed by a quick upload of your audio file into your hosting platform with a brief description and title to go with the episode. (It’s worth mentioning that some research will be involved up front as you prepare to record, but once you’ve recorded, the editing is usually pretty painless.) You also have flexible options when it comes to determining the best location to record your episodes. If you choose, you can record from the comfort of your own home or you can use a commercial studio equipped with all the tools and guidance you need to have a successful podcast (see last paragraph for more detail). So what are you waiting for? Podcasting is a simple and convenient way to give your audience new content as you promote your business, not to mention cost-effective.
Brings New Ideas
Not only can you gain more knowledge about your industry through the exchange of ideas that takes place when you bring guests onto your podcast, but you can also learn more about what it takes to improve your business from the research you do for your podcast episodes. This gives you an opportunity to get information you might not have found otherwise, and helps you to grow your business in the process.
Helps Your Business SEO
In 2019, Google began indexing individual podcast episodes. This means that when someone looks up a particular topic, episodes from your podcast can come up in the search results. This means creating a podcast can make it easier for your business to be found through search engines. A quality podcast linked to your business brand and name can improve your chances of ranking higher on search engine results pages, thus granting your business more free exposure on the internet by directing more traffic to your website. Not to mention that search engine optimization is far easier for podcasts than it is for blog posts. While over 200 factors influence the ranking of blog posts on the internet, the SEO ranking for podcasts is simply determined by picking a keyword and using it in the title and description of your episode. For voice search optimization, all you have to do is repeat your same keyword several times throughout the episode. This simple strategy can significantly improve your website rankings!
It can be a good alternative to video
Everyone knows that video marketing can be a highly effective way for businesses to promote their brand. However, what if some people on your team aren’t comfortable enough to shoot videos? It can be nerve wracking for people who are more camera shy to have to present themselves as confident on video while still maintaining a strong and steady voice as they speak. The good thing about podcasting is that you have the option to make video or audio podcasts or maybe even both! This not only gives your team members more options, but it can also give your listeners more variety based on what preferences they may have whether it’s exclusively audio or a more visual format.
Consistency is the key to the success of a podcast. Regular publishing of quality content builds your audiance.
Success Mantras
Recycling can be for more than just plastic
After you make an episode for your podcast it doesn’t have to end there. You’ll want to repurpose some of your podcast’s content in many different ways. You could post an episode teaser on Instagram to get your listeners excited about new content. take clips from your podcast to post on your business’s Linkedin, Facebook, or Youtube channel, Regardless of which option you actually choose, there are many ways you can use your efforts from your podcast in other forms of social media to further promote your brand. What are you waiting for then? Go green while making more green!
What now?
Now that I’ve convinced you that you absolutely need to start a podcast, what now? You might be filled with questions on where to start. Where am I going to find the professional equipment to make my podcast a success? Where is the best place for me to record? How do I go about editing and ensuring my podcast has the best sound quality? Well, luckily for you, Work Innovators in Lewisville, Texas, is a company that provides many services to meet the needs of all types of businesses when it comes to podcast production. The Work Innovators Network (WIN) includes a quality podcast studio complete with top-of-the-line equipment for various forms of podcasting, whether it’s exclusively audio or a combination of audio and video.
Visit Work Innovators Media Production & Podcast Studio to learn more about our podcasting rooms and other WIN products. To speak to a member of our team about your great idea for a podcast, call us at 972-777-2080 . We look forward to helping you create a podcast that takes your business to the next level.
