Podcasting is a great way for small business owners to establish their brand, and while you can’t match the budgets of corporate giants, the Internet enables you to become known around the world without being forced to break the bank. Trying to navigate this minefield of online marketing, paid advertising and capturing organic search can be time-consuming and often expensive.
Luckily for us, podcasting is fast becoming the quickest and most affordable way to communicate with the masses. Niall O’Loughlin, marketing manager at 99designs, shares his best practices for boosting your personal & professional brand through the power of the podcast.
Podcasts are beginning to have a significant impact on how small businesses perform, as an increasing number of people are starting take notice and listen. Indeed, in terms of the share of time spent listening to audio sources, podcasts take up almost 26%—almost as big a share as AM/FM radio!
On the 12th and 13th of September, New Media Europe will be hosting a huge podcasting event in Manchester, which is set to feature 24 of the world’s best speakers. For the attendees, it will be an opportunity to gain a level of media experience that will keep you ahead of your rivals. If you can’t wait until then to learn more about the benefits of podcasting for your brand, read on for tips that you can quickly implement.
1. Audience Growth
Podcasts can reach a huge audience, are easily accessible and best of all, they are free! What more could you ask for in a marketing medium? No matter where people are or what they are doing, they can listen to your podcast.
While television can take up people’s attention and prevent them from doing anything else, podcasts can be listened to while you are driving, cooking or exercising! This extraordinary accessibility makes podcasts an unmissable opportunity to make a mark in your niche.
2. Improve Your Credibility
In the Internet age, credibility is all-important in order to distinguish you from the rest of the snake oil salespeople. Few things command respect more than someone who clearly knows what he is talking about in any given issue. The modern consumer is sick of having to wade through garbage in order to find gold, so if you can prove yourself to be the antidote, an increased audience share is a certainty.
A podcast allows you and your brand to gain credibility because you are offering important information in your niche to listeners; and in this era, knowledge is not just power—it is priceless.
3. Establish a Connection
Videos offer a connection because viewers can actually see the person talking, but podcasts can have the same effect. Once listeners hear your voice, they instantly have a semblance of trust and are willing to listen to what you have to say. This is better than the most compelling web copy because they can hear your passion and personality through your voice.
Every time someone listens to you, they get to know you a little bit better and take a step towards becoming an advocate for your brand. If you are genuinely passionate about what you do, it will be loud and clear to listeners. Few things establish a connection better than passion, so start practising your podcasting skills today!
4. Delivering Crucial Content
Although you can probably “get away” with talking nonsense if you sound as if you truly believe what you’re saying, you are missing a trick if you don’t research your content before broadcasting it to the world. Podcasting gives you a unique opportunity to provide your target audience with precisely the content they want to hear.
Successful podcasters have the ability to deliver relevant content to listeners and since it is immediately heard, the impact can be significant. When it comes to using websites for marketing purposes, speed is everything. For example, almost 60% of consumers will abandon a website if a page doesn’t load within 3 seconds.
Delay is the enemy of marketers but with podcasting, there is no such thing. Listeners immediately hear what you have to say, which reduces hesitation on their part. Regardless of whether you are simply offering your opinion on something or want listeners to take action, you are in complete control and this is the dream of all businesses.
The Potential of Podcasting
Podcasting provides your business with an unprecedented opportunity to become a big name in your niche. Since podcasts are effectively free and relatively simple to complete once you have a little practice, you have the chance to offer regular episodes to your listeners. This frequency and consistency will go some way towards establishing your business as a household name.