As if running a business wasn’t hard enough, right? You already navigate the alphabet soup waters of online marketing, I know: SEO, PPC, CPA, CTR, etc. It seems as if every 6 weeks there is another way to market your business online, and it does get confusing. Well, I have some good and bad news for you: There is another tool to add to your online marketing tool belt, BUT it isn’t an acronym! Podcasting
It turns out that podcasting isn’t new at all, it has just gained a lot of notoriety in the past 2 years or so. Let’s start at the beginning, for the guys and gals in the back. What is a podcast? A podcast is an audio program, similar to talk radio, but you subscribe to it on your smartphone and listen to it whenever you like. Whether you have an Apple, Android, or another smartphone, there should be a Podcast app that is loaded with programming choices. Some of the most popular genres are True Crime, How-to, Comedy, and History, but there is truly something for everyone.
I know what you’re thinking, you already have a great website for your business, you have really great Google reviews, and you interact with your customers/clients on Social Media- What is there to be gained by starting a podcast? I recently sat down with Scott Fitzgerald, the owner of Roc Vox to discuss this, and was surprised at some of the newer developments in podcasting, and how business owners are using podcasts to promote their business.
It’s not just your imagination, there has been a proliferation of podcast choices, options, and topics ranging from the obscure to the mundane. What are the main reasons for this influx?
- Accessibility- It is easier than ever before to start a podcast
- Necessity- Invention’s mother, right?
- The Jones’ are doing it
How easy is it to start a podcast? Depending upon the desired quality, you can create, host, and produce a podcast with nothing more than your smartphone. If you have a suitable recording space (quiet, acoustically sound), you can create your first episode this afternoon. Now, it will not be a “polished” recording, but it is a podcast. Things like coughs, sneezes, pauses, mistakes, and such that would be edited out of a professionally produced podcast may be present on your first recorded attempt, but that’s to be expected, look what you’re working with! Regardless of the quality, I guarantee you that it is easier to record and post a podcast today than it was even 3 years ago. But, is it necessary?
Necessity is indeed the mother of invention, but why does a business need to use podcasting to promote their business? Most business owners were faced with more time on their hands recently, due to the COVID restrictions and other factors. In addition to having this free time, there were business issues that couldn’t be settled or stated with a 30-second radio ad, and who would hear it anyway? So, the climate was conducive for those business owners that wanted to take to a podcasting platform to assure their customers and/or clients that business was being handled, and that their (the customers/clients) safety and health were of paramount importance. Many business owners did just that, podcasting about safety measures, or just letting their clients know what to expect and when.
We all want to keep up with the Jones’, right? A predictable byproduct of more businesses adding podcasts to their digital marketing plan is that even more businesses will see this trend and want to get in on it too. That is not necessarily a bad thing. The more podcasters there are, the more choices a listener has, and theoretically, more choices mean more quality offerings.
As you can see in the graphic below, it is not just the supply of podcasts that is growing, the demand for podcasts, and listeners of podcasts have been increasing steadily and show no signs of slowing. Want to find out more about how to use podcasts effectively as a marketing tool for your business? Feel free to reach out with a question, or check out our recent meta-podcast! Happy listening!
