Over the last year, podcasts on all topics have gained listenership quickly, and the trend of consumers streaming audio content more frequently is one that shows no signs of slowing down. In fact a recent 2020 Nielsen report projects that that the U.S. podcast audience could double by 2023. This growing appetite for podcasts has many business owners gathering information and weighing the pros and cons of launching their own podcast as a way to deliver content to their audience this way.
Podcasts can be an entertaining and informative method of creating buzz for your business, but they do require an investment of time and effort in order to be done well. Here are some key facts to consider when exploring the pros and cons of podcasting, and ultimately deciding if launching a podcast should be on your to-do list this year.
Is your audience listening?
Perhaps the most important part of creating a successful podcast is identifying your target audience and developing engaging content that they will want to hear on a continual basis. With 51% of consumers older than the age of 12 actively listening to podcasts, there is ample room for businesses to have a popular, highly-regarded podcast that reaches a particular target customer. Another interesting fact? Nielsen found that 80% of podcast listeners complete all or most of each podcast episode. So, plan who you want to reach with your podcast episodes, and research what other audio content is already out there. Finding an unserved topic niche within your field or industry can help differentiate your podcast, and attract a dedicated and engaged audience.
Great content takes time
A podcast can increase the overall awareness your brand has. It establishes your business as an authority in your industry, which translates into an audience of listeners who trust you as a source of information and recommendations. And that is what will ultimately drive business for your company. A survey of 300,000 podcast listeners conducted by Midroll, the world’s largest podcast advertising network, found that 63 percent of the respondents bought something the podcast host had promoted. However, it’s important for business owners to remember that building the trust that results in sales means your podcast can’t merely be a sales pitch. Listeners want informative, engaging content. It’s worth the time to think through and plan what you want your listeners to learn from each episode, and how you can relay that information. Once you’ve established your content plan, implementing it means research and planning out topics, writing podcast scripts, and editing the audio and video content.
Cultivate client relations and community building
Once you’ve planned, produced and posted an episode, it’s time to make sure your content can be found, heard, and enjoyed. Make sure you promote your podcast on your website, in your email newsletter, and on all of your business’s social media page. You may even consider creating new social media pages exclusively for your podcast once it has a reliable audience. This encourages your podcast listeners and devotees to share your podcast link, and what they like about it. According to Podcast Insights, podcast listeners are more active on every social media channel, and more likely to follow companies and brands on social media. Social media may be the channel where you find the most new listeners.
To podcast or not to podcast?
Launching a podcast offers a major opportunity to showcase your expertise and position your company as a trusted and valuable source for information. And, it can reveal personality and authenticity in a way few other content and marketing initiatives can. But it does require an investment of time, and often, some money. If you can commit to the time, this year is a window of opportunity as listenership grows and more people are developing the habit of playing podcasts in the car, at home, and even as they work.
Speaking of podcasts…
In 2018, GREENCREST launched the Ignite Your Business® Podcast, which feature interviews with business owners, entrepreneurs, CEOs and other industry experts. Aimed at offering actionable advice for anyone who owns or leads a company, it’s a great source to find ideas and learn from highly respected business professionals in a variety of industries and from many different sized companies.
Listen here: http://greencrest.com/ignite-your-business-podcast/