Could a podcast work wonders for your marketing?
29th January 2014
It might sound a little ‘out of the box’, but podcasting can be a powerful tool for businesses looking to boost their reputation and ranking online. It’s not the most straightforward of media and it’s not suitable for every business but, with the right tone, the right style and the right content, businesses can boost brand loyalty, sharebility, traffic and even real-world prospects. If you’re considering starting a podcast for your business, here are some good reasons to get recording…
Authority
Reputation is everything. If you can be seen as an authority in your sector, your name is going to become increasingly well known out there. Competitors and industry experts are likely to have heard about you and talk about you, whether this is via social media, a Huffington Post article or in the boardroom, it’s all good press.
Podcasting is a great way to demonstrate the extent of your expertise, your knowledge of your sector and your understanding of your customers. This doesn’t mean you should put together a 40 minute dialogue on why you’re so great. To the contrary, a short snippet which features interviews, the latest updates that matter to your listeners and helpful insider information (how to’s and advice etc.) will set you up as an industry authority very effectively.
Shareability
Keep your podcast fun and/or helpful and you’ll start to build a loyal fanbase, ready to do your social media work for you with tweets, retweets, shares and +1s. You can even encourage listeners to join in the conversation with a podcast hashtag to boost social activity – an interactive aspect or competition always works well here too.
Articles are the primary Twitter fodder currently clogging up the internet. If you want to stand out from the crowd, a podcast gives you the opportunity to share something new, different and more personal, earning you instant social brownie points.
Exposure
Although it’s unclear to what extent Google’s algorithm listens to social media signals just yet, enhanced social media exposure is likely to be helpful to your SERP ranking (Search Engine Results Page). Yet that’s not all a podcast can do for your SERP exposure and your traffic. With an iTunes compatible RSS podcast feed, you can massively increase your audience with access to 40 million iTunes users. Podcasts can also be posted on specialist podcast ping directories and a number of other non-spammy directories, helping interested listeners to find you and your brand.
Real Life Opportunities
And the opportunities for positive exposure don’t stop here. With a great podcast up and running, plus a good sized audience and interested industry experts, you’re likely to earn a name for yourself both in your field and as a public speaker. Invitations to industry events and speaking opportunities are all potential positives to be gleaned from a successful business podcast.
Is Your Business a Good Fit?
But podcasting isn’t for everyone. If you’re thinking about giving it a go, consider your audience first: Are your target market likely to be familiar with podcasts? Are they likely to have the technology and know-how to download and listen to them? Will they be listening primarily for entertainment, information, guidance or a mix of the three? What other common interests are they likely to share?
Secondly, think hard about your business. We know that your business seems like the most exciting topic in the world from the inside, but if you don’t have the potential to produce content listeners will like, you’re fighting a losing battle. Consider related topics which you can shed light on or discuss, think about who your target market might like to hear from in your industry and work to come up with a great angle which will keep listeners clicking back.
Wondering whether a podcast could be marketing magic for your business? Talk to Xander Marketing today to explore your options. We offer a free hour long consultation with no obligation – let’s talk about where you could go next with the help of our flexible outsourced marketing team. Book your free consultation today.
