Podcasts are recordings of an audio discussion on a specific topic or theme such as business, travel or current affairs. They tend to consist of a series of episodes that listeners can download and listen to via a smartphone or computer. With an estimated 5 billion people around the world owning a mobile device, the potential audience for a podcast is huge. There are around 800,000 active podcasts worldwide.
Podcasts are effective marketing tools because they can help businesses to reach a specific target audience. The very best podcasts create value for listeners by being informative, relevant and educational. This can help listeners to feel connected to your brand because they tune in regularly to listen to the latest updates.
The best podcasts are the ones with the most engaging content. When creating a podcast, consider what content would be interesting and relevant to your customers. Your podcast shouldn’t be about selling your products or services. Instead, focus on high quality content which will be interesting for your customers. This could be a round-up of current news from their sector, interviews with relevant guest speakers, an analysis of how current policy affects their work, or a look at what trends are emerging that will shape their sector in the future. Think of your podcast in the same way as your blog – it is an opportunity to share your expertise, and give your customers advice and support. This will help you build a rapport with them, and will encourage them to do more business with you in the future.
As you create new content, you can reach out to your target audience and notify them that a new episode or series is now available to download. This gives you a reason to make contact with your customers, thereby keeping your firm’s brand front of mind. Your audience can download episodes to listen to in the future and they can share their favourite ones with friends and colleagues.
Podcasts are inexpensive and easy to produce. All you need is a quiet room, a microphone and a computer. There are various software packages available for recording a podcast and some are available to download free of charge. Once you start producing your podcast, try to update it with new content at least once a month. You can then promote the series on your company website, in your mailings, and on your social networks.
