The power of podcasting

Steve Hart helps businesses get to grips with podcasting. He explains why podcasts are an important component to your content marketing mix.

Podcasts are an ideal addition to any company’s content marketing mix – and here’s why.

Every current survey of podcast listenership shows that an increasing number of people are listening to them.

Years ago podcasts were the product of geeks serving a niche market (they used to be called audioblogs). But during the last few years podcasting has mushroomed into the mainstream. Everyone you speak with seems to have at least one favourite podcast.

And according to Roy Morgan (www.roymorgan.com/findings/8053-podcast-listeners-new-zealand-march-2019-201907190246), in 2019 more than 320,000 New Zealanders downloaded audio or video podcasts in an average four weeks – an increase of nearly 150,000 compared to 2016 or 82 percent.

Want some more numbers? A survey by Radio New Zealand www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1906/S00217/research-shows-new-zealand-a-nation-of-podcasters.htm) released in June 2019 showed 31 percent of Kiwis download podcasts. And 48 percent of all podcast listeners in New Zealand are aged under 45 years.

That’s a massive audience.

Any marketer has to concede that podcasting is not a passing fad.

People enjoy them because they are on-demand, can be played repeatedly, and take almost no effort to consume. All you need is a smartphone and the desire to be informed and entertained.

A powerful content marketing add-on

The founder of the Content Marketing Institute (https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/), Joe Pulizzi, says podcasts offer “the best definition of ‘content’ I’ve seen”.

He describes content marketing as “creating and distributing valuable and compelling content to attract, acquire and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience”.

It seems pretty clear to me that there is plenty of room for business owners to exploit the podcast platform to promote their brand and increase the relationship with their current and future customers and clients.

There is no doubt that the written word, with good Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) of course, is a strong part of the content marketing mix. But when one is driving, working out at the gym, relaxing, or simply not in a position to read or watch a screen, then a podcast is the ideal brain food.

Audio offers a level of convenience, reach and engagement that is unmatched by any other medium. Why do you think radio is still so popular?

Podcasts appear on platforms such as iTunes, TuneIn, Spreaker and Stitcher (among many others) and reach audiences who would never see or happen upon your other marketing material.

Inform, don’t sell

Your podcast content has to be engaging. You must put the audience first. You can’t just say “buy from us because we are good”. That’s a commercial. You have to deliver much more than that. Any thoughts of a sale must come after the relationship has been established.

The content of your podcast could include a story about how you helped a customer; about how you came up with the idea for your widget, the lessons learned in its development, the failures, the problem solving, your successes. Honest stories that build credibility and trust.

Use podcasts to tell your story and the stories behind your services and products, as well as share industry news and information (it shows you are well-informed), along with your pick of future trends in your industry.

Produce one a week; build a following, and watch your brand grow.

You may think you need expensive equipment to do this, but no, you can start by recording on your phone and doing any editing on the free audio app that came with your PC.

Easy and cheap to make

The cost of producing a podcast is low when compared to a good quality video (which still have their place). A podcast is less time consuming to make and can provide an easy way for you to include other people in the recording. They are cheap to distribute too.

There’s also a level of trust that’s built up by people listening to your voice, getting to know you, and getting a feel for your personality.

A podcast can help establish you as an expert, an authority within your industry. It will expand your reach to people you could never otherwise influence.

Too shy to put yourself out there? Don’t like hearing your own voice? I say get over yourself, dig deep, and embrace content marketing with a podcast.

Steve Hart is the author of ‘Podcasting Made Easy’ and can be found at www.stevehart.co.nz