Your Business Needs a Voice—Podcasts Are Loud and Clear
As 2020 becomes the year of business PIVOTS, consider giving your brand a loud and clear voice by marketing with a podcast.
If content marketing’s purpose is to gain exposure, educate your audience, and convert followers to clients, then a PODCAST is a strategy you can’t ignore.
Here are just a few up-to-date stats to pique your curiosity (taken from Podcast Insights):
50% of all US homes are podcast fans
37% (104 million) listened to a podcast in the last month
16 million people in the US are “avid podcast fans”
45% of monthly podcast listeners have a household income of over $75K
Podcast listeners subscribe to an average of 6 shows
80% listen to all or most of each episode
Podcast listeners are much more active on every social media channel
Podcast listeners are more likely to follow companies and brands on social media
69% agreed that podcast ads made them aware of new products or services
Still not sure? Check out these five compelling reasons that podcasts can grow your business.
1) Positions You as an Authority
Writing a book in your industry can propel you into “expert” status quicker than you can say, “published.” But for many small business owners, it’s not only a daunting task but one that is not financially feasible.
A more accessible alternative is to become the host of a podcast that provides helpful tips, valuable insight, and interviews with inspiring thought leaders in your space. Not only will you attract a new audience to your brand, but your “authority ranking” will skyrocket. Followers will turn to you for the answers they need.
Specifics
Are you a realtor? Create a podcast that highlights the unique amenities in your area, shares DIY home projects, and sheds light on financing options for first-time homeowners.
Do you own a flower business? Focus your podcast on educating your audience on the different types of flowers, creative gardening practices, and products that help to optimize plant growth.
Are you a freelancer offering digital services? Interview other entrepreneurs that are thriving, answer frequently asked questions from startups, provide valuable tools and processes to help your followers succeed.
2) Easily Consumed by Busy People
Conventional content marketing—like blog posts, email funnels, and videos—requires a person’s full VISUAL attention. And in a world of busy people, these forms of outreach can, sadly, be ignored.
The beauty of a podcast is that it only involves the ability to listen—making them an attractive way to consume information.
Specifics
Since the #1 way to tune into a podcast is a smartphone, listeners have access to their favorite shows, just about everywhere. Here’s a bit more data on listening habits, taken from music oomph.
49% listen at home, often while completing other tasks
22% listen while commuting
11% listen at work
4% while taking public transportation
3% while walking around
7% in other situations
3) Inexpensive Entry
Even the least techy business owners can easily and inexpensively step into the podcast cosmos. There are many free options available for the different elements of a podcast, which makes “trying it on for size” even more appealing.
Your basic expenses will come from purchasing a quality microphone, editing tools, and a hosting platform.
Specifics
Here are three microphone options that are the quality you need to start, and range in price from $99-$229 (one, two, three)
Use Audacity for recording and editing your podcasts—it’s FREE
Libsyn is a cheap and robust hosting platform (where your podcasts will live), and it offers stats that help you to keep track of how your episodes are doing. If you’re doing one podcast a month or a couple of mini-shows, it can be as cheap as $5/month. There are three more package options at $15, $20, $40 a month.
4) Broaden Your Audience
Tapping into new pools of potential clients is every entrepreneur’s dream. Thankfully, podcast libraries like Spotify, Apple iTunes, and The Podcast App make browsing for new content, simple and natural.
And the typical podcast fan subscribes, on average, to 6 different shows. This behavior, combined with “Netflix-type” binging habits, translates into high odds of growing your audience.
Specifics
Like all other forms of content, optimizing your approach is critical to success in a crowded and competitive world.
Although podcasts are on a quick upward climb in popularity, it’s still a space where you’ll have a bit of “elbow room,” as compared to blogs and video content.
Blogs in 2020—500 million
Videos in 2020—5 billion
Podcasts in 2020—850,000
5) Build Stronger Connections
If having an authentic brand voice is important to you, then why not lend YOUR actual voice to it? It makes sense that fans form a deeper, more intimate connection to the voices they listen to.
It might be because you’re “talking” to them in their living room, or out on a run, or a long drive. But you have their attention, and they get the sense that they KNOW you. It’s very powerful.
Specifics
Three out of four podcast listeners are there to learn something, which is perfect if you’re trying to teach them something about your business or industry. This environment for giving value creates a strong sense of loyalty and trust.
And it shows. In the last 14 years, podcasting has grown by 48%.