Considering doing a podcast for your business?

In my 20 plus years experience in digital marketing I've seen few things skyrocket in prominence such as the use of podcasting. The growth is one reason why so many great digital agencies who sought to reinvent themselves have remained relevant and thrived. 

What I’d like to cover off in this article is podcasting as a platform and why you should consider it for your business to help you grow and promote what it is that you do.  

The power of podcasting as a digital medium is enormous. It seems like everyone has a favourite podcast these days and it's not a surprise really because more than 30% of Australians listen to podcasts regularly. Based on this high usage and given podcasting is still a relatively new medium it's likely that the percentage will only continue to rise.  

So ask yourself why is it that 30% of Australians are actually listening to podcasts regularly? The truth is it's because listeners are drawn to interesting and relevant content that's both entertaining and insightful. One of the greatest assets of a podcast format is it allows people to seek out and choose for themselves topics that they're interested in and people that they want to hear those topics from. This means that a podcast is not only a great way of capturing a captive audience but it's also a great way to captivate that audience on an ongoing basis.  

I remember in the early 2000s when blogs created a similar type of excitement, and top blogs ensured that websites got the most views or traffic because of the value of their content. These blogs gave readers information they could easily use to pursue the services and all the products that they were researching. Similarly, today podcasts have risen in the same way and they also have the ability to deliver that information in a more personal format that listeners enjoy.

The nature of a podcast means the host or hosts and their guests can deep dive into any subject area for as long as necessary. This allows listeners to become fully engaged and versed on the benefits of any given service or product provided by the company that's hosting the podcast.  

Therefore, a podcast can move away from having to be a definitive sales pitch, instead it can be a conversation we organisations are able to talk to consumers about, what the values and features of the product and or services are in a subtle format. From my perspective the most important part of a podcast of this nature is the authenticity in which the podcaster actually engages the conversation, this is what sets great podcasts aside.  

Most podcast listeners tend to finish about 3/4 of the podcast episodes they are listening to, this means the businesses have a real chance to create a real strong connection for their services and offerings with their target audience, and in addition, build a very strong narrative for their brand.  

Podcasts can promote the company's vision , their values, the people you know why that is absolutely unique to digital marketing. Imagine being able to successfully transform your customers into followers of your podcasts, think about this relationship you are starting to build with your existing end or future customers and what that might mean to the possibilities of your business, the opportunities are enormous.  

From marketing point of view content from podcasts creates enormous opportunities to redirect traffic to websites or social media pages where customers can further engage you. It is essential if you're considering a podcast for your business that you have a plan for your digital marketing strategy that runs alongside or in parallel with your podcast, this will allow your listeners to engage you beyond actually just listening.  

 It's hard to quantify just how good a podcast can be for businesses in today's digital age and it’s definitely not the be all and end all for all businesses. Although I can tell you from personal experience it's quite amazing what can be shared about your business and more importantly your own personal passions and beliefs if you really engage your podcast from a personal value perspective. 

 Never before have small and medium sized businesses in particular be given access to a platform like podcasting where they can potentially reach millions of new customers in a way that is truly affordable, meaningful and impactful for their businesses. Potential customers can gain in-depth knowledge about your products and services that can improve the quality of their lives and the lives of the people they love thanks to this technology we now refer to as podcasting.  

If you're not sure whether broadcasting right for your business be sure to ask some of your customers next time you engage in whether or not they would like to hear from you in their own time.

At Whiteark, we strongly believe the podcast is a great way to reach our audience.

Thus, we launched our own podcast segment called The Chiefs, it gives you insight into what makes our great leaders so great. With organisation’s top chiefs in the hot seat each week, we chat about the highs – and lows – and lessons along the way; tackling the biggest issues people are facing today. We know that leading can be a lonely role and we believe that learning from other great people is one of the best resources we have. So join us on our journey, and enjoy the stories behind some of the greats…

You may listen to some of our latest episodes by clicking Here: