Power of Podcasting: How to Create your First Podcast
Did you know that 67% of podcast listeners don’t object to an occasional sponsored message as opposed to 6% of viewers on television and commercial radio? If you are looking for a way to advance your message in an engaging and dynamic manner for your users, then leveraging the power of podcasting to move your business forward is the solution you need to apply.
A podcast is a radio-style audio file that is available on the Internet for download or streaming. Podcasts are available through iTunes or other podcasting directories. Users can download a podcast onto a smartphone or mp3 player and listen to it at a time convenient to them. These are the kinds of users who have a specific interest in subjects where you can be an expert and provide your expertise through your podcast. Users can subscribe to your podcast channel for free and as you publish new content they have the ability to listen to it.
Creating podcasts aren't for everybody. Business professionals that have a solution to offer their listeners should consider a podcast. By being an industry expert on a particular subject and having the ability to sell a product, service or information on that subject you can then position yourself as the leading authority. It’s a very flexible way to deliver content. All you need to do is speak into a microphone, do a small amount of editing and you are ready to publish. Your biggest hurdle is to spread the word about your podcast and generate subscribers. Describing your podcast through using the right keywords can quickly solve this obstacle.
Often, users will listen to podcasts as they travel to and from work. That is an excellent position to be in. No longer do you need to depend on gaining the support of radio personalities and networks to be heard by individuals because you can now go direct to the consumer and educate them. Relatively few people are utilizing podcasts, but there is a high level of desire in the marketplace to learn how to create podcasts. It doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated. All you need to do is define your show, identify the type of content and determine the result that you are looking to achieve.
What would a subscriber get out of listening to your podcast? By clearly explaining how listeners can benefit from subscribing to your podcast, you can build authority and trust. Now you can focus on building relationships with your listeners since you’ve already been able to build awareness by creating, publishing and marketing your podcast. How you create your podcast can be one-on-one, which is just you and a microphone, or you can interview other members of a community who are also experts in their respective fields. This approach results in you becoming a content aggregator where you bring key messages from knowledgeable people who become your partners in helping people.
If you are a real estate agent, for example, one of the uses of a podcast is to provide regular updates on what is happening in your region. You can provide strategies for buying or selling a home to maximize or minimize purchase price. You can also interview an insurance agent in your area and ask questions like "what should buyers know about buying homes in this area, what to look out for, and why fire insurance is critical?" You can even interview a creditor who can provide a breakdown of different types of loans and the benefits and weaknesses of each one.
Among social media users between the ages of 16 and 54, 50.8% have downloaded a podcast. There is a significant amount of value that a podcast creator can provide to the marketplace in terms of providing useful and targeted information that helps listeners make a more informed buying decision.
Some of the most important factors you need to consider when you make a podcast are keyword research, quality content, and the engagement factor.
Every topic has keywords that naturally change over time. Keywords are terms that people use to describe what they are looking for. For example, if you are a first-time home buyer educating yourself about buying a home, you might type in a search engine, “how to buy a home”. This is a popular keyword phrase that most people would use. There are a variety of tools on the market that help you figure out what words have a high search demand and who is competing to rank for those words. That’s why it’s imperative that you are aware of the keywords or keyword phrases for your business.
It’s also important to describe your subject matter in a way that uses these words so that when a potential listener goes to a podcast directory and searches for information on your subject that listener will find your podcast. You are leaving opportunity on the table if you describe your podcast inadequately or if you don’t even have a description.
In addition, it’s important that the content you are creating is of high quality. It has to be bookmark worthy and shareable. Ask yourself questions like: Would somebody listen to this and bookmark it? Would they watch/listen to it again? Would they share it with a friend? Does this create a teaching moment? The length of the podcast is less important as long as the quality remains consistently high. However, that doesn’t mean you only produce one podcast a year. Try to aim for one good podcast a week versus three or four poorly executed podcasts.
Lastly, how are you using your production to make your podcast interesting? The engagement factor includes an excellent introduction, a good outro, a modulated voice, the ability to include statistics and resources, and answered questions from the audience that promotes interaction. It’s important that you consider all of these aspects to prevent your podcast from becoming boring and ultimately losing subscribers over time.
Another benefit to engaging your listeners is moving them across your different media platforms. They may start off as a subscriber on your podcast but eventually they will gain access to a report written by you. Now you have another avenue of communicating with this individual via email. Finally, this may give rise to a face-to-face meeting or a Skype meeting. The idea is to leverage media and content in a way that builds trust and rapport with your audience to build marketing qualified leads.
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