Does your Brand need to have its own Podcast?

If you are wondering if your brand needs to take a step into podcasting, we have the answer for you. But, before that, let’s understand its extensive world, with the help of insights that have been derived from top digital marketing agencies across the world.

To podcast or not to podcast?

Branding agencies are going to tell you that the most important thing you need to do in today’s world is make sure that your customer never forgets you. They aren’t wrong. In the cluttered digital world that we are living in, it is easy for your brand to get lost. Over the years, we have seen a number of ways to ensure that does not happen.

One of these ways is hiring Top SEO Companies to attract the attention of new customers. Another way is to have the most beautiful images to attract the attention of people on social media.

A third way is to employ the services of Web design companies to make your site so engaging that people keep coming back for more.

A new and highly effective way to grab customer’s attention is through podcasts. Let us dive into their world.

HERE IS A LIST OF COMPONENTS THAT WILL HELP TO UNDERSTAND PODCAST BETTER

1. What is Podcast?
2. Why should my brand care about a podcast?
3. Benefits Of Podcasting For Brands
4. Starting a podcast

What Is A Podcast

A podcast is an audio file that can be downloaded and heard on the go, with episodes talking about a topic or overarching theme.

To put it simply, it is a personal radio on your phone.

From its existence in 2004 to its popularity thanks to Adam Curry and Apple iTunes 4.9, podcasts have come a long way. Today, as per the Infinite Dial survey from Edison One and Triton Digital, 37% of Americans (above 12 years) listened to a minimum of one podcast every month in 2020. In 2019, this number was 32% of Americans. That is not all. The future of podcasting looks bright too. While an estimated 100 million people heard a podcast every month in 2020, it is expected to reach 125 million by 2022.

That’s great, but..

Why Should My Brand Care About A Podcast?

A primary reason you should consider a podcast for your brand is it allows you to engage with a captive audience. People who listen to podcasts while driving or cooking will solely focus on what your podcast has to say. This audience is also primarily one that is averse to advertisements. Hence, you engage a market that other channels don’t allow you to capture.

Apart from this, a podcast has many other benefits for your brand:

Benefits Of Podcasting For Brands

1. It builds you up as a thought leader

By inviting guests, such as your top management, users get an insight into the minds of industry leaders in your niche. Alternatively, you might choose a fictionalized show about matters essential to your industry. No matter the format you choose, what matters is you are delivering quality content. It establishes you and your organization as trailblazers and thought leaders. It creates standing for you in the market. Next time someone wants audio insights about your industry, they will surely think of your podcast.

2. It builds an engaged community 

As mentioned before, people listening to podcasts are more engaged than the usual consumer. It’s as they hear podcasts while doing activities like driving or cooking, which don’t allow them to focus on much else. Hence, whatever they hear on your podcast, they will engage with. Where video or written text cannot reach your audience, you step in with a podcast.

3. It helps reach a new audience

Suppose you work in the financial sector, and a user opens the podcast application on their phone and types in ‘finance.’ And they stumble upon your podcast. You had never intended to market to that user and never aimed to reach them. Yet, they are now engaging with your podcast as they wanted to gain financial knowledge. In this manner, podcasts allow you to build a whole new community you never thought of reaching.

4. It helps your overall marketing goal

A podcast can be repurposed in ways you cannot imagine.

• If you invite guests to your podcast, they can spread the news about the podcast on their pages.
• You can posts clips from your podcast on your social media channels to generate curiosity.
• You can even transcribe the text from the podcasts for blog content or SEO articles.

Every aspect of a podcast can be amplified to tell your brand story.

I’m sold. How do I build my podcast?

Before you get around to recording your podcast, there are many things to be considered.

Ask yourself these questions before you embark on your podcast journey.

1. What is your objective?

As with any marketing activity, you need to define your goal first. It helps everyone working on the podcast work in sync with one another. Are you starting the podcast to increase awareness? Are you trying to establish yourself as an expert in your niche? Are you trying to garner generate revenues? Only start with the remaining steps once you decide your goal and objective for the podcast.

2. What format will you follow?

There are three general formats followed in the industry. The first is the interview podcast, where you bring on guests and question them about relevant topics. Apart from people in your own company, you can also invite industry bigwigs. The second type is a monologue where the entire podcast comprises of one person speaking. Third, which is harder to put together, is the panel-style podcast. However, it makes for one of the most engaging formats as you get to hear a myriad of opinions.

3. What will be the frequency of your podcasts?

Let us introduce you to pod fade. It is when a podcast fades away due to a lack of consistency. You never want to end up in such a situation, which is why you need to have a plan in place beforehand. You need to know how often you will be recording your podcast. Prepare a content bank of topics that you will talk about so you don’t face a week without a podcast going up. You also need to fix the duration of your podcast- 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or an hour?

4. Who will host your podcast?

Your podcast will see success or failure based on your choice of host. It is why you need to be extremely wise in choosing a host. Make sure you choose someone that has an in-depth understanding of your brand and its goals. It is preferable if they already have a name within your industry. You also need to check if they have a voice suitable for radio. Their voice should soothe you when you hear it. They also need to be someone with a keen curiosity for learning. And a great conversationalist, of course.

5. How will you record your podcast?

Decide the scale at which you want to record the podcast. You need to choose a budget as per this scale. While you might be tempted to record your podcast on your phone, do not do that. Invest in podcasting hardware and software, including a microphone, headphones, mixer, acoustic, and mic stand. Download good editing software as well. Costs are lower than a video setup. And your listeners get top-quality recordings. Working with a podcast agency can be a great way to enhance your podcasting experience and reach a wider audience. Podcast agencies offer many advantages to podcasters looking to grow their audience, improve their production quality, and monetize their content

6. How will you market your podcast?

Now that your podcast is ready, it needs to reach the masses. The first thing you need to do is have a catchy name that will stand out on the play store. Then, enhance it with enticing descriptions. Spruce both with keywords. Supplement it with a logo and thumbnail for each episode. Decide a category. Think long and hard about it, as it is going to attract listeners to your podcast. Record a track for the opening and closing of your podcast.

Outside the podcast, repurpose content into videos, audio, and text to post on social media platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat. Create a blog alongside the podcast for SEO rankings. Link your podcast in your email and newsletters to attract listeners. Look out for opportunities where you can collaborate with other podcasts or podcasters.

Yes. Your brand should have its podcast. So what are you waiting for?