7 Reasons why a Podcast is Great for business.
Podcasting meets The Office
For quite a while, people have been discussing what to do for digital marketing. There is no dearth of ideas and advice when it comes to paid search, social media, or blogging. However, the ability to weave a better tale is one of the indisputable pulling forces bringing businesses and consumers closer together.
Here are 7 reasons why you should explore the benefits of podcasting for your business.
1. You have the whole playground for yourself. Almost.
The podcast is one of the most effective content marketing platforms available today. I would argue that one of the finest vehicles for content marketing today is the podcast. However, despite the benefits and the relative ease of podcasting, few businesses are doing it. Including podcasts in your content marketing strategy can give you the leverage that helps you stay ahead of your competitors.
2. Attract high-quality customers and clients
Marketers frequently wrestle with “churn”—clients who fail to stick around. A podcast is especially valuable in industries where churn is expensive, and where the customer lifetime value is high.
Prospects may not listen to your podcast every week, but if you build a following, many will come back again and again, deepening the relationship. Prospects and clients come prepared and require less hand-holding.
3. Fits into a busy schedule
Anyone who starts a podcast will tell you it can be a lot of work. But, in reality, as the host, the only thing you have to do is show up and talk. Depending on your time and interests, you can outsource everything from booking guests, editing, publishing, transcription, show notes, and promotion. Outsourcing production to The Studio at the Village for example. All you have to do is speak.
4. You can distribute podcasts through multiple channels.
While the most common thing to do is to broadcast your podcasts on your website or blog, you can spread their reach across the global audience through services like iTunes, Stitcher, and SoundCloud. You can also use social channels to share your podcasts with your audience.
5. There's no need to cut your marketing budget.
You can start a podcast with just a mic and hosting. Podcast hosting is about $20 a month, and that’s the total cost if you are doing all the editing and production yourself. However, professional services, like The Studio at The Village can help you take things off your to-do list starting at $85/hr, depending on how often you publish and the degree of assistance you require.
6. Podcasting can be lucrative
Onward Nation is popular across the world and has already brought in $2 million in revenue. According to Woessner's book Profitable Podcasting, his success owes in part to his "Trojan horse" approach of selling, which allows him to get before industry leaders and key decision-makers by conducting interviews on his show, a method any Podcaster can emulate.
A podcast can also generate additional money through sponsorships since it attracts people who are interested in the same things as you. “You've got a group of individuals that other businesses (non-competitors, of course) will want to pay you to get in front of,” Woessner adds.
7. It’s fun
Finally, producing a podcast may be a labor of love. You get to encounter and talk with fascinating guests, as well as reach out to listeners who you wouldn't otherwise be able to contact.