Market your business by becoming the go-to authority.
By Abigail Thorpe
We’ve talked about the marketing possibilities of podcasts and how to choose a podcast to advertise on, but what about creating your own podcast? The process is a bit more involved, and you’ll have to have much more time commitment, but for those who want to create content, draw a following, share their expertise and grow business through podcasts, it’s a great opportunity—if you approach it the right way.
Podcasts are a wonderful marketing tool because they attract a dedicated, involved audience that wants to be listening to a particular kind of content. Also, most podcast listeners are educated and make a higher average income, meaning they have funds to spare on your products or services.
The name of the game with podcasts is creating your own niche so you’re particularly successful at reaching the type of customer you want. But you can’t just create some content and expect to hit it big. There are a lot of podcasts out there, so what will make yours stand out?
First off, find a focus. Position yourself as the authority on a certain topic, and target a specific audience that wants to listen to that content. Be careful that you don’t go too broad or too narrow, create a niche that you can build lots of content around, but that’s also small and specific enough to attract a certain audience.
Next, find your voice. You don’t want a podcast that is dull and boring, or sounds like an ad or lecture. Be upbeat, funny or witty. If you’re interested in the content, your listeners will be too. Also, make a point to interact with your listeners on social media, and keep your tone conversational and engaging.
So, how to grow your audience? Start out prepared. Have at least three episodes ready to release the first week, that way your audience isn’t kept waiting, and you’ll have more opportunity to gain traction (and ratings) early in your podcast’s life.
Try to regularly release an episode each week after, and partner with other podcasts to either do a guest episode or interview, or to mention each other on your podcasts—this is a great way to build a following.
Besides finding a hosting service for your podcast, you’ll want to make sure your podcast is getting on multiple platforms, with the main one being iTunes and Google Play. You can even convert your podcasts to videos and put on YouTube for more viewings and following.
Finally, make sure your podcast is up to snuff visually and audibly. Invest in a good microphone so your audio is professional. Besides a computer and audio editing software, this is about all you’ll need to start. Use cover art for your podcast that is eye catching, and a title that is descriptive or witty, and that is easily identifiable with your subject matter.
If you’re ready to get started producing podcast content, Rocket Fish Digital is here to help you all along the way, and we have experience in podcasting, so you don’t have to worry if this is the very start of your podcast journey. Reach out today, and let us help you get started.