Not the biggest fan of podcasts yourself? Evidence suggests you’re falling into the minority…big time! Podcasts have become less a curious niche and more an increasingly popular and important alternative to standard music/radio listening habits. At the gym, walking the dog, in the car and so on podcasts are literally everywhere.
Here’s a rundown of a few facts to drive home the point:
- Over the last year alone, podcast audiences increased by more than 25%
- In North America, there are as many podcast listeners as Twitter users
- The primary demographic for podcast listeners is those on the move
- Investment in podcast production by bigger brands is intensifying massively
So it’s pretty easy to see why you need podcasts in your life for the sake of your business. The only question being – what’s involved in getting it right?
1. USP
Well, first of all you need to make sure you don’t end up one of the thousands of daily podcasts that never get listened to even once. Which means you need to establish your unique selling point and value proposition – what can you offer that’s both different and valuable? Identify your audience, get to know your rivals and work out what you can do to improve on what’s already out there. Don’t panic if you don’t even know where to start – there’s plenty of inspiration out there to get you going.
2. Plan and Prepare
Rather than simply diving into things head-first, be sure to plan and prepare meticulously. Decide which platform/s you want to go with, not forgetting that iTunes remains the biggest and most influential by far. Think carefully about the equipment you intend to use to ensure that the quality standard is high enough. Delegate individual responsibilities among those taking part and think about who you’d like to work with to help spread the word about what you’re doing.
3. Consider Influencers
If possible, any kind of influencer whatsoever could be a good catalyst to set things moving. An industry expert, an authority on the subject, a local celebrity and so on – anyone who can help launch your podcast and drive attention your way.
4. Create and Market
Technically speaking, once your blueprint is in place it should be fairly easy to go about the actual recording process. Once it’s done and you’re happy with the quality, you need to market the hell out of it. Yes, it’s a marketing tool/product in its own right, but it’s sometimes necessary to market your marketing in order to make it of any real use. Use very channel available to you and market your podcast at every available opportunity.
5. Review and Improve
Last but not least, like everything else that makes it into your wider marketing strategy, it’s a case of continually monitoring, analysing and searching for areas of improvement with your podcasts. Watch analytics, gather customer feedback and slowly but surely work your way towards creating regular podcasts your target audience cannot live without. Or at least, wouldn’t want to!
