Why Your Company Should Start a Podcast
If you’re a business owner looking to get your name out there, one great way to establish yourself in your industry is to start a podcast. If you’ve exercised most of your marketing efforts in ads and billboards, it might be time to start a conversation with your audience.
Not sure if your business could really benefit from a podcast? Consider these benefits to starting a branded podcast:
Everyone is listening to podcasts
Podcasts are an increasing trend—the new talk radio. The number of people who listen to podcasts has increased over the years, and today, studies show that 465 million people listen to podcasts. This number will continue to climb in 2023, predicted to surpass half a billion in 2024. While Netflix provides entertainment—people look to podcasts for knowledge, insight and help with bettering their lives.
Not only that, podcasts are easy to listen to anytime. Many people listen to podcasts while they’re on commutes, long drives and even while they work. Podcasts are a free and easy way for people to learn more about various topics.
Attract high-quality customers
People who listen to podcasts often are a different breed of customer. They’re curious about their world, and they’re looking for solutions to their problems from experts. These people are doing the research on the topic that interests them, and they are actually asking for your help. These are people who are more likely to invest in your services, if they are convinced by your solution. By starting a podcast, you can go deeper into that solution and invite others in.
Personal content creates a loyal following
Podcasts go deep. Compared to a billboard, Facebook post, or ad—podcasts don’t have to be as in-your-face. With our overstimulated culture, people have learned to tune those things out. Podcasts will show people the value that your company brings to their lives, and give a deeper understanding of what you do.
Podcasts are conversations. Opening up a conversation breaks down that 3rd wall separating you from your audience. They get to hear your voice and thoughts about the world around you. This establishes trust, and makes the listener feel like they actually know you on a deeper level. Ultimately, starting a podcast will create a loyal following of customers who not only buy products but know your company’s values, beliefs and feel connected with you in a deeper way.
Start a podcast to become the authority
Once you’ve collected a good amount of listeners, your podcast will grow in popularity, and people will depend on you for information they need to buy products and services. After some time, your ratings will go up and people will see you as the authority in your industry. This authority is not established by your products, but by the overall value you bring to your followers. You are the expert in their eyes, bringing not only the what, but the how and why of your products.
To establish even more credibility, interview people on your show who are more successful than you, the people you look up to in the industry. This will interest listeners who don’t normally get to hear from those kinds of industry leaders. Bring in different perspectives to create diversity on the topics you’re discussing. Starting a podcast with these connections to industry leaders will also give your company more visibility and create a network for you.
Create traffic and traction
Podcasts are weekly avenues for people to connect with brands through information, advice and tips. While most marketing efforts are accessible through a desktop, podcasts are accessed by phone. Some of the leading podcast directories are iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud, Tunelen, Spreaker, iPodder, YouTube, Spotify and many more. This gives you multiple opportunities to submit your podcasts and reach more people.
You can share this podcast on multiple channels like Facebook, Instagram and more. If you happen to record your podcast as a video, you can publish it to YouTube as well. Getting your podcast out there will increase the chances of your company showing up when people search the topic you speak about. The more reliable you become as a source of information, the higher your Google Search rating will become.
Once you’ve started a podcast and recorded a few episodes, you can use short clips of each one as small teasers on social media or your website. These teasers can be turned into commercials or ads as well!
Consult with the podcast experts!
It is possible to start a podcast on your own. However, there’s a lot more to it than recording yourself talking. You’ll need to create a name for your podcast, a brand logo, and purchase recording equipment and editing software.
You’ll also need to record an intro and outro for your podcast and find music to go along with it.
There are pros and cons to starting your own podcast, like skipping the hiring fee for a production company and complete autonomy over the entire recording process. However, it will cost you time, energy, and doing some research on how to edit recordings. In addition, you’ll need to invest in quality recording equipment and editing software. Unfortunately, the result of doing things the cheap way will often result in a cheap product.
Let the pros handle it
Hiring a professional takes the load off your shoulders when it comes to these responsibilities. While you’re still planning and thinking about your topics and people to interview—the production company will handle the rest. All you have to do is show up and start talking!
At The Dock Line, we have an in-house studio where we record podcasts for companies of all kinds. We’ll work with you to come up with a name, a logo, plan topics, and even record video footage of your conversations. Our experienced marketing team will advise you on best marketing practices so you can start a podcast that will stand out from the rest.
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