Ever since the dawn of time, human beings have shared conversations. They're part of our evolution, tightly stitched into our social and primitive fabric.
Not only do we enjoy having conversations, but we enjoy listening to them.
Podcasts are a modern materialisation of exactly that. Thanks to its roots in radio, the podcast has taken our digital lives by storm, becoming a key driver for marketing content.
They're accessible to anyone with an internet connection, and they're available across a mammoth range of apps: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Audible to name but a few.
Podcasts are one of the best ways to share and discuss information and opinions, they're formed into digestible chunks, ranging anything from 20 to 60 minutes in duration.
Why do you listen to podcasts? For entertainment, to learn something, as a background filler, or perhaps it's all of the above.
For many of us, podcasts occupy our brains while we're doing something else. Podcasts cloak the mundanity of household chores; they accompany us on long drives, and when we get banned from singing along to music in the shower, they're the next best thing.
Beauty is in the ear of the beholder.
Either way, podcasts are an excellent way of softly layering our brains with information. Unlike reading, it requires minimum effort. We involuntarily absorb sound, the only movement involved is pressing play.
Each episode is thematic and structured to fit a chronological podcast format - although some podcasters might add visual aids or short-form video prompts through streaming platforms like Twitch.
In a content hump? Podcasts can get you out
Is your written content not hitting? With podcasts, you have the opportunity to quite literally express your brand tone of voice. Even better, you can market your product, punctuate your podcasts with calls to action, and you're directly marketing your product simply by talking about it.
Approximately 1 in 4 listeners will purchase after listening to a podcast. So if done correctly, you could be poked with enquiries from a quarter of your audience.
You don't necessarily need to spend 50 minutes telling your customer how great your product is. But you can create conversations around the problems your product seeks to fix.
If you haven't already created podcasts to market your business, then it's a good idea to get on it. It's a great way to market, and it's very budget-friendly.
A podcast could help you...
- Build up your brand
- Spark interesting conversations around your product or service
- Humanise your brand
- Build a community and contribute to industry conversation
How to create engaging podcasts
To make your podcasts more engaging:
- Select innovative, interesting topics
- Host guest speakers
- Release regular content
- Be natural
- Be relatable to your audience
- Generate value
Select innovative, interesting topics
Not sure what to add to your podcast? Your podcast is a blank canvas, and you can fill it with anything you want.
Consider what you might enjoy listening to if you were your buyer persona. Conjure up click-worthy topics. You'll probably find that topics will segway into each other, opening up more and more ideas as you continue to brainstorm.
Host guests
Having guests is a great way to involve different voices and opinions. It keeps your podcast interesting and makes each episode unique.
Reach out to people you think would add value to your conversation - whether it be professionals, influencers, or even clients.
Post regularly Post regularly
Post podcast content regularly, so that you can keep the conversation fluid. This shows your customers that you're active and that you're keen to stay relevant in industry conversations.
Be natural
Make your podcast sound organic. The more natural you sound, the more relatable your brand is. Even if you sell a 'serious' product or service, releasing a podcast provides the opportunity to humanise your brand. Take advantage of humour windows, and add anecdotes where it's relevant.
Be relatable to your audience
Consider who your buyer personas are, provide content that hits home, you want your content to stick so that your audience will subscribe to your channels and continue listening to your content. Even if they aren't purchasing from you, gaining brand awareness is a huge box ticked.
Generate valuable content
Openly discuss the nuances of your industry. Making podcasts gives you creative freedom to discuss topics that circulate your industry in a more informal, and well-rounded way.
Even if you can't generate content that is specifically product-relative, then you can talk about anything you think would add value to your customer's lives.
Got something to say?
Join the conversation.
Here at Method, we love a good chit-chat on our very own podcast 'Behind the Madness.'
Keen to share your thoughts? We're all ears.
If you're not a fan of your voice, then feel free to listen to ours. Check out our podcast page, for all things marketing, business growth, wellbeing, and more.
