With attention spans at an all-time low, audiences are looking for ways to consume quality information in a fraction of the time. Enter in podcasts.
Podcasts are hardly new, but it’s still a growing content platform among online businesses. Many business owners are starting podcasts to share educational information and give a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to run a business.
But are people really listening?
According to Edison Research, 67 million Americans listen to podcasts on a monthly basis. And that’s just in one country when podcasts are available worldwide.
So we don’t have to wonder if people are tuning into podcasts, but does that mean it’s the right move for your online business? Well, it depends.
First, let’s talk about the benefits of podcasting to see if it’s something you want to consider including in your content strategy.
Benefits of podcasting for your online business
Every few months (or even weeks), you’re bound to see another business owner announcing that they’re starting a podcast. You may be wondering why they’re all flocking to podcasting, but it’s with good reason.
Let’s go over some of the basic benefits of starting a podcast:
Build your authority & credibility in your niche
The more openly you share your expertise, the more others will trust you. That trust translates into higher conversions because people want to buy from those who have authority and credibility.
Through podcasting, you have more time to fully cover important topics in your niche and show the depth of your knowledge. You’re also able to show how well you think on your feet, which is a true test of expertise.
Listeners from across the globe also have a chance to hear your voice. It’s one thing to connect with someone’s writing and it’s another to connect with their actual voice. When you create podcast episodes, your audience picks up on your mannerisms, experiences your true personality, and feels even more connected to you.
Repurpose high-performing content
Let’s say you recently wrote a blog post that has been garnering a large amount of traffic. Your blog comments have been through the roof, and your audience has been spreading it like wildfire on social media. Repurposing will come in handy here.
Since you’ve already proven the blog post topic is something your audience is interested in, it presents the unique opportunity to bring it to a larger audience with your podcast. By transforming the written content into audio content, you’re able to share similar commentary on the topic but in a fresh, new way.
This also saves you time and energy in the creation process since the content is already drafted for you. All you need to do is add a few additional insights, personal anecdotes, and your personality. Then you have an engaging podcast episode that took you half the time!
Reach a whole new audience
It only takes one look around the classroom to realize that not everyone learns the same way. Some prefer lectures because they’re auditory learners. Others need a slideshow to take notes from because they’re visual learners. Others would rather be left alone with a book.
When you create written content, you’re only able to reach the audience members who like to learn by reading. By adding another dimension through audio content, you’re able to reach a new audience that’s just as interested in what you have to say.
Create a deeper connection with your audience
Your written voice is one thing, but your actual speaking voice? That’s what really connects you with your audience. With a podcast, you’re able to give readers a deeper look into who you are and what you do.
You’ll create an even deeper connection with your audience if you sound just like you do in your writing. It’s all about keeping a consistent brand voice throughout every content platform.
More time to make a connection
Most blog posts are anywhere between 750-1,500 words depending on the topic and author. With a podcast, you’re able to fit a lot more information into a single episode.
With blog posts, readers often skim through the content to get the main ideas. Podcasts help you better capture more of your audience’s attention and for a longer amount of time.
What will you do with all that extra time? You can share more educational content that builds trust with your audience, share personal stories that help them get to know you on a deeper level, or showcase your personality in a fun and engaging way.
Connect with influencers and others in your industry
What better way to connect with other bloggers and business owners than featuring them on your podcast? Interviewing other professionals in your industry gives them a chance to connect with a new audience while you get to connect with theirs. Win-win!
Start by asking a few of your friends in the industry so you get practice with interviewing and thinking on your feet. Then you can move up to micro-influencers and then full-blown influencers as you build your confidence and platform.
Conquer a personal challenge
Don’t you love when you prove yourself wrong? Maybe podcasting is something you’ve always wanted to do but told yourself you could never do. Well, let’s put that to rest.
When you dive into podcasting, you’ll strengthen a wide range of skills like editing, producing, interviewing, and scheduling. You’ll also get better at some less obvious skills like marketing, brand storytelling, pitching, and selling.
How to use a podcast to grow your audience
Now let’s talk about something much more uplifting: using your podcast to grow your audience. We highlighted that podcasting can help you reach a wider audience, but how do we go about that?
This is your chance to experiment and get creative! If you need some help in brainstorming, we have a few ideas to help you get started:
Use call-to-actions during podcast episodes
Are you launching a new product soon? Are you putting an extra emphasis on building your email list this quarter? Depending on your goals, you can use your podcast as a way to drive higher conversions within your website.
You’re giving a lot of free, high-quality educational content through the podcast. It’s also being shared with a very interested audience.
You’ll want to capitalize on the authority and trust you’ve built through the podcast by giving direct call-to-actions (CTAs). Talk about your upcoming product launch or highlight a testimonial from one of your clients. Get creative!
Increase your podcast reviews and use them as testimonials
We all know that leaving reviews on podcast apps (like iTunes and Stitcher) greatly influence the searchability and popularity of a podcast.
Rather than using the reviews only to increase your downloads, you can also use the reviews as testimonials for your website. These podcast reviews act as perfect, bite-sized commentary to add to your podcast page, home page, or even sales pages.
Repurpose influencer podcast interviews
When an influencer agrees to sit down with you to do a podcast interview, you’ll want to leverage that highly desireable content as much as you can.
The first step is repurposing the podcast interview into show notes to put on your blog. Then you can take it a step further by creating quote graphics for social media, a full list of resources shared from the episode– the sky’s the limit.
Bonus points: If the influencer mentions your podcast show notes or article on their website by linking to your post, it can help you increase your traffic and domain authority (aka better SEO). Score!
Have you considered starting a podcast for your online business?
Hopefully this article has given you some extra motivation and inspiration behind your idea. What kind of podcast are you thinking about starting? I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below.
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