The changes in the way people consume media has forced businesses to evolve in terms of advertising. It’s true that you’ll still see commercials on TV and maybe hear one pop up if you’re listening to the radio but businesses are now utilizing more marketing channels.
They use social media to grow their brands and engage with potential customers. You’ll find newsletters in your inbox from businesses offering discounts. Even your viewing time on video streaming websites may occasionally be interrupted by an ad or two.
Podcasts are similarly being utilized more for marketing purposes these days. Companies often pay to have their ads read during podcasts but that’s not the only way to use them for marketing.
You can create a podcast yourself and boost your startup business that way.
Are you unsure if starting a podcast will really help? The reasons listed below should tell you why you need to get the ball rolling using podcast hosting platforms sooner rather than later.
1. Podcasting Is an Affordable Way to Advertise
Paying for a TV spot or a radio ad can be pricey. The same goes for paying for ads to be placed in high-traffic areas like supermarkets or malls.
Podcasting is not as affordable as just opening up some accounts on social media and posting but it can still be pretty affordable.
In an interview with Entrepreneur, comedian, podcaster, and GaS Digital Network founder Ralph Sutton notes that you don’t have to spend a lot to purchase essential podcasting equipment. Sutton points out that some microphones can be had for around $40 to $50.
On top of that, you can also handle the editing when you’re just getting started. Editing platforms are even more affordable than microphones.
You don’t have to spend a lot to get the ball rolling using podcast hosting platforms either. As research shows, some hosting platforms charge very reasonable monthly rates. You can even upload some content for free using certain hosting platforms.
Podcasting is highly accessible even for those with a limited marketing budget. Don’t let the fear of excessive expenses prevent you from giving it a try.
2. Podcasts Excels at Encouraging Engagement among Listeners
You probably already knew this, but podcasts have become incredibly popular. The number of Americans listening weekly to podcasts was at 19 million in 2013. Last year, weekly podcast listeners in America numbered at around 62 million.
Clearly, people have warmed up considerably to podcasts. Still, it’s fair to ask what all that means for your business.
As it turns out, more people listening to podcasts is fantastic news for startups and big businesses alike.
WebFX highlights the fact that 63 percent of listeners have purchased a product that they heard about on a podcast. Even if the listeners didn’t buy anything, 67 percent of them still found the sponsored messages included in the podcast to be useful.
When done right, podcasting can produce some impressive results. It’s yet another reason why startups need to invest more in it.
3. Consuming Podcasts Is Easy for Listeners
Now that you know more about the ability of podcasts to encourage engagement, it’s important to understand why they are so appealing to people.
The first reason is because podcasts are inherently convenient to consume. You can go about your day with a podcast playing in the background and not be bothered in the least.
Commuters can listen to their favorite pods as they ride the subway. If you have a car, you can start listening while you’re driving too.
Listening to podcasts at work can help people pass the time during lulls in the day and you can also continue a paused episode when you get home.
Because you don’t have to sit down in front of a screen to enjoy a podcast, it’s simply easier to consume more of it.
By providing your customers with more podcast content to listen to, they may become more inclined to support you by purchasing one of your products.
4. Podcasting Helps with Brand Building
Companies and individuals invest plenty of money into SEO efforts because they want to be seen as an authority in their industry. They see the first page of Google’s search results as the promised land precisely because it lends that sheen of credibility to a business. Modernizing your website using such tools as FlippingBook, you can better your content and make it more creative and engaging.
Investing in SEO is smart. However, it’s not the only way to build up your startup’s brand.
Podcasting can work effectively in that regard too.
Creating a podcast focusing on a topic you know allows you to show off your knowledge. When you speak eloquently about interesting matters authoritatively, people cannot help but be drawn to you.
Podcasting also helps to humanize a business. Customers can connect more to a business if they feel like they know the person behind it.
As listeners get to know you better over the course of many episodes, they can make a more informed decision regarding whether or not to support your business. Trust can form organically that way and listeners may be more inclined to offer their support because they know your business deserves it.
5. Podcasting Is an Effective and Efficient Form of P2P Marketing
P2P or peer to peer marketing can be effective, but also draining for businesses. Conventional P2P marketing is difficult for startups to pull off.
The good news is that you can create a podcast with the goal of leveraging it for P2P marketing.
The previous entry already touched on how trust can form more naturally between a host and a listener. That can come in really handy for businesses.
When a host reads an ad during an episode, listeners are more likely to take heed of it. Listeners found host-read ads to be more authentic and believable.
It makes sense that listeners are more receptive to host-read ads. When a friend or family member speaks highly of a company, you’re more likely to listen to them. A podcast host may not necessarily be your friend but because you’ve become familiar with him/her and you’ve grown to trust his/her opinion, their word carries more weight.
Every podcast episode presents you with an opportunity to engage in P2P marketing. Those opportunities can prove tremendously helpful to startup businesses.
Startups need all the help they can get when it comes to boosting their visibility and credibility. Give podcasting a try if you want a big boost in those areas. Create a podcast today and see the results it can deliver for your startup!
Lidia S. Hovhan is a part of the Content and Marketing team at OmnicoreAgency. She contributes articles about how to integrate digital marketing strategy with traditional marketing to help business owners to meet their online goals. You can find really professional insights in her writings. @LidiaHovhan
Marketing stock photo by LightField Studios/Shutterstock
