Businesses are always on the hunt for a new way to branch out and reach a broader audience. The hunt is never over, but podcasts are making the search a lot easier! Podcasts are a valuable part of business marketing strategies and for good reason. Aside from reaching a broader audience ( i.e. more qualified prospects), podcasts are fun and producing them is reasonably priced.

What exactly is a podcast? A podcast is an audio recording of a show with a specific theme that listeners can subscribe to, download from the internet and listen to anywhere and anytime they like. They are convenient, highly versatile and cover a wide range of subjects from real estate news to criminal shows to fashion tips. Listeners love podcasts because they can listen to them in the car, at the gym, on the subway or any variety of places and still pay attention to what is going on around them. According to Edison Research, 67 million Americans listen to podcasts each month. Just in the last year, podcast subscriptions on iTunes surpassed 1 billion! There are many possible goals to consider when creating a business podcast – generating content for your blog, Facebook, etc.; showcasing your expertise; using the show for outreach and business development, or to increase traffic to your website. Smart businesses are getting on board with this popular trend and here’s a deeper look into why.

Podcasts Increase Traffic

Increased traffic and reaching new audiences is just about a given when creating a podcast for your business. By generating a larger audience, your business’ brand will continue to grow and the traffic generation to your website will drastically improve. When creating a podcast for your business, you’re building a community of individuals interested in the same subject. Podcast listeners are a loyal tribe.

Podcasting is an Alternative Form of Content

If you’re not comfortable writing blogs or being on video, podcasts offer an alternative way to create content. There is so much online content created today, it is hard to break through the clutter on the internet, and this makes it harder for a business to get noticed. In her book, “Social Media Marketing for Your Business,” Denim Marketing Founder Carol Morgan states, “Creating quality content is difficult, but being interviewed makes it easier to get your information out there.” She encourages businesses to invest time in  guest recruitment because “the quality of your guests will determine the quality of your content.” Your podcast creates great content that your guests will want to share, thus increasing your reach even more.

Podcasting Helps Build Relationships

Podcasts are the perfect networking tool, but they also offer access to a lot more opportunities. As a producer and host, you will develop business partnerships and meet potential clients and vendors by inviting them to be a part of your show. This helps them connect directly with you and builds strategic relationships. That potential client that you can’t get to return your calls may be very willing to be interviewed on your well-respected podcast.

Podcasts are Easy to Create

Recording a podcast episode can be far less time-consuming than writing an article or recording a video. To create a podcast episode, all you have to do is record the interview – invest in a decent microphone and a program for recording and editing your episodes. Plus, producing a podcast is relatively inexpensive because of the number of free tools, apps and open-source platforms available on the internet.

Carol offers helpful ideas for home builder-focused podcasts in her book. She suggests they create shows focused on energy efficiency, green building, selling to the 55+ market, financing or finding creative ways to get in touch with Millennial buyers.

Proven Success with Podcasts

Carol states in her book, “I started Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio as a podcast in October 2011 with Intrepid Studio, LLC and my friend and co-host Todd Schnick. The show has proven to be a great outreach tool in the Atlanta real estate market and has helped us promote our blog to new readers, as well as reach an entirely new audience of iTunes listeners.”

Podcasting is an effective marketing tool that can also be a lot of fun! Have you tried podcasting for your business? Call Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or Contact Us via this website to let us know your thoughts or ask your questions about starting your own podcast!