Podcasts can be very tricky. Like any other up and coming medium, there are a ton of people creating their own podcasts to try and break into the limelight and get an audience to tune into whatever their content is, which obviously means fierce competition. You can make it work for your business, but of course, there is some strategy to it.
A Little History of Podcasting
Podcasts are something of a phenomenon today, but they’re by no means a new thing. They have been available basically since smartphones have existed and have developed over the years, only recently advancing significantly and gaining serious momentum through YouTube, social media, and still-increasing interest from audiences.
There were only a few podcasts in the beginning, but now you can find one that focuses on virtually any subject, ranging from education, to entertainment, to comedy, to just absolute nonsense.
Many celebrities now even have their own podcasts to promote themselves, having no particular subject in mind.
The Proliferation of Podcasts
The reason that there are so many podcasts now has to do with a few different factors, including some basic need we all have to broadcast ourselves in some capacity; however, the main reason it’s possible is because starting your own podcast is really cheap and easy these days.
Ideally, you want to have a halfway-decent microphone, software to run it, and someone with basic editing skills. But really, anyone with a smartphone can create a podcast.
Honestly, if the subject matter you’re recording is extremely interesting and engaging, then it makes no difference what equipment you have, as long as it’s minimally decent quality.
Why Would You Need a Podcast for Your Business?
What you have to remember is that the goal is not to actually, literally sell your product or service on the podcast (although dropping a plug somewhere in there definitely doesn’t hurt).
The goal is simply to draw attention to your business in the same way that a blog works for you. The subject matter of the podcast may not even be related to what your business does.
You might have a coffee shop with a podcast that interviews stand-up comics, but the effect is the same if you do it right.
Of course, it helps a great deal to research what your target demographic is interested in, while at the same time, that matters less than creating content that increases your click-through rate.
Attention
The point is that there is a huge amount of attention on podcasts right now—podcasts of all kinds. People just love it; they eat it up with a spoon. So, to summarize this whole idea: Podcasts are a manifestation of our Zeitgeist.
The reason your small business should have a podcast feeding it is because there is massive attention on podcasts, and you want to bring that attention to your business.
Stephanie
Stephanie is the Marketing Director at Talkroute and has been featured in Forbes, Inc, and Entrepreneur as a leading authority on business and telecommunications.
Stephanie is also the chief editor and contributing author for the Talkroute blog helping more than 100k entrepreneurs to start, run, and grow their businesses.