Is Your Business Ready for Podcasting?

If you’re a business owner or manager, the odds are good that you have some kind of routine to engage with your customers. You might make sales calls or send newsletters, but podcasts offer a unique way to reach new and current clients. Podcasts can be recorded and distributed for free as audio files on SoundCloud or iTunes, so they’ll fit most anyone’s budget. Your podcast can also be formatted as an audio blog post on your company website.

Ultimately, podcasts are engaging mediums with which companies can forge a connection with their target audiences in ways that were previously not possible. Here’s a peek behind the curtain to help you get started today.

What is a Podcast?

A podcast, as described by Google, is an episodic media that can be streamed or downloaded from an Internet address. It’s also similar to a blog or web site post in that readers can comment on and contribute to the content. Unlike blogs and web site posts, however, podcasts are only available as radio-like files instead of text-based HTML documents. Since they aren’t written by hand or uploaded online, podcasts are generally free for listeners to access as long as you don’t charge for them specifically.

To host a podcast, you must have a working microphone and some way to record the audio material. That’s it! You don’t need any additional equipment to start recording your first podcast. Both Windows and Mac computers come with built-in recording functionality, so they do not require any additional hardware to create podcasts. You can purchase high-quality microphones for around $50 online, but most people get started with no more than the microphone that’s included on their smartphone or computer.

Podcasts are generally published on an ongoing basis. If you are looking to increase brand awareness or reach a new customer base, publishing podcasts consistently will help you reach your goals over time. If you are trying to convey a particular message or promotion, your podcast’s topic should be something relevant and timely. Google suggests focusing on the needs and wants of listeners within your niche or industry. Another benefit of podcasts is that you can also distribute the same content on other social media platforms like Facebook.

Since they’re distributed over the Internet, it makes sense to have an online presence in order to reach potential listeners. This means you should have a company website with an active social media presence and a way to make it easy for people to subscribe to your podcast(s). This makes them easy for people who enjoy your podcast content to find when you publish new episodes or blog posts. You can also post podcasts on your company blog, as social media posts are typically limited to 250 characters.

When creating or distributing your podcast episodes, it’s important to include a catchy title and unique “call to action,” or what you want people to do after listening. Google suggests thinking about questions you might answer in the episode and asking yourself what actions listeners can take as a result of hearing your podcast. Your podcast might be about cooking or raising a pet, but the call to action you want listeners to take could be “come to my cooking class” or “give me a call.”

What is Hosting?

When you set up an account on SoundCloud or iTunes, you host your podcast. Once your podcast is hosted on one of these websites, it can be published on your company website as an audio file or blog post. For example, if your business sells organic food products, you might publish a podcast episode about the health benefits of eating local produce.

Conclusion

Podcasting is a brand new medium for businesses, but it is a tool that can be used effectively to reach target audiences. If your business has something valuable to share with listeners, podcasts are an affordable and engaging medium. They offer a unique way for listeners to get information on demand, and they provide you with a simple format in which to share that information.

Like any new technological development or business tool, podcasting will take some practicing before you become proficient at it. The more time you spend creating and perfecting your podcast episodes, the more likely you’ll reach your goals for increased revenue or customer engagement.