Listen Up! How Podcasting Can Amount to Big Bucks for Your Small Business (Part 1)
Grab the headphones and cue the mic because podcasts have quickly become one of the biggest emerging media trends just in the past year alone – and there is no sign of this versatile medium slowing down anytime soon. Find out how you can leverage this simple, audio-based format to help build your brand and grow your business.
Podcasts are more popular than ever before. Now that more of us are homebound, podcast downloads and listenership have skyrocketed. More and more of us are turning to the podcast format for our entertainment, information, news, and politics, including hard-hitting panel discussions on the world’s hot-button issues. After exhausting our attention spans on YouTube videos, we began tuning into weekly podcasts hosted by our favorite entertainers, comedians, irreverent political pundits, social media influencers, media personalities, and, businesses. Nearly every industry has jumped on the podcasting bandwagon to help build their brand, boost their revenue, and cast a wider net to attract a bigger, better audience.
A Booming Medium for Small Business-building
Since its inception in 2005, the podcast medium has evolved to an almost unrecognizable medium for both content creators and their avid listeners. Just up until a few years ago, podcasting was primarily used by the most austere of the media, including long-standing radio talk show hosts, techies, and newsy novices looking to break into the world of online media hosting. Today, podcasters are the new YouTubers. No glam squad necessary. They consist of fashion, fitness, and beauty bloggers, aspiring comedians, self-professed “self-help” gurus, and now, small business owners. Lindsey Dickhout, CEO and Founder of beauty brand Million Dollar Tan, was one of the first entrepreneurs to get in on the podcast game with her weekly “Million Dollar Tan Podcast”. In it, Dickhout covers myriad topics ranging from starting a beauty business to general beauty advice. Podcast junkies are faithful to their favorite podcast hosts, too, as podcasts offer a much welcomed respite to daily commutes. Today, there are currently 750,000 active podcasts with subscribed audiences and over 30 million episodes produced. Fifty-one percent of the total population tune in to one or more podcasts a week – and their hunger for more content is becoming increasingly insatiable.
As a small business owner with a podcast, you have the unique ability to disrupt the trajectory of social media marketing with your voice. Launching a business-minded podcast allows you to reach and retain your target demographic by positioning yourself to be an authority on any particular topic or field, which can influence potential customers to use your products and services, creating long-term loyalty. A podcast with a specific niche can be another form of a CTA to get people to purchase your product, service, or even invest in your business. It gives your company credibility amongst your most discerning clients and potential customers, as well as elevating your expertise in any given industry and on any given topic. Plus, launching a successful podcast need not break the bank. You can create this new form of business-building content using a small investment and a few well-planned steps.
Stay Tuned
In Part 2, we’ll break down all the requisite steps required to successfully launch a podcast that can help build your small business and grow your audience. We’ll discuss the creative, fun aspects of podcast production, like choosing a catchy, clever name and picking music and cover art, as well as tech talk, i.e., equipment, hosting, platforms, etc. Be sure to tune in for all the tips!