The Importance of Podcasting in Your Digital Marketing Strategy
The popularity of podcasting has skyrocketed in the past couple of years. Today, an increasing number of influencers, business owners, and professionals have their own podcasts. However, podcasting is something that should be considered by business owners, especially those who sell their products and services online. In fact, podcasting plays a significant role in any business’s digital marketing strategy. That role is only going to increase over the next few years. So, getting into podcasting right now is probably a very good idea for many businesses who may have rolled out social media, guest blog posting, content marketing, and other forms of digital marketing as part of their strategy.
One of the questions we often get from businesses is, “how does podcasting help with our digital marketing strategy?.” The short answer is that it helps you establish a deep connection with your target audience. That ‘connection’ is necessary because it helps build trust and credibility. So, if you want to position yourself as a reputable entity in the industry, podcasting is one of the best ways to do this.
Why Choose Podcasting?
Sure, many people enjoy reading, but a growing number of people rely on YouTube and podcasts for their information. Most people tend to Google for something they want to learn more about, and the first things they see are YouTube videos and podcasts. In fact, Google’s search results now include an increasing number of podcasts for queries primarily related to industry-related news and information.
Podcasting is an effective way to bridge the communication gap with your target audience. Instead of having to read, your target audience gets what they need from your podcast while they take care of everyday tasks like preparing breakfast. That’s why podcasting has become a medium for catching up on industry news.
Podcasts can also help people discover something they were not aware of, and that’s another reason why it’s becoming so popular. For instance, many people may subscribe to digital marketing podcasts, not only to remain up-to-date with the latest industry news but to learn things that they probably never knew before.
Edison Research suggests that over 40% of all Americans have at some point tuned into a podcast at some point and this figure has been found to be growing exponentially.. The figure, according to Edison Research, is growing exponentially. Figures show that 27% of people subscribe to a podcast for information regularly, with most subscribers listening to these podcasts on their phones.
Just About Anyone Can Get into Podcasting
Nobody wants to implement a digital marketing strategy that’s elaborate, expensive, and difficult to get started as a result. Podcasting has a lower barrier to entry compared to most digital mediums, which is why you’ll find podcasts about everything from Yoda to knitting and rock music. Many popular podcasts are done from studios, but it isn’t uncommon for people to record in their home offices or garages.
On the software side of things, podcasting software is cheap, so anyone can afford it. Furthermore, there are free alternatives. If you have a problem with scripts, it doesn’t matter because people love conversational off-the-cuff podcasts. However, the only thing you might want to spend some money on if you can afford it, is a good microphone that won’t pick up background noise. The reason being, most people who listen to podcasts regularly get turned off by background noise.
Podcasting Can Complement Your Social Media Campaign
Podcasting can be paired with your social media campaign to boost brand awareness, bolster your reputation as a key source of industry knowledge and even get the word out about your business. As a podcaster, you have a much more creative license than traditional radio hosts, which means you can easily plug your products, services, and websites. You can also plug in complementing services.
However, podcasting tends to do very well when paired with a strong social media campaign. It allows you to engage with your target audience in two different ways. Social media pages and blog posts can help people learn more about specific products (for instance), whilst a podcast can be more about establishing yourself as a credible industry voice. When you put the two together, your social media campaign can drive listeners to your podcast, and your podcast can drive them to your social media pages, from where they can enter into the sales funnel on your website.
Put Your Podcast into Writing
Now there is a way to ensure that your podcast compliments any SEO and content marketing efforts you might be involved in with your digital marketing campaign. Putting your podcast episodes into writing or written content will help the episodes rank. Uploading new episodes, as it turns out, is only one part of the equation if you want to use podcasting as a digital marketing tool, because this means you may probably never be found by potential listeners.
Search engines like Google find written text easier to scan, and that means when your episode is also available in text format, it helps to rank. You are also increasing the odds of each episode outranking others because of the added advantage of written content.
If the podcast is being hosted on your website, make sure that each episode has its own page. The page should include a transcript of the podcast, topic, and context. Taking this approach will mean you get more keyword insertion opportunities, which will drive more traffic.
The other way to add written content is through podcast show notes. Generally, these are summaries that are available in bullet form for each episode. It allows potential listeners to learn what each episode is about before they start listening. It can also include charts, images, and videos that may be part of the episode.
Conclusion
Podcasting may be very easy to start, but building an audience takes time. Fortunately, podcasting isn’t as saturated as social media marketing, which is why it’s a potent part of your digital marketing strategy which shouldn’t be overlooked.
