Podcasts are pure sound; a complete listening expertise. It is a medium that may be theater of the thoughts utilizing voice, rhythm, sound design, concepts. Podcasts are a sonic tapestry: conversations, interviews, music, messages. Podcasts are very totally different from textual content, data graphics, pictures, surveys, blogs, white papers, articles, movies, CDs, vinyl data and business radio.After twenty years as a composer producer for radio, TV and Movie, after which as a ten yr veteran podcast producer and host, I ask: what’s it actually that makes podcasting totally different from different kinds of on-line media platforms? How is podcasting distinctive in its capability to construct manufacturers and drive enterprise development? What elements make a podcast profitable?Let’s first discover what a podcast is and what promise it holds in the case of measurably constructing your model and what you are promoting.What’s a Podcast?The phrase “podcast” is a hybrid phrase shaped by combining “iPod” and “broadcast”. I prefer to assume that podcasts are the pure technological evolution of conventional ‘old style’ radio broadcasting. There are some similarities between terrestrial radio and web podcasting however many variations.On the most elementary stage, a podcast is an audio file that’s created by anybody after which distributed on the Web.Essentially the most salient characteristic of podcasting is its skill to ship media messages over the web with out broadcast schedule or distribution constraints. The listener chooses when and the place to tune in. And the podcaster can doubtlessly scale their distribution and viewers dimension so far as the Web will permit.Greater than a mere audio file, a podcast collection creates centered, routine listening expertise that we design for our viewers. There are a selection of artistic kinds a podcast collection can take. Underlying the flexibility to draw viewers is the manufacturing high quality and the worth delivered with the message.To podcast or to not podcast.Whereas there is a strong and quick rising on-line tradition of podcast producers and customers (aka prosumers), the explanation podcasters podcast varies extensively. Some podcasters produce podcasts as an finish in-and-of -itself. They might or could indirectly monetize their present, however it’s the finish product. On this occasion, the aim of the podcast is to unfold data, leisure, information, data, expertise, tales, or simply have enjoyable with unique content material.On the similar time, many professionals create podcasts to assist develop their companies and construct their visibility to draw new followers. They podcast to broaden model consciousness, set up market place, construct each ‘social authority’ credibility. Our firm helps enterprise professionals who want to podcast session on the type of a podcast; or how greatest we’d form it with a view to obtain said enterprise targets. Collectively we design the present format and platform, and develop a distribution technique that’s clear and the place the results are clearly measurable. The target: To co-create an unique podcast as a key factor of an organization’s whole digital advertising and marketing plan.
What are among the distinctive advantages of Podcasting as differentiated from different digital advertising and marketing platforms?Positioning. Podcasting is highly effective since you get to create a sustained, distinctive listening expertise on your viewers. That have is a whole universe that you just create; a venue, a platform, a story, all designed to situation your viewers about how to consider your model, and tips on how to talk it successfully to others. An vital impact of podcasting is the formation of a sustained, sturdy relationship together with your listeners via repeating, routine, subscribed listening.Consolation, Familiarity and Belief. Individuals do enterprise with individuals who they know, like and belief. Within the digital world, we’re persistently related however usually not talking to one another practically sufficient to determine heartfelt, human, emotional connections. Ah – enter, the human voice!Not like a weblog, article or white paper, with the sound of your voice you will have a singular alternative to develop a detailed, trusting relationship together with your viewers.The sound, the colour, the rhythm, the nuance, the tone and worth of your voice is uniquely yours. It tasks the WHO behind what you are promoting. Because the face of your model and the host of your podcast, there’s merely nothing just like the sound of your voice to convey the genuine you. As a product and repair supplier, and as a model, you need your prospects and purchasers to know you. By the repeated listening of your present over time, your viewers will construct increasingly consolation, familiarity and belief as get to know you higher and higher. And this results in deeper connection and sustained relationships together with your purchasers and prospects, which may drive enterprise development.Credibility and Authority. There’s something magical that occurs for those who host a podcast or radio present. With you behind the microphone, someway, routinely, your credibility is assumed. It is a movie star issue, maybe created from our collective expertise from generations listening and watching conventional radio and TV broadcast hosts. In the present day, together with the world of democratized publishing comes the flexibility to celebritize any podcaster or radio present host.Scale. I’ve labored with consultants through the years who’ve been trying to discover a strategy to successfully rework their present one-to-one “practice” right into a scalable enterprise, aka “one-to-many”. As a communications platform, Podcasting is of course a one-to-many answer. It scales the messaging in a approach that a lot cheaper than conventional promoting, way more strong in content material, and is straight measurable. For these trying to scale their skilled companies, podcasting is a strong strategy to enhance lead era and conversion by creating specified touchdown pages and textual content hyperlinks within the present notes of every episode. Scaling the messaging can scale the enterprise.Invitation. One of many fascinating negative effects of internet hosting your personal interview present is that you just get to ask purchasers, prospects, consultants, authors, audio system, thought leaders, fascinating individuals, celebs… whoever – to be on YOUR present. Not solely does the act of extending this invitation join you to new and superb influencers, but it surely offers you “air time” with them in your present to co-create participating conversations. It is a very highly effective connectivity device. And, each visitor you convey in your present will certainly promote the phase to their very own universe on-line, producing extra scale and viral promotion!Intimacy. Like radio, podcasting is actually an intimate listening expertise. Not like public talking the place you will have a proverbial roomful of individuals, podcasting connects you and your microphone to 1 listener at a time. Whereas many body “broadcasting” as mass communication, the truth is, it is a very intimate and direct type of communication.Consider your microphone is each individual’s ear.You might be proper there with them, speaking on to them with each present you do. And let’s not overlook that the internet hosting itself is a implausible platform to enhance your personal talking chops. It helps you discover ways to improvise, get the stream, tips on how to ask nice questions and co-create a compelling dialog. And the extra you do it, the higher you get at speaking your model, and serving to your listeners perceive you, who you might be, how you’re employed and what you actually care about.Distribution. The podcast distribution ecosystem is superbly engineered to distribute your content material on the web. With RSS feeds, every new present will get distributed proper after it is revealed, to a number of locations routinely, together with iTunes, Weblog Discuss Radio, Stitcher, Google Play, YouTube and plenty of others. And, as a result of podcast content material is definitely accessible by way of cell units, it suits squarely into the “hyper-local” thought… that is the way in which most listeners eat. The place they need and when they need.Management. If you seem on a radio present, TV present or podcast as a visitor, it is nice publicity for you and your model. However when you’re the host of your OWN present, you might be in command of your content material and messaging. After I work with podcasters, we co-create a present format that fits your model, your character, your content material. With you because the host within the proverbial driver seat, you management the present, the message, the interview, the tempo and your entire listener expertise. In impact, you, the podcaster, develop into your personal media “company”. On the coronary heart of podcasting is that this skill to manage the content material, the message, the distribution and the listener expertise. And these manufacturing and distribution efficiencies translate to advertising and marketing saved.
Connection. Above all, podcasting is a approach so that you can connect with your market. The thought of connecting repeatedly whereas making your podcast a behavior on your viewers is essential to success in your content material advertising and marketing (aka connection) technique. Whereas content material high quality is actually an element, the true measure is the success of your podcast is the standard of connection you obtain together with your viewers. In reality, generally “too much” manufacturing could cause listeners really feel like your present is not genuine, is not connecting in an actual, human approach. The standard and amount of connection, it seems, is extra vital than the manufacturing worth. In observe this implies, produce reveals usually, ship them repeatedly, and with a predictable stage of high quality. Make your podcast a behavior on your listeners.Conversion. In enterprise, it is important to quantify the investments you make in content material advertising and marketing. As a core content material technique, podcasts may be engineered to drive lead era and in the end… buyer conversion. URLs for touchdown pages may be talked about on the audio podcast. They will also be included within the present notes for every episode. Or, you’ll be able to create a promo code to establish that guests got here from the podcast listening expertise. For those who ship the podcast out of your web site, you’ll be able to create gateways for listeners and purchase extra names and emails for remarketing.Abstract. Consider podcasting because the “voice” of what you are promoting. It helps your market and viewers get to know you over time, constructing belief loyalty, and familiarity.Podcasting is a pure extension of what you are promoting improvement plan and your digital advertising and marketing technique. You create and share content material which demonstrates your experience. Podcasting helps what you are promoting articulate a clearly outlined place in its market area. This turns into one among many very important instruments, your personal media platform so that you can promote your and develop what you are promoting.Certainly one of my targets is to repeatedly design and engineer new methods to interrupt via with the highly effective medium of podcasting.