If you’ve thought about creating a podcast, do it! It can help build your brand and business and raise you far above your competition.
Podcasts aren’t just for your weekly servings of pop culture and unsolved true crimes. A podcast can be a useful tool to help you build both your brand and your business. Statista predicts that by the end of 2024, more than 109 million Americans will be podcast listeners and that number is expected to hit over 119 million by 2026. With their popularity on the rise and 82% of people ages 35 to 55+ listening monthly, a podcast is a great way to connect your products or services to the right audience.
Still not convinced? Here are four reasons why you start a podcast today.
A podcast is convenient to consume
When it comes to sharing your content through a podcast, your listeners are in complete control of how they choose to consume your content. Since 73% of US listeners use their smartphones to enjoy their favorite podcasts, you have the chance to reach consumers while they’re commuting to work, sweating at the gym, walking the dog—pretty much anywhere a phone can go. Using a means to reach an audience on their terms means you can dramatically increase the chance of people hearing your message.
A podcast is inexpensive to produce
Unlike videos or branded swag, podcasting has a low barrier of entry. Since podcasting relies heavily on mobile devices, it would only make sense that tons of apps can make your new podcast a reality, with many of them available at no cost! You can use Canva to design your cover artwork (since this isn’t about design, I’d recommend keeping it simple with a selfie and a title), and load your audio through any number of tools, including Simplecast, Anchor.fm, or Riverside.fm. Or, simply post your video recording to YouTube.
A podcast helps you build trust with your audience
People buy from a place of emotion and justify their purchases with logic, but only trust will convert a one-time purchaser into a repeat and loyal customer. Podcasting allows you to build trust with your audience by talking to them directly. By consistently publishing your episodes and speaking with authority, you can build trust and establish a reliable reputation with your audience, positioning yourself as their top choice for services in your industry.
A podcast can increase traffic to your product
By releasing your podcast regularly, you will provide a consistent touchpoint that reminds your audience of your services, but why stop there? Consider including your business’s name in your podcast title, offer your audience a special discount or deal to convert them from listeners to customers, create a blog post for every podcast episode, and include a link to your website in the show notes. If you don’t have a blog, post the link on your website and social media accounts along with detailed show notes. These additional steps will increase traffic to your website and SEO rankings in Google.
Many businesses use podcasts to grow their customer base and position themselves as industry leaders, and the timing has never been better for you to start a podcast of your own. Simply press record, overcome that phonophobia (we all sound weird to ourselves), and start connecting with your audience today.
