Podcasts have been used both by non-profit organizations and by businesses of all kinds to great success. That being said, podcasts are still looked down upon by business owners as a lesser type of content that won’t be very effective for marketing. Yet, it’s worth looking at both the upsides and downsides of podcasts to decide whether they are right for you.
#1 They Are Relatively Cheap and Easy to Set Up
Firstly, podcasts are relatively cheap and easy to set up. They do require some amount of planning and preparation, but overall, they are easier to produce than other types of content such as videos or animations which could also be great for branding.
It’s also worth remembering that you don’t need very many people working on your podcast which means the process of making your podcast will be much faster than when you have many people working on a very complex project. Your podcast can be either in a strictly audio format or in a video format with the former obviously being easier to make.
#2 BUT They Need to Have Engaging Content
On the other hand, you still need to have engaging content to present to your audience through your podcast. Some people believe that podcasts don’t require interesting information if the presenters are interesting enough – but that’s not true. You still need to have engaging content for people to listen to your podcast.
Hence, you need to constantly find new content to present on the podcast. If you are simply providing commentary on the latest news in your industry, then you will probably have a steady stream of content to cover. But if you come up with something more complex, you might have trouble coming with new ideas regularly.
#3 They Help You Increase Brand Awareness
Another benefit of using podcasts as a part of your marketing strategy is that they help you increase brand awareness. Through podcasts, you will be able to get more people to discover your business and start purchasing products or services from your brand.
As Sam Donovan from the writing service reviews site Writing Judge notes, “Brand awareness is really important for your business. If you get enough exposure, you will be able to reach not only your own target audience but also even more potential customers. This will allow you to expand and grow your business which is an essential part of its lifecycle.”
#4 BUT They Require Interesting Presenters
As mentioned above, you will need to have interesting and engaging content to keep your podcast alive. However, you will also need to have interesting presenters to deliver this content to your audience. Otherwise, you may end up with a podcast that nobody listens to or watches (depending on the medium you choose for it).
Your audience should be able to connect with your presenters to truly enjoy the podcast, but this will only be possible if you choose the right people to host your podcast. Your presenters need to have charisma and a sense of humor among other things.
#5 They Allow You to Connect with Your Audience
Speaking of connecting with your audience, podcasts can help you achieve this too. Connecting with your audience both in the short term (for instance, through the customer journey) and in the long run will help you build loyalty and dedication among your customers which is essential for the survival of your business.
To put it simply, though you will be acquiring new customers regularly, you should also think about your existing customers that can be turned into returning ones. Podcasts will encourage your customers to come back for more both in terms of content and products or services.
#6 BUT They Need to Be Produced on A Regular Basis
Producing podcasts on a regular basis is essential for your podcast to be successful. Moreover, only with regular postings will you be able to achieve certain goals with the help of your podcast including finding new customers, connecting with existing customers, building loyalty and dedication, and so on.
As Max Wright from the custom writing reviews site Online Writers Rating puts it, “Podcasts are great for short-term results. That being said, they are more suitable for long-term goals that will be holding your business up. From strengthening your brand’s authority to helping you keep your sales high – podcasts have many purposes you shouldn’t ignore.”
#7 They Let You Reuse and Recycle Your Content
Reusing and recycling content is not a new approach. In fact, many businesses have been doing this for a while now because it makes content creation easier and reduces costs significantly. Luckily, with podcasts this is no different.
You can take your past content in the form of articles or videos or even social media posts and then create a podcast around the topic. You don’t necessarily need to repeat everything from that piece of content word for word – on the contrary, it’s better to have this content presented in a completely different way with new facts and statistics added for more value.
#8 BUT They Are Not Suitable for All Businesses
With all the benefits and downsides of podcasts, there is one crucial thing you need to always remember about them: they are not suitable for all businesses. You can’t just assume that having a podcast will suddenly make your brand extremely popular with your sales going up immediately (even if you use other tactics as a part of your business plan).
You need to look closely at what your business is like and what its current situation is to understand whether a podcast will suit your objectives. Do you want to increase brand awareness? Podcasts will definitely help you! Do you want to increase your revenue? Podcasts can help, but it will take more time and the podcasts will provide only an indirect influence rather than a direct one.
Final Thoughts
All in all, podcasts are definitely still a great marketing tactic for many businesses, but you need to remember that they won’t be suitable just for any company. Assess the advantages and disadvantages of podcasts to decide whether you want to use them in your marketing strategy.
Jamie Fry - Purposeful and promising author. At this moment he is working in such company, as Best Writers Online essay writing service reviews and enhances his blogging skills. Confidently goes to his goal. He has a talent for writing original content. The main conviction in his life: «To be the best in the field in which you are developing». Always in search of fresh ideas.
