Podcasting is becoming one of the best ways for businesses to boost their credibility and grow their customer bases. For the content marketer, automotive content remains an underserved segment in podcasting, but not one without significant demand. There are a number of auto industry podcasts out there, each with its own angle (or lack thereof). The key to developing a successful show on your own is discovering what that unique angle is going to be for you.
Here’s the thing: You don’t get to decide this. Your listeners do. The market wants what it wants, so you’d best be watching your metrics and determining the kind(s) of content your audience actually wants. Some topics mandate themselves through news, technology breakthroughs, and more. However, the vast majority will be decided by you.
With that, let’s get right into it. I hope that what follows helps spur a little brainstorming. When you’ve got your show plotted out, contact us for help with your podcast support content, like blog writing, podcast transcripts, show notes, and more.
Listen to Your Competition
The fastest route to success in podcast marketing is listening to competing shows that are already doing it right. Successful auto industry podcasts with large followings are the best places to start. As the link suggests, you’ve got loads of competition. This is why you need support. Podcasts are typically easy to produce, but getting them heard is a different story.
Listen to the way the big shows present their content. Be mindful of the tone, pacing, length, and mood. Listen to how the hosts explain complex subjects. Understand that you can lose listeners very easily by talking over their heads or by not presenting your show in a way that is engaging to the target listener.
Seed Your Conversation with Good Hooks
The easiest way to do this is to pose questions early on in the episode, then answer them closer to the end. “Now, there’s a huge reason why you don’t want to do this, but I’m going to wait until we’re talking about another specific step in the process before I get too far into it…” Those kinds of little teases are what keep listeners engaged.
Make sure you have a well-mapped outline and that you always close any open loops on the given subject by the end of the episode. What that means is if you mention that you’re going to tell the listener something later, make sure you get to it. This is where outlines come in handy. They help keep your story straight while also ensuring you deliver all the information you intend during the episode. However, it’s completely acceptable to drop a hook at the end that hints on the subject of the next episode without announcing it.
Address Current Industry News
If something significant is going on in the industry (and it relates to the subject of your show), make sure it’s addressed. What this does is tell potential customers that you’re relevant and that you understand your subject.
These episodes are particularly popular when they deal with scandals, recalls, or other circumstances that attract negative attention. Here is where you get to show your worth: by having a strong opinion and framing it in a way that makes people secure listening to what you have to say.
Think Seasonally
A number of topics are more relevant at specific times of the year. This is particularly true if your audience lives somewhere with drastic changes in seasons. Episodes on winterizing, changing snow tires, cold-weather car care, and more are starting to become relevant in much of the Northern Hemisphere. During the weeks leading into summer travel season, episodes on emergency roadside repairs might get better play, just to lend a couple of examples.
Keep Up the Momentum
Since I brought up podcast support content earlier, here are the things I consider essential. If you aren’t using even one of these things in your promotional efforts, we really need to talk:
• Regular email blasts to alert to new episodes.
• Blog content and show notes to link to in your emails.
• Social media content that promotes every individual episode.
• Timestamps and transcripts.
Deliver Episode-Specific Calls to Action
When a listener clicks to hear an episode on a specific subject, there’s usually a reason. Don’t presume they’re just going to contact you or purchase whatever product you’re marketing to solve their problem.
People have to be told to do these things, even if you make the necessity crystal clear through the rest of the show content. It’s human nature, and we’re stuck with it. Don’t expect people to do anything just because they like and respect you. They’ll do it because of that and because they’ve been told. Looking to book repairs? Direct them to your booking system. Selling something? Tell them to buy it.
Remember: This Is for the Listeners
As a final note, you might not always be terribly interested in the show topic, but it’s vital that you keep up your enthusiasm. Bored hosts become lonely hosts very quickly. For some, you’ll be solving a plaguing problem with a deceptively easy solution. At least it seems that way to you. Keep your listeners in mind and develop content around their needs, not your personal interests. This is your first and best strategy for developing engaging podcast content.
