If no one has mentioned it to you as of yet, your business needs a podcast.
It doesn’t even matter what kind of business it is; if it’s out there, someone, somewhere is interested in it and will eat up any [decent] content you send his or her way. In fact, there are many of those “someones,” and they aren’t that difficult to find. Here’s the thing, though: Once you do find them, you have to keep them interested, and that is where supporting content comes into play.
Most good podcasts have a specific format and topic, and the best ones out there are unscripted. That’s not to say you can’t script your podcasts, but I actually will go on record stating that it’s typically a bad idea. The very nature of a podcast is that it is informal and conversational. The content is typically light, even if it’s about a “heavier” subject.
So what kind of content can you use to compliment your efforts toward promoting your podcast? I have a few ideas that I think you should consider.
#1 – Build Content around Your Podcast, Not the Other Way around.
This kind of flies in the face of my “build your content around your visuals” model, but every rule does have its exception. In this instance, you want to develop both written and visual content that reflects the spirit of your message well.
With that in mind, think in terms of original, branded, non-curated content. Keep the emphasis on you, your brand, and your message. People will decide based on your content whether they’ll actually be hearing from you or if what you have to say is just another generic representation of a familiar type of product or service.
#2 – Incorporate Original Video Content
One easy way to do this is to compliment your podcast offering with a video version that you upload to sites like YouTube or Wistia. The latter is a premium service but has the advantage of being ad-free.
While I do believe that YouTube is a powerful marketing tool, I also think that it should be allowed to stand alone. Ad-free premium sites are a far better choice when adding video content to a website or landing page.
The good news is that this is about as easy as it gets in terms of generating quality content. Most podcasters use their smartphones for collecting high-quality high-def video. The tech has become so cheap that even if your budget is nearly nonexistent, you can still produce something that looks studio-quality (after a little light editing).
#3 – Use Raw, Un-Curated Images
You can also take candid shots during the recording and use them in social media campaigns. Select shots that you feel capture the spirit of the episode. If you have any high-profile or celebrity guests, definitely use candids over studio-edited PhotoShopped “official” images. That tells your audience that the person was actually there and that he or she thinks enough of your business to stop by and chat about it with you. Social media tsunamis have been started with content like this, so don’t overlook it.
#4 – Promote Heavily on Social Media.
Make certain that you are using power words in your headlines (important, excellent, and serious are three that, statistically, get a lot of good response) and that the subject of your podcast is made clear in it, as well.
Another brilliant idea I saw recently was a podcast that segmented the video into 3- to 5-minute chunks with their own headlines and descriptions. This is a great strategy in that it helps you appeal to the broadest spectrum of listeners/viewers. Different people will respond to different power words and will be more interested in some subjects related to your brand than others.
#5 – Offer a Transcript
Most podcast transcripts are garbage. There, I said it. There are loads of freelancers who will do your transcription for you, but the quality will vary. With that in mind, I recommend that you find the best writing service or freelancer you can for this. Do not go the $5 route. If you do this right, you will win people over based solely on the quality of your transcript. There is a considerable contingency of podcast listeners who download transcripts when they are available and will often judge the content based on the transcript. Give them a good, tangible reason to subscribe and listen.
Take the time to read over the transcript before you post it. Anyone who is interested enough to read it will figure out it’s garbage if it isn’t done right. Always, always, always, proofread your transcripts and give them a final approval before letting the masses see them. It is also helpful and advisable to find native speakers of your podcast’s language to oversee the transcription process.
So there you have it: a great recipe for successful content-based promotion for your podcast. Of course, this is just a thumbnail sketch, and you will want to seek out some other resources on how to start and maintain a good podcast. With the right foundation and a powerful and effective promotion strategy, you could really put your brand on the map and grow your business through podcasting. I hope I’ve given you some motivation to try it. It’s informative, it positions you as an authority in your niche, and – best of all – it’s loads of fun!