During the pandemic, podcasts exploded in popularity with audiences around the world. They provided a novel mode of entertainment for people who were confined to their homes. There are numerous podcast genres to choose from, from personality-driven programs to news and debate shows.
Post-pandemic, live streaming podcasts has become popular, with digital participation having established itself as a new feature. It brings together audiences, presenters, and marketers. It also provides opportunities for revenue generation, with an increasing number of platforms charging listeners.
Podcasts have grown popular with market-savvy companies looking to build brand and expand their reach. Podcasts can be a powerful marketing tool. They can drive business growth and help organizations operating in any industry to reach new audiences, build brand authority, and engage with their customers in new ways.
Why Start a Podcast?
Eric Jones’s Sales Intersection ranks among the US top 20 podcasts. In an interview with Forbes, Jones explains that he started the podcast after deciding he wanted to be more than a sales representative. He dedicated his efforts to creating a legacy with more impact, passion, and purpose. Eric Jones uses his podcast to help salespeople to adapt to the ever-changing environment of sales. He has a specific focus on how to effectively use podcasts and video for marketing, sales, and personal branding.
From a marketer’s perspective, podcasts can be used to enhance brand loyalty. As a marketing channel, podcasts are extremely economical—particularly when compared with social media management and paid ads, which can become costly quickly. Starting a podcast only involves a one-time investment in software and equipment, then minimal ongoing costs like editing and hosting fees. Compared with other marketing channels, producing a podcast is an affordable means for businesses of all sizes to reach and engage with new customers.
The strength of podcasts lies in their accessibility and adaptability. They appeal to modern consumers and corporate leadership, both of whom are seeking convenient, easily digestible content that they can consume despite their hectic, on-the-go lifestyles. Intimate, engaging, and flexible, podcasts allow you to communicate directly with their target audiences. They have the potential to break through the noise of conventional advertising methods to create a space in which you can authentically share their stories, express their values, and connect with potential new customers.
Podcasting and the Marketing Funnel
To leverage podcasts to full effect, marketers need to deploy them appropriately across the various stages of the marketing funnel. At the top of the funnel, the focus is on attracting new customers. At this stage, podcasts can be particularly effective, offering a means of engaging with a broad audience of potential customers to showcase the brand. By providing value in the form of thought-provoking, informative, and entertaining content, businesses can capture the attention of potential customers.
The middle of the marketing funnel focuses on cultivating potential customers. At this point, podcasts can provide a more personal and intimate means of connecting with people who are a good fit with your brand. You can share your mission, values, and culture in order to deepen relationships with your audience and create a sense of community around your brand.
At the bottom of the funnel, marketers concentrate on converting leads into sales. Podcasts can play a critical role at this stage, too, providing an entertaining and engaging way of communicating detailed information about specific services or products. Offering exclusive promotions or discounts to podcast listeners can be a very effective means of converting potential buyers into paying customers.
Podcasts Are Evergreen
Compared with traditional marketing channels, podcasts can engage customers in a completely different way. People tend to be in a relaxed and attentive state when listening to a podcast, making them more attentive to the content. A podcast is an intimate medium that allows businesses to build connections with audiences, promulgating trust and helping them to establish themselves in their industry.
In terms of long-term ROI, podcasts offer a potentially impressive return, since once an episode is produced, it can be consumed by listeners and shared for months or even years to come. This means that content generated for a podcast has a much longer shelf life than many other types of market content, such as email campaigns and social media posts.
Podcasts are more than just another advertising platform. They are a vital content marketing tool. When implemented strategically, a podcast can increase your company’s visibility, foster customer loyalty, and promote thought leadership. Due to their conversational nature, podcasts are ideal for discussing industry trends, introducing new services or products, and addressing complex topics in an engaging and relatable way.
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