This Is How You Can Use the Power of Podcasts to Drive Business Growth

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. 

8 Factors Entrepreneurs Should Consider before Launching a Business

Launching a new business can be a life-changing undertaking, requiring countless sacrifices and challenges. Despite the colossal stresses and strains involved in getting an enterprise up and running, a recent poll reveals that 84 percent of small business owners admit they would do it all over again. 

For those contemplating launching their own business, there are crucial considerations to consider. In this article, we provide an outline of some of the most pertinent issues first-time founders need to think about before starting a new business. 

1. Determine the Business  

Entrepreneurs first need to decide what they will offer, i.e., what they intend to sell to generate revenue. Some businesses focus on providing services. For example, professionals such as IT specialists, event organizers, and marketing experts offer their time and expertise. Some businesses center around buying and selling goods, while other enterprises manufacture goods themselves, combining raw materials, equipment, and labor to produce goods for sale.  

2. Research 

To dominate a market, founders need a comprehensive understanding of their industry, including current and past trends and competitor analysis. Even entrepreneurs who are convinced their business concept is unique should beware of complacency. After all, you could have a brilliant idea, but that does not eliminate the risk of someone else having the same idea—and getting there first. As British Business Energy founder Ian Wright suggests, if your business cannot offer something cheaper and/or better than your competitors, you may need to rethink starting a business in that area. 

3. Startup Costs and Funding 

One of the most important factors a prospective business owner needs to gauge is how much it will cost to get their venture up and running and where that funding will come from. Founders must analyze every aspect of operations to assess costs accurately. They will need to consider not only the cost of technology, equipment, and raw materials, but also the expenses associated with acquiring or leasing business premises, ongoing maintenance, and the procurement of vehicles and shipping services. In addition, if the business employs staff, founders will need to factor in the cost of salaries and staff benefits, as well as marketing budgets and ancillary costs such as advertising, design, or web hosting. 

4. Location 

Location can have a game-changing impact on a business’s financial viability. Location plays a pivotal role in the commercial success of a startup, impacting its accessibility to customers, talent, and resources. Moreover, the physical address of a business’ headquarters can shape its perception among customers, investors, and other stakeholders, serving as a distinctive marker of its identity. It is therefore essential for business owners to conduct thorough research when selecting the location for their venture, ensuring it aligns with the startup’s vision and caters to the preferences of their target customers. 

5. Target Market 

One of the most important aspects of business strategy is identifying the enterprise’s target market. Identifying who the business will sell to makes everything else easier. Once the business has identified the most appropriate demographic to pitch its products to, marketers can home in on locations, likes and dislikes, price points, and customer desires. 

6. Competitive Analysis 

Competing effectively is impossible for a founder unless they are aware of their competitors and have insights into their actions and strategies. In scenarios where a startup offers a highly desirable and entirely unique product, there may be no competition, at least initially, although this is an exceedingly unlikely occurrence. When a business enters an established market, especially one with intense competition, owners must carefully assess the competitors. This involves analyzing elements like their marketing strategies, pricing strategies, and strengths and weaknesses. The objective is to gain a competitive advantage. 

7. Create a Business Plan 

Starting a business can be both challenging and incredibly risky, often demanding vast amounts of time and resources to get the enterprise off the ground. Drafting a business plan is a vital step. The business owner must consider factors such as the business structure, which includes deciding whether they will operate as a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation. In addition to business goals, financials, and market analysis, a comprehensive business plan should encompass a marketing plan, executive summary, and biographies of key management personnel. Studies show that entrepreneurs who start out with a business plan benefit from lower failure rates. Planning also gives founders more confidence, encouraging them to consider all aspects of the business, including “what if” scenarios. 

8. Mentorship 

Enlisting the help of a seasoned entrepreneur or business leader can be invaluable for new startups. A business mentor is typically a high-net-worth individual who has previously built and successfully expanded their own business empire. They offer the invaluable advantage of decades of experience and share the wisdom acquired through their own achievements and setbacks. Business mentorship can be instrumental in assisting startups in securing funding, making informed strategic decisions, and leveraging a robust network of contacts to facilitate opportunities and accelerate the achievement of their goals. 

6 Saudi Entrepreneurs and Their Inspiring Stories

Despite a worldwide slowdown in entrepreneurial activity in 2023, in Saudi Arabia, government support for entrepreneurship and business diversification is driving a robust startup ecosystem. Investment in Saudi Arabia’s tech industry is growing rapidly, with a surge in demand for fintech. Meanwhile, the country’s ecommerce sector is expected to be worth more than $13 billion by 2025, according by a report produced through a collaboration between Boston Consulting Group and Meta. 

The rise of Saudi Arabia’s startup ecosystem has created an environment conducive to advancement and innovation, with Saudi Vision 2030 providing a blueprint to diversify the Kingdom’s economy. Against this backdrop, we look at six Saudi business leaders and the successful enterprises they created. 

1. Ralph R. Debbas – Founder of W Motors  

Debbas is the founder of W Motors, a company he continues to serve as CEO today. He designed the company’s first car model, the Lykan HyperSport, which was the first high-performance luxury sportscar to be designed and manufactured in the Middle East. Upon its release, the Lykan HyperSport was an instant hit. It appeared in several blockbuster movies, including the Fast and Furious franchise. 

Ralph Debbas launched W Motors’ consultancy division in 2019, and today, the department brings in approximately 70 percent of the company’s income. A car designer who worked with luxury car brands like Aston Martin and Land Rover earlier in his career, Debbas was sufficiently equipped with the determination and expertise to make a splash in the automotive industry by launching his own company. 

2. Abdullah Bajri – Cofounder of Dokkan Afkar 

Dokkan Afkar is an online shopping website that has raised more than $2 million in investment to date. Bajri cofounded the ecommerce business, serving as marketing director until April 2016. Prior to establishing Dokkan Afkar, Bajri worked in industries including ecommerce, consumer electronics, the food and drink industry, and marketing consultancy. He has experience with big brands like Apple, Samsung, Vodafone, and Starbucks, among other international brands. 

Abdullah Bajri is currently working with Mahabaa.com. The online gifting platform offers products in numerous categories, including apparel, electronics, stationery products, books, electronics and more. 

3. Eman Alhajji – President and Founder of Saudi Youth For Sustainability 

Eman Alhajji is a PhD candidate who studied at the King Abdullah University for Science and Technology, working on the development of nanocarbon materials to store energy. Alhajji founded Saudi Youth for Sustainability to connect young leaders and empower them to drive progress towards sustainability goals across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

Early in the graduate program, two courses, Energy and the Environment and Sustainable Engineering, alerted Alhajji to the urgent need for a more aggressive global transition to a more sustainable lifestyle. Saudi Youth for Sustainability aims to bring young people together to take actions geared towards helping humankind exist in harmony with nature and the environment in a balanced, sustainable way. 

4. Hatem Kameli – Founder of iCLICK, Lucidya and Resal 

Hatem Kameli is a CMO Council award-winning tech entrepreneur and digital marketing expert. He has founded numerous tech startups over the course of the last 12 years, including Lucidya, an AI-powered intelligence and social media analytics company; Resal, a rapidly growing gifting platform; and iCLICK, a digital consulting agency. Kameli has worked as a digital marketing consultant in a variety of different industries and markets, including banking, media, and aviation. 

Hatem Kameli earned a bachelor’s degree in technology and a master’s degree in marketing. He also participated in executive programs in AI, Innovation and Strategy at Stanford and MIT. Over the course of the last decade, Kameli has shared his knowledge and experience with more than 7,000 individuals, training them in social media, digital marketing, and startup development. 

5.  Muneera Al Tamimi – Cofounder of Tamashee 

Established in Dubai in 2013, Tamashee is a high-end footwear brand that is best known for its signature Arabian Gulf sandals, which have been a hit with Bollywood stars like Abishek Bachan. Inspired by cultural patterns and designs, Tamashee products combine traditional elements with contemporary design, helping the company’s product lines to appeal to both traditional regional and modern global tastes. The company has pioneered the construction of traditional footwear, utilizing modern methods and applying them to traditional techniques. 

6. Ali Bakhallagi – Founder of Tadweem 

Jeddah-based entrepreneur Ali Bakhallagi is passionate about business and the environment. With a background in retail and ecommerce and supply chain management, Bakhallagi has experience with a number of national and international organizations. Through his research, Ali Bakhallagi noticed a lack of specialized business models in Saudi Arabia for the secondhand clothing market, a realization that inspired him to launch Tadweem. 

Ali Bakhallagi’s vision for the company is to create a market leader in sustainable fashion, recycling, and waste business models. Ideally, other businesses throughout the Kingdom will embrace recycling and effective waste management to further the country’s efforts towards, environmental sustainability and creating a green economy. 

7 Business Trends Every Entrepreneur Should Be Watching in 2023

Compared with just a few years ago, the business world is a different place. Climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and conflict in Ukraine have all left an indelible mark, causing supply chain disruptions, priority shifts, and new regulatory regimes.  

While global economic uncertainty persists, challenging conditions can also provide opportunities, in some cases. Keep this fact in mind as you read through the following overview of business trends that will be prominent in 2023. Being aware of these trends can help you adapt and take advantage of new opportunities as they arise, even when the broader economic outlook is unpredictable.   

1. Diversification 

Offering a wider range of products or services protects a business against market fluctuations and can help ensure a steady stream of revenue. This is particularly important in times of economic uncertainty, when customers may be reluctant to commit to a single product or service. 

Take for example Google and Amazon, two tech giants that have expanded into multiple markets by strategically acquiring innovative startups. Both companies started life with singular solutions: Google with web search and Amazon as an online bookstore. While both companies continue to drive significant revenue from their original business models, they have diversified and evolved over the years, venturing into other market territories to reach swathes of new customers and protect themselves against market turbulence. 

2. Low-Code Websites 

E-commerce stores and mobile apps are big business today. More than 6.8 billion people own a smartphone—that’s around 85 percent of the global population. Accordingly, in 2020, there were 218 billion mobile app downloads, and that number is expected to rise. Meanwhile, 77 percent of internet users purchase at least one item online every month. 

The key to capitalizing on this trend is low-code website technology. Today, almost any entrepreneur can build their own e-commerce website or app. Many development tools feature point-and-click functionality that make it easy for non-engineers to build digital platforms. With this low-code technology, even small businesses can integrate popular payment platforms on their websites, and quickly scale and alter apps based on customer feedback and metric tracking.  

3. Accelerated Digital Transformation 

No real surprises here—prepare in 2023 for a huge uptick in implementation of transformative technologies like blockchain, virtual and augmented reality, ChatGPT, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and cloud computing, all made possible by super-fast network protocols like 5G. 

What’s interesting is that these transformative technologies do not exist in isolation; the lines between them are blurring. By joining the dots, businesses are creating new solutions for remote working, business decision-making, and automation of workloads.  

4. Remote Work 

COVID-19 changed many workers’ lives considerably, since the pandemic forced many employers to finally embrace remote work. Companies have come to see the considerable advantages of allowing employees to work from home. For example, remote work cuts down on operational overheads and can reduce the need for office space.  

In addition, remote work enables companies to recruit from all around the world. Indeed, with access to such a wide talent pool, many businesses are turning away from traditional employment models. They are trialing freelancing instead and hiring freelancers from around the world via platforms like Upwork and Fiverr. 

5. Supply Chain Woes and Inflation 

Globally, there remains considerable economic uncertainty as we move through 2023. Economists are predicting subdued economic growth and ongoing inflation for some time to come. 

Supply chain issues that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic continue to hamper many industries, and these bottlenecks have been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. To combat this, businesses need to become more resilient, reducing their exposure to the volatile market pricing of commodities and implementing protective measures to tackle supply chain vulnerabilities. 

6. Sustainability 

Climate change is no longer a theory but a reality, with adverse weather events and natural disasters occurring with increasing frequency and ferocity. In addition, in many countries, the war in Ukraine has caused fuel prices to skyrocket. The upshot is that many companies are now seeking new, more sustainable ways to do business.  

Just as COVID-19 forced many enterprises to accelerate their digital transformation efforts, so the current crisis is forcing companies to embrace sustainability. There is an opportunity here for business-to-business (B2B) entrepreneurs with products and services that can help companies achieve their sustainability goals.   

7. Immersive Customer Experiences 

In 2023, customers want to do more than simply buy a product and take it home; they want an experience. Price and quality still matter, of course. However, interactivity and immersion are increasingly popular. 

The metaverse makes this interactivity possible, since it allows brands to interact with customers in a whole new way. In addition, businesses are increasingly tapping into immersive technologies like virtual reality and 3D environments—for example, to help shoppers browse and try on virtual representations of clothes and accessories. These features make online shopping more fun and engaging and can enhance the customer’s connection to the brand.  

6 of the Most Inspiring Middle Eastern Entrepreneurs

According to data from Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, almost 75 percent of individuals living in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region regard entrepreneurship as a good career choice. Indeed, 38 percent of MENA’s adult population expressed their intentions to start a business, suggesting a far higher rate of entrepreneurship than what is seen in other parts of the world. 

Despite an optimistic approach to entrepreneurship from the general public, the MENA region has a relatively low rate of established entrepreneurs (6.8 percent) compared with other regions, along with a business discontinuance rate of 6.2 percent, which is relatively high, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. 

Unfortunately, positive markers among the general population have not yet translated into a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem. Nevertheless, many insiders suggest that the MENA region could be right on the cusp of an “entrepreneurial revolution.” 

From Ronaldo Mouchawar to Fadi Yaish, we look at six pioneering Middle Eastern entrepreneurs and the successful companies they have created. 

1. Ronaldo Mouchawar 

This Syrian business leader is the driving force behind Souq.com, a hugely successful online marketplace that has grown to become the largest e-commerce site in the Arab world. Today, Souq.com lists more than 8.4 million products. 

Mouchawar originally launched the platform as an online auction site in 2005. He ultimately opted for a change in business strategy, using the B2C model to provide a platform for merchants to reach customers. This decision was instrumental to Souq.com’s success. Mouchawar sold the company to Amazon in 2017 for a cool $580 million. 

2. Lubna Olayan 

A prominent force in Saudi business for some time now, Lubna Olayan is the former CEO of the Olayan Financing Company. In 2019 she was appointed chair of the Saudi British Bank, making history as the first Saudi woman to head a bank. This was just one of several firsts achieved by Olayan. She became the first female speaker in Saudi history to deliver the opening keynote speech at a major conference when she opened the Jeddah Economic Forum in 2004. Featured by Time as one of the most influential individuals of 2005, Olayan has also made it onto Forbes’ World’s Most Powerful Women list more than once. 

3. Ralph R. Debbas 

Lebanese executive Ralph R. Debbas is the CEO and chair of W Motors, the Middle East’s first high-performance luxury sports car manufacturer. After establishing the company in Lebanon in 2012, Debbas moved W Motors to Dubai the following year. 

The brand’s first model, the Lykan HyperSport, retailing at an astronomical $3.4 million, attracted global attention as the most expensive automobile to appear in the Fast and Furious movie franchise. A special edition of the vehicle was commissioned by the Abu Dhabi Police for testing purposes. 

Debbas has been recognized with several coveted awards for his contribution to the auto industry. He is currently seeking to launch the Lykan SuperSport, the company’s second model, as well as an eco-friendly racecar and a line of watches aimed exclusively at Lykan owners. 

4. Khalid Al Khudair 

Currently serving as chief experience officer for Riyad Bank and secretary-general of Saudi Banks’ media and banking awareness committee, Khalid Al Khudair is also the founder of Glowork, an employment specialist that connects female workers with employment opportunities. 

To date, Glowork has enabled 1.2 million Saudi women to secure employment. Al Khudair’s efforts were honored with the UN, ILO, and World Bank’s Best Innovation Globally for Job Creation award. 

5. Dr. Vidhya Vinod 

Currently presiding over the Study World Group as president, founder, and CEO, Dr. Vidhya Vinod is credited with creating a loyal, passionate, and education-focused team that has been instrumental in providing young people with affordable international education opportunities, increasing access for students through a past partnership with Heriot-Watt University and ongoing relationships with the University of Bolton, De Montfort University, and Global College Malta. 

A distinguished former teacher, Dr. Vinod is one of the youngest women CEOs in the entire MENA region. She has leveraged her innovation and management skills to establish the largest higher education institution in the region. 

6. Fadi Yaish 

Fadi Yaish is credited with making his clients, agencies, and indeed the whole Arab region famous. The creative director’s work is the only example originating from the MENA region to be featured in TED’s 10 Ads Worth Spreading initiative. To date, Yaish has been recognized with more than 700 global industry honors. 

Yaish’s company, ‿ and us, is considered the fastest-growing agency in the Arab world, with a portfolio of clients that would be difficult to achieve for any large agency, let alone such a young enterprise. Yaish has paved the way for agencies to reinvent how they do business in the region, not just redefining the creative status quo, but offering clients what they need most to achieve their goals and exceed their business objectives. Yaish was the first creative director from the MENA region to rank in the World’s Top 10.