Podcasts are a poster child of the intersection between digital marketing and content delivery, and it is looking to catch on quicker than ever. Evidence of the podcast trend is the explosive increase in brand-hosted podcasts across streaming platforms; other businesses could include podcasts in online publications to reach their audience.
According to Podcast statistics, professional services firms are one section of the business industry that heavily relies on consumer trust and loyalty; hence, the constant need to explore current effective marketing strategies to engage potential customers. Podcasting is all the rage at the moment, but that is also because it delivers almost the same level of reach as traditional methods, at a small cost. Below are some of the benefits a small professional service business can derive from podcasting.
- Simple Initial Setup
For small professional businesses, podcasts’ merits often begin at the planning and setup phases, where they find out how straightforward it is to make a podcast. It does not cost much to set up the necessary equipment; neither does it demand an intricate level of technical know-how. Podcast production company services are better suited for more prominent organizations, and a small, inexpensive setup is fine for small professional services businesses
However, starting requires planning; you must determine how to begin to relate the business story in a podcast. Familiar ideas are dialogues (which could be in the form of interviews or talk sessions) and storytelling (a one-person show bordering on specific topics at a time). You should factor in other variables such as podcast frequency and location as well.
- Newer Content Avenues
Podcasts generally help in the content development process for businesses. In a small company, the advantage is more pronounced, as there is not much specialization. Podcast episodes could serve as determiners for the following content by evaluating listeners’ volume and reactions.
If the business runs a website or a blog, previous podcast sessions could feed the platform with content, as the audio could be written out in a post or embedded for the readers’ convenience.
- Expansive Traffic Possibilities through SEO
Businesses can radically improve their Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) indexes through podcasts in several ways. You or your podcast consultant (if you employed the services of one) could encourage the guest speaker to promote the episode on their social media channels and website for interview-type podcasts, linking the podcast page. You could also approach podcast comparison websites and directories to get backlinks; directories and comparison sites work effectively for niche episodes and topics.
Sharing podcast episodes and pages on social media also open up the opportunity to reach new audiences, an extension of search engines encouraging social media engagements and derivative SEO methods.
- Organic Networking and Referrals
The company can generate secondary (or primary, as the case may be) leads from regular podcast episodes. Listeners can easily pass on information about the podcast by word of mouth or online and refer the business if they have tried them out themselves.
You could employ trending topics and catchy tones to pique the audience’s interests and encourage them to share; people are generally more inclined to readily share useful podcasts than web pages on their social media channels.
- Secondary Skill Acquisition
Throughout recording and publishing a podcast, you should generally expect to pick up useful skills to make your podcast more presentable. While there are no high technical requirements for small business podcast shows, you would invariably learn how to host the show for improved engagement better. It may include interactions with guests, questions, discussions, and other skills which would have otherwise been a paid package elsewhere.
- Corporate Image Building
Regardless of the approach to your shows, regular podcasting improves the image of the business. Customers would come to a point where they see a certain standard level, at least from the marketing standpoint. If the company lists their podcast page, it would be among podcasts from other, more prominent brands. It helps since the average listener has come to expect podcast shows from celebrities and big establishments. Podcast consulting services offer the ability to improve the corporate aspect of podcasting without interference with the other operations.
- Potential Income Stream
There are several monetization programs available for podcasts. The most recognizable income generation avenue is sponsorship. Depending on the niche, sponsors can approach your show with offers to help them put out words concerning a related product or service.
Other mediums include affiliate sales, which is the income made when a listener visits a listed product link in your podcast description, and premium shows. You could charge outright for a subscription to the episodes.
- Thought Process Improvement
Since podcasts give room for sharing opinions and views on the services the company renders and allows feedback from listeners, the level of thought in business decisions becomes positively affected.
Newer ways to assure audiences and potential customers of the uniqueness and advantage over the competition becomes available, and you could implement things such as customer invitations to the show.
- Effective Long-Form Content Delivery
Major brands and companies have to jostle for the readers’ attention on their websites; it means they have to summarize the key areas of the posts they want to make. Podcasts provide an effective way to deliver full, unbridled content for which people would have the time.
Since someone voices the topics, listeners can get absorbed in the discussion that could last several minutes, the written equivalent of which they might not see through on a website. Small professional services could shift focus to better podcasting, thereby easing the work of making long-form posts.
- Improved Prospects
Podcasting, when done right, could open doors to external prospects as well. Small Professional services outfits could land interviews, partnership deals, or joint ventures with more prominent brands by credible podcasting with commensurate service delivery.
Wrapping Up
Big companies may have the funds to carry out massive marketing campaigns, but connecting with the audience and journeying with them is paramount in recent times. Podcasts are a cost-effective way to build a storyline around the products you sell or services you render. Podcast production company services may help in the long-term. Still, small professional services companies can leverage podcasts to acquire numerous short-term benefits, some of which are listed above. It provides an avenue for the business to connect with prospective customers and garner real, organic trust and loyalty it crucially needs.
