Podcasting As A Business Tool
Business is not complicated. It really isn’t. However, the world we live in is very complicated and extremely noisy. You could offer the greatest product or service, yet if your distribution channels or marketing is weak or outdated you will not prosper. If you’ve achieved a lot or even a modicum of brand visibility that’s great; however, that’s not enough these days. It’s likely your competitors have similar presences in the marketplace, so it comes down to whom consumers like the most and trust the most. Trust however, is becoming harder to earn. Online reviews and word-of-mouth referrals do not have the same clout they did from even a few years ago. This is partly because too often the digital presence of a business doesn’t coincide with its real-world version. How many times have you had high hopes of something but the experience didn’t live up to the expectation? Savvy consumers realize it’s easy to conjure up an avatar, fake “reviews,” and manipulate posts on Facebook and other social media.
Enter podcasting with its dynamic nature. Your message — your voice — not text you write or images you post but rather your actual voice delivering your message is in consumers’ heads during some of the most private, impressionable moments of their day. Whereas anyone can get a slick website or employ a graphic designer so on the surface they look professional because podcasting “separates the boys from the men.” It will be immediately obvious if you don’t know what you’re talking about on a podcast. This works the other way, too. For those that paid their dues, the experts in their field let the world hear you! You know your stuff. People will realize this through your podcast. Podcasting can enhance your brand more effectively than any other marketing tool.
Podcasts are the best format for mobile, readily being consumed on the go. The information is portable, easy to share, and on-demand. Consumers decide when and where they listen. Open dialogues and roundtable discussions create a sense of community that your audience will appreciate when listening to your podcast.
Podcasting is a more personal way of marketing. It’s a way to become intimate with your existing or potential customers because they select your show. They chose you. Out of all of your “competition” your audience wants to hear you. You are essentially speaking to one person at a time who has invited you into their space. It’s the epitome of the book The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk. Incidentally, another of that book’s main principles is, “If you’re not passionate enough about what your company does to find fuel for conversations every day, for hours on end, with as many people as possible, maybe you’re in the wrong business.” Are you starting to see why a podcast could be the greatest vehicle to tell your story, to set you apart in your field, to elevate your credibility, and/or to increase awareness of your brand?
