Podcasting is an excellent way to share information and insights with your customers in an engaging and fun way, giving your business a competitive edge. So, if you want to improve your marketing arsenal, a podcast is a great marketing tool to consider.
The good thing about podcasting is that it’s available in various formats and can be ideal for reviews, updates, discussions, tutorials, debates, and so on. Combined with good audio, it’s easy to convey enthusiasm and passion for your products and services.
Whether you’re already rolling out episodes or getting started with podcasting, these are the do’s and don’ts of business podcasting you should know:
1. Do Make It Professional
No matter where you’re doing podcasts, whether from a corporate boardroom or your basement, make sure that your podcasts sound and feel professional. To achieve this, you need to invest in quality corporate podcasting tools to filter background noise and edit audio files correctly.
Keep in mind that your listeners won’t tolerate poor audio quality. Besides, with the variety of available, inexpensive hardware and software for podcasting, there’s no reason you can’t provide quality podcasts. So, regardless of your budget, always focus on quality to make your podcasts more professional.
2. Don’t Try To Sell
The quickest way to kill a podcast is to make it an advertisement. When it comes to business podcasting, never consider the idea of trying to sell. Instead, provide helpful information to your listeners and target audience.
Remember that no one wants to hear a 10-episode series about how fantastic your services or products are. They don’t care because they want to be entertained and informed. However, it’s okay to drop an ad occasionally. Just ensure that the timing is right and fits your audience and current episode.
3. Do Look For A Niche
You won’t please anyone if you try pleasing everyone with your podcast. So, when creating new podcasts for your business, make sure that it’s designed to deliver a specific result to a particular group of people.
Whether helping your audience improve their cooking skills or entertaining your listeners about their favorite sports team, always stick to what you’re most passionate about and something relevant to your business. If you want to find a better chance of success, check out the most crowded podcast categories and choose a less saturated category.
4. Don’t Talk From A Script
If you’re knowledgeable and prepared about what you’re talking about, you need little to no preparation. It may seem to be an easy thing to do, but it can be challenging. Even professionals and experienced public speakers don’t go into events without hours of research and note-taking.
Note that podcasting is like a substitute for scripted media and live radio. Therefore, authenticity should be your goal. With that in mind, take time planning and outlining your podcast’s flow, research for topics, transition times, and links for information for any references.
5. Don’t Ignore Your Audience
Never ignore your audience. If possible, make a venue for your audience to communicate with you, whether it is via a blog, forum, or email. Listen to what your audience says and pay attention to what they’re not saying. This way, you’ll be able to provide better podcasts in the long run.
6. Do Keep It Short
These days, many successful longer podcasts have been around for a long time. It’s the result of hard work for years to earn listeners’ attention. However, it’s wise to keep your podcasts short.
If you’re just getting started, try to remain humble and never demand vast chunks of your target audience’s time right out of the gate. This way, listeners will be more likely to give your podcasts a try. To know whether or not your audience prefers a long episode, always get their feedback to improve your podcasts and grow your business through podcasting.
7. Don’t Wait For Audience To Find You
If you have a killer podcast, don’t expect to get subscribers instantly. If you want to attract listeners, you should find your audience. You can grow your audience through guest blogging, social media marketing, and press releases. Another way to increase your listeners is to capture their emails on your website and email marketing automation to keep them updated about your podcasts.
8. Do Stay Consistent With Your Schedule
If you want to take business podcasting seriously, staying consistent with your release schedule is crucial. Your listeners want to know when to expect new content. So, never keep them guessing. Once you do, you’ll lose more listeners along the way. To avoid that, decide on your release schedule and stick to it.
Typically, the frequency doesn’t matter, but you have to ensure that you can sustain it. Be clear with your publishing schedule, whether it’s monthly or weekly.
Conclusion
Podcasting is undoubtedly a good marketing tool for any business. It doesn’t only help maximize your brand awareness, but it also propels you as an authority in your industry. By delivering professional podcasts that focus on a nice area, you can guarantee that your listeners will increase continuously. Remember the above do’s and don’ts of business podcasting for best results.
