These days, it seems like almost everyone has a podcast — and there’s a reason for that. Many people venture into the podcast world because the medium is an excellent way for them to connect with their audience in a different format compared to their regular content. It’s common to see YouTubers starting a podcast to serve as a behind-the-scenes look into their lives beyond their channels. For example, the “Ear Biscuits” podcast, created by Good Mythical Morning’s Rhett and Link, allows listeners to learn more about the two personally.
Podcasts are a unique medium you can use to connect with people in and out of your brand’s community. So, if you’re interested in starting a podcast to help expand your brand, here’s what you need to know to make that happen.
What are podcasts?
Podcasts are digital, episodic audio programs (sometimes with video) wherever participants discuss various topics. Typically, podcasts have a recurring host or hosts and sometimes feature guests. People access podcasts by downloading them from platforms like iTunes and listening to them on a personal device.
Some of the most popular podcasts include “The Joe Rogan Experience,” “The Daily,” “My Favorite Murder,” “Planet Money” and “Office Ladies.”
Why would you want to use a podcast for marketing your brand?
One of the benefits of starting a podcast is that it’s a cost-efficient way to connect with your audience. It usually doesn’t take a lot of financial investment to set up a podcast. All you need to record an audio podcast is a good microphone, a computer with recording software and a quiet place to record. So, you can increase your content output without needing to spend a lot to do so. The more content you have to share, the more people will interact with you and your brand.
Podcasts also allow you to speak off script. Since podcasts tend to have minimal cuts, podcasts often feel more raw to listeners than a heavily-edited video posted to YouTube. By speaking off the cuff, your viewers will feel what you’re saying in the podcast is genuine. While podcasts typically follow some script structure, they’re appealing because people often discuss topics without a rehearsed dialogue to work off of. You want people to feel your genuineness because they’ll form trust in your brand’s authenticity.
Ways starting a podcast can build your brand
Talk about current events
To get new people listening to your podcast and interacting with your brand, it’s encouraged to talk about current events. However, don’t talk about events just because they’re popular. You want to make sure the topics you speak about somehow relate to your brand and interest your current audience. Every time you talk about a current event, be sure to put your own spin on it and link it back to your audience’s interests. Don’t be afraid to try and branch out into topics you might typically not talk about, but you have to make sure you can justify why it’s relevant to your current audience. Covering topics you might not talk about all the time will draw in new listeners. So, you have to walk a fine line between satisfying your current audience and bridging in new listeners.
Create clips/snippets to share on social media
Many podcasts follow a segment structure, meaning it contains a variety of topics that can be cut into short, digestible segments. You can create clips or snippets of the segments and post them to your social media accounts, like YouTube or TikTok, to promote the full episode of your podcast. Additionally, clips of your podcast are typically more shareable than the entire episode. People can better understand who you are, what your views are and what they can expect from your brand by seeing clips. It might inspire them to watch the entire podcast episode and become a fan.
Have guests appear on your podcast
Running a podcast allows you to interact with a variety of people who you might not have otherwise interacted with. To start, you can interview people who are operating in the same space as you. For instance, if your podcast is about gaming, it would make sense to have other gaming creators come on. There will undoubtedly be some crossover between your two audiences. At the same time, you can also welcome influencers or creators from communities who aren’t in your space, but who you can find some common ground with them. Talking with people in a different space than your own opens your brand to their audience and expands your outreach. If the community shares enough common interest, they may want to check you out after listening to the podcast.
An accessible tool for brand growth
Podcasts are popular because they’re highly accessible and promote genuine conversation between the hosts and the people they interview. If you want to expand your brand’s reach, consider starting a podcast. It gives you a platform to open up to your audience and allows your viewers to form a trusting relationship with your brand through your geniality.