Video definitely hasn’t killed the radio star (despite what the Buggles song said back in 1979). Video is huge in the digital marketing world as we all know, but so is the digital version of a radio show – the podcast.

Podcasts are extremely popular – its estimated one in ten adults in the UK listen to podcasts every week and this number is increasing as we speak.

If you’ve got a business and you don’t know what podcasts are, or even worse you know and don’t make use of them, then you’re missing a huge marketing opportunity.

For the uninitiated, a podcast is an digital audio file which can be downloaded to a computer or mobile device and listened to whenever you wish, usually made up of episodes within a series. The beauty of a podcast is that people can get full value from it while multi-tasking: they listen while they’re cooking, cleaning, commuting, jogging, driving etc.

It’s a great alternative to listening to music on a mobile. There are thousands of podcasts out there waiting to be heard on almost any topic you can imagine – entertainment, documentary, educational, comedy, drama, historical, cooking, stories and much, much more.  Podcast enthusiasts find what they want to hear through one of a number of podcast apps.

What Podcasts can do for Your Business

• Podcast listeners have chosen to engage with your specific audio file – they want to listen to you, and are interested in what you have to say. There’s nothing quite so valuable for effective marketing.
• Research has shown that most regular podcast listeners are well-educated, relatively high earners and aged up to 35. A great audience to have for your marketing.
• Most podcast listeners spend a lot of time hearing you – their attention to podcasts lasts far longer than other forms of media. If they download the audio they tend to make a point of listening to it all.
• Podcast listeners are thirsty for knowledge. They want to hear something interesting and new – all you have to do is feed their hunger to engage them and influence their buying decisions.

Are Podcasts suited to all Businesses?

They certainly are! Everyone has a story to tell, either concerning an interesting product or service or an allied topic in your area of expertise. You can make and share a branded series of podcasts about all sorts of things – even tips for starting your own business, or how you spend your weekends coaching the local hockey team. Cultivate the gift of the gab, spend time and effort marketing your podcast, and you’ll be a podcast superstar in your genre or niche.

How to make a Podcast

The first thing you’ll need is some audio recording equipment and this is as simple as having a computer and a microphone. You can always expand on this as you progress in the world of podcasting. Audio quality is the most important factor, so you’ll need a good microphone.

Next on the list is audio editing software – Audacity is an excellent free open source option for Windows and Mac.

Just like a website or blog, you’ll need a platform to host your podcasts and store your mp3 files. There are dozens available, some with free options and others with various subscription prices, so shop around. Rated as the top podcast hosts currently are Buzzsprout, Transistor and Simplecast.

Once you’re set up you need to give careful throught to finding your podcast topic, with an angle that makes it different to podcasts already out there. It can be fun to explore topics and find a niche, decide on a title and then work out the best way to format and structure an episode. Remember you need to pick a topic you can talk about for the duration of many episodes.

You’ll also need promotional elements like cover art and signature introductory music, and perhaps line up some people to interview.

There’s plenty of help online like this comprehensive tutorial for podcasters when it comes to all aspects of actually producing a high quality, engaging podcast, so spend some time educating yourself.

Podcasts are an excellent way to build an effective relationship with a wide audience, listeners who come to trust you and regard you as a friend. They’ll associate you with your brand and this will lead to conversions. It’s certainly worth building podcasts into your digital marketing strategy.

We produce a podcast a Dentons Digital, bringing you technology and digital marketing updates.