I remember being a kid and driving around with my parents. They would always listen to talk radio. My mom was a Dr. Laura fan, while my dad spent most of his time listening to economics or politics of some sort, assuming there wasn’t a football game being broadcast.
I grew up driving around the city listening to opinions I didn’t care about or understand. The day I leaned over and turned up the volume on NPR is the day I became an adult.
Since that day, I have found myself enjoying the radio less and less. Reception is questionable and as more and more radio hosts move to other formats such as Sirius and podcasts, my options have become limited.
To say I lacked variety was an understatement.
I quickly became reliant on my iPod to sooth my road rage and talk me through long trips. I now enjoy the luxuries of my iPhone, downloading music and podcasts on the fly.
I, along with most of my generation, am reliant on instant streaming for a large portion of my knowledge.
Podcasts are the Unsung Hero
Podcasts seem to be the unsung hero of the marketing world. While many marketers look to print and social media to advertise, they don’t seem to look at podcasts.
Podcasts provide a platform for companies to speak to their following directly. They can answer questions and convey a personality that might otherwise be covered by carefully chosen words and bright lights of print.
Followers get insight into the individuals running their favorite organizations. They can pick the brains of the people they most admire and learn things that otherwise wouldn’t be shared.
If you are looking for a new approach to increase your community engagement here are five reasons why you should start a podcast.
Five Reasons to Start a Podcast
Smartphones + apps = instant streaming. Mobile is dominating the world right now and with it a desire for instant gratification.
There are dozens of apps to stream podcasts and thousands of podcasts available.
The range of topics is growing and the number of contributors is steadily increasing. Growth of podcasts is steady and can only be expected to continue.
If you get in now and establish yourself you’ll be ahead of the curve.
2. Establish Your Brand
If you’re a Seth Godin fan, you know all about his concept of tribes. Tribes consist of followers, leaders, a central idea and they are all connected. They’ve been around since the beginning of the human race.
To become a leader of your tribe you have to stand up and out from the crowd. Provide an idea that differentiates you and cultivate it until people take notice. The following will come if your idea is worthwhile.
Podcasts offer a great platform to connect with your following and grow your ideas.
3. Personable
If you’ve ever thought you didn’t like a person and then sat down and talked with them only to realize you think they’re awesome, you will understand the difference a conversation can make.
Podcasts allow for the hosts to be personable and themselves.
The facades come down.
Not only can you share valuable information with your following, but they get a glimpse at the real-life person who is running their favorite companies.
You can share so much more of the personality and culture of your brand.
4. Low Cost
Podcasts are some of the lowest cost advertising you can do. The equipment is relatively inexpensive and easy to find.
You should definitely factor in quality when choosing your equipment though, as it can make the difference in the sound and clarity your listeners will hear. Not only is it low cost for you to produce but podcasts are low cost for the users as well. Most podcast software is free and the price to stream is small to none.
It’s likely users already have all the items they will need to be able to listen to any podcasts you produce.
5. No Time Constraints
Unlike original radio broadcasting, you don’t have to operate within a certain time period. You can make your podcasts as long or short as you want. This gives you the freedom to alter your approach as you see what it is that your followers respond to.
You can also record anytime that is convenient for you.
Offices are busy and meetings can be unpredictable, having the flexibility to record your podcast at your convenience is a luxury often missed with other forms of advertising.
The opportunities with podcasts are endless. Technology and smartphones are taking over the advertising industry and audio is just one more medium they provide.
Find your idea and cultivate your following.
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