How to Drive Sales for SMBs Using Podcast
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Podcasts is one among the foremost used sales tool and a media channel that has been used in recent times to build online credibility. Podcasts can be included on your website, blog, and on social media which is the main reason for their popularity, in addition to being customer-friendly. Their immense potential is often deployed to drive increased sales and revenue. When used with care, podcasts can also attract some outstanding brand equity for any business.

The idea behind podcasts

Podcasts are very easy to access and you can listen or watch one after downloading or streaming it to your media player. Most times, podcasts are available on a subscription basis, meaning that the newer episodes are downloaded automatically as and when they are released.

Experts speak out that a podcast is one of the best way to increase your reach to a wider audience. The popularity of podcasts also proves that it is an amazing medium for users to enjoy quality content.

Who publishes podcasts?

Anyone from anywhere can create and publish a podcast as long as there is a unique message which has the potential to keep the intended audience engaged. As a business, you can leverage podcasting by creating sales podcasts that will inform your customers about discounts/offers in addition to exhibiting new product features or relay any other information that enhances the customer experience.

Top podcasters not only educate their audience with interesting information but also review or provide information about a brand, product or a service. You can do it with yours.

Podcasts are most effective when they are created or narrated by one of your brand advocates or your industry influencers. When your sales podcast is delivered through such an influencer or advocate, the audience is better engaged to buy or at least consider your brand in the buying cycle.

Podcasts have really taken the hot-seat in marketing and sales campaigns. Let us look at some ideas as to how your business can leverage them to drive sales and marketing.

The exponential growth of smartphones - The proliferated use of Smartphone's enables people to download and listen/view a podcast with ease, once a customer subscribes to your podcast. All of us know and understand the reach and effectiveness of a Smartphone and apparently the possibilities are endless.

It's a hot new trend - Podcast is certainly a new trend as more than 60% of Americans know and actively use podcast services. The significance of the number is quite relevant to businesses as it defines the potential reach.

Considering these huge possibilities and popularity, Google has launched Google Podcasts, offering a variety of podcasts for almost every kind of user. Attractive user interfaces and a free pricing structure makes podcasting a great choice for customers.

The best thing about a podcast is that it creates a chain reaction. A content producer or an influencer influences listeners through a podcast, who then influence even more content creators or customers and the chain reaction continues.

How to create and execute a great sales podcast campaign?

There are various important ingredients that go into creating quality podcast content. Once these are brought together and you have created your awesome sales podcast, it is necessary that you have the right pre-planned campaign strategy to run the podcast, so that it reaches the relevant audience.

 Target your audience

Ensure that your podcast content is targeted. Create content for a segmented set of the audience instead of creating a generic one.  The content should address a concern that will help or inform the audience.

For example, If you are podcasting in the fitness niche, try podcasting some content on "Fitness tips for pregnancy" instead of generic content like "pro fitness tips". Make it interesting, your content should arouse curiosity and should not come through as generic or boring.

Bringing certainty in your content helps the audience to quickly figure out what you want to convey. This enables you to engage instantly with your audience.

Find a unique topic

Targeting a specific audience is one thing and choosing a unique subject is another. Honestly, there are thousands of podcasts out there and a very few of them produce unique content. Amidst tough competition, differentiating your content from what's already available will help you build your very own audience.

Consistency is the key

Consistency, as always, plays a significant role in podcasting. Be religiously consistent about the timing and content. If you are podcasting weekly, ensure that it's being published on the same day and time every week.

Don't experiment too much with your content format. Follow the same pattern, which you have been following since you began podcasting. Remember, consistency plays a vital role in building a loyal audience.

Integration matters

Align your new content with the requirements of multiple publishing platforms. Embed your podcast into blog posts or publish its video on popular video platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo to drive more traffic. Refurbish your podcast according to different media platforms and then publish it for better effectiveness.

You can further reach by adding your podcast links in the emails you send to customers or prospects to provide them with informative content to boost engagement.

Mind the time limit

According to Statistics, 19% of Americans abandon a podcast at the 30-45th minute. The figure rises to 26% at 46-60 minutes.

Sending the podcast at the right time is important to mitigate the challenge of abandonment.

The right time and day to send a podcast will depend on demographic factors as well as the content you are looking to distribute. Keeping the content brief will be a good idea. The shorter the podcast, the smaller is the possibility of abandonment. So, short, crisp and attractive content is the name of the day and it will bring better and meaningful engagement.

Enable a reward system for listeners

Rewards always motivate. Ensure that your listeners feel special and to that end, build a quality reward system for your podcasting channel. Offer special rewards to your listeners and build engagement. Respond to your listeners on different social media platforms and try to resolve queries and curiosities.

Ask the listeners/viewers for feedback is a great idea and a positive appreciation goes a long way in creating quality engagement. Implement the feedback and update users to create relationships and enhance engagement.

Although podcasting is one of the most popular ways of engaging with a wider audience, it is critical to get as much feedback as possible to improve your future podcast content in order to drive higher engagement. Work with various strategies and experiment so that you set up the right cadence to the glory path.

How to market your podcast?

The best way to ensure that your podcast reaches the widest audience is to integrate and invite your audience using email automation tools . Create your email marketing strategy by integrating your podcast planning into it.

Marketing your podcast is not the real challenge compared to how you will deal with leads coming out of your strategy. In order to get the best results, having a holistic plan in place along with required scripts and offers will be a great idea.

Conclusion

Sales podcasting is certainly a modern and an effective method to drive sales. However, you will need to put in a lot of effort and do ample research to get it perfect for your business. You will also need an in-depth guide for getting started with podcasts. It is crucial to maintain the consistent quality of your podcasts for better engagement. Increased engagement will bring you massive traffic and this, in turn, helps in driving sales using sales podcasts for your business.

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