Once upon a time, content marketing for businesses was a pretty straightforward endeavour. An up-to-date blog. An explainer video here and there, etc. But today’s technologies and the perpetually dynamic marketing landscape changed the game. As a business, you need to be more adaptable. One of the adaptations you have to make to your content marketing strategy is getting started on podcast marketing.

Conventional content marketing methods such as SEO and video marketing, while still effective, aren’t enough now. You have to go the extra mile. Consumers expect multiple types of content that suit their needs and lifestyle. Not everyone has the time for a 6000-word blog. Neither can everyone sit through 30 minutes of an explainer video. This is where podcasts come in. Unlike written and visual content, consumers can listen to podcasts even when on the go. 

The best part about podcast marketing is that you don’t have to be an established content creator to start a podcast. If you are scared about the idea of starting your business podcast, don’t sweat it. This guide will cover everything you need to know about podcast marketing. It’s easier than you think.

Let’s start by looking at why you should invest in podcast marketing.

Benefits of Starting a Podcast for Your Business

In 2004, when podcasting was still in its infancy, only a handful of people tuned into them. But its audiences have since grown to tremendous numbers. According to the Irish Examiner, 37% of adults in Ireland listen to podcasts each month. Only South Korea (53%) and Spain (39%) are ahead of Ireland in podcast listenership.

That’s a staggering number that any business owner wouldn’t want to ignore. If you are looking to expand your brand reach, this is a platform you’ll want to exploit. Some of the benefits you can enjoy from podcasting if you do it right include:

1. You offer your audience convenience

With podcasts, you won’t have to worry whether your target audience can’t tune in and get value. They can always download your episodes and listen in at their convenience. They can listen to podcasts when driving, jogging, working, or just relaxing. 

Additionally, listeners who subscribe to your podcasts can have new releases automatically downloaded to their devices. This is definitely better and quicker than having to search for a keyword to find a blog post or an online video.

2. An opportunity to build a personal connection with your audience

Podcasts also offer the opportunity to build a personal connection with your audience in a way that blogs can’t. Reading is only efficient up to a certain point in building a personal connection with the reader. But podcasts offer you a lot more. Listening to your voice engages the audience better. It builds trust and trust gets you loyalty.

3. It’s a great alternative to video marketing

In 2020, we all had to get on video marketing. However, not everyone is comfortable showing their face on camera. Plus it cost a lot of time and money(worth the investment though) to shoot videos. 

Podcasts allow you to enjoy the best of both worlds. You can create both audio and video podcasts which allow your audience options to choose from. If you are camera-shy, you can offer audio-only podcasts on platforms such as SoundCloud. 

4. Allow you to build more brand authority

If you’re looking to build more brand authority in your industry, podcasting is the way to go. It doesn’t matter if you’re pioneering podcasts in your niche or joining a long list of brands already podcasting. Your brand will become the go-to point for expert information when you give consumers more ways to access your content. 

Combine podcasting with SEO and video marketing and you’ll have covered all your bases to establish your brand as a thought leader.

5. It can be an additional revenue stream

Podcasting is only scary before you get started. Once you start, you realize how much fun it is. But it can also help you to make extra money for your business. And as a small business, you need to bring in as much revenue as you can to grow your enterprise. 

You can use podcasts to promote your products and grow your sales. You can also generate additional revenues by using your platform for affiliate sales, paid interviews, sponsorships, and ads. As a business, your main goal will be to maximize your podcast’s reach to generate more leads and sales. But who says NO to some extra money?

6. They can help you build connections in your industry

This is one of the lesser-known benefits of starting a podcast. It gives you the opportunity to create a mutually beneficial partnership with other industry experts and professionals. 

Think of podcasting as some sort of influencer marketing. You maximize your reach by bringing expert guests to your podcast. They are likely to share the episode with their audience and you’ll gain more listeners from it. You also get to network and create a connection with other thought leaders in your industry. 

Is a Podcast Right for Your Business?

While the numbers are attractive and the benefits immense, there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to podcasting. You have to do it right. Podcasts can work for almost every subject and industry, but it has to be done right. Just like with social media marketing, you don’t jump on every promising platform you stumble upon.

You’ll need to understand your target audience and the platforms your podcast can best reach them.

Here are a few factors you should consider before starting a podcast for your business:

 The niche that works best for your business

 The format and flow of your podcast

 The hosting and streaming service

 Stakeholder buy-in

 The resources at your disposal, including budget, equipment, staff, timelines, and branding

 Your overall digital marketing plans and goals

It’s also important t understand that podcasting needs consistency. If you are not ready to commit, then don’t bow to the pressure to start a podcast. But if you are ready to go, here are 10 tips to help you get started on podcast marketing:

10 Podcast Marketing Strategies for 2023

Are you ready to grab the mic? You will find these 10 podcast marketing strategies useful:

1. Understand Your Why

First of all, you need to understand the “why.” Whether you are starting a new podcast or creating a new episode. 

Why this podcast?

Why this episode?

This will help you to understand your audience’s needs you’re trying to fulfil and develop effective ways of measuring your success. Depending on your goals, you can measure the number of downloads and backlinks or focus on the leads generated. Understanding the why is crucial to making your podcasts and episodes more cohesive and targeted.

2. Create Great Content

There are a lot of podcasts and you will need to cut above the noise if you are to achieve your podcast marketing goals. Only great content will attract listeners and grow your reach. The three critical components of great podcast content include:

Stories: If you are starting a podcast to ramble endless facts and statistics, then you might as well not do it at all. People want to hear stories. They create neurological responses in the brain and help to connect the speaker and the listener. Additionally, they are easier to remember.

Equipment: At a minimum, you should have a decent microphone, editing software, and call recording software for guests. You don’t want a great story getting lost in poor audio or video quality. 

Call To Action (CTA): Remember how you need a powerful CTA for every blog post you make? The same goes for podcasting. A great story should end with you telling your listeners the next course of action. This helps move them through your marketing funnel.

There are a lot of things that go into podcast marketing. But these three components will help to get off to a good start.

3. Craft Effective Titles and Descriptions

Consider your podcast and episode titles and descriptions as your window display. What your target audience can see from the outside will attract them to delve inside for more. Great titles and descriptions will play a huge role in whether people gain an interest in your podcast or not.

The title should let listeners know what the podcast/ episode is about. Then the description expands more into what your audience can expect. Each episode should have its own title and description. For example, would you be interested in an episode titled “Episode 5” or the one titled “Episode 5: How To Build a Social Media Community For Your Brand?”

4. Optimise for SEO

Even in podcast marketing, search engine optimization is still important. You will need to optimise your podcast, the titles, and the descriptions for search. Ensure that your podcast episode titles and descriptions are keyword-rich and optimised for search engines. 

Podcast SEO is very similar to YouTube SEO so you’ll have a headway if you have experience in creating effective YouTube video descriptions. You might also want to pay attention to voice searches.

5. Promote Your Podcast on Social Media

Social media is a great way to grow your podcast audience. But you can’t just pop in, drop the link to your podcast, and disappear. You’ll need to actively engage your audience and build a community around your brand. This will help to generate interest in new episodes and also get feedback from your listeners. 

Additionally, you can use audiograms to tease new episodes. But audiograms are only effective for platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok that lean more towards visual content. They won’t be as engaging on Twitter. 

6. Repurpose Your Podcast Content

After publishing a new episode, you can repurpose the content for different social media platforms to promote the episode. This will also help with promoting your podcast on social media. In addition to audiograms, you can repurpose your content by creating:

• YouTube videos from your podcast episode
• Infographics highlighting the main points of the episode
• Graphics of the best quotes in the episode 
• A blog post to accompany your podcast episodes

7. Leverage Influencer Marketing and Partnerships

Besides social media and SEO, influencer marketing and partnerships can also help to grow your podcast. Reach out to influencers whose audiences overlap your target audience and partner with them. 

You can also partner and collaborate with other brands to create content together.

8. Schedule Guests and Appear on Other Podcasts

Listening to the same voice over and over again, no matter how sparkling your personality is, is bound to become monotonous. Listeners will want to hear from other experts at some point. So instead of waiting for them to go in search of those experts, bring them to your podcast as guests. 

It helps your podcast to build trust and social proof, in addition to enabling you to tap into the guest speaker’s audience. 

Similarly, you should also make appearances on other podcasts. It helps to network with other thought leaders and influencers to build your credibility. You also get to reach a new audience. Proactively reach out to podcasts you think you can work with.

9. Use Your Back Catalogue

Your podcast will have more episodes as time goes by. This is a goldmine you can leverage to pull in new listeners and get them to engage with your content. When you mention a topic you’ve discussed in a previous episode, ensure you include the episode number you’re talking about and delve a little into why your listeners should listen to it. 

Don’t forget to provide a link to the referenced episode in the show notes.

10. Launch With a Few Episodes

Lastly, many podcasting experts recommend launching at least five episodes to start with. This will give your listeners a reason to subscribe to your podcast. It also makes your podcast look serious. Releasing a single episode when launching makes it difficult to hook listeners. It just makes you look timid and unsure of what you are doing.

Bonus Tip: Don’t Forget to Submit to Podcast Directories

The quickest and easiest way to market your podcast is by submitting it to well-known podcast directories and aggregators. These include:

Google Play

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

SoundCloud

iHeartRadio

Podbay

Stitcher

Podtail

TuneIn

Get Started on Podcast Marketing With Salt Marketing’s Inbound Podcasting Services

Podcasts have come a long way since their inception. It’s now much more than just a buzzword you throw around to look cool. The benefits of podcast marketing are well-established. 

We can help you to get started on podcast marketing. At Salt Marketing, we offer unique and bespoke podcast marketing services that will enable you to attract your ideal audience, build your brand authority, and meet your overall digital marketing goals.  We strategize with you to create a tailor-made plan to reach your goals and give your audience exactly what they want. Click here to discuss your podcast marketing needs with an expert.