If you happen to’ve been a long-time reader or listener, you probably noticed that I finished podcasting a few years in the past. Quite a bit was happening in my private {and professional} life once I made the choice. I had a brand new grandson, a brand new girlfriend (now fiancé), was transforming my residence, discovered a brand new interest in landscaping, and I had merged my company into a brand new enterprise.
At its core, the time it took to report, edit, publish, and promote every episode was vital. A 20-minute interview may take hours to get out… and that was hours that have been taking away from different necessary issues in my life. I had a backlog of interviews that I recorded, however that by no means acquired revealed. I remorse that – it wasn’t truthful to the parents who had frolicked interviewing me, and it gained’t occur once more!
Once I analyzed the place my enterprise was coming from, there wasn’t direct attribution from our gross sales to my podcast, so I finished doing it. Aspect observe: I didn’t take away the podcast altogether and continued to pay for my podcast internet hosting, however I finished producing extra episodes.
In hindsight, that was a mistake.
The Energy of Podcasting for Advertising
Podcasting can considerably improve inbound gross sales methods by leveraging the ability of voice, capturing the eye of podcast listeners, and using the need of repetition to get heard.
- Partaking Voice: Podcasting permits companies to convey their message utilizing a human voice, which provides a private contact and authenticity to the content material. A well-spoken host or visitor can set up a reference to the viewers, making the content material extra relatable and reliable. This private connection can positively affect listeners’ notion of the model and its services or products.
- Captured Consideration: Podcast listeners are sometimes extremely engaged and attentive. Not like written content material, which requires visible focus, podcasts could be consumed whereas multitasking, reminiscent of throughout commutes, exercises, or family chores. This captive viewers is extra more likely to take in and keep in mind the message, growing the chance of brand name recall when buying choices.
- Necessity of Repetition: Repetition is important in advertising and marketing, and podcasting supplies a superb platform for constant messaging. By frequently releasing podcast episodes, companies can reinforce their model’s worth proposition, key advantages, and choices. Repetition helps embed the message in listeners’ minds, making them extra more likely to take into account the model when wanted.
What I failed to acknowledge was that my podcast was having an impression. The momentum in attain and listenership was maintaining my identify and model within the highlight, getting me exterior podcast alternatives, and I used to be being invited to talk at regional and nationwide occasions.
Why Stopping My Podcast Was A Mistake
That I couldn’t straight attribute gross sales to my podcast was a mistake. After two years with no podcast, different interviews and most of the talking alternatives dried up. As these dried up, I optimized Martech Zone, cleaned up 1000’s of previous articles, and dove deep into consumer work. I used to be working tougher than ever, however our pipeline was far too mild. The momentum I constructed through the years with my podcast was dwindling.
I’m positive the financial challenges our nation is experiencing compounded the difficulty. Prior to now, I had firms popping out of the woodwork to get my help. At my peak listenership a couple of years in the past, I may hand-pick the companies I labored with fairly than simply signing up with anybody. That luxurious dried up over the past couple of years.
We’re nonetheless cautious concerning the purchasers we work with to make sure they’ll probably be long-term relationships… however I’d really feel much more snug if I had a number of firms to work with fairly than only a few. Given the financial system, firms have hesitated to put money into automation, buyer expertise (CX), and digital transformation (DX). They nonetheless do, however a negotiation that was a few weeks is now a couple of months. Firms are being way more cautious. I don’t blame them – we’re, too!
Time To Rebuild My Podcast
With all this in thoughts, it’s time to rebuild the podcast. Transferring ahead, I’ll do extra solo podcasts, do podcasts with my enterprise companions, in addition to interview business professionals. I’m additionally going to get them on video for my YouTube channel. That’s taking a bit extra time since I’m studying Adobe Premiere Professional and abandoning iMovie… which looks as if it hasn’t developed in over a decade.
And, in fact, together with Highbridge, we’d like to have further sponsors for the podcast. Be happy to attach if your organization needs elevated publicity as we develop. Getting in early will probably value much less, and we’re loyal to our sponsors who take that threat. I’ll be capable of report on what number of listeners I nonetheless have in a few weeks.
