With a 21% increase of people listening to podcasts in 2016 (an estimated 57 million people according to Edison) coupled with growing evidence that “a podcast can drive engagement, build brand loyalty and fuel purchasing decisions”[*] – it’s no wonder that more businesses are now including a podcast in their content creation and marketing strategy.
One statistic however, which is often not discussed are the number of businesses who never make it past episode 7, said to be due to unrealistic expectations and giving up after the lack of immediate results.
When I first launched the Women In Leadership Podcast, within a few days of episode three being published, I had two enquiries, which turned into two new 4-figure clients on the day they first made contact with me.
Both clients didn’t know me, and found me through searching for ‘business mentor’ on Google. Clicking through to my website, they listened to all three episodes, after-which-time, they picked up the phone to chat. The rest is history, as they say.
Is this the type of result you can expect?
It depends.
On a number of factors, including answering the following key questions BEFORE you press record to ensure you generate the BEST results possible.
WHY? Why are you starting your podcast?
- Is it to increase your profile as an influencer in your field?
- Enter into a new market place?
- Generate new leads?
- Other reason?
The answer to these questions will determine your content, format, and call to action.
Fail to answer them – while you may create a great interview you’ll probably find it difficult to generate a consistent steady flow of leads and enquiries because you haven’t included the right call to action (or other crucial trigger points/elements) within your show.
WHO? Who is your ideal listener?
- Have you selected a specific market (i.e. niche)?
- Are you aware of the issues and problems your ideal client is struggling with?
- Do you know what your ideal client desires in terms of outcomes and solutions, and the words/ phrases they use to describe this?
Fail to answer these questions and you’ll most likely struggle to build rapport while retain the interest of your ideal listener (and client). Remember, people do business with people they know, like and trust and whom they believe understands what they’re struggling with and has THE right solution. You need to show them you do.
WHAT? What information will you be sharing on your show?
- What is the overall theme of your show?
- What are the specific element(s) you bring to your message that makes it unique from other podcasts in your industry?
- What resources can you tap into in order to ensure the information you share is current, relevant and of significance and interest to your audience?
Fail to get clear on these questions and you could soon find that your listener base unsubscribes from your show.
WHERE? Where will you be promoting your podcasts?
- Where are your ideal clients spending most of their time? Are you active on those platforms?
- Where will you focus your efforts to ensure you continue to maximise exposure?
- What keywords, phrases, and hashtags will you use to build influence in your field of expertise?
Fail to get clear on these questions and your great piece of content, which you’ve spent considerable time developing, may sadly never be heard by your ideal client if you’re not reaching them.
HOW? How will you ensure you maintain consistency and maximum exposure?
- How frequently will you be publishing your shows?
- How can you maintain consistency to ensure you publish regularly as expected by your community?
- How are you going to maximise exposure once you’ve created your podcast (remembering that the ongoing promotion is where you need to spend 80% of your time to gain the best outcome for your efforts).
Fail to answer these questions and you could find yourself running out of ideas and content to the point where your podcast publication becomes sporadic – a sure-fire way to loose your audience’s interest.
Remember, clarity in the above questions to ensure you’re creating content that your ideal client will love and want to listen to, alongside the RIGHT strategy and ongoing promotion of your podcast is key to ensuring your podcast generates you the BEST returns.
[*] Article: https://www.act-on.com/blog/podcast-listeners-grow-by-23-percent-does-it-make-sense-for-your-marketing-strategy/
