Since I started my own podcast the most common question I am asked is “why should I podcast”. To be honest I fell into podcasting without actually asking this question myself but man am I happy I did!
One of the massive benefits of producing a regular podcast is that you get to benefit from a marketing behemoth such as iTunes. With this relationship, you can position yourself to promote and distribute your influence far faster and effectively than many other mediums. On top of ITunes reach, there are now other equally as effective platforms such as Stitcher, TunedIN and Soundcloud which further extend your influence. I have written about this in an earlier blog post entitled “Give your content amplification by joint venturing with gorillas”.
Now for the real answer to “why should I podcast” – all this influence and audience spread that you get from having a successful podcast enhances your reputation as an authority in your chosen industry or market place which results in more business. What better reason could you hope for! So therefore producing an effective podcast should be viewed as clever Authority Building Strategy..
This strategy has been used successfully by many celebrities and businesses and is a seemingly smart tactic when it comes to setting yourself apart from other industry professionals. Having your own Podcast can produce amazing things like:
- Making it onto the magical New & Noteworthy section of iTunes and reading through all your stellar ratings & reviews from fans of your podcast.
- Receiving emails from your fans thanking you for producing such amazing content – they can’t get enough!
- Engaging with an active community across all your social media platforms.
- Spending your nights checking on the hundreds and hundreds of downloads you received that day.
As podcasting continues to go mainstream, more listeners overall will mean more possibilities for you to reach new followers, clients and customers. Producing a podcast is an extraordinary way to ‘walk your talk’ and attract new followers. Successful podcast content is best when it is extremely personal. People get to know your style, values, and personalities by listening to the podcast, which builds the trust process.This is important because your podcast fans are more likely to business with somebody they like and trust – all outcomes of being a podcaster.
Podcasting on the surface seems straightforward. Record audio, upload it to iTunes and you’re on your way.
However, the reality of producing a podcast is that there are more steps than people realise. A lot of first timers totally underestimate the time it takes to do a consistent podcast. Good podcasters or Million Dollar Influencer’s as I like to call them have a detailed plan for things like editing and promoting the episodes, and having this foresight makes the process a whole lot easier.
In my experience the main reasons that a podcast is successful or not is whether the show captures the imagination and whether it’s entertaining with new and innovative material. So when figuring out what your podcast will cover, you want to ensure that you’re not just knocking off what’s already out there.
Be yourself, be consistent and be original when starting a podcast – and you will soon be answering “why should I podcast” with the same gleeful smile that appears on my face when I am asked the question.
